HOUSTON — The Yankees’ youth movement supplied most of the team’s runs on Saturday, as four players 24 or younger recorded an RBI in a 5-4 win over the Astros.
Oswald Peraza, 23, started the scoring in the second inning with a single. Oswaldo Cabrera, 24, then drew a bases-loaded walk before the inning came to a close.
Peraza finished the night 3 for 4, adding a double in the process.
A fifth-inning error from Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón preceded a sac fly from 24-year-old Austin Wells, which tied the game at four. Everson Pereira, 22, followed up with an RBI single.
The Yankees’ other run came on Aaron Judge’s 31st home run of the season, which he struck off Hunter Brown in the third inning.
Brown, only 25 himself, lasted four innings. The rookie allowed five hits and five runs, though only three were earned. But Brown didn’t do himself any favors by walking four over 94 pitches. He struck out five.
Luis Severino, fresh off two strong starts but in the midst of an awful season, took a step back on Saturday, tallying six hits, four earned runs, one walk and three strikeouts over four innings and 104 pitches.
The Astros’ four runs off Severino came on two-run homers from Michael Brantley and Yainer Diaz, who went deep in the second and fourth innings, respectively. Houston’s entire lineup made the righty work, though, as Severino found himself at 60 pitches before the second inning ended.
An impending free agent, Severino now has a 6.75 ERA this season.
While Severino labored, Jhony Brito delivered 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief. The 25-year-old held the Astros to two hits and zero walks while striking out one.
With a second consecutive series win in the books, the Yankees will look to end their long road trip with another victory on Sunday. Michael King will start for the Yankees, while Cristian Javier will take the ball for Houston.
The Yankees have been experimenting with King as a starter, building him up in recent weeks. He had his best results yet his last time out, holding the Tigers scoreless for four innings while totaling 61 pitches, a season-high, on Aug. 29.
Javier, meanwhile, has been a thorn in the Yankees’ side before. The right-hander spearheaded a joint no-hitter against New York two Junes ago, and he owns a 1.83 ERA over 19 2/3 innings against the Yankees. That doesn’t include 5 1/3 scoreless innings in last year’s American League Championship Series.