For most of the night at Daikin Park, the New York Yankees looked in control. Starter Will Warren delivered five strong innings, and a 4-1 lead carried the crowd into the middle frames with optimism. But as so often happens in baseball, one inning unraveled everything, and by the time the dust settled, the Houston Astros had stolen an 8-7 victory.
The turning point came in the eighth inning. Reliever Devin Williams, trusted to hold the line, saw his night spiral after a Carlos Correa double, three walks, and a disputed strike zone. Frustration mounted as Taylor Trammell drew a bases-loaded walk on five pitches, forcing in the go-ahead run. Moments later, Williams and manager Aaron Boone were both ejected, leaving the Yankees searching for answers.
Despite the chaos, the Yankees kept fighting. Austin Wells provided offensive firepower with a two-run homer and two doubles, while Cody Bellinger’s ninth-inning blast cut the deficit to one. But Houston’s insurance runs in the eighth proved decisive, and a final strike call against Jazz Chisholm Jr. ended the rally.
Did umpiring decisions decide the game?
Williams made no effort to hide his frustration after the loss. “You missed four,” he recalled according to MLB.com, telling home-plate umpire Brian Walsh before being tossed. The right-hander insisted several crucial calls altered the inning’s outcome. “When you’re making good pitches, which I was, not getting those calls really changes the course of an at-bat.”
How did Boone see the collapse?
Boone, who had been ejected alongside his reliever, struck a calmer tone afterward. “Obviously, a tough inning,” he said. “Thought [Devin] was throwing the ball well. Real competitive at-bats—even the walks. A lot of close pitches. They got the best of us tonight.”
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The Yankees’ manager also credited Houston for grinding through at-bats late. Still, his club’s eight-game home winning streak came to a halt at a costly time in the division race.
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What’s next for New York?
The Yankees, now 3 1/2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, face little margin for error heading into a crucial weekend set. Boone’s group will need steadier bullpen execution and, they hope, a more consistent strike zone if they are to keep pace in a tightening playoff chase.
