The Houston Astros struck early and held off a late Yankees rally, escaping the Bronx with a hard-fought 5-3 victory Friday night. José Altuve set the tone with a first-inning homer—his 15th pitch of the night sending a laser into the left-field seats—while Carlos Correa continued his scorching August, reaching base three times and driving in a run to extend his league-leading .379 average. Houston’s bullpen locked it down after Hunter Brown’s gritty 5.1 innings, with Bennett Sousa and Bryan Abreu combining for 2.2 hitless frames before Josh Hader weathered a ninth-inning Yankees push, stranding the tying run at second.

The Yankees’ offense sputtered against Houston’s arms, managing just four hits through eight innings before a late surge fell short. Aaron Judge’s RBI single in the ninth—his 100th RBI of the season—briefly breathed life into the crowd, but Devin Williams’ meltdown in the eighth (two runs, including Taylor Trammell’s dagger homer) proved too much to overcome. With the loss, New York drops a game back in the AL East race, while the Astros, fueled by Altuve’s resurgence and Correa’s MVP-caliber stretch, pull within striking distance of a wild-card spot.