Yankees edge Astros 5-4 on Aug. 9, 2025 after Houston tied it late; Jeremy Peña homered, Jose Altuve plated one, but Trent Grisham’s 8th-inning HR sealed it
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
The Astros did the hard part: they clawed back in the eighth at Yankee Stadium to erase a two-run deficit. The part they’ll want back came minutes later, when two defensive miscues and a Trent Grisham go-ahead homer off Bryan King turned a deadlocked game into a 5-4 loss. On a Saturday that showcased Jeremy Peña’s star turn and Carlos Correa’s presence, Houston still walked away with a stinger—and a slimmer cushion in the AL West.
“In a race this tight, one clean inning is the difference between a tie game and a loss.”
Jeremy Peña set the tone early, jumping a first-inning pitch for a solo shot, his latest reminder that his breakout hasn’t missed a beat since returning from a rib fracture. The Yankees answered, and by the fifth, starter Hunter Brown had yielded four runs (three earned) over 5.0 innings. The Astros fought back in the eighth: Jose Altuve lined an RBI single, and Christian Walker drew a bases-loaded walk to even it at 4-4. But in the bottom half, the margin for error vanished—literally. Two defensive errors ratcheted up the pressure, and Trent Grisham delivered the decisive blow with a go-ahead homer off Bryan King. Houston never recovered.
Since coming off the IL, Peña has looked like the best version of himself: quick to the ball, gap-to-gap authority, and elite defense. He went yard in the first on Saturday and continues to be the two-way engine Houston needed. With Peña entrenched at short, Carlos Correa’s shift to third has tightened up the left side and given the Astros premium defense across the infield—critical in tight, playoff-style games like this one.
Reacquired from the Twins at the deadline, Correa wasted little time making his presence felt with an RBI single in the Bronx. Beyond the box score, his voice and game-planning matter in these margins; pairing Correa’s baseball IQ with Altuve’s heartbeat gives Houston the kind of late-inning poise that usually swings series in October. The early returns at third base have been clean, and the bat lengthens a lineup that now runs Altuve–Peña–Correa in some order with thump behind them.
Saturday’s eighth inning is a caution sign. The Astros did the hard work to tie it, then gave the Yankees extra chances. Even when the damage comes via a homer, the miscues before it change pitch selection, stress levels, and leverage. Hunter Brown gave a grind-it-out five (4 R, 3 ER), but the story was the thin edge between a series-stealing win and a frustrating loss. In a division race this tight, clean innings matter as much as clutch hits.
Houston activated Carlos Correa, outfielder Jesús Sánchez, and infielder Ramón Urías in the days leading up to Saturday, adding experience and matchup flexibility. Corresponding moves: infielder Zack Short was DFA’d; prospects Brice Matthews and Jacob Melton were optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land; righty Nick Hernandez rejoined the bullpen; and Nick Robertson was outrighted to Triple-A. Translation: the front office is optimizing the 26-man for winning now while keeping young bats getting reps in Sugar Land.
The loss drops Houston to 65-52 (.556), with Seattle breathing down their necks at 64-53 (.547). The Astros’ brief winning streak is over, and the margin is basically a weekend series. The formula from here is simple: tighten the defense, keep the top of the order hot (Altuve went 2-for-4 with an RBI), and convert leverage innings. With Peña’s ascent and Correa’s return, the pieces are there—the details will decide the division.
The series in the Bronx continues, and the Astros will want to turn today’s lesson into tomorrow’s edge. Watch for: a sharper glove game on the left side, more traffic ahead of the middle bats, and how the bullpen deploys in tight eighths and ninths. If Houston pairs its renewed infield stability with cleaner late-inning execution, this is the kind of near-miss that becomes a springboard rather than a setback.
A one-swing loss stings, but the larger story is Houston’s shape for the stretch: Peña playing like a star, Correa back where he belongs—leading—and a roster tailored for tight games. Clean the small things, and the Astros control the big thing: the AL West.
