HOUSTON — The kids are all right.
Rolling out a lineup that includes six players aged 24 or younger — five of them still rookies — is bound to come with a fair share of highs and lows.
But the Yankees got enough of the good on Saturday night to come away with another win, 5-4 over the Astros at Minute Maid Park — and all six youngsters had a hand in the victory.
The 23-year-old Oswald Peraza had his most productive game of the season with three-hits, his first multi-hit game of the year.
The bottom four hitters in the lineup — Austin Wells (24 years old), Everson Pereira (22), Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera (24) — each drove in a run. Jasson Dominguez (20) and Anthony Volpe (22) each scored a run as well.
Volpe also flashed more strong defense at shortstop to assist another rookie, right-hander Jhony Brito, who delivered 3 ²/₃ scoreless innings of relief.
Austin Wells hits a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ 5-4 win over the Astros. APAll in all, the young players represented themselves well — with some help, of course, from old reliable Aaron Judge — to clinch a second straight series victory for the Yankees (67-69).
It marks the first time they have accomplished that feat since late June, which is why they have turned their focus to a youth movement instead of a playoff race in the final month of the season.
“It’s just a lot of fun to play with them and experience these types of games and these types of atmospheres with everyone,” said Volpe, who is the most experienced of all the youngsters. “The fact that everyone is performing and coming through is a testament to everyone’s hard work, everyone in the minor leagues. For everyone to come up and have an instant impact is pretty cool.”
Volpe, who went 1-for-3 with a double and two walks, saved his best work for the field.
Right after the Yankees had regained the 5-4 lead, the speedy Mauricio Dubon led off the fifth inning with a ground ball to the hole at shortstop.
Jasson Dominguez runs to first base and reaches on a fielding error in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ win. APVolpe fielded it cleanly and then did his best Derek Jeter impression, getting off a jump-throw to nail Dubon at first.
“He took a page out of his guy’s book,” manager Aaron Boone said with a grin. “Jeets was his guy, so I’m sure he’s seen that a lot in his mind and in his dreams.”
Luis Severino, who was coming off back-to-back scoreless outings, was forced to expend extra energy on Saturday.
The right-hander needed 104 pitches to complete four innings — in which he allowed four runs on six hits, two home runs and a walk — with the Astros (77-60) fouling off a staggering 41 of those pitches.
Aaron Judge belts a solo homer in the third inning of the Yankees’ win. APBut the Yankees provided enough offensive support to take Severino off the hook.
With one out and the bases loaded in the second inning, Peraza snapped an 0-for-21 skid with an RBI single to center field for a 1-0 lead against Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. Cabrera then fell behind 1-2 before laying off a few tough pitches to draw a walk and force in another run.
Judge led off the third inning by crushing his second home run in as many nights and his 31st in his 82nd game of the season. This one was a 428-foot shot that put the Yankees back up 3-2.
Then after the Astros had taken the lead in the bottom of the fourth, Judge led off the fifth with a walk. He then went from first to third when Dominguez hit a hard ground ball that went under the glove of second baseman Mauricio Dubon for an error.
Everson Pereira rips an RBI single in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ win. Getty ImagesAfter Volpe walked to load the bases, Wells hit a sacrifice fly that tied the score before Pereira lined a single to center field to put the Yankees ahead 5-4.
“Just up and down the lineup, great at-bats,” Judge said. “It was impressive to see from such a young group, just a couple games up in the big leagues.
“The way they carry themselves on the field, you feel like they’ve been here all year. It’s impressive to see that out of guys that young, in a tough environment, loud environment and they’re just out they’re playing some ball. It’s pretty cool to see.”







