The Yankees pulled off a wild ninth-inning comeback against the Astros in the Bronx. Houston came in with a three-run lead and Ryan Pressley on the mound, sporting a 30-1 record when leading after seven innings. Giancarlo Stanton led off showing plenty of presence in the box and worked a walk in a four-pitch at-bat. Gleyber Torres followed, staying patient and drawing another walk. With two on and nobody out, Aaron Hicks came up in a slump and looked like he was guessing off-speed early. Pressley fooled him a couple times with fastballs, then mixed in a slider. Eventually, Hicks timed up a heater and crushed it for a three-run homer to tie the game.
Pressley stayed in but showed signs he was cooked, sticking with off-speed through the next few hitters. He couldn’t get José Trevino out either, and the Yankees eventually pulled him. Wandy Peralta came in to get the final outs and keep things tied. Then it was DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge’s turn. Judge stepped up with a chance to walk it off. He got a 3-0 count and the pitcher tried to sneak a splitter by him. Judge didn’t care. He stayed on it and sent it into left for the game-winning hit, scoring Trevino. Yankee Stadium erupted.
Postgame, things got goofy. Josh Donaldson tossed dirt straight into Anthony Rizzo’s face in celebration. There were bubble gum throws, big smiles, and players mobbing Judge. The hitting coaches made sure to shower Hicks with love after his clutch homer. It was the kind of finish that boosts a team, especially with stars like Judge and Hicks delivering when it counted.