HOUSTON — Jose Altuve got the Yankees again.
The Yankees finished off the first half of the season with a disastrous 8-7 loss at Minute Maid Park, as Domingo German and Chad Green blew a five-run lead in the ninth, with Altuve finishing it with a game-winning three-run homer.
German allowed the first two batters of the ninth to reach and Green gave up a two-run double to Chas McCormick to make it 7-4.
Abraham Toro followed with a shot to right that Aaron Judge couldn’t chase down for an RBI double to cut the Yankees’ lead to two runs.
After a visit from pitching coach Matt Blake, pinch-hitter Jason Castro singled to center, moving Toro to third.
Green got Martin Maldonado on a soft liner to short for the first out.
Altuve, who famously wouldn’t let his teammates rip off his jersey after he beat the Yankees in the 2019 ALCS, then slammed a homer and his teammates ripped off his jersey after he crossed the plate.
Earlier, Maldonado homered in the third and tugged at his jersey — mimicking Judge’s mocking of Altuve following his homer on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Astros got the last laugh.
Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer, but it wasn’t enough.