Christian Walker and Jeremy Peña power the Astros to a 5-1 win over Gerrit Cole and the Yankees

NEW YORK (AP) — Christian Walker had three hits, including a two-run homer off Gerrit Cole in the sixth inning, and Jeremy Peña added a solo shot to power the Houston Astros to a 5-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.

Astros starter Hayden Wesneski (4-1) allowed one run and three hits in five-plus innings against the team that drafted him in 2019 and traded him to the Chicago Cubs in 2022 for reliever Scott Effross.

Houston (67-67) took two of three at Yankee Stadium and leads the AL West by one game over Texas.

Walker broke an 0-for-11 skid with a single in the second and homered on Cole’s 1-0 curveball for a 3-0 lead in the fifth. He doubled off Justin Topa in the eighth and scored when the Yankees committed two errors on one play.

Yainer Diaz’s grounder caromed off George Lombard Jr.’s glove for the rookie shortstop’s seventh error in 20 career games. The ball ricocheted to third baseman José Caballero and he was charged with a throwing error for his wild toss to first as Walker scored Houston’s fifth run.

Lombard became the first Yankees shortstop since Roger Peckinpaugh in 1915 to commit an error in six straight games.

Peña was hit in the hand by a pitch from Cole and scored on Isaac Paredes’ single before homering in the seventh off Yerry de los Santos.

Cole (7-7) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out five and issued his only walk to Daulton Varsho before Walker went deep.

Ben Rice scored New York’s lone run on a sacrifice fly by Cody Bellinger off Steven Okert in the sixth.

Heading into a pivotal four-game series against the rival Red Sox, the Yankees (75-58) lost for only the third time in 10 games. New York trails first-place Tampa Bay by four games in the AL East and leads Boston by two for the top American League wild card.

Josh Hader completed the five-hitter after the Astros announced former pitching coach Brent Strom will rejoin the team as a pitching consultant Friday.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (3-3, 3.51 ERA) opens a three-game series at Citi Field against Mets RHP Christian Scott (4-3, 3.73) on Friday.

Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler (11-6, 2.16 ERA) pitches Friday against Boston LHP Patrick Sandoval (1-2, 4.54).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb