The Houston Astros dropped their second game of the series against the New York Yankees, 8-3. The Astros were in control until around the seventh inning, when everything began to unravel. Pitching has been Houston's biggest struggle of the 2026 season, but Mike Burrows did his part. It wasn't a perfect outing, but once he stepped off the mound, Houston's night spiraled. So here is a look at the top three things that went wrong in another tough loss for Houston.
1. The bullpen completely fell apart
Reliever Bennett Sousa had a brutal debut. He issued four walks, two of them with the bases loaded, forcing in runs and blowing the game wide open. Just before that, Kai-Wei Teng gave up a home run. The Astros were right in the game, but putting runners on base for free against a team that doesn't need any handouts left Houston in a hole that was difficult to escape. That's the inning that really cost them dearly.
2. The Yankees kept hitting home runs
Trent Grisham, Austin Wells, and José Caballero all went deep for New York, combining for three home runs on the night. Before the Yankees started drawing walks, it looked like they were about to win on home runs alone. Houston simply couldn't contain the long ball.
3. Gave the lead right back
The Astros tied it up on Carlos Correa's homer in the sixth, but Wells immediately answered with a go-ahead shot off Kai-Wei Teng in the seventh. From there the Yankees piled on relentlessly, and Houston's offense went silent. For a team sitting at 10-17 on the season, that kind of collapse in a tie game is something they simply can't afford.
The final game of the series will take place this afternoon at Daikin Park. Can Houston stop the Yankees from completing the sweep?
Despite pitching being a major issue for the Astros, Spencer Arrighetti has been a glimpse of hope. He had a dominant season debut, and his second outing was solid. Houston has won both of Arrighetti’s outings so far this season. With the bullpen imploding for the second game in a row, it will be crucial for Arrighetti to go at least six strong innings so Houston can lean only on its most trusted relievers in an attempt to secure a win against New York.