The Yankees began a crucial homestand by sweeping the Rays, putting some distance between themselves and their AL East foes.
And the next two nights, they banged around the AL West-leading Astros, beating Houston 4-1 on Friday in Aaron Judge’s first game back from a strained left oblique.
Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres both homered for the third consecutive game, as the Yankees extended their winning streak to seven games.
The hobbled Astros, meanwhile, have dropped a season-high six games.
But, as has often happened this season, the Yankees’ victory didn’t come without a price. Cameron Maybin, who filled in so well while Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were sidelined, left the game with a strained left calf following the third inning.
James Paxton bounced back from a poor outing and was solid over five-plus innings before another strong showing from the bullpen.
Paxton said he was pleased to see Judge back in the lineup, where he hit leadoff for the first time in his career.
“Pretty big,’’ the left-hander said of what Judge’s presence meant. “You look at that lineup we’re putting out there, it’s scary. There’s power all the way through.”
While the power from Sanchez is expected, Torres’ is a bit of a surprise.
“When I was 22, I was playing in Low-A Charleston,’’ Judge said. “He’s up here facing the best of the best and exceeding all expectations. What he’s doing, it’s been impressive. He’s the star of this team, the future of this team.”
Torres still calls himself “a contact hitter” and he’s already thinking about October.
“We are a really good team right now,’’ Torres said. “The goal is to go to the championship. That is the mentality for us.”
As for Paxton, he struggled with his control, but was aided by some good defense.
The Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on Sanchez’s two-out, two-run homer into the bleachers in left-center that went an estimated 481 feet.
They were the only runs the Yankees scored off Brad Peacock, who struck out 11 in six innings.
Houston scored a two-out run in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Tyler White and Jake Marisnick.
After a scoreless fifth, Paxton was pulled following Yuli Gurriel’s leadoff double in the sixth, replaced by Adam Ottavino, who stranded Gurriel at second after a walk to White.
Paxton ended up allowing one run, despite matching his season-high with three walks.
Ottavino got Alex Bregman to hit a fly ball to foul territory in left, where Brett Gardner made a sliding catch for the first out in the seventh before Aaron Boone went to Tommy Kahnle, who had given up runs in each of his previous two outings.
This time, Kahnle got the final two outs of the seventh inning.
The Yankees got some insurance in the bottom of the frame against Hector Rondon, who had struck out the side on Thursday night.
On Friday, Torres joined Sanchez by going deep for a third straight game. The two-run homer followed a double by Gardner and gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead.
Zack Britton walked a pair in the eighth and went to a full count on Josh Reddick before Torres made a terrific back-handed play on a grounder up the middle and flipped to Didi Gregorius, who made a strong throw to first to complete the double play.
“It’s really difficult,’’ Torres said of turning that play. “I don’t practice that. It’s just in the moment.”
“That was a really good play by Gleyber to start it and then Didi being able to finish it off there,’’ Boone said. “It was a great job by Zack there, struggling with the strike zone, but he’s always that one pitch away.”
Aroldis Chapman closed it for his 21st save.