(Photo credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images)

Ryan McMahon recorded a multi-hit, multi-RBI game, and Trent Grisham clubbed a backbreaking three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning as the visiting New York Yankees topped the Houston Astros 8-4 on Thursday to take the rubber match of this three-game series.

The Yankees (78-62) closed to within three games of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. The Yankees will host Toronto in a three-game weekend series starting Friday.

After the Astros (77-64) shaved a three-run deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, McMahon (3-for-4, three RBIs) bounced a single that eluded a diving Jeremy Pena, scored pinch-runner Jasson Dominguez from second base, and extended the Yankees' lead to 5-3 with two outs in the eighth. Grisham followed with his 30th home run, a 404-foot blast to right off Astros reliever Kaleb Ort that plated Austin Wells and McMahon.

Yordan Alvarez (4-for-5, two RBIs) socked a two-out solo home run off Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (16-7) in the third and scored on a Jose Caballero throwing error following his leadoff double in the sixth. Rodon allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in six innings.

Jesus Sanchez drilled his 13th homer off Yankees reliever Luke Weaver leading off the seventh, the Astros' first pinch-homer this season. Houston loaded the bases against Yankees reliever David Bednar in the ninth, but Bednar rallied to strike out Christian Walker to close the game.

The Yankees stressed Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (1-2) early and chased him from the mound in the fifth.

Javier worked around a two-out walk to Aaron Judge in the first but allowed three consecutive one-out baserunners in the second, with McMahon recording the first of his two hits off Javier in the form of an RBI single that scored Wells and lifted the Yankees to a 1-0 lead. Javier appeared to find his rhythm and retired eight consecutive batters following the McMahon single.

McMahon snapped that streak with his 19th home run with one out in the fifth. McMahon was the first of five consecutive batters to reach against Javier, who departed when Cody Bellinger singled home Grisham for a 3-1 lead. Caballero was later credited with a bases-loaded walk when Astros reliever Enyel De Los Santos was cited with a pitch-clock violation on a full count.

--Field Level Media