Volpe the difference as Yankees top Astros

NEW YORK -- The last time the Yankees and Astros met on this playing field, Anthony Volpe was still a big league hopeful, watching the American League Championship Series from afar. As he stood at his position on Thursday evening, the rookie shortstop looked around the ballpark and thought, “The fans are definitely into it.”

Yes, those orange stars taking up residence in the visiting dugout always makes this an event, even during one of the Yanks’ most turbulent weeks in recent memory. That outside noise can only be drowned out by winning, and Volpe delivered a big hit, helping to lead his club to a 4-3 victory over Houston at Yankee Stadium.

“As a team, going through this makes everyone a lot closer,” Volpe said. “We feel like the only people who can do something about it is us. I think we’re really sticking together, and we feel like we can do something. I think in the long run, it’s going to benefit us, for sure.”

Volpe’s sixth-inning knock came on a Kendall Graveman sinker that was swatted into right field, driving home Harrison Bader from second base with the go-ahead run. The Bombers’ bullpen held that advantage, with Michael King recording five outs before Tommy Kahnle and Clay Holmes each notched three apiece.

The taut victory shifted the focus back to the diamond after a frenzied series of events, which included Tuesday’s Trade Deadline, Wednesday’s announcement that right-hander Domingo Germán would leave the club to seek treatment for alcohol abuse, and Thursday’s news that first baseman Anthony Rizzo is experiencing post-concussion syndrome.

Even with all that swirling around the team, Thursday’s victory placed the Yankees just 2 1/2 games back in the chase for the third American League Wild Card.

“It could always be worse,” Giancarlo Stanton said. “We’re in a spot to still be effective, still do damage. We’ve got plenty of time. This is day by day. You can’t look three weeks ahead. You can’t look to next week. Just be productive that day.”

Stanton and Billy McKinney hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning off Cristian Javier, who had enjoyed nothing but success previously against the Yankees, including a combined no-hitter in the Bronx last June.

But the right-hander has been a tick off lately, winless since June 3, and the Yankees pounced. Stanton’s mammoth two-run blast surged off the bat at 114.1 mph, traveling a Statcast-projected 430 feet over the left-field bullpen. It was his 16th homer of the year and his second in as many nights.

“I’m having good at-bats, not so good at-bats,” said Stanton, who has nine homers and 21 RBIs in his last 20 games (since July 8). “It’s a little back and forth. The point is to try to be productive to help us win each night. If you’re going to have a couple of bad at-bats, hopefully no runners are on.”

McKinney followed with a 401-foot poke to the second deck in right field, his sixth of the year. Yankees manager Aaron Boone described his club’s at-bats the last two nights as “heavier” and “tougher.”

“We want to make you feel the at-bats,” Boone said. “Whether you have success against us as a pitching staff or we get to you, that heavy feeling of, ‘Man, I had to work tonight to get through that’ -- we’re getting a little better there.”

The blasts supported New York starter Clarke Schmidt, who limited Houston to two runs and four hits over five innings. Schmidt is 5-0 with a 3.61 ERA (19 ER / 47 1/3 IP) over his last nine starts.

“When you wear the pinstripes, there is kind of an ‘us against the world,’ regardless of the situation we’re in right now,” Schmidt said. “We know that every game we go out there is kind of a must-win. We like playing with that chip on our shoulder. We’re going to try and bring the energy every night.”

Wandy Peralta surrendered a game-tying home run to Kyle Tucker in the top of the sixth, the first extra-base hit he has allowed to a left-handed batter all season.

Houston threatened in the seventh against King, who induced Jeremy Peña to hit into an inning-ending double play. The bullpen continues to be a strength for the Yanks, whose relievers have allowed just three earned runs in their last 29 2/3 innings (good for a 0.92 ERA).

“It was a great atmosphere,” Volpe said. “I think we definitely fed off it. To jump out early and get them into it early, I think it was definitely good.”