HOUSTON _ Clint Frazier had already toned down some of his spring training brashness before Saturday afternoon, when he re-entered Yankees Universe as a full-fledged major leaguer.
Still, "if I clip my own wings, I'm not going to be able to play the way that I want to," Frazier said at Minute Maid Park of finding that happy medium. "As long as I can be myself without being a distraction or cause harm to the clubhouse or the team, I think I'll be in good shape."
Once the game began, Frazier provided an appealing look at how he might fit into a pennant race.
After doubling to start a key sixth-inning rally on Saturday night, Frazier drilled his first home run in the seventh _ a solo shot _ though the Astros prevailed 7-6 before 41,010 fans.
That gathering included Frazier's parents, sister and girlfriend, all witnesses to a home run that Aaron Judge more or less predicted hours before.
"I think he might," Judge said of the possibility that Frazier would homer in his debut. "I got a good feeling about him tonight."
For the second straight night, the Yankees (43-36) scored a five-run sixth inning against the Astros (55-27), only to watch Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman blow it.
Charged with four runs, Betances was lifted with runners at the corners in the eighth for Chapman, who gave up a go-ahead, two-run double to Yuri Gurriel.
Didi Gregorius belted his first career grand slam and Jordan Montgomery lasted 51/3 innings, giving up a two-run homer to Gurriel and a solo shot by Carlos Correa.
Batting ninth, Frazier struck out in his first big-league at-bat, whiffing on a slider after being ahead 3-and-0 on right-handed starter Francis Martes. But leading off the sixth, with the Yanks trailing 2-0, Frazier lined one just under the glove of diving left fielder Marwin Gonzalez for a two-base hit.
Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded single scored Frazier ahead of Gregorius's line drive into the lower right-field seats off righty Will Harris, the second grand slam in as many nights for the Yanks; Brett Gardner hit one in Friday's 13-4 win.
Leading off the seventh against lefty Tony Sipp, the 22-year-old Frazier lashed an outside fastball over the high left field wall. As he entered the dugout, Frazier encountered the old "silent treatment" gag before his teammates surrounded him congratulatory pats and fist-bumps.
Frazier had already been subject to an odd exchange on Friday by Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Al Pedrique.
"When he came up and tapped me on the shoulder, I thought, 'This is it. I'm going up,' " Frazier said. But, "he definitely didn't make me think I was going up when (we) sat down and started talking."
In a serious tone, Pedrique told Frazier all the things he needed to work on, including "being a good teammate" before telling him he'd be working on those things as a Yankee on Saturday.
"I'm glad we had that conversation," said Frazier, the key top prospect acquired from Cleveland in last summer's trade that sent lefty Andrew Miller to the eventual AL champs. "Looking back on last year, I tried to prove I was the guy that I got traded for and I think I struggled doing that."
Those struggles continued into April.
"I just needed to realize that there are things (I need) to work on to be the player I'm capable of being."
Part of the maturation process came from the March flack caused by his flowing red hair. "I needed to get called out to realize I was the black sheep in the crowd," said Frazier, who was given No. 30. "But I'm ready. I want to help this team."
