NEW YORK _ A couple of patented Yankee Stadium home runs made a big difference for the home team on Saturday night.
Gio Urshela's two-run shot and Austin Romine's even-shorter drive to the short porch helped to flaunt the Yankees' greatest advantage in this newest version of the original House That Ruth Built.
Yet, the devastating, slashing swing of Giancarlo Stanton proved to be their best weapon in a 7-5 win against the reeling Astros.
In successive at-bats, Stanton roped a pair of two-run singles, the last of which snapped a 5-5 tie in the seventh inning.
With Aroldis Chapman being rested, Zack Britton loaded the bases with two out before getting Tyler White on a liner to right for his third save of the year.
And the AL East-leading Yankees (49-27) have now won a season-high eight straight games, while the AL West-leading Astros (48-30) have dropped seven straight games.
On Sunday, the Yanks will go for their first-ever four-game sweep of Houston, with J.A. Happ set to oppose Astros' ace Justin Verlander on Old-Timers' Day.
Back in 2017, when the Astros and Yankees met for the pennant, home-field advantage was key.
After the Yankees won all three AL Championship games in the Bronx to force the best-of-seven series back to Houston, the Astros won Games 6 and 7 to advance to the World Series.
Two years later, it remains in the Yankees' best interest to prevent any repeat chance of Houston going 4-0 in the ALCS at Houston.
Of course, a lot can happen on the road to October, and the Twins, Red Sox and Rays are potential finalists for the AL crown. They'll also be competing in the trade market leading up to the July 31 deadline, by which time the Yanks are expected to add a pitcher.
But right now, the Astros can't wait to get back to Minute Maid Park, where their 27-11 home record this year is currently tops in the AL.
In early April, the Astros swept a three-game series against the Yankees. Yet, the Astros also had George Springer and Carlos Correa in their lineup at that time.
Both Houston stars have been on the injured list during this series, with Springer nearly recovered from a hamstring strain and Correa dealing with a fractured rib that could keep him sidelined until the second half.
But Astros rookie Yordan Alvarez continued his scorching career start on Saturday night.
Inheriting a 4-2 lead from Masahiro Tanaka to start the seventh, Jonathan Holder served up a go-ahead three-run homer by Alvarez.
Following two-out singles by Alex Bregman and Michael Brantley, Alvarez connected for his sixth home run in just his 11th MLB game. He now has 14 RBIs.
And over his last six appearances since June 5, Holder has yielded eight runs on nine hits _ four of them home runs _ in six innings.
But the tide changed almost instantly in the Yankees' seventh.
Romine's one-out, solo homer off Ryan Pressly made it a 5-5 game and the Yanks weren't through.
DJ LeMahieu followed with an infield hit, Aaron Judge reached on catcher's interference and Luke Voit's right-side groundout put both runners in scoring position.
Stanton followed with a two-out smash to left that nicked off the outstretched glove of third baseman Yuli Gurriel.
It was reminiscent of Stanton's two-run single in the sixth, which was hit too hard for Gurriel to play on a vicious hop, giving the Yanks a 4-2 lead.
Urshela's fifth-inning, two-out, two-run homer was the Yankees' first hit off lefty starter Wade Miley on Saturday night.
It also gave the Yanks a 2-0 lead and tied a franchise record. The Yankees have now homered in 25 straight games, matching the 1941 club's mark and pulling within two games of the MLB record set by the 2002 Texas Rangers.
Josh Reddick's two-run homer off Tanaka made it 2-2 in the sixth.
In right field Reddick was also part of an odd defensive circus with center fielder Jake Marisnick.
On a rare two-error play in the fourth, Marisnick dropped Voit's fly ball to right-center field as Reddick closed near him. Reddick picked up the ball and fanned on his throw, allowing Voit to reach second base.
The odd play did not result in any Yankees runs.
Later, the two fielders nearly collided on Romine's fly to right to end the fifth.
Meanwhile, Stanton went into the left field wall to rob Gurriel of an extra-base hit with a man on first base in the sixth and Judge threw out Max Stassi, attempting to stretch a single, to end the sixth.
