Juan Soto throws out game-tying runner in ninth to beat Astros in Yankees debut

HOUSTON — Juan Soto threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth inning of his Yankees debut after starting New York’s comeback from a four-run deficit in a season-opening 5-4 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Oswaldo Cabrera homered and Aaron Judge doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Yankees went ahead.

Mauricio Dubón and Yordan Alvarez singled off Clay Holmes to give the Astros two on with one out in the ninth. Kyle Tucker lined a single to right and Soto, an All-Star acquired from San Diego in a December trade, made a one-hop throw slightly up the third-base line. Catcher Jose Trevino made a sweep tag and caught Dubón’s left arm just before the runner’s finger touched the plate. Umpire James Hoye’s call was upheld in a video review.

Alex Bregman grounded into a forceout as Holmes got the save.

Joe Espada, in his first game since replacing Dusty Baker as Astros manager, tapped former closer Ryan Pressly to pitch the seventh in Pressly’s first appearance in that inning since the 2021 World Series.

Judge greeted him with a double to the left-field corner and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Alex Verdugo, who like Soto was making his Yankees debut.

Chas McCormick hit a two-run single in a three-run first and Jake Meyers homered in the second off Nestor Cortes, who was limited to one major league appearance after May because of a strained left rotator cuff.

Jonathan Loáisiga (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Astros starter Framber Valdez was charged with three runs in 4 2/3 innings, getting double plays to end three of the first four innings. Cabrera hit a tying home run off Rafael Montero in the sixth.

Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth, his 214th time hit — 60 more than any other active player.

The Yankees debuted a new road uniform for the first time since 1973. It wasn’t a big change but did remove the white piping from around the letters and numbers on their jerseys.

Houston reliever Bryan Abreu served the first of a two-game suspension for intentionally throwing at Texas star Adolis García in last year’s AL Championship Series.

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