HOUSTON _ Make that two gut-punches deep in the heart of Texas.
One night after blowing a late lead in a tough one-run loss to the Astros, the Yankees went through it again Tuesday night, this time taking a 6-3 defeat at Minute Maid Park.
The Yankees (5-6) will try to avoid a three-game sweep Wednesday night on this six-game trip that started with a three-game sweep of their own in Baltimore.
Monday night Zack Britton was the culprit, unable to hold a 3-2 lead he was tasked with holding in the seventh inning.
There wasn't as obvious goat Tuesday night.
With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, Chad Green, who recorded the final out of the seventh, walked back-to-back hitters with one out to load the bases. George Springer crushed a two-run double down the left-field line to make it 5-3. Jose Altuve's sacrifice fly off Tommy Kahnle made it 6-3.
Roberto Osuna pitched a perfect ninth to earn the save a second straight night, the righty's fourth overall.
But Clint Frazier, a star with his bat since being called up April 1 and earning everyday duties in left, had as much to do with the loss as anyone. His defense always has always been a question mark among scouts and he showed why Tuesday, diving for two balls and coming up empty on both, which contributed to two runs.
The killer came in the seventh with the Yankees up 3-2, a lead provided by Gary Sanchez's two-run double in the sixth. Jonathan Holder, who stranded a runner at second in the sixth, retired the first two batters of the seventh. But Alex Bregman sent a sinking liner to left, where Frazier charged and left his feet diving after it. The ball glanced off his glove for a double and Michael Brantley followed with a shot to right, the RBI double tying it at 3.
The left-handed-hitting Brantley sliced one to left in the second inning toward the line that Frazier dove for and missed, the ball bouncing off his glove for a double. That led to a sacrifice fly that enabled the Astros (7-5) to tie it at 1.
The Yankees gave their starter, Jonathan Loaisiga, a lead before he threw a pitch.
After Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole retired Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge _ it would be more correct to say Carlos Correa retired Judge as the shortstop made a diving stop on a scorched grounder by the right fielder _ Luke Voit ripped a first-pitch fastball to center for his third homer of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Loaisiga promptly struck out the side in a 16-pitch bottom half, including fanning Altuve swinging at a 98-mph fastball.
The Yankees blew what had the makings of a scoring chance in the third. Gio Urshela walked and Austin Romine singled, but Gardner tried to lay down a bunt that Robinson Chirinos quickly pounced on. Chirinos fired to second to get Romine, and Gardner, thinking the ball was foul, never took off for first, making it a double play. Judge flied out to end the inning.
With one out in the bottom half, Altuve took another crack at a Loaisiga fastball, this one a 96-mph one that the second baseman destroyed to deep left, his 100th career homer and third this season, making it 2-1. Loaisiga kept it from being worse. Bregman walked and went to third on Brantley's second single of the night. But Loaisiga, with Luis Cessa warming up, struck out Correa swinging at a 95-mph fastball, then got Gurriel to line to left, ending the 33-pitch inning that left him at 71.
Left-hander Stephen Tarpley relieved in the fourth and pitched a scoreless inning and Cessa came on for the fifth.
