Cody Bellinger hits a tiebreaking double in the 7th inning as the Yankees beat the Astros 9-3

NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a go-ahead double with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees pulled away for a 9-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.

Bellinger snapped a 3-all tie when he drove a 1-1 fastball from Bennett Sousa (1-3) off the top of the center-field fence to score Trent Grisham and Ben Rice. The clutch swing came after Luis García Jr. reached on an infield single when Sousa didn't cover first base in time on a grounder to the right side.

Spencer Jones added an RBI single in the seventh and Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a run-scoring double. Chisholm singled twice and finished with his third three-hit game this season.

Rice launched his 35th homer in the first inning and García tacked on a two-run shot in the eighth. García had three more hits after going 4 for 5 in Tuesday night's defeat.

Rice’s homer pulled him within one of Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez for the American League lead and marked the first time in 24 games the Yankees scored in an opening inning.

New York (75-57) won for the 11th time in 17 games and remained 3 1/2 games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East and 2 1/2 ahead of Boston for the league's top wild card.

Yankees rookie Elmer Rodríguez allowed three runs and three hits over six-plus innings in his first major league start since June 21.

The right-hander was lifted after walking Jose Altuve, and the Astros tied it against Paul Blackburn when Christian Walker’s grounder caromed off George Lombard Jr.’s glove for the rookie shortstop's sixth error in 19 career games.

Blackburn (6-2) struck out Jeremy Peña with the bases loaded to keep it tied. Michael Fulmer struck out Alvarez to start a 1-2-3 eighth in his Yankees debut.

Altuve had an RBI double and Daulton Varsho homered off Rodríguez as the Astros (66-67) lost for the 10th time in 16 games. Alvarez singled in the sixth and ended the night with a major league-best .322 batting average.

Houston starter Peter Lambert allowed three runs — two earned — and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

New York RHP Gerrit Cole (7-6, 3.11 ERA) opposes RHP Hayden Wesneski (3-1, 4.23) in Thursday’s series finale.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodriguez (71) pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) hits a RBI double during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice, right, celebrates with teammate first baseman Luis García Jr. after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice rounds second base after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice hits a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

NEW YORK (AP) — Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik advanced to face Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in the U.S. Open mixed doubles final, edging Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev on Wednesday night.

The Czech duo erased two match points in the match tiebreaker to win 5-4 (6), 3-5 (11-9).

Muchova and Mensik trailed 9-7 before running off the final four points. They had just a short break before the final, with the winning team receiving $1 million.

Bencic and Cobolli rallied to end the run of spouses Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils in the first semifinal with a 4-5 (7), 4-1 (10-5) victory.

Bencic and Cobolli knocked Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz out of the tournament Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

Then they dropped a set for the first time in the tournament, but began to dominate midway through the second set, winning the final 11 points to force the match tiebreaker.

“I think we just tried to play more brave maybe,” Bencic said.

It was the second year of the new format in mixed doubles, with the event shortened and moved to the week before the singles main draw begins, with the U.S. Tennis Association hoping that would get top singles players to compete.

Plenty of top names did compete but much of the star power, including Williams and Alcaraz, went out early. Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic lost their opening match, as did Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz.

None of the teams featuring doubles specialists survived to the final four, leaving an opening for some players still seeking Grand Slam glory such as Rublev, who has fallen 10 times in major quarterfinals.

Svitolina and Monfils, who have both reached the U.S. Open singles semifinals, accepted a wild card to team up for the first time. Married since 2021, they were trying to win a championship in the final appearance in a Grand Slam tournament for Monfils, who will turn 40 on Sept. 1, before he retires.

They pulled out a back-and-forth tiebreaker in the first set in which they blew a 4-0 lead, then erased two set points. They went ahead 8-7 when Bencic tried to hit a cross-court backhand but nailed Cobolli, who had strayed into the middle. Cobolli then double-faulted to lose the set.

He recovered with consecutive volley winners to break Svitolina’s serve for a 2-1 lead in the second set. The match tiebreaker was tied at 2 but swung the way of Bencic and Cobolli when Svitolina was just wide on three straight shots.

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Karolina Muchova, left, of the Czech Republic, returns the ball while competing with Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, against Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, and Andrey Rublev, of Russia, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, reacts after missing a shot while competing with and Gael Monfils, of France, against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, left, of France, react while competing against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Belinda Bencic, left, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, react while competing against Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, of France, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, left, celebrate after defeating Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, of France, in a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)