NEW YORK — Aaron Judge hit a three-run homer and a made pair of sparkling catches, leading CC Sabathia and the Yankees over the Houston Astros 8-1 Monday night and cutting New York’s deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-seven AL Championship Series.

Sabathia allowed three hits over six scoreless innings for his first postseason win in five years. Todd Frazier hit a go-ahead, three-run homer for the Yankees, who stopped a seven-game ALCS losing streak dating to Sabathia’s victory over Texas in 2010.

Sonny Gray starts Game 4 Wednesday on 11 days’ rest, likely against Brad Peacock or Lance McCullers Jr.

Back in the Bronx after a pair of 2-1 losses in Houston, the Yankees led 8-0 after four innings.

Houston scored on a bases-loaded walk in the ninth before postseason star Jose Altuve grounded into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded.

Every time the Astros suit up, they wear a simple patch as a reminder of what Houston lost to Hurricane Harvey and its catastrophic flooding.

The city is determined to rebuild, and the Astros are careful to honor Houston with every game as they chase the franchise’s second trip to the World Series.

“I hope we’re representing the city well and for our fan base and even non-fans that are in our community, that we can be something positive for the city and be part of the message that we’re still rebuilding,” Manager A.J. Hinch said.

The Astros have worn the patch each game since returning home. It sits on the upper left side of their chests and features the word “STRONG” in white block letters between an Astros’ logo and a rendering of the state of Texas.

It’s a nod to the “Houston Strong” slogan the city adopted after the storm, and it’s become a catchphrase in the area. A woman in the crowd at Minute Maid Park held a sign with those words on Saturday as she cheered on the Astros in their 2-1 win over the New York Yankees that gave them a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series.

“We’re doing this for the city,” shortstop Carlos Correa said. “We want to bring a lot of joy and happiness to the fans out here in Houston, especially after everything they’ve been through this year. ”

Though the Astros take pride in being a bright spot in a difficult time, Hinch doesn’t want to make too much of their role.

“We all need to keep it in proper perspective – we’re a baseball team,” he said.

“We play a game and we provide entertainment and a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of agony along the way, too. But it does bring some exposure to a community that needs as much support from around the country to rebuild itself for months to come, not just days to come.”

Related Stories