Sweep gives Astros season series vs. Yankees, but Aaron Boone says 'it's not going to matter unless' it's October

HOUSTON — The Houston Astros opened the second half of the season by sweeping the New York Yankees in a doubleheader Thursday to inch closer in the standings to the team with baseball's best record.

Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman both homered and combined for five RBI as the Astros completed the sweep with a 7-5 win in Game 2.

Houston won the season series against New York, 5-2, with the Yankees' only leads throughout coming on walk-offs. They finished the season with a .151 team batting average against the Astros, their lowest single-season BA against a single opponent all time, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone seemed bothered by a question equating this season's results against the Astros to their struggles against them in the playoffs in recent year.

«I understand it's a big story,» he said. «I understand the season we're in. It's not going to matter unless (it's) October. If we happen to come back here in October we're going to show up. We're going to expect to win. We think we're really good. They're really good. Don't overstate this.»

The Yankees are 64-30. Houston is 61-32.

«You want to get off to a good start, and I think everybody came in ready to play,» Bregman said. «This is what we expect out of this ball club every single night… and hopefully we can continue that for the second half.»

Rookie J.J. Matijevic's pinch-hit RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning lifted the Astros to a 3-2 win in the opener of the day-night doubleheader.

«This is huge for us to start out 2-0, to take our lead back to double digits,» Houston manager Dusty Baker said of his team's lead over the Mariners in the AL West.

Aaron Judge hit his MLB-leading 34th homer on a three-run shot off Brandon