Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres hit two-run homers and the host New York Yankees extended their winning streak to seven games Friday night with a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.

The Yankees matched their longest winning streak of the season and also homered for the 24th consecutive game, one shy of the team record set from June 1-29, 1941.

Sanchez homered for the third straight game and moved into a tie for the AL lead with new teammate Edwin Encarnacion with his 23rd homer.

The catcher gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the third when he hammered a changeup by Brad Peacock (6-5) into the left-center field bleachers.

Sanchez's homer traveled an estimated 481 feet. It was the longest by a Yankee this season and the second-longest of Sanchez's career.

The Yankees welcomed Aaron Judge back into their lineup after he missed two months with a strained left oblique. Judge batted leadoff for the first time in his career and was 0-for-4.

Torres added his 18th homer with a two-run drive in the seventh off Hector Rondon that landed in the first row of the right-center field seats to make it 4-1. It also was his third straight game with a homer.

New York also lost outfielder Cameron Maybin to a strained left calf. Maybin was removed from the game after getting a single and scoring on Sanchez's homer.

New York left-hander James Paxton (5-3) won consecutive starts for the first time this season, allowing one run on five hits in five-plus innings. He struck out seven, walked three and threw 60 of 100 pitches for strikes.

Paxton exited after allowing a leadoff double to Yuli Gurriel in the sixth inning. Adam Ottavino struck out two in the sixth and retired Alex Bregman for the first out in the seventh.

Tommy Kahnle worked around a hit and recorded the final two outs of the seventh, and Zack Britton worked around two walks in a scoreless eighth, ending the inning by getting Josh Reddick on a double play to cap a 10-pitch at-bat.

Aroldis Chapman put two on in the ninth but kept the Astros from scoring as he notched his 21st save in 23 chances.

Peacock allowed two runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out 11 (one shy of his career high) and walked none.

Jake Marisnick hit an RBI double in the fourth for the Astros, who dropped their sixth straight game.

--Field Level Media