HOUSTON – As far as homecomings go, Yankees left fielder Chris Young and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi enjoyed theirs to the fullest.

Young belted a three-run, momentum-altering homer in the seventh inning while Eovaldi produced a quality start as the New York Yankees toppled the Houston Astros 3-2 on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.

Young, a product of nearby Bellaire High School, delivered his ninth home run of the season off Astros right-hander Will Harris (4-1). Young drilled Harris' center-cut fastball 358 feet to left field and capped a 3-for-4 night with a single in his ensuring at-bat. In 25 career games at Minute Maid Park, Young is batting .410 (43-for-105) with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 14 multi-hit games.

"It definitely doesn't hurt to have some extra support behind your back and a little extra kind of fire up under you when you step to the plate," Young said. "You always have it under you, but anybody I think will agree that when you have 50 people in the stands, it definitely makes a difference."

Eovaldi (7-2), a native of Alvin, which is due south of Houston, allowed just two runs on five hits and two walks while recording six strikeouts over six innings. He excelled with Astros executive and Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, nicknamed the "Alvin Express," looking on.

"Growing up for me I connected baseball with him," Eovaldi said of Ryan. "In our town it was Nolan Ryan everything. You go to any restaurant his memorabilia and everything was there.

"I had a lot of friends and family here tonight. It was just a big game, a lot of emotions. Just trying not to let them get the best of me and go out there and locate my pitches."

The late-inning rally set the table for a stellar performance from the Yankees bullpen, one initiated by left-hander Chasen Shreve, who struck out the side in the seventh inning, and capped by right-hander Dellin Betances, who recorded four outs for his fifth save this season.

Astros right-hander Vince Velasquez carried a shutout into the seventh inning before surrendering consecutive one-out singles to designated hitter Carlos Beltran and right fielder Garrett Jones. Harris was summoned from the bullpen and immediately surrendered the lead.

"I made a bad pitch and he did what he was supposed to do with it," Harris said of Young. "And that was the ballgame, the seventh inning. No excuses. Just made a bad pitch, guy hit it out."

After consecutive starts in which he failed to last five innings while totaling 195 pitches, Velasquez found the efficiency that eluded him.

He retired the Yankees (40-34) in order on just eight pitches in the second and survived an eight-pitch confrontation with Yankees third baseman Chase Headley to close the third with Brett Gardner on second.

When Velasquez closed the fifth inning, he matched his career high for innings, doing so in 17 fewer pitches than his big league debut against the White Sox on June 10 when he tossed 89 pitches over five scoreless.

"I'm heading in the right direction now," said Velasquez, who allowed two runs on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. "I'm getting my feet wet a little bit, going more than five is something I was really impressed with. It's just moving on forward from here."

Shortstop Carlos Correa delivered an RBI single off Eovaldi as Houston (43-33) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third. Second baseman Jose Altuve scored with two outs in the sixth on Evan Gattis' bloop single to center field.

NOTES: Astros RHP Chad Qualls landed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Thursday with a pinched nerve in his neck. Qualls is 1-4 with a 5.11 ERA and four saves in 29 appearances, including 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA this month. ... The Yankees outrighted LHP Jose De Paula to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. De Paula made his big league debut last week, pitching 3 1/3 innings while allowing one run, two hits and four walks with two strikeouts against Detroit. De Paula was designated for assignment two days ago to clear roster space for RHP Ivan Nova. ... The Astros recalled 1B Jon Singleton from Triple-A Fresno, where he hit .280/.387/.553 with 17 home runs in 70 games. His 66 RBIs are tied for the most in the minors along with high-Class A Lancaster 1B A.J. Reed. Singleton hit .168/.285/.335 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 95 games as a rookie last season, striking out 134 times in 362 plate appearances.