HOUSTON -- Having endured a gruesome injury to a prospect making his major league debut plus a late-night arrival that placed them at their team hotel just before dawn, the New York Yankees had excuses pocketed if frayed emotions and excessive fatigue yielded a lackluster performance. They opted for resilience instead.

Following a five-run sixth inning that swung momentum and secured the lead, Brett Gardner belted a grand slam in the seventh as the Yankees rolled to a 13-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.

Gardner hit his third career grand slam with two outs in the seventh, doing so off Astros right-hander James Hoyt and extending New York's lead to 10-3. Gardner finished 3-for-5 with a career high-tying six RBIs. The Yankees (43-35) belted out 14 hits, but the Gardner grand slam was their lone round-tripper.

"We were under tough circumstances with everything last night and getting in early this morning, so it was a big win for us," Gardner said. "Our team played really, really well, and guys were swinging the bat well, getting on base and keeping the line moving."

Ronald Torreyes finished 3-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored while Didi Gregorius and Austin Romine also recorded multi-hit games for the Yankees. After chasing Astros starter Lance McCullers in the sixth inning, New York punished relievers Michael Feliz (4-2), Reymin Guduan and Hoyt, who allowed his second grand slam of the homestand. It was an inspiring effort from a tired team.

"I think it's a big win for us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "With all that we've been through, the injuries that (we) went through the last two weeks and what we all witnessed last night (right fielder Dustin Fowler suffering a catastrophic knee injury in the first inning at the Chicago White Sox), it was pretty disturbing for all of us. The way they responded today is what they've done all year."

Right-hander Michael Pineda (8-4) earned the victory, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts over six innings. Houston (54-27) lost for the first time in eight games with McCullers on the bump, dating to May 6.

McCullers had to battle throughout. He sidestepped a two-out walk to Aaron Judge in the first inning and two baserunners in scoring position in the second courtesy of a pair of errors, including his own errant throw, before allowing a run in the third.

Even then McCullers almost escaped unscathed, recording back-to-back strikeouts of Jacoby Ellsbury and Judge after Gardner reached on a leadoff double. But one meaty changeup to Gregorius enabled the Yankees to pull even at 1-1, with Gregorius rifling a double into the right-field corner to score Gardner.

The bottom fell out in the sixth, with McCullers surrendering a pair of baserunners before being lifted in favor of Feliz with one out. Feliz responded by allowing both inherited runners to score as the Yankees recorded four singles, three with two outs, en route to a five-run frame and a 6-3 lead.

McCullers allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He threw 97 pitches and was displeased at being lifted with the game in the balance.

"I got squeezed all night but that's the best I can do," McCullers said. "Stromy (pitching coach Brent Strom) came out to see me after I struck out (Chase) Headley, I don't really know why. I knew my pitch count was 92 or 93 before the at-bat.

"Even 3-0 (to Romine, who walked in the sixth) I wasn't going to give in there and live to fight, to face the next guy and I got pulled. That's 97 pitches, second start back off the DL, I get it. It's unfortunate but pretty good first half for us."

NOTES: Astros RHP Mike Fiers will start the series finale on Sunday against the Yankees. The club had considered reinstating RHP Charlie Morton (right lat strain) from the 10-day disabled list by that date but will instead give him one more rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi. Morton, placed on the DL on May 25, will rejoin the rotation next week in Toronto. ... The Yankees recalled INF Miguel Andujar and RHP Ryan Mitchell from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and optioned RHP Ronald Herrera to the RailRiders. New York also placed OF Dustin Fowler on the 10-day disabled list with a ruptured right patellar tendon. Fowler underwent surgery on Friday and is expected to require at least six months of rehab. ... In his first start since his demotion to Triple-A Fresno, RHP Joe Musgrove allowed one hit and two walks while posting seven strikeouts over seven scoreless innings for the Grizzlies in their 8-0 win over Albuquerque. Musgrove was optioned on June 23 after going 4-7 with a 6.01 ERA over 13 starts with the Astros.