Yankees’ Surge Fueled by Grisham’s Power
In Chicago, during the spring training days earlier this year, Aaron Boone expressed enthusiasm about Trent Grisham’s potential. But did anyone expect this level of performance?
With 28 home runs so far and playing a crucial role in the Yankees’ lineup, it’s hard to imagine even Boone could have foreseen this breakout. Grisham homered for the third consecutive game, hitting a grand slam that helped the Yankees achieve their sixth straight victory—marking a season-high.
The Yankees (75-60) are thriving against weaker opponents in their recent games, drawing closer to the division lead, and standing just three games behind the Blue Jays, while also overtaking the Red Sox for second place in the AL East.
Now 11-3 in their last 14 outings, it’s worth mentioning that three of those losses were against the Red Sox. This recent winning streak is somewhat marked by facing underperforming teams, similar to what other playoff contenders encounter. The real test, however, is set to come on Tuesday against the Astros.
On Friday, the Yankees secured their fourth win in five games, reaching a high of 22 wins in the season. Grisham has been a key contributor during this stretch, hitting five home runs in just his last six games. His latest grand slam, off former Yankee Yoendrys Gómez, set the score to 5-0 in the fourth inning.
After mainly playing as the fourth outfielder last season, Grisham has evolved into a significant player this time around.
Anthony Volpe also made headlines, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run home run, marking his first homer since mid-August. He had entered this series struggling but found success with a 4-for-7 showing in the initial two games.
As for Carlos Rodon, he received ample run support. It’s been more than ten years since he made his MLB debut, and although he can no longer rely solely on his fastball and slider, he has managed to lower his ERA to 3.18 this season over 28 starts.
Facing Gómez, who struggled with injuries before his arrival in New York, the Yankees were patient at the plate, managing to walk six times throughout the game. They loaded the bases early on but only managed one run due to a double play.
Eventually, they capitalized on Grisham’s grand slam after three batters reached base through a mix of catcher interference and walks.
In the ensuing innings, the Yankees tallied two more walks before Volpe, after two failed bunt attempts, hit an RBI single. Austin Wells capped off the rally, with Rice also contributing through an RBI single. Volpe later hit his 19th home run off Mike Vasil, continuing his remarkable performance.
