When Trent Grisham came to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning with the team trailing by one run and a runner on third base, the Yankee Stadium crowd was begging for a substitution.
As Juan Soto, missing his third straight game with forearm inflammation, leaned against the dugout railing, most of the 48,023 fans chanted “Let’s cheer for Soto!”
The Yankees’ offense struggled over the weekend with Soto sidelined, and Grisham, who batted fifth on Sunday, was batting .082 this season (4 for 49).
But Grisham sent the crowd into a frenzy with a three-run homer off Tyler Glasnow, and the Yankees avoided the sweep with a 6-4 win over the Dodgers.
By the end of the night, the slogan had changed to “We Need Grisham.”
“I loved that too,” Grisham said with a laugh.
The Yankees (46-21) recorded their MLB-leading 20th come-from-behind victory of the season, winning the series against the Dodgers (41-26) on a somewhat October-like weekend.
“It’s a playoff atmosphere,” said Aaron Judge, who capped a three-hit night with his league-leading 24th homer of the season in the eighth inning. “The fans came out to see two great teams in action. I know the outcome of the series wasn’t what we wanted, but it says a lot to know our guys fought tonight against one of the best pitchers around.”
Grisham’s reaction to the sold-out crowd cheering on Soto was similar.
The reserve outfielder said it wasn’t his intention to send a message, but he was pleased that he was able to stay focused on himself and not on what he heard.
Judge, on the other hand, was less than thrilled with the chant.
“Grisham works hard every day,” Judge said. “Soto is out right now but will be back soon. He’s been a leader for us all year. When we play against teams like this, the fans are paying to see us play. They want to see us play at our best. Soto will recover and be healthy, but Grisham is a really good player and he stepped up tonight when we needed him.”
“I wasn’t too happy about it, but I thought he made a good point. He got his point across with a home run.”
The Yankees were in danger of being swept after their first three-game losing streak of the season, trailing 3-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.
Alex Verdugo and Judge scored the first run with consecutive infield hits, and then Grisham came back with a powerful swing with two outs to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead and secure another come-from-behind victory.
Grisham was used very little over the first two months of the season, but he has five hits so far, including three home runs that gave the Yankees the lead.
“I think getting back-to-back at-bats helps me a little bit,” said Grisham, who also drew two walks. “It’s just a routine. I’ve been doing it the last few days, so my body’s used to moving again, so it makes it a little easier.”
Luke Weaver came on after Caleb Ferguson put runners on first and second with no outs and made a smart escape to protect the two-run lead in the top of the seventh.
Jose Trevino sent the leadoff runner to third base on a Kiké Hernández bunt, thanks to Andy Paige’s front foot bouncing over the base as he slid into third, before Weaver got Mookie Betts to ground out to drive in an inning-ending double play.
Luis Gil started for the Yankees and gave up just three runs in 5 2/3 innings, holding a formidable Dodgers lineup to a halt.
He had allowed just three runs combined in his past seven starts prior to Sunday, but considering the opponents he was facing he certainly got the job done.
Oswaldo Cabrera hit a home run off the foul pole early in the innings to give the Yankees their first lead of the series, and the Dodgers rallied to take the lead, but it gave Grisham a chance to play the hero.
“It was a big deal,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I know a lot of people in the room were excited for him.”
