MILWAUKEE — Trent Grisham returned to his old home Friday without a hit as a Yankee.
The center fielder changed his style and hit a three-run homer to put the Yankees ahead after an 11th inning call in a 7-6 loss to the Brewers at American Family Field.
“I’m glad I was finally able to get that monkey off my back and go down that road,” Grisham said. “It was special to do it that way.”
Grisham, a former first-round draft pick of the Brewers in 2015, started his sixth game of the season on Friday, going 0-for-12 with two walks.
With the Brewers leading 4-2, Grisham walked at bat with two outs and two runners in the fourth inning.
Against right-hander Colin Ray, he hit a long fly ball down the right field line, but it was just a foul.
But two pitches later, he nailed another pitch and kept it fair for a three-run home run into the second deck, giving the Yankees a 5-4 lead.
“I’m excited for him and that,” manager Aaron Boone said. “At that time, it was a big at-bat for him to get a walk first and really step on first base and lead off.”
Grisham had more than 500 at-bats in each of the past three years, but he played sporadically early this season and continued to adjust.
“Certainly that’s not the case,” he said. “But I have a lot of people around me who are helping me get used to my new role.” [The biggest challenge is] It’s just that I didn’t do it much before. Really, I’m just getting used to it. Once you get out there and do it, it’s the same game. ”
