Trent Grisham's Power Surge Continues in Yankees' Win

Trent Grisham went 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk, and two RBIs to help the New York Yankees defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 in the Bronx on Sunday. According to NBC Sports, Grisham's solo homer came in the bottom of the eighth inning, stretching New York's lead to five runs. The outfielder has now hit 18 homers this season, compared to a career-high 34 last year, and has stolen nine bases after swiping just three in 2025.

Grisham has been the Yankees' exclusive leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching, and he has been heating up recently. NBC Sports notes that he hit five homers in his last eight games and is batting .281/.305/.684 in 15 games this month. That includes a homer off Shane Baz in the third and a two-run single in the seventh, which NBC reported in a separate game summary, as well as a homer in the sixth inning off Shane Bieber that briefly gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in another contest. The New York Post adds that since August 11, Grisham has hit six home runs with a .300 batting average.

The Yankees' offense has clicked recently despite injuries to Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger. NBC noted that the club has struggled with those players sidelined, but Grisham, Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and rookie Spencer Jones have stepped up. According to the New York Post, Rice has reached base in 9 of 23 plate appearances over the past five games, Chisholm Jr. is batting .353 in that same stretch, and Jones has been productive.

Astros Visit Amid Turmoil

The Yankees' win on Sunday set the stage for a three-game home series against the Houston Astros that began Tuesday night, as both the New York Post and Heavy. reported. The Astros are coming off a turbulent stretch: General Manager Dana Brown departed unexpectedly on Monday morning, a decided loss for a team that had suffered two defeats to the A's and holds a razor-thin lead in the American League West, according to the New York Post.

Heavy. reported that the Yankees are second in the AL East with a 74-56 record through 130 games, having won six of their last ten and going 33-28 at home (which translates to 33-28 in 61 home games). The same source reported that the Astros are 65-66 in 131 games, second in the AL West, with a 4-6 slide in their last ten games.

Starting Pitchers and Lineup Decisions

For Tuesday night's matchup against the Astros, high-right-hander Will Warren (8-6, 4.43 ERA) took the mound for the Yankees, while Houston rookie Ethan Pecko made his second major league start, with the New York Post reporting that his debut saw him pitch 3⅔ innings, allow three hits, strike out four, and give up a plane in an 89-pitch outing.

Yankees veteran Paul Goldschmidt was not in the starting lineup for the series. Heavy. reported the team's lineup as: Trent Grisham in center, Ben Rice at DH, Luis Garcia at first base, Cody Bellinger, Keith in left, George Lombard at short, Spencer Jones in right, Jazz Jr. manning second, Austin Wells behind the plate, and Jose Caballero at third. Goldschmidt, who had not played since Sunday and last appeared on August 21, remained out. He is a seven-time All-Star now in his second season with the Yankees, having spent 16 years across the Cardinals and Diamondback, and according to Heavy., is batting .247 with 75 hits, 16 homers, 44 RBIs, 37 runs and one stolen base in 90 games. The former MVP will be a free agent after the season.

Looking Ahead

New York will host the Boston Red Sox on Friday, as reported by Heavy.. The Yankees have also covered the run line in their last seven games, per the New York Post, which made a betting recommendation on the team at -1.5 with +144 odds on DraftKings. That's a streak that may continue into the next few games, but the team will have to keep its lineup hot against the Astros and with several players missing.