NEW YORK — The New York Yankees regained their fight Sunday night, avoiding what would have been their first four-game home sweep by the Boston Red Sox since 1939. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham each hit two home runs in a 7-2 victory at Yankee Stadium.
The win snapped an eight-game losing streak to their division rivals and denied Boston a milestone not seen since the days of Joe DiMaggio and a young Ted Williams.
Red Sox manager’s words fuel Yankees comeback
Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s pregame remarks may have given the Yankees added motivation.
“It’s been fun — I’m not gonna hide it,” Cora said before the finale, referring to Boston’s dominance over New York this season.
Boston had outclassed the Yankees all weekend. Through the first three games, New York committed five errors while scoring only four runs. The Red Sox outscored them 48-22 during their eight-game streak in the rivalry.
The Yankees entered Sunday night on national television with ESPN carrying the game, and many expected Boston to complete the sweep.
Power surge saves Yankees from disaster
New York’s bats finally woke up. Chisholm struck first with a two-run blast in the second inning, his 100th career home run.
“It felt kind of surreal. I lost my best friend yesterday,” Chisholm said. “Today felt like a different type of day, especially with the 100th home run coming today.”
Television cameras showed Chisholm in tears as teammates embraced him in the dugout.
Grisham followed with solo shots in the third and fifth innings. His first traveled 406 feet, and his second measured 413 feet, extending the Yankees’ lead to 5-0.
“When everything’s going well, I think that’s how we are — we hit homers, we score a lot of runs and we walk a lot,” Chisholm said. “And I feel like that was our game tonight.”
Strategic lineup changes pay dividends
Manager Aaron Boone adjusted his struggling lineup. Jose Caballero started at shortstop in place of Anthony Volpe, while Giancarlo Stanton returned to right field.
Volpe entered the night with a .121/.171/.242 line over his previous 19 games. He committed his league-leading 17th error on Saturday and made another defensive mistake Friday.
“We’re at the all-hands-on-deck portion of the season,” Boone said before the game.
The changes worked. Caballero contributed a sacrifice fly and played steady defense. Stanton went 2-for-3 with a 117.8 mph double and scored twice.
Chisholm’s emotional milestone moment
Chisholm’s milestone came under difficult circumstances. He arrived at the ballpark still grieving the death of a close friend on Saturday.
The second baseman added another two-run homer in the eighth inning off Walker Buehler, bookending the Yankees’ scoring in a cathartic night.
“We definitely needed this win tonight,” Chisholm said. “A little momentum going into the next series.”
His night ended with two home runs and four RBIs.
Grisham continues breakout season
Grisham’s performance marked his sixth career multi-homer game, not just his second in a week. The center fielder now has 25 home runs, far surpassing his previous career best of 17 with San Diego in 2022.
He had struggled against Dustin May before Sunday, entering just 1-for-17 against the right-hander.
“I faced him a lot,” Grisham said. “I always felt like I put up pretty good at-bats against him, maybe just nothing to show for it.”
Grisham credits his surge to improved mental health. His .820 OPS and 131 wRC+ both stand as career highs as he approaches free agency.
Rodon steadies Yankees on mound
Carlos Rodon gave the Yankees what they needed on the mound. He allowed one hit in 5⅔ innings but walked five. He improved his record to 14-7.
The left-hander loaded the bases in the sixth on three straight walks. Reliever Luke Weaver entered and allowed a two-run single to Nathaniel Lowe.
“Tonight we knew we had to win,” Rodon said. “The boys swung the bats well.”
The bullpen did the rest. Weaver, Devin Williams, and Camilo Doval combined for 3⅓ scoreless innings.
Wild card implications remain tight
The win pulled the Yankees within a half-game of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card. New York (70-60) sits second, a half-game ahead of Seattle (70-61), and trails AL East leader Toronto (76-55) by 5½ games.
Boston still leads the season series 8-2 with three games left in September at Fenway Park. That stretch will also feature series against Houston, Toronto, and Detroit.
Historic context adds weight to victory
The Yankees nearly suffered a milestone defeat with echoes of 1939, when Boston swept a five-game set at the Stadium after Lou Gehrig’s farewell. DiMaggio anchored the lineup while Williams was just beginning his Hall of Fame career.
Instead, New York rediscovered its power. They lead MLB with 215 home runs, well ahead of the Dodgers’ 196.
The Yankees are 38-19 when hitting at least two homers and just 11-21 when they fail to do so.
They return Monday against the Nationals before hosting the White Sox in a critical homestand.
“We definitely needed this one tonight,” Chisholm said. “We’re trying to make it to the playoffs, but we’re definitely just trying to take it day by day and win by win.”
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