NEW YORK — Trent Grisham etched his name into Yankees history Sunday night, belting two solo home runs that lifted New York to a 7-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox and avoided a damaging four-game sweep at Yankee Stadium.
The center fielder’s fourth multi-homer game of 2025 put him in rare company with franchise legends Mickey Mantle (1960) and Joe DiMaggio (1939), who each had four such games in a season while manning center field.
Grisham’s long balls came off Red Sox starter Dustin May. He opened the scoring with a 406-foot blast in the third inning, then followed with a 413-foot shot in the fifth. The pair of homers raised his season total to 25 through 113 games, smashing his previous career high of 17 with San Diego in 2022.
“I faced him a lot,” Grisham said of May, recalling their National League West battles. “I always felt like I put up pretty good at-bats against him, maybe just nothing to show for it.”
Grisham finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks, piling up 819 feet in home runs while earning the team’s Player of the Game belt. His August surge includes seven home runs over his last 21 games.
Breakout season continues for former Padres outfielder
The 28-year-old has been one of New York’s biggest surprises. Acquired as part of the Juan Soto trade, he entered the year viewed as a secondary piece but has developed into one of the Yankees’ most dependable bats.
Grisham’s .820 OPS and 131 wRC+ both stand as career bests. The two-time Gold Glove winner credits his breakout season in part to mental preparation.
“I’m doing everything I can to just really stay present with the team and continue the good year,” Grisham told the Daily News. “I would be lying if I said it hasn’t crossed my mind, but every time it does, I really try to get back into the present.”
Manager praises Grisham’s development
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Trent Grisham’s consistent approach at the plate and his ability to execute in key moments.
“This is a former first-round pick, talented guy,” Boone said. “It’s a testament to talent meeting experience and having a plan.”
Starter Carlos Rodón, who picked up the win, echoed that sentiment. He called Grisham’s season “unbelievable” and “remarkable.”
Historic company for Yankees center fielders
With his latest two-homer game, Grisham joined DiMaggio’s 1939 and Mantle’s 1960 campaigns on the Yankees’ record list for center fielders. Mantle also had four multi-homer games in his Triple Crown season of 1956.
Grisham’s 25 home runs trail only Aaron Judge among Yankees hitters this year, leaving him poised to surpass DiMaggio and Mantle with more than a month still left in the regular season.
Power display saves Yankees from historic embarrassment
The Yankees’ bats erupted just in time. They had managed only four runs in the first three games of the series. On Sunday, Jazz ChisholmJr. added two two-run homers while mourning a personal tragedy, the first marking the 100th of his career.
New York’s four home runs brought its major league–leading total to 215, extending the margin over the Dodgers (196). The victory also prevented what would have been the Yankees’ first four-game home sweep by Boston since 1939.
The win snapped New York’s eight-game losing streak against the Red Sox and pulled the Yankees back within a half-game of Boston for the top American League wild-card slot.
“We definitely needed this win tonight,” Chisholm said. “A little momentum going into the next series.”
Rodon (14-4) allowed just one hit in 5⅔ innings, though he walked five. The left-hander left after loading the bases in the sixth, but Luke Weaver limited the damage by surrendering only a two-run single to Nathaniel Lowe. The bullpen, with Weaver, Devin Williams and Camilo Doval, shut down Boston over the final 3⅓ innings.
Key contributions from supporting cast
Boone made another notable adjustment at shortstop, benching struggling Anthony Volpe after his league-high 17th error and 1-for-28 slump. Jose Caballero started in his place, delivering a sacrifice fly and steady defense.
Giancarlo Stanton added two hits, including a 117.8 mph double, and scored twice while playing right field for the third time in four games.
The Yankees’ bullpen backed Rodón with sharp relief. Weaver, Williams and Doval combined for seven strikeouts and no runs allowed in closing out the win before 44,640 fans.
With five weeks left in the regular season, Grisham’s consistency could determine how far the Yankees go. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently named him the club’s most indispensable player for the playoff push.
“He’s been indispensable for the Yankees, who have dealt with injuries and some mixing and matching with other outfielders,” Bowden wrote.
After the game, Grisham left no doubt about his comfort in pinstripes as free agency looms.
“I like this place a lot,” he said. “I like the guys we have in the clubhouse. I like New York. There’s a lot of things I like about it, so we’ll see.”
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