Trent Grisham, Yankees slam Astros to kick off grueling stretch of schedule

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Sep 2, 2025

Published in Baseball

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HOUSTON — As the New York Yankees boarded their flight from Chicago to Texas on Sunday, players wore cowboy boots and hats for a Western themed flight.

For guys like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Domínguez, the get-ups were drastic departures from their normal outfits. For Trent Grisham, it was just another day.

A product of the Fort Worth, Texas suburbs, Grisham’s wardrobe already included cowboy boots, matching hats and starched jeans. It’s not uncommon for him to show up to the ballpark with such attire, which is why former Yankee Marcus Stroman called Grisham “The Black Cowboy” earlier this season.

Safe to say, Grisham was in his element as the Yankees flew south for a pivotal showdown with the Astros.

The always-chill center fielder remained in his element with the bases loaded in the fifth inning on Tuesday, going the other way for a grand slam in the Yankees’ 7-1 win at Daikin Park. The victory left the Yankees 2 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays and tied with the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.

Grisham’ blast, launched off Framber Valdez, landed in the Crawford Boxes and improved his career-high home run total to 29. Three of those dingers have been with the bases loaded; Grisham just hit a grand slam against the White Sox on Friday as well.

The 28-year-old also has 61 RBI and an .839 OPS as he prepares for free agency.

“I’m doing everything I can to just really stay present with the team and continue the good year,” Grisham recently told the New York Daily News, though the Texan added that he really likes the bright lights of New York. “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.”

While Grisham padded the Yankees’ lead on Tuesday, Jazz Chisholm Jr. started the scoring with a two-run homer off Valdez in the second inning. He then added a solo shot in the eighth inning, giving him 28 homers on the year.

On the mound, Max Fried cruised against the Astros, not permitting a hit until the fifth frame. The left-hander, not nearly as sharp against Houston in the Bronx on Aug. 10, totaled seven innings, four hits, one earned run, three walks and five strikeouts over 101 pitches as he lowered his ERA to 2.98.

While mostly efficient, Fried struggled a tad with his command in the third, as he threw two pitches high above and far from the zone, walked a batter and hit another before recording an out. However, he managed to escape the jam unscathed. He partly had Jeremy Peña to thank for that, as the Astros’ shortstop laid down a brutal bunt back to the pitcher. That let Fried record the inning’s first out at third base.

The Astros, down five, were burned on another bunt in the seventh, as César Salazar softly lined one to a sliding Fried, who caught the ball in the air and fired to first base to double up Mauricio Dubón.

The lone run Fried allowed came in the sixth on a force out.

The fourth inning, meanwhile, saw José Caballero get ejected after he failed to check his swing on a pitch that bounced and hit him in his back leg. While home plate umpire Ramon De Jesus had a bit of a quick hook for the irritated infielder, Caballero has now been ejected twice since being acquired by the Yankees prior to the trade deadline.

He was replaced at third base by Ryan McMahon.

With Tuesday’s win in Houston, the Yankees began a critical 12-game stretch against fellow contenders on a high note.

Following this series, they will host the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. Then comes a trip to Boston. But first, the Yankees have two regular season games left against the Astros.

Wednesday’s matchup will see Will Warren take the mound for the Bombers, while Jason Alexander will start for Houston. Carlos Rodón and Cristian Javier will then duel in the finale on Thursday.

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