The Yankees had to claw for it again, but by the end of Wednesday night they had another series win in sight.
Trent Grisham did the heavy lifting, launching two homers as New York erased an early deficit and beat the Seattle Mariners 10-5 at Yankee Stadium. Spencer Jones chipped in three RBIs, and the Yankees used a late surge to pull away after falling behind 3-0 in the first inning and 4-1 in the third.
New York is now 68-52 and has taken the first two games of the series.
Seattle came out swinging at Will Warren, and the right-hander never really settled in. Randy Arozarena opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first, Julio Rodríguez followed with a solo blast, and the Mariners had a quick 3-0 cushion. The Yankees got a run back in the second on Ryan McMahon’s RBI double, which scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., but McMahon was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
The Mariners added another in the third on Dominic Canzone’s home run, making it 4-1 before the Yankees started to chip away.
Austin Wells opened the bottom of the third with a double, Ben Rice walked, and Jones stepped in with two outs and ripped a double to deep left that brought both runners home. Jones was batting third for just the second time, and he looked right at home.
Seattle pushed the margin back to 5-3 in the fifth when Josh Naylor singled home Arozarena, and that ended Warren’s night. He allowed five runs on six hits over four-plus innings, walked four and gave up three home runs.
But New York answered immediately.
Grisham tied it with a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. Rice then doubled, and Jones followed with another double, this one into right-center, to score Rice and even the game at 5-5.
Jones finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.
The Yankees finally seized control in the seventh. George Lombard Jr. singled with one out, and Grisham came up against left-hander Gabe Speier and doubled to deep center to score Lombard and give New York its first lead of the night at 6-5. Rice followed with an RBI single, and after Seattle intentionally walked Heliot Ramos to load the bases, Chisholm drew a walk to force in another run.
Grisham wasn’t done.
After another Lombard single in the eighth, he crushed his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to right-center that made it 10-5. Grisham finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, two homers, a double and four RBIs. It was his ninth career multi-homer game.
The bullpen did its part, too. Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, Paul Blackburn, Brent Headrick and Yerry De Los Santos combined to keep Seattle off the board the rest of the way. Blackburn got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Headrick struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth.
Once Seattle moved ahead 5-3 in the fifth, it never scored again.
There was production all over the Yankees lineup. Rice went 2-for-4 with a walk, three runs and an RBI.
Lombard had two hits and scored twice. McMahon added two hits.
Chisholm reached base twice and drove in a run. The Yankees finished with 13 hits and scored in double digits for the first time since July 9.
It wasn’t spotless. Warren struggled, the Yankees had a couple of bad outs on the bases and Lombard made an error. None of it mattered once the offense kept stacking at-bats and the bullpen slammed the door.
Now the Yankees have done it two nights in a row, taking the lead in the seventh inning against Seattle. They’ll try to complete the sweep Thursday afternoon with Max Fried set to face Logan Gilbert.
In Other News...
Yankees Suddenly Have A Chance To Upgrade Behind Austin Wells
The catching market shifted quickly when Boston activated Adley Rutschman from the injured list and moved on from Jake Rogers, a veteran backstop who has been in the mix with multiple clubs this summer. For a Yankees team that has Austin Wells entrenched as the starter and Ali Snchez as the right-handed reserve, that kind of roster churn can matter, especially when a familiar name suddenly becomes available.
Rogers is the sort of catcher clubs value for reasons that do not always show up in the box score. He has a reputation for handling pitchers well and bringing defensive stability, while his bat has not been the draw. For the Yankees, the question is whether that profile is enough to make him a better fit than what they already have behind Wells, and whether they see enough upside to jump in before another team does. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have Won The Catcher Gamble Without Making The Splash
The Yankees chose the quieter route behind the plate, signing Mitch Garver to shore up a catcher spot that needed attention without chasing the biggest name on the market. It was the kind of move that drew less noise than a blockbuster pursuit, but it also reflected a front office willing to trust fit and value over headlines, especially with other catching options moving around the league.
Adley Rutschmans path to Boston only adds to the conversation, because the former top prospect has not been the same offensive force he once was and his recent seasons have been shaped by injuries. For the Yankees, the larger takeaway is less about who they passed on and more about whether a modest gamble can pay off in a division where the Red Sox have altered their roster and the Orioles are forced to reconsider theirs. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Frustration With Trent Grisham Just Spilled Into Plain View
Trent Grishams first year back in pinstripes has not unfolded the way the Yankees hoped after he accepted a $22 million qualifying offer following a strong previous season. His offense has backed up a bit, and the bigger concern has been the work in center field, where his defense has graded below average and started to draw sharper attention as the season has worn on.
That unease spilled into the open during a recent game, when a defensive misplay set off visible frustration from a Yankees pitcher on the mound. It was the kind of moment that tends to linger beyond one inning, because for a team with postseason expectations, shaky communication and uneven play in center can quickly become more than just a passing annoyance. [Read more 🡒]