Bronx, NY—In a dramatic turn of events, the New York Yankees edged out the Houston Astros 5-4 on Saturday night, thanks to a clutch go-ahead homer by Trent Grisham in the eighth inning.
With the game knotted at 4-4, Grisham sent a full-count fastball from Bryan King (3-3) sailing into the second deck in right field, giving the Yankees their first lead of the game. The blast proved to be the difference after a chaotic eighth inning that saw the Yankees squander a two-run advantage.
Earlier in the inning, Camilo Doval and David Bednar (5-3) struggled to contain the Astros’ offense. A throwing error by Doval on a ground ball by Jesús Sánchez was followed by another miscue from left fielder Jasson Domínguez on a single by Jose Altuve, allowing the Astros to tie the game.
Despite being one strike away from recording the second out, Bednar walked Christian Walker to keep the rally alive. However, he managed to escape the jam by striking out Yanier Diaz and Taylor Trammell.
Giancarlo Stanton continued his strong recent form, contributing two RBIs, including an important single in the fifth that put the Yankees ahead 3-2. Stanton also made his first start in right field since September 9, 2023, having spent much of last season as a designated hitter. He recorded a lineout catch in the first inning to mark his return to the outfield.
On the mound, Luis Gil delivered a solid performance, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. Gil became the first Yankees starter to pitch into the sixth inning since July 30, striking out seven and walking just one. He had struggled in his season debut earlier in the week but showed great improvement in this outing.
Stanton’s big fifth inning included a bases-loaded walk that plated a run, followed by Ben Rice’s sacrifice fly, and Cody Bellinger scoring on a double-play grounder. The Astros, who have been struggling recently with 17 losses in their last 27 games, did find some offense with Jeremy Pena’s leadoff homer and Carlos Correa’s tying RBI single in the fourth.
The key moment came when David Bednar returned for the ninth inning, shutting down the Astros’ offense in a quick 1-2-3 frame to secure the win.
Key Stat: Grisham finished with three hits for the first time since July 6, a much-needed breakout after struggling with just five hits in his previous 36 at-bats.
Looking ahead, the Yankees will send Max Fried (12-4, 2.78 ERA) to the mound in Sunday’s series finale. The Astros have yet to announce their starting pitcher.
