Max Fried of the New York Yankees pitched seven strong innings, while Trent Grisham’s grand slam helped secure a decisive win over the Houston Astros.

Starting September, the New York Yankees encountered a tough stretch, with back-to-back games against the Astros, Blue Jays, Tigers, and Red Sox. In today’s opener against Houston, the Yankees relied on ace Max Fried’s seven solid innings and Trent Grisham’s grand slam to win 7-1, marking their eighth victory in the past nine games, though they still trail the Blue Jays by 2.5 games in the AL East standings.

The Astros started their ace left-hander Framber Valdez today, but he was hit hard early, giving up a two-run homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the top of the second inning. In the top of the fifth, Grisham added another grand slam, leading Valdez to finish five innings allowing six runs and raising his ERA to 3.40.

In contrast, Fried allowed only one run until the bottom of the sixth inning. He pitched seven innings with just one run allowed, lowering his ERA to 2.98. In the top of the eighth, Chisholm hit a solo homer, and the Yankees ultimately won 7-1.

This was Grisham’s second grand slam in his last four games and his third of the season. With 29 homers this year and entering the final year of his contract, he is positioned to earn a big deal in the postseason. Grisham said in an interview, “I told myself during my at-bat that this was a crucial moment, so I had to stay calm, focused, and wait for a pitch I could handle.”

Although Chisholm has faced injuries this year, he has still delivered an All-Star caliber performance. He has hit six home runs in his last nine games and totals 28 homers and 26 stolen bases this season, nearing his first career 30-30 season. Chisholm commented, “I’ve always believed that if I stay healthy, I can surpass 30 home runs and 30 steals every year. Even though I wasn’t fully healthy this year, I’ve proven I can do it, and that’s pretty cool for me.”