Trent Grisham worked a 2-out walk with the bases loaded in the 6th inning to turn a 2-2 game into a 3-2 Yankee lead, and Ben Rice followed with a 2-RBI single to make it 5-2 and the Yanks were on their way to an 8-3 win over the Blue Jays on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a 2-run HR in the 7th, and Trent Grisham came through again with a solo HR in the 8th to make it an easy win.
Rookies George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones were at the heart of the Yankee offense all afternoon — Lombard going 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI, and Jones going 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored and an RBI. Jones got an RBI double in the 2nd to make it 1-0 NY, and Austin Wells followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0.
Carlos Rodon started and gave NY 4 pretty good innings, leaving with the score tied 2-2. The Yankee bullpen took it from there: Paul Blackburn was magnificent again with 2 shutout innings to get the win; Ryan Yarbrough pitched well in the 7th and 8th; and Brent Headrick pitched 1.1 innings of shutout ball.
The Yankees loaded the bases with nobody out in the 6th off Toronto starter Jose Soriano, but Braydon Fisher came in and got a strikeout and shallow fly out — and NY was ‘this close’ to wasting the threat. That’s when Grisham worked the clutch 3-2 walk, and Rice followed with a 2-RBI single.
“That was huge,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Grisham’s walk. “There were a number of really big, important at bats in this game and that was certainly one of them. Fisher’s got good stuff — kind of that unique angle — but if you’re patient with him too he has the potential to walk you too and obviously Grisham is that. Just a really good 3-2 at bat there. And Benny who I felt took some weird swings today, saved his best one for the toughest situation.”
The Yanks take 2 of 3 in the 3-game set vs the Blue Jays, getting them back for taking 2 of 3 in last weekend’s series. NY improves to 74-56, still 3 back of Tampa and 3 ahead of Boston who both won. Toronto drops to 64-68.
1. Lombard & Jones at Heart of Attack
The Blue Jays started Jose Soriano, the 27-year-old 6’3 righthander who came in with an 10-7 3.23 record. He pitched a shutout 1st but NY got to him in the 2nd — a leadoff single by George Lombard Jr. and an RBI double by next batter Spencer Jones. NY 1 Toronto 0.
Spencer plates George ? pic.twitter.com/E3mshGA5ih
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 23, 2026
A batter later, Austin Wells doubled to right and it was 2-0 Yankees.
Another RBI courtesy of Austin ?? pic.twitter.com/7G7pxd7cX1
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 23, 2026
2. Rodon 4 Good Innings
Carlos Rodon was making his 2nd start since missing all of July and most of August with left elbow inflammation, and came in with a 4-2 3.22 record.
He retired the first 7 batters of the game before walking Chris McAdoo with 1 out in the 3rd, then allowing a double to Myles Straw and a sac fly to Bruce Bateman. NY 2 Toronto 1.
Rodon got the first out of the 4th but then allowed a double to George Springer and walked Kazuma Okamoto. He got Ernie Clement to hit into a tailor-made double play — but George Lombard Jr. booted it trying to shovel it from his glove to his throwing hand and everyone was safe. It was Lombard’s 3rd error in 3 games.
Daz Cameron hit a sac fly for a 2-2 tie.
Rodon got the final out of the 4th and left as he had hit his max pitch count of 76 pitches. The 2nd run was unearned due to the Lombard error — so Rodon’s record is now 4-2 3.15.
3. Blackburn Tremendous Again
Paul Blackburn came into the 2-2 tie and was amazing again — pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 5th (3 straight groundouts) and 6th (lineout, groundout, fly out).
4. Grisham Clutch Walk in 6th Turns Game
Jose Soriano meanwhile pitched into the 6th — when the Lombard-Spencer Jones duo got to him again: Lombard reaching with an infield single to lead off, and Spencer Jones singling to center.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. reached on a bunt to load the bases with nobody out.
The Blue Jays brought in 6’4 righty Braydon Fisher, and he struck out Austin Wells on a 3-2 curveball that just hit the top of the strike zone. Jose Caballero then hit a shallow fly to right for the 2nd out and the Yanks were looking ‘this close’ to squandering a bases-loaded, nobody out threat.
But worked a HUGE walk on a 3-2 pitch — taking an 88-MPH slider low — and NY had a 3-2 lead. PHEW.
Grisham draws a walk and the Yankees take the lead! pic.twitter.com/GPvYsAG9m2
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 23, 2026
And then Ben Rice ripped a single to center for 2 more runs and a 5-2 game.
The Rice is Right ? pic.twitter.com/6zunEy1Zko
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 23, 2026
5. Chisholm HR in 7th Cements Win
Ryan Yarbrough pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 7th inning, and in the bottom of the 7th Cody Bellinger led off with a single against 6’2 lefty Little, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. — wearing Giancarlo Stanton‘s pants — hit a 2-out HR to right for a 7-2 Yankee lead.
Second-Deck Smash ?
Home Run Connection powered by @TMobile pic.twitter.com/ibEx9kGXFO
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 23, 2026
6. Grisham HR in 8th Icing on Cake
Yarbrough stayed in for the 8th, and allowed a leadoff double to Myles Straw, then got a strikeout and groundout before allowing a 2-out RBI single to Alejandro Kirk to make it 7-3.
But Trent Grisham got that run right back in the bottom of the 8th with a 413-foot bomb off 6’3 righty Simeon Woods Richardson for an 8-3 game.
Grish sends one to Monument Park ? pic.twitter.com/GDE4RglkjA
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 23, 2026
7. Yarbrough to Headrick for Final 3 Innings
Brent Headrick relieved Yarbrough and got the last out of the top of the 8th, then pitched a shutout 9th — allowing a leadoff double to Okamoto but then getting lineout, strikeout, strikeout for the old ballgame.
Be the first to comment