Yankees get two homers, four RBIs from No. 9 hitter Trent Grisham in win over Pirates

PITTSBURGH — Even after the loss of Juan Soto to the Mets in the offseason, a line delivered by everyone from Brian Cashman to Aaron Boone to Aaron Judge regarding the Yankees’ lineup this season was that “1 through 9,” it had the potential to be deeper than last season’s.

That has proved to be the case, at least to this point.

The Yankees scored at least nine runs for the third straight game and the fifth time in eight games in a 10-4 victory over the Pirates on Saturday afternoon in front of 30,570 fans at PNC Park. They lifted their totals to 25 home runs and 72 runs scored in eight games, with 45 of those runs coming via the homer, and are batting .299 as a team.

“It’s incredible,” said Jasson Dominguez, whose leadoff double sparked a six-run fifth inning that erased a 4-2 deficit. “Everybody’s hitting.”

On this day, it was No. 9 hitter Trent Grisham leading the way, hitting two home runs — including a three-run shot that gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead — and driving in four runs.

The Yankees (6-2) had 14 hits, getting at least one from everyone in the order and picking up six doubles. Paul Goldschmidt, back in the leadoff spot, went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Anthony Volpe had a three-run double in the fifth to give the Yankees an 8-4 lead and finished with two hits along with Grisham and Oswald Peraza.

“I think you see the depth,” said Marcus Stroman, who cruised through three innings before walking three and allowing four runs in the fourth. “I think it’s incredibly hard to navigate . . . It’s scary. It’s a hard lineup to navigate, and we’re confident.”

Grisham, who hit .190 with a .675 OPS last season after being acquired in the Soto trade with the Padres, improved to 8-for-17 with three home runs and a 1.630 OPS. Volpe, who also doubled and scored in the ninth and had a terrific day in the field, is hitting .303 (10-for-33) with four home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.119 OPS.

“I’ve been in a good spot mentally,” said Grisham, who never got into any kind of a groove in 2024 in sporadic playing time (76 games). “It [last year] was a learning experience. I had never done that before.”

The Yankees took the lead in the second against Pittsburgh lefthander Bailey Falter, who allowed seven runs and seven hits in four innings.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. got hit on the right forearm with a 91-mph sinker and stole second with one out. Austin Wells, off to a 4-for-21 (.190) start in the first seven games, fouled off four straight two-strike pitches before banging a 1-and-2 curveball back up the middle for an RBI single that made it 1-0.

Grisham led off the third by driving a 2-and-0, 92-mph fastball to right-center for his second homer of the season. The blast improved him to 4-for-4 with two homers in his career against Falter, numbers that would get even better in his next at-bat against him. 

“Just more really good swings,” Boone said. “Playing great in center. Excited for him and how well he’s playing, how big he’s been for us early.”

Stroman suddenly lost his command in the fourth, and the Yankees’ lead went with it. He walked Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz back-to-back to start the inning and Ke’Bryan Hayes hammered a first-pitch sinker that stayed up in the zone for an RBI double to left to make it 2-1. After Jack Suwinski worked a walk, Stroman struck out Alexander Canario, but Emmanuel Valdez cracked a first-pitch cutter off the wall in right for a two-run double that made it 3-2. Endy Rodriguez’s groundout to first gave the Pirates a 4-2 lead.

Dominguez led off the fifth with a double down the rightfield line and Peraza smoked a single to left. Grisham then put the Yankees ahead for good by lining a 2-and-2, 93-mph fastball to the opposite field, just over the leftfield wall near the foul line, to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead.

Goldschmidt walked and DH Ben Rice improved to 8-for-23 to start the season with a single to left. In came righty Colin Holderman, who hit Judge with a first-pitch sweeper to load the bases. After Chisholm struck out, Volpe launched a double into the gap in left-center on a 2-and-2 cutter to make it 8-4.

“It’s been relentless,” Boone said of the lineup. “I feel like there’s been a real consistency to their approach, and it’s been fun to see how everyone has really chipped into this, because they’re playing at a really high level right now.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.