On Aug. 9, 2025, the Yankees edged the Astros 5-4 as Trent Grisham’s 8th-inning homer and David Bednar’s 98.5 mph save backed Giancarlo Stanton’s two RBIs.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
On a night that flirted with frustration, the Yankees found a familiar late-inning jolt. After a pair of defensive miscues turned a two-run cushion into a tie game in the eighth, Trent Grisham unloaded a 408-foot go-ahead homer off Houston lefty Bryan King to send the Bronx into August-mode bedlam. David Bednar slammed the door with high-octane heat, and New York banked a 5-4 win over the Astros at Yankee Stadium.
“98.5 mph at 2616 rpm”—Bednar’s final fastball to retire Jeremy Peña and lock down the 5-4 win.
Grisham’s timing was everything. Moments after the Yankees let the lead slip away on a sloppy sequence, the center fielder jumped a pitch from Bryan King and lofted it deep to right-center, a no-doubt blast that restored order and the scoreboard. It wasn’t just the distance; it was the game state—eighth inning, momentum wobbling, Astros smelling blood. That’s a veteran bench piece turning a potentially sour night into a statement win.
Giancarlo Stanton’s first start in right field since September 2023 mattered for today and tomorrow. He moved well, snagging a first-inning liner, and delivered at the plate with two RBIs, including a sharp run-scoring single in the fifth. Aaron Boone lifted him after seven for defense—sensible load management—but the larger takeaway is roster flexibility. With Aaron Judge at DH and Cody Bellinger in left, Stanton’s ability to stand out there even part-time unlocks matchups, late-game pinch options, and a deeper bench on days the Yankees want maximum bat presence.
This one nearly slipped. Errors by Camilo Doval and Jasson Domínguez turned a comfortable late lead into a tie against an opponent that punishes sloppiness. New York survived, but the lesson sticks: clean baseball will decide tight games down the stretch and in October. The silver lining? They answered immediately, a trait of good teams—shake off the punch, land one back.
Nothing like premium velocity to end a night. Bednar finalized the win by getting Jeremy Peña to fly out on a 98.5 mph four-seam fastball spinning at 2616 rpm. Whether it’s a one-run or a two-run margin, that kind of ride plays in any park, any month. After the eighth-inning wobble, his steady ninth is exactly the tone-setter you want from your finisher.
If Saturday offered a glimpse of the new normal, it’s a daunting one for opposing starters. The Yankees rolled out Paul Goldschmidt (1B), Aaron Judge (DH), Cody Bellinger (LF), Giancarlo Stanton (RF), Ben Rice (C), Anthony Volpe (SS), Trent Grisham (CF), Jose Caballero (2B), and Ryan McMahon (3B), with Luis Gil starting. That’s a long, balanced card—left-right-left-right through the top four, then contact, speed, and on-base profiles underneath. Even against Framber Valdez (11-5, 2.83 ERA coming in), they stacked quality at-bats and leveraged timely knocks. You don’t need a Judge or Goldschmidt homer every night when the middle and bottom keep extending innings.
Houston struck first on a Jeremy Peña first-inning homer off Luis Gil, who carried a 0-1 record and 13.50 ERA into the start. The Yankees absorbed it and chipped away, a positive sign given the opponent and the quality of Valdez on the other side. New York didn’t need length from Gil so much as they needed the offense to grind and the bullpen to hold—mission accomplished, with a note to tighten the defense behind the staff.
No promotions or transactions Saturday, but the names to know remain steady at the top: George Lombard Jr. (SS/2B), Carlos Lagrange (RHP), Cam Schlittler (RHP), Spencer Jones (OF), and Bryce Cunningham (RHP). With the big-league roster now loaded, the Yankees can be patient. Lombard Jr.’s athleticism and Jones’s power-speed blend loom as future lineup lengtheners; for now, their progress is a luxury, not a necessity.
This is the blueprint: withstand a punch, answer immediately, and finish with authority. New York and Houston wrap the set in the Bronx on Sunday, where the watch items are clear—how Boone doles out Stanton’s outfield reps, whether the defense cleans up the eighth-inning hiccups, and how the late-inning mix aligns behind Bednar. If the Yankees keep winning the small moments like Saturday’s eighth-to-ninth swing, they’ll keep stacking big ones in the standings.
