Vaughn Grissom plates four as Angels rout Yankees 10-1
Vaughn Grissom went 3-for-5 with four RBIs as the Los Angeles Angels snapped a seven-game skid with a 10-1 win over the New York Yankees on Monday at Angel Stadium, while rookie Walbert Ureña threw seven strong innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Key Takeaways
- Vaughn Grissom drove in four runs on a 3-for-5 night that included two doubles and two runs scored.
- Walbert Ureña allowed one run on five hits over seven innings, walking none and striking out eight.
- Manager Kurt Suzuki praised Ureña's calm approach as "the sign of an ace" after early first-pitch strikes.
- The Angels matched their run total from their previous four games combined and ended a seven-game losing streak.
How did Vaughn Grissom fuel the Angels' breakthrough?
Grissom put Los Angeles on the board with a run-scoring single in the third inning, then added an RBI on a fielder's choice in the sixth and capped his night with a two-run double in the eighth, per CBS Sports.
It was his sixth performance this season with three or more hits and his first multi-hit game since he slugged two home runs against Cleveland on Aug. 25. Four Angels posted multi-hit games as the club collected 12 hits and scored in double digits without a home run for the second time this year.
"It feels great," Grissom said after the win. "Any time you can string together a bunch of good at-bats, something good happens, especially against a team like that where you have to lock in for a full nine innings."
Why was Ureña's outing called the sign of an ace?
Coming off two rough starts that totaled six runs allowed in 8 2/3 innings, Ureña regained command against New York. He tied a career high with eight strikeouts, threw 95 pitches, and improved to 9-9 with a 2.85 ERA across 25 appearances (23 starts), according to MLB.com.
Suzuki said there was "really no panic" watching the 22-year-old, citing roughly 11-for-11 first-pitch strikes early. Ureña escaped a first-inning jam by striking out Trent Grisham, then retired 11 in a row before Spencer Jones' solo homer on a 1-2 sinker in the fifth—the Yankees' only run.
His sinker touched 101 mph, and his changeup (averaging 91.8 mph) helped generate eight of his 16 swings and misses. The sweeper added three whiffs and three strikeouts. Angels starters posted a majors-best 2.51 ERA in August, the club's best monthly mark since April 1982.
What does the win mean for the Angels' season narrative?
Hardly anything has gone right for Anaheim this year, but Ureña remains a clear bright spot. His 2.85 ERA ranks second among American League rookies behind Parker Messick and fifth in the AL among pitchers with at least 120 innings. He has 120 strikeouts and 64 walks in 123 1/3 innings and sits second in Angels history for strikeouts in a pitcher's first big-league season.
The offense finally woke up after a long slump, scoring four runs against Yankees rookie Elmer Rodríguez in 3 2/3 innings before adding six more against the bullpen amid New York defensive miscues. For more coverage that mixes sports buzz with sharp explainers, browse our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub.
"Every couple of days, we get Walby out there and he always gives us a chance to win, so it's nice to put one away while he's out there," Grissom said—summing up why composure on the mound and timely bats from Vaughn Grissom mattered most in this series opener.