NEW YORK — The former Uber driver sent the New York Yankees home with a walk-off win Wednesday night.
Backup catcher J.C. Escarra, pinch-hitting for second baseman Oswald Peraza, hit a walk-off sacrifice fly, giving the Yankees a 4-3 win in the 10th inning over the San Diego Padres.
“My story, what happened (Wednesday), makes it all worth it,” Escarra said.
The three-game series against the Padres felt like playoff baseball in the Bronx. Both teams had their best starting pitchers throwing in the series. Both sides have several stars. Both have heralded bullpens. There were intense, back-and-forth moments, but the Yankees took two of three against the Padres.
“This series was kind of like the epitome of the guys that are in this locker room — a lot of fight,” Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham said.
Goodnight from 161st 🌙 pic.twitter.com/4Q78h3TNug
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 8, 2025
Here are four takeaways from the series win over the Padres before the Yankees head west for six games against the Athletics and Seattle Mariners:
Devin Williams gets his moment
There were high expectations placed on Devin Williams heading into his first season with the Yankees. He was entering his final year before an expected large payday in free agency because he’s been one of MLB’s best closers since becoming a big leaguer. It’s been a disastrous first month for Williams in the Bronx, from getting demoted from the closer role to being constantly booed.
But Williams came through Wednesday night. Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to Williams in a tough spot with the automatic baserunner on second and the Padres’ top of the order due up in the 10th inning.
It wasn’t the cleanest inning for Williams, who walked Luis Arraez and hit Jackson Merrill with a pitch to load the bases, but he escaped without allowing a run. Williams struck out Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts, keeping the score tied at 3-3.
“I feel like I’m back to where I need to be mentally and physically,” Williams said. “I’m just competing.”
It’s impossible to say whether this will be a turning point for Williams’ season, especially with his command still looking shaky even in a scoreless frame. But what matters is Williams helped the Yankees win a ballgame, and he hasn’t had many opportunities to say he’s done that through the first month.
When he struck Bogaerts out to end the 10th inning, Williams roared and stomped his way back to the dugout. He needed that feeling again.
Max Fried’s brilliance
Here’s a stat that shows how dominant Max Fried has been in his debut season with the Yankees: There are only two pitchers in franchise history who have a lower ERA in their first eight starts to a season than Fried’s 1.05: Whitey Ford (1.01 in 1956) and Phil Niekro (1.04 in 1984).
Fried shoved once again and allowed the Yankees to win in his start. Padres starter Dylan Cease did not allow a hit through the first 6 1/3 innings until Cody Bellinger crushed a solo home run. That first hit tied the game for the Yankees. Fried allowed just one run on five hits and zero walks. The Yankees are now 8-0 in games started by Fried.
“I thought this was one of Max’s best (games), frankly,” Boone said. “I thought this might have been his best command game all year.”
After losing Juan Soto in free agency this past offseason, the Yankees pivoted by signing Fried to a $218 million contract. It’s early, but Fried is pitching like an American League Cy Young contender and is a large reason why the Yankees are in first place. It’s hard to have a better first impression in pinstripes than what Fried has given fans.
Trent Grisham’s heroics continue
Grisham did it again.
This time, the lefty slugger pinch hit for Jorbit Vivas with the Yankees down two runs with no outs in the eighth inning and Oswaldo Cabrera on first base. And then he struck.
Grisham Goner 🔥 pic.twitter.com/giGJ3EoA9e
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 8, 2025
Grisham blasted a no-doubt, 387-foot home run in a 1-2 count on a changeup Jason Adam pitched inside but left thigh high. Grisham immediately knew it was zipping over the right-field wall. After he made contact, he pulled off a unique bat flip, twirling the bat end over end before tossing it to the side. He said he wasn’t necessarily looking for a particular pitch from Adam.
“I did my best not to think with him,” he said. “I just tried to do my best to be ready for the fastball.”
It was his first career pinch-hit home run. Seven of his 10 home runs have given the Yankees the lead or tied the game.
Grisham’s 10 homers are tied for the fifth-most in baseball. He’s played 31 games. Last year, he hit nine homers in 76 games. Last season, he heard chants of “We want Soto!” from Yankees fans sometimes when starting in his place.
Grisham is hitting .292 with 20 RBIs and a 1.016 OPS while providing typically strong defense in center field.
“I don’t know if he’s better or not,” Boone said. “I just felt like what I was seeing was a really live player (during spring training). … Just excited by the way he’s playing right now here.”
Grisham said he’s trying to live in the moment. He didn’t start Wednesday with Cody Bellinger starting in center field and Jasson Domínguez in left field.
“I’m having fun with the guys,” he said. “I would say that’s more (important) than anything. The clubhouse is really good here.”
Giancarlo Stanton update
Stanton (tennis elbows) said he believed he could be ready to return to playing in the majors when he’s eligible to come off the 60-day injured list May 27. It supported what Boone said Tuesday after Stanton faced rehabbing reliever Jake Cousins (elbow) in a live batting practice at Yankee Stadium.
He declined to discuss the extent of the pain he’s felt during his rehab or what he expects it to be like during the regular season.
“I don’t want to keep talking about this because I’ve done it over and over,” he said. “If I’m out there, I’m good enough to play. There’s no levels or anything else.”
Stanton said he might only need a short rehab assignment. He won’t be expected to play defense, so he won’t need to work out in the outfield. He’s also been facing a high-velocity pitching machine for weeks.
Stanton missed all of spring training and hasn’t played yet this season.
(Photo: Al Bello / Getty Images)