Grissom rewards skipper's faith with 1st career slam in 6-RBI game

ANAHEIM -- Before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Tigers, manager Kurt Suzuki was asked what he’d been seeing from a slumping Vaughn Grissom recently and why he wanted to stick with him in the Angels’ lineup.

Suzuki was adamant that despite a recent skid, Grissom had been hitting the ball hard and was due to finally be rewarded. Suzuki’s premonition proved to be correct, as Grissom hit his first career grand slam in the eighth inning and had six RBIs to carry the Angels to a 10-6 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park. It extended the Halos’ winning streak to a season-high four games, marking their first four-game win streak since winning eight in a row from May 16-23, 2025.

“It was the same at-bats he has been having, but now he's finding holes, and then, obviously, that one big one was a good one in a big spot,” Suzuki said. “He didn't try to do too much. I was watching him hit in BP and I said, ‘Man, you don't even have to swing hard to hit that ball far.’ He just took a nice controlled swing and hit it out. That’s impressive territory out there in right-center for that grand slam.”

The Angels came into the eighth inning down by two runs, but Logan O’Hoppe kept the frame going with a two-out RBI double that was just out of the reach of a leaping Wenceel Pérez in right field on a play that should’ve been made. Zach Neto then reached on an infield single before Mike Trout drew a walk to set the stage for Grissom’s heroics.

Grissom, starting at first base with Nolan Schanuel slowed by left calf tightness, crushed a 2-0 fastball from right-hander Will Vest to right-center field, just clearing the fence. It was the third homer of the year for Grissom, who couldn’t help but celebrate wildly as he rounded the bases.

“I've been hitting a lot of balls on the ground so I was trying to see something up and just try to give it a ride over second base,” Grissom said. “I saw the center fielder [Matt Vierling] and right fielder [Pérez] tracking it down for a while. So once it actually went over the fence, that was a good sight to see, for sure.”

It was part of a big night at the plate for Grissom, who went 3-for-5 to pace the offense. It also helped him snap out of a recent funk, as he was hitting .071 (2-for-28) over his last eight games.

“It's tough when you're not getting hits, but I felt like I was hitting the ball hard often,” Grissom said. “It was just not rolling my way. But I try to trust what I'm doing. Obviously, it's tough when you’re not getting hits, but just trying to trust it, put the barrel on the ball and whatever happens, happens.”

Grissom also had a two-run single in the third inning to give the Angels the lead, with Neto getting a huge jump and scoring all the way from first base on the single to center.

“I think it set the tone,” Suzuki said. “Not just that he scored, but I think it set the tone for the team of playing hard ... and getting after it.”

Grissom, who was acquired in an offseason trade that sent Minor League outfielder Isaiah Jackson to the Red Sox, didn’t play in the Majors last season, but he has made the most of his opportunities this year. He's slashing .233/.308/.379 with three homers, six doubles and 19 RBIs in 32 games, while seeing time at third base, second and first.

Grissom, though, was far from the only Angels hitter with a big game, as the offense racked up 15 hits and reached double digits in runs scored for the fourth time this season and the first time since April 16. Jo Adell and Jose Siri both hit solo homers, while Neto added an RBI double.

It helped make up for right-hander Jack Kochanowicz allowing five runs over four-plus innings, including getting hit on the left foot by a comebacker that nearly caused him to leave his start in the second inning. But reliever Mitch Farris got out of a pivotal jam with the bases loaded and none out in the fifth, while José Fermin, Chase Silseth and Kirby Yates combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings to preserve the victory.

“I'm happy we got the win, No. 1,” Kochanowicz said. “Just frustrating to see some not too hard hit balls find holes, but that's baseball.”