Trent Grisham powers Yankees past White Sox as win streak hits season-high six games

CHICAGO — It was in the early days of spring training this year when the ever-optimistic Aaron Boone said he liked how Trent Grisham looked. 

But this?

Twenty-eight home runs and counting, regular leadoff hitter and an integral part of what the Yankees are doing? 

Not even Boone, with the best version of pinstriped glasses, could have predicted this. 

Grisham’s breakout season continued Friday when he homered for the third straight game, crushing a grand slam that created some early breathing room before the Yankees broke it open for their season-high sixth straight win, 10-2 over the White Sox at a crisp Rate Field. 

Continuing to feast on the bottom-feeders on their schedule, the Yankees (75-60) pulled within three games of the Blue Jays for the division lead — the closest they have been since July 22 — and leapfrogged the Red Sox by a half-game for second place in the AL East and the top AL wild card. 

The Yankees improved to 11-3 in their past 14 games, the three losses coming to the Red Sox.

This hot stretch will come with an asterisk because it has featured beating up on bad teams — the same bad teams that are on every other playoff contender’s schedule — but the Yankees will get a chance to prove it is real beginning Tuesday against the Astros. 

Friday marked the fourth time in their past five games the Yankees have scored 10 runs or more — making it an MLB-high 22 on the year — all coming against the Nationals and White Sox (48-87), the clubs with the third- and second-worst records in the majors. 

Grisham has had a big hand in that, belting five home runs in his past six games.

The latest was a grand slam off ex-Yankee Yoendrys Gómez on Friday that made it a 5-0 game in the fourth inning.

After spending most of last season as the Yankees’ fourth outfielder, Grisham has become an everyday factor, now with a .836 OPS near the end of August. 

Anthony Volpe also had another encouraging night, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run shot — his first home run since Aug. 12.

The shortstop, who entered this series in a 1-for-37 rut, has now gone 4-for-7 in the first two games of the four-game set. 

It was more than enough run support for Carlos Rodón.

Ten-plus years after he made his MLB debut on this mound (back when it was U.S. Cellular Field), and nearly four years since he last pitched on it at all, Rodón made his first start back as a visitor and delivered six innings of one-run ball. 

The left-hander is a much different pitcher than he was the last time he suited up for the White Sox — no longer able to just overpower opponents with a fastball and slider alone — but lowered his ERA to 3.18 through 28 starts this season. 

Facing Gómez, whose time in The Bronx was marred by injuries before he was designated for assignment in April, the Yankees put together patient at-bats and drew six walks against him on a night when they got nine free passes. 

Gómez began his night by walking three straight to load the bases in the top of the first inning, but the Yankees only came away with one run when Ben Rice grounded into a double play. 

But they finally cashed in with Grisham’s grand slam, when the three batters on base reached on a catcher’s interference and two walks. 

The Yankees led off the sixth inning with two more walks before Volpe — after fouling off two bunt attempts — lined an RBI single up the middle. Austin Wells followed with an RBI single of his own and Rice capped off the rally with another that made it 8-1. 

Volpe then took Mike Vasil deep in the seventh inning for his 19th home run of the year.