(Photo credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

Jazz Chisholm Jr. posted a multi-homer game, Trent Grisham slugged his third grand slam in seven weeks, and Max Fried twirled seven strong innings as the visiting New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros 7-1 in the opener of a three-game series between postseason contenders.

The Yankees (77-61) failed to gain ground in the American League East despite their eighth victory in nine games, as both the first-place Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox, who entered Tuesday tied for second with the Yankees, were also victorious. The Yankees and Red Sox sit 2 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays.

Chisholm spotted the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning with his two-run shot to right field off Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (12-8). His 27th home run came off an 0-1 sinker, drove home Grisham and covered 392 feet. It marked just the second homer this season that Valdez surrendered to a left-handed hitter. Three innings later, Grisham adjusted that stat.

Valdez loaded the bases with one out in the fifth after issuing a walk to Paul Goldschmidt before Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge produced consecutive singles. Valdez moved to the brink of escaping the inning unscathed when he recorded a called third strike against Giancarlo Stanton.

But Grisham followed by smacking a 1-0 sinker the opposite way to left field, as his 29th homer extended the lead to 6-0. It was the eighth grand slam hit by the Yankees this season, with Grisham responsible for the last three, including against the Atlanta Braves on July 19 and the Chicago White Sox on Friday.

Valdez allowed six runs on eight hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over five innings. He is 1-4 over his last six starts.

Fried (15-5) held the Astros (76-63) without a hit through the bottom of the fourth. He recorded three consecutive groundball outs after Mauricio Dubon (walk) and Cesar Salazar (hit by pitch) reached to open the third. Astros right fielder Cam Smith singled leading off the fifth, only for Fried to strike out Dubon, Salazar and Jeremy Pena in succession.

Fried surrendered one run on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Chisholm socked his 28th homer in the eighth off Astros left-hander reliever Steven Okert.

--Field Level Media