Yankees Survive Tough Match, Volpe Struggles

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe faced criticism following a rough outing in a game against the Athletics on Saturday. Despite his manager Aaron Boone calling him a heady player with a high baseball IQ, Volpe made a crucial baserunning error that ended a scoring threat.

In a scoreless game, Volpe walked in the second inning and watched as teammate Austin Wells was hit by a pitch, which put two runners on base. However, Volpe attempted a risky tag-up to third base on a flyball caught by Tyler Soderstrom, leading to an inning-ending double play.

“You don’t typically want to make the third out at third, but it’s part of being aggressive,” Boone explained after the game. “In this case, Soderstrom has a weak arm, so we were trying to challenge him.” Boone indicated that the decision was risky but could have paid off if executed correctly.

Further complicating matters, Volpe struggled defensively, committing an error on a double-play ground ball that could have ended the inning. By the end of the game, Volpe finished with a disappointing 1-for-3 at-bat performance, which included a double and a walk.

This was a setback for Volpe, who had recently shown improvement at the plate, batting .274 and hitting a homer in his last 17 games. His fielding percentage now stands at .965, placing him among the bottom tier of American League shortstops.

The Yankees did manage to keep their momentum going despite Volpe’s struggles, securing a comeback victory with a series of clutch hits, including a walk-off sacrifice fly from J.C. Escarra in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Padres.