Anthony Volpe reaches base four times, but Yankees let 10th-inning lead slip away in 8-7 loss to Guardians
The Yankees fought back to tie the game in the ninth but let a two-run, 10th-inning lead disappear in an 8-7 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
Here are a few key takeaways...
- What can't Anthony Volpe do this season? With the Yankees down to their final out in the bottom of the ninth and a runner on first, Volpe delivered with a double to right to tie the game and keep the Yankees alive. Volpe had three hits on the afternoon and was on base four times. He's now hitting .382 this season.
- Nestor Cortes had an up-and-down day on the mound. While he flashed some new quirks in his delivery, Cortes allowed a pair of home runs and let an early three-run lead disappear. The lefty lasted just 4.0 innings, allowing four earned on five hits, including those two homers.
- Anthony Rizzo committed his fourth error of the season in the first inning, when he couldn't make what looked like a pretty routine scoop on an Oswaldo Cabrera throw from third. Rizzo has four errors in 16 games this season after committing four errors in 92 games last season. Rizzo has never made more than nine errors in any of his pro seasons.
But Rizzo came up huge in extra innings, pulling a single down the first base line to give the Yankees a 7-5 lead in the 10th. The Yankees ran themselves out of more runs in the inning on an unconventional tag-at-the-plate, throw-to-first double play, but Rizzo put the Yankees up a pair.
- Staked to a two-run lead in the 10th, Caleb Ferguson quickly had things snowball on him. The Guardians quickly had runners at first and third with nobody out, and with the lead gone and the game tied, it was Andres Gimenez who lofted a sac fly to give Cleveland the win.
-When Aaron Judge connects – really connects – on a long home run, there aren’t many things more incredible to watch. Judge did exactly that in the top of the third inning, waiting back and demolishing a Logan Allen sweeper for a three-run blast to break a scoreless tie. The blast was measured at 469 feet and was No. 260 of Judge’s career.
- Jose Trevino gave the Bombers some production at the bottom of the order with a fourth-inning home run, his first homer of the season. He also added another hit later.
- Estevan Florial once looked like he had such a bright Yankees future ahead of him, but he just never seemed to pan out in pinstripes. The Yankees finally traded Florial to Cleveland this offseason, and it was none other than the former Yankee who hit what looked to be the game-winning home run in the bottom of the eighth inning off of Luke Weaver. His solo shot put the Guardians up 5-4 before Volpe tied it up and sent it to extras.
Who was the MVP?
Volpe. Even in a losing effort, what Volpe is doing this season has been incredible.
Highlights
Next up
The Yankees stay on the road for a three-game set in Toronto against the Blue Jays, starting on Monday night at 7:07 p.m.
Luis Gil will face fellow righty Chris Bassitt.
