New York Yankees faced Toronto Blue Jays for the series decider on Sunday. What was poised as a cracking contest between the east rivals ended as a cold night for the Yankees. The Bombers fell short of extending their series win streak and lost by 1-5 at the end of nine innings. This marked the first series loss of the Yankees this season. They have done such an excellent job up until now, but the Jays got the better of them this week.
The Yankees have a lot to learn from this series. The offense has undoubtedly been the main root cause of the losses. However, the fielding errors are not hurting them any less. While there have been some stellar plays in the outfield, the infield errors are equally accountable. In the recent game against the Jays, the Bombers rookie, Anthony Volpe, made a crucial error that probably led to the beginning of the cruel end for the Yankees.
Anthony Volpe Takes Full Responsibility Of The Field Error, Says Its Part Of Baseball
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has had a turnaround offensively ever since he took up the leadoff hitter’s spot. After recording his first career home run last week, the rookie followed it up with the match-defining hit. In the second game against the Blue Jays, Volpe hit a two-run homer to open the Yankees account in the 3-2 win. However, the tables turned the following day for Volpe quickly. The Blue Jays held off runs during the series decider and never for a moment let the Yankees take over the command of the game. While the match looked equally poised, a routine fielding error from Anthony Volpe changed the course of the game.
During the top of the sixth inning, George Springer made a hit off Clarke Schmidt‘s cutter. The ball traveled to Anthony at the infield. However, the rookie fumbled and failed to get hold of it in the first go. That error gave away a free walk to George at the first base. The error apparently set the tone for the Jays, who went on to score three runs in the inning. After the loss, Anthony Volpe took complete accountability for the play and said it was a routine play they do all the time in training. Hence, he should not have let that slide. He took the blame for the loss upon himself and said that good fielders do make such simple errors. However, the rookie understands that it’s just part and parcel of baseball, and he will try to overcome these setbacks in the future.
MLB Columnist Predicts Volpe’s Demotion
Amid a roller coaster a couple of days, Anthony Volpe has ended up on the wrong side of the MLB experts. A popular MLB columnist, Jason La Canfora, suggested that Volpe could end up back in the Triple-A minor league by Memorial Day, which falls on May 29, 2023.
While the claim seems absurd as Anthony Volpe has done a fair job so far in the majors, and the Yankees, for that matter, look in no mood to part ways with the rookie just yet. On top of that, the recent injury concerns make it even more difficult for the New York Yankees to indulge in roster moves.