Yankees

Anthony Volpe Saves the Yankees Late As New York Stuns Royals, 4-3

By ••5 min read
Anthony Volpe Saves the Yankees Late As New York Stuns Royals, 4-3

Anthony Volpe got the last word, and the Yankees walked out of Kansas City with another one they had no business giving away.

Listen, this is exactly the type of game that can mess with you if you let it.

The Yankees had the lead. Will Warren gave them a real start. Cody Bellinger got the offense going early. Jose Caballero added a big two-out RBI. And then, just like that, Bobby Witt Jr. steps in during the eighth inning and turns the whole thing upside down with one swing.

That ball stayed just inside the left-field foul pole, and suddenly the Royals had a 3-2 lead. Kauffman Stadium woke up. The Yankees’ bullpen had coughed up the advantage. And you already know the conversation was about to start.

Here we go again, right?

Except Anthony Volpe had other plans.

Volpe Comes Through When The Yankees Needed It

Down 3-2 in the ninth, the Yankees did not fold. Paul Goldschmidt started it with a broken-bat infield single, which is about as ugly as it gets but beautiful when you need a rally. Max Schuemann came in to run, Jazz Chisholm Jr. ripped a double to deep right, and now the Yankees had the tying and go-ahead runs sitting right there.

That brought up Volpe.

And this is the spot. This is where you either wear it, or you change the whole story.

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Volpe stayed on it and shot a two-run single into shallow left, scoring Schuemann and Chisholm to put the Yankees back on top, 4-3. Not a 450-foot homer. Not some dramatic bat flip moment. Just a clean, winning baseball swing in a spot where the Yankees desperately needed somebody to stop the nonsense.

That is a big-time at-bat.

Volpe finished 1-for-3 with a walk, 2 RBI, and the biggest swing of the night. And for a player who has had to hear plenty, that one matters. You cannot ask for a better response in that situation.

Will Warren Deserved Better Than A No-Decision

Will Warren gave the Yankees exactly what they needed.

He went 6 innings, allowed 3 hits, 2 earned runs, walked 3, and struck out 3 on 85 pitches. Was it perfect? No. He had that rough second inning where Salvador Perez, Jac Caglianone, and Isaac Collins all walked, and Michael Massey brought in a run with a sacrifice fly.

But Warren settled down. He held Kansas City in check. He kept the Yankees in front. That is what you ask from your starter on the road.

The only other damage against him came in the sixth, when Perez launched a game-tying homer to left. That was a big one too, because it was Perez’s 136th career home run at Kauffman Stadium, tying George Brett’s stadium record. So yes, tip your cap there. Perez has been doing this forever.

But Warren still left with the game tied 2-2 after 6 strong innings. The Yankees should feel good about that outing.

Bellinger Gets It Started Early

The Yankees jumped ahead in the second inning when Cody Bellinger homered to right-center, his 7th of the season. That made it 1-0 and gave New York the early momentum.

Later in the inning, Volpe walked, J.C. Escarra singled, and Caballero came through with a two-out RBI single to center to make it 2-0. That was a nice little rally against Michael Wacha, who was not exactly getting knocked around.

Wacha gave Kansas City 7 innings, allowing 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, and striking out 5. He was good. Daniel Lynch IV followed him by wiping out the top of the Yankees’ order in the eighth.

So when Lucas Erceg came in for the ninth with a 3-2 lead, Kansas City had the game lined up exactly how they wanted it.

And the Yankees took it from them anyway.

The Bullpen Bent, But Bednar Closed It

Jake Bird nearly became the story for the wrong reason after giving up Witt’s go-ahead homer in the eighth. He also walked Vinnie Pasquantino right after that, which made the inning feel like it was about to get away.

But Tim Hill came in and did his job. He struck out Carter Jensen, got Starling Marte to ground out, and kept the game at 3-2. That mattered. That kept the Yankees close enough for the ninth-inning comeback.

Hill earned the win, improving to 2-2.

Then David Bednar came in for the ninth and, yes, he worked around a two-out walk, because apparently clean innings are optional around here. But he got it done. No hits, no runs, 12th save of the season.

That is what matters.

The Yankees Still Own This Matchup

With the 4-3 win, the Yankees improved to 32-22 and extended their winning streak over Kansas City to 12 games. They have not lost to the Royals since Sept. 10, 2024.

That streak includes 11 straight regular-season meetings and the clinching game of the 2024 ALDS. So this is not just some random little run anymore. The Yankees have had Kansas City’s number, and Monday night was another example of that.

The Royals had the big Witt swing. They had the Perez milestone homer. They had Wacha dealing. They had the lead in the ninth.

And still lost.

That is brutal if you are Kansas City.

For the Yankees, it is another one of those wins where you do not love every part of it, but you absolutely take it. Warren gave them length. Bellinger gave them early thunder. Caballero added a key RBI. Volpe delivered the punch in the ninth. Bednar closed it.

Not pretty. Not smooth. But a win.

And sometimes, especially on the road, that is the whole point.

The Yankees continue the series Tuesday night with Cam Schlittler set to start. He comes in at 6-2 with a 1.50 ERA, while Kansas City is expected to use the bullpen to open the game.

So now the Yankees have a chance to keep this thing rolling.

And after the way they stole this one back in the ninth, Kansas City has to be sick.

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