BALTIMORE — If there’s one thing we love about baseball, it’s that anything can change with just one swing. Case in point: Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. The dude had a batting average of just .136 after only one hit in his previous 16 at-bats. But in the bottom of the fourth on Saturday night against the Baltimore Orioles, Volpe flipped the script with his first career triple.
Smashing a 358-foot fly ball that bounced off the scoreboard in right field, Volpe’s triple ignited a three-run inning that catapulted the Yankees to a 4-1 victory. This young hotshot clearly isn’t shy about his enthusiasm either, diving headfirst into third base with no relay throw, then clapping his hands in pure joy.
The Yankees didn’t waste any time capitalizing on Volpe’s leadoff triple. DJ LeMahieu hit an RBI double down the left-field line, and Aaron Judge was ready at home plate for a bro-style handshake when Volpe arrived. A wild pitch let LeMahieu advance to third, and Judge secured his fifth run batted in of the season with a sacrifice fly to center field.
When Orioles starter Cole Irvin retired Anthony Rizzo, manager Brandon Hyde made a gutsy move, bringing in a righty to face cleanup man Giancarlo Stanton. The gamble didn’t pay off — Stanton annihilated a 92.7-mph fastball for a 436-foot home run that gave the Yankees a comfortable three-run lead.
Stanton’s power display must have inspired the rest of the bullpen, which came up clutch in Saturday’s win, bouncing back from Friday night’s disappointing loss. Michael King threw two scoreless innings, Wandy Peralta left a runner stranded in the eighth, and closer Clay Holmes bagged his second save of the season.
Of course, we can’t forget about Aaron Hicks, who snapped his 0-for-8 skid with a fourth-inning RBI single that tied the game at 1-1. Or the unstoppable Jhony Brito, whose five innings of one-run ball gave him an impressive 0.90 ERA for the month. Oh, and don’t even get us started on Judge’s 105.8-mph double that extended his on-base streak to 41 games — a streak that could see him tied for the longest in 19 seasons if it continues on Sunday.
As we look ahead to the Yankees’ next games against the Orioles and Guardians, it’s clear that momentum is on their side. From up-and-comers like Volpe to tried-and-true sluggers like Stanton and Judge, these Yankees are more than ready to bring the heat this season.