Volpe Error Sends Yanks to 6th Straight Loss. LA Angels 3 NY 2

June 19, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a solo HR in the 2nd ties the game 1-1 and breaks a 30-inning shutout schneid for the Yanks.

Anthony Volpe dropped and then threw away a tailor-made doubleplay ball in the 8th inning with 1 out and bases loaded, allowing the Angels to score the go-ahead run and beat NY 3-2 on a Wednesday night in the Bronx. It was the 6th straight loss for the Yanks.

At least NY scored runs — Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a homer in the 2nd inning to tie the game 1-1, breaking a streak of 30 straight innings without a Yankee run, the team having been shutout the prior 3 games.

And Cody Bellinger hit a homer in the 4th to put the Yanks ahead 2-1 — albeit briefly — as Jo Adell hit a HR to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the next inning.

Ryan Yarbrough started for NY and held court. But 6’7 Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz had the best start of his career, using a new grip on his changeup.

Aaron Judge is officially in a slump, going 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and is now 2-23 in the 6-game losing streak, striking out 14 times.

But all fickle fingers of blame pointed at Anthony Volpe — who blew the game with the error and compounded it by going 0-4 with 3 strikeouts, capping it off by striking out to end the game with the tying run on 1st.

“I knew right off the bat I gotta be aggressive; go get the ball and make the play,” said Volpe afterwards. “As far as that, that’s all it is — it’s the first read off the bat.”

NY drops to 42-31, and are now only 1.5 games ahead of Tampa, 2 ahead of Toronto, and 4.5 ahead of Boston. LA improves to 36-37 — winning the first 3 of the 4-game series.

1. Yanks Run into Kochanowicz’s New Grip

The Angels started 24-year-old, 6’7 righthander Jack Kochanowicz, who came in with a 3-8 5.53 slash line. Surely the Yanks would break out of their scoreless streak with a boatload of runs against him.

It didn’t happen — Kochanowicz had a career start, having just been taught a new grip on his changeup by pitching coach Barry Enright, making it play well with his main pitch — a 97-MPH sinker.

“It felt great,” Kochanowicz said afterwards. “I used it a little bit last time, but just got a lot more comfortable with it today. Barry gave me a new grip. I’ve been trying to find a changeup that matches the same spin as my sinker for a while. I saw a 94 (MPH) on one and was surprised. But I’m just trusting the grip a lot, so I’m really just throwing it and letting it do the work.”

Kochanowicz would pitch 5.1 innings of 2-hit, 2-run ball, striking out 8.

2. Chisholm HR Finally Gets NY a Run

Nolan Schanuel hit a HR in the top of the 1st off Ryan Yarbrough, and the Yanks went out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 1st so it was already looking dim for NY — losers of 5 in a row, the last 3 by shutout.

Finally, with 1 out in the bottom of the 2nd, Jazz Chisholm Jr. got hold of a 2-0, 97-MPH sinker and belted it high and just fair into the second deck at Yankee Stadium for the Yankees’ first run in 4 games — tying the game 1-1.

3. Bellinger HR Puts NY Up 2-1 in 4th

Kochanowicz pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd, but with 1 out in the 4th, Cody Bellinger got hold of a 90-MPH changeup and sent it 358 feet to right for a HR and 2-1 Yankee lead.

Things were finally looking up.

4. Yarbrough Held Court

But Ryan Yarbrough immediately coughed up the lead, allowing a HR to Joey Adell leading off the top of the 5th — tying the game 2-2.

Overall, Yarbrough pitched well — allowing the 2 solo HR’s but finishing with 5.1 innings of 5-hit ball, with 3 K’s and 2 walks.

5. Leiter Rescues de Los Santos in 6th

Yarbrough got the 1st out in the top of the 6th and then was relieved by Yerry de Los Santos — who allowed a single to Mike Trout, got leftfielder Taylor Ward to lineout, but then walked Logan O’Hoppe — putting runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs.

Mark Leiter came in and struck out Luis Rengifo swinging.

6. Fernando Rescues Leiter in 7th

Leiter himself got into trouble in the 7th in the 2-2 game, allowing consecutive 1-out singles by Lamont Wade Jr. and Christian Moore.

Fernando Cruz came in and threw a wild pitch to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out — but then struck out Zach Neto swinging and got Nolan Schanuel to fly out to end the threat.

7. Hill Gets the DP — But Volpe Fucks It Up

Fernando Cruz got into trouble himself in the top of the 8th — walking Mike Trout and Taylor Ward to start the inning, striking out O’Hoppe, but then walking Rengifo to load the bases with 1 out.

Tim Hill came in and got exactly what NY needed — a tailor-made doubleplay ball to shortstop.

But Volpe dropped the ball then threw it away trying to get the force at 2nd. Instead of inning over — a run scored giving the Angels a 3-2 lead.

With bases still loaded and 1 out, Tim Hill got doubly heroic — striking out Wade Jr. and getting Moore to ground out to end the threat.

Hill then pitched a 1-2-3 top of 9th — an amazing performance by him — he got 7 outs (5 credited).

8. Yanks Blow Rally in 8th

The Yanks put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out to start the 8th against Reid Zeferjahn — Jasson Dominguez leading off with a walk and Austin Wells getting hit by a pitch.

Trent Grisham tried to bunt them to 2nd and 3rd, but fouled off a 1-1 pitch. Manager Aaron Boone then took off the bunt, and Grisham popped up to the catcher in foul ground on a 2-1 pitch. And that drew a TON of discontent amongst Yankee fans on twitter.

Aaron Judge then hit a LONG FLY BALL to center — caught at the warning track — moving Dominguez to 3rd. But Bellinger fouled out to end the threat.

9. Volpe Strikes Out to End It

And so it was to the bottom of the 9th with Kenley Jansen on the hill. Paul Goldschmidt got on due to a throwing error by 3rd baseman Luis Rengifo — but Chisholm struck out, J.C. Escarra lined out to right, and Anthony Volpe struck out on 4 pitches for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401696003

 

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