Volpe & Caballero Drive Bottom-of-9th Comeback Win! NY 3 ChiSox 2

September 24, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
Jose Caballero walk-off single to center to clinch playoffs for Yankees.

The Yankees clinched the playoffs with a wild, comeback, walk-off win in the bottom of the 9th — Anthony Volpe starting the inning with a leadoff single and later scoring to tie the game with 2 outs on a wild pitch to Cody Bellinger — and Jose Caballero slapping a 2-out, 2-strike single to center to score Aaron Judge for the 3-2 victory!

At a roaring Yankee Stadium on a beautiful, warm, 75-degree Tuesday night.

The comeback win pulled NY to within 1 game of Toronto for the division lead, as they lost to Boston a half hour earlier.

Luis Gil had pitched great, but allowed a 2-run HR in the 6th after Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge allowed an easy fly ball to drop due to a miscommunication as to who would catch the ball. Yankee rallies were snuffed in the 7th and 8th — and it looked like the same thing would happen in the 9th when Trent Grisham hit into a double play to seemingly kill a 1st-and-2nd-nobody-out rally.

But Aaron Judge was intentionally walked, and Cody Bellinger worked a tough at bat against Brandon Eisert, working the count 3-2 before Eisert air-mailed a four-seam fastball over the catcher’s head — as Volpe scored from 3rd. Caballero then worked a 9-pitch at-bat against new reliever Steven Wilson — fouling off 4 straight 2-2 pitches before slapping the ball to center for the win.

“Whatever role we’ve had him in since he’s come over, he’s done it well,” said manager Aaron Boone about Caballero. “It’s a tough at bat — Wilson’s tough. Gets down in the count, lays off some tough pitches, then spoil, spoil, spoil and is able to dump one out there. A great moment for him and its great for us to check that box and know we’re going back to October baseball.”

NY improves to 89-68, pull within 1 of Toronto, and stay 3 ahead of Boston. The ChiSox fall to 58-99.

1. Wells RBI Double Gets Yanks Ahead 1-0 in 2nd

The White Sox started Rookie All Star Shane Smith — who came in with a  6-8 4.06 record. The Yanks knocked on his door in the 1st — a 1-out walk to Aaron Judge and 2-out single by Ben Rice — but Smith struck out the side around that.

But the Yanks got to Smith in the 2nd — a leadoff walk by Jazz Chisholm Jr., who stole 2nd base, a 1-out single by Anthony Volpe to opposite-field right, and an RBI double by Austin Wells down the line in right for a 1-0 Yankee lead.

With runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out — Smith struck out Trent Grisham, intentionally walked Aaron Judge, and got Cody Bellinger on a fly out to end the threat.

2. Yanks Pepper Smith & Chisox Pen — Leave Baserunners

Smith then pitched a shutout 3rd through 5th inning — the Yankees knocking on his door but leaving baserunners. Smith pitched around:

  • A 2-out single to Jazz Chisholm in the 3rd,
  • A 2-out walk to Trent Grisham in the 4th, and
  • A 1-out single to Ben Rice in the 5th — Rice getting thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch it into a double.

Tyler Gilbert came in for the 6th — and was greeted by a leadoff single by Jazz Chisholm Jr. But Chisholm was picked off 1st with 1 out.

Ben Rice Remains Red Hot

Ben Rice remained RED HOT — getting 3 hits in this game in 4 at bats — after going 4-5 in the previous game on Sunday including a Grand Slam in the top of the 10th. Rice also played great Defense at 1st base — picking a couple of throws in the dirt.

3. Gil Great — Done In by Defense & HR in 6th

Meanwhile Luis Gil was Great, again.

Gil:

  • Allowed a 1-out walk in the 1st to star young catcher Kyle Teel — but struck out the next 2 batters including stud shortstop Colson Montgomery,
  • Allowed but a 2-out single in the 2nd, and
  • Pitched around a 2-out walk in the 3rd — the batter Kyle Teel going to 3rd on a pickoff error by Gil and wild pitch — but Gil striking out Colson Montgomery to end the inning.

By the 4th Gil was in rhythm — throwing down consecutive, easy 1-2-3 inning on 6 pitches — fly out, ground out, fly out in the 4th and fly out, lineout, pop out in the 5th.

And in the 6th he got easy groundout to begin the inning, then an easy fly to center — that Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham miscommunicated on — the ball dropping for a single by Kyle Teel.

And next batter — stud shortstop Colson Montgomery — made NY pay with a 428-foot bomb to right center for a 2-1 ChiSox lead.

Gil finished the night with 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 K’s, and 2 walks — but was on the losing edge of the ledger despite his brilliance; until the 9th.

4. Weaver & Yankee Pen Hold Fort

Fernando Cruz pitched a shutout 7th, and Tim Hill got the first 2 outs of the 8th before allowing a single and yielding to Luke Weaver, who got a fly out to end the inning.

Weaver then allowed a leadoff double in the top of the 9th to Brooks Baldwin — putting the Yanks on the ropes down 2-1.

But Weaver got tough — striking out Lenyn Sosa, getting Will Robertson to pop out, and getting Dominic Fletcher to ground out to strand the runner on 2nd.

5. Yank Rallies in 7th & 8th Fall Short

Meanwhile the Yankee offense kept knocking on the door — but stranding runners.

  • Trent Grisham worked a 1-out walk in the 7th — but Aaron Judge hit into a double play.
  • Red Hot Ben Rice singled to center with 1 out in the 8th off reliever Grant Taylor, and was pinch-run for by Jose Caballero. Jazz Chisholm Jr. ripped a 2-out single to center — and moved to 2nd on a wild pitch. But with runners on 2nd and 3rd, Taylor struck out Amed Rosario.

6. Volpe & Caballero Drive Walkoff Win

And so it was to the 9th, with Brandon Eisert in protecting a 2-1 ChiSox lead.

Anthony Volpe led off with a single to left — his 2nd hit of the game and he just missed a HR to the wall in right his 2nd time up.

Then Austin Wells singled to right and the Yanks were in business.

But Trent Grisham hit a shot up the middle — for a double play — Volpe going to 3rd.

Aaron Judge was intentionally walked — and Cody Bellinger worked a tough 7-pitch at bat, fouling off a 3-2 slider before Eisert air-mailed a four-seam fastball over the catcher’s head (for ball 4) — as Volpe scored from 3rd — tie game!

Caballero then worked a 9-pitch at-bat against new reliever Steven Wilson — fouling off 4 straight 2-2 pitches before looping the ball to center for the win!

Etcetera

In the batting race:

  • Aaron Judge went 0-2 with 3 walks — he is at .325.
  • Jacob Wilson went 2-2 with 2 walks — he is at .318.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401697252

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