The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers were trading zeroes on Sunday night, as they played to see which team would win the weekend series in Southern California.
The Yanks struck first with a run in the seventh, then LA tied it in the same inning with a JD Martinez home run.
The Yanks went ahead in the eighth after an Oswaldo Cabrera groundball plated a run.
In the ninth frame, the Yanks needed some insurance runs.
The Dodgers, after all, are one of the best teams in baseball and no lead against them is safe.
Thankfully for New York, their rookie shortstop delivered.
Anthony Volpe hit a two-run home run against Caleb Ferguson and put the game at 4-1, which was much harder for the Dodgers to come back from.
Mike Daddino, a Yankees reporter, showed a cool clip of the Yankees celebrating Volpe’s home run, his ninth of the season.
Enjoy this incredible camera angle of the Yankees celebrating Anthony Volpe’s home run.
—Mike Daddino (@mike_daddino) June 5, 2023
Despite knowing that they won’t be able to count on Aaron Judge for at least a few more days as he nurses a toe injury, everything was celebration and smiles in the visitor’s dugout on Sunday.
The 2023 season hasn’t been easy for Volpe at times, as he has slashed a disappointing .193/.268/.363 with a 75 wRC+.
That wRC+ means he has been 25 percent worse than the league-average hitter.
Of course, it was to be expected: he is young, at 22, and still has a lot of maturing to do.
He has still managed to contribute some big hits in addition to his nine homers and 13 stolen bases, though.
As long as the Yanks are patient, he will give them plenty of joyful moments.
Sunday’s was one of them.
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Aaron Judge Comments On His Current Ailment