Anthony Volpe emerges Yankees’ villain in Cleveland defeat

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Anthony Volpe faces unexpected backlash over his costly performances with bat and glove in the Yankees’ Cleveland defeat.

CLEVELAND — The New York Yankees found themselves reeling after a tough 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Tuesday night, a defeat that has left shortstop Anthony Volpe under a harsh spotlight. The Yankees, now 14-10 on the season, have seen their American League East lead shrink to just half a game over the Boston Red Sox, and for the first time in 2025, they are staring down the barrel of a potential series sweep.

What began as a promising night turned into a tale of frustration, errors, and missed opportunities. Rookie pitcher Will Warren delivered a strong start, only to have his efforts undone in a chaotic sixth inning. Warren exited with a 2-0 lead, having struck out five over five innings, but things unraveled quickly after his departure.

Reliever Mark Leiter Jr., who had been reliable in recent appearances, couldn’t hold the line. He gave up an earned run in just two-thirds of an inning, with two more charged to Warren as inherited runners scored. The Guardians, capitalizing on a flurry of defensive miscues and soft contact, turned a deficit into a lead they never relinquished.

At the center of the collapse was Anthony Volpe.

Volpe’s costly defensive lapses

In the bottom of the sixth, with runners on the corners and two outs, Volpe failed to make a clean play on a slow liner hit by Angel Martinez. Positioned behind second base, Volpe tried to smother the ball, but it squirted away, allowing Kyle Manzardo to score the go-ahead run. The play was first ruled a hit, later overturned to an error — a moment emblematic of Volpe’s night and the Yankees’ frustration.

“I feel like I’ve got to make that play,” Volpe said postgame. “Those are the types of situations where you want the ball hit to you, and I didn’t come through.”

Manager Aaron Boone, defending his shortstop, called it “almost an impossible play,” noting the spin and awkward bounce of the ball. Still, for fans, the error was a breaking point.

Yankees fans turn on Volpe

Social media erupted with criticism.

“Volpe was useless. Avoid the sweep tomorrow,” one fan vented.

“Volpe is becoming a problem,” added another.

Some even jokingly suggested, “Anyway we can have Volpe bat 10th or 11th?”

While Boone and teammates backed Volpe, the frustration was evident. This wasn’t just a one-off night. Volpe, now in his third MLB season, has struggled at the plate, batting through a 3-for-36 slump, with high strikeout rates and ongoing issues against fastballs.

Missed redemption at the plate

Volpe had a chance to flip the script in the eighth inning. With the Yankees trailing by one, runners on first and second, and two outs, he stepped up against Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis. After swinging through a fastball, Volpe chased a slider well out of the zone for strike three, ending the threat.

“He has good stuff,” Volpe admitted. “He executed against me. I feel like I stuck to my approach besides the last pitch.”

That at-bat, perhaps more than any defensive miscue, symbolized the Yankees’ night — close, but not enough.

Judge’s heroics wasted

Aaron Judge did everything he could to will the Yankees to victory. The slugger went 4-for-4, raising his average to .411, and scored a run on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. sacrifice fly. Ben Rice added a leadoff homer in the first inning, giving New York an early lead. But outside of those contributions, the Yankees’ offense was lifeless. The final 16 batters recorded just one hit.

The ninth inning offered little hope. Jasson Domínguez, Austin Wells, and Oswaldo Cabrera went down quickly, seeing only four pitches from closer Cade Smith, sealing the Yankees’ fate.

Boone: ‘It happens’

Despite the disappointment, Boone kept his perspective.

“It happens,” he said. “It’s baseball. That’s why we do this all the time.”

Still, the implications of the loss were clear. The Yankees are now one game away from being swept in Cleveland for the first time in franchise history in a three-game series. The last sweep by the Guardians (then Indians) came in 2017 during a two-game set.

What’s next for Yankees: Can they stop Cleveland from making history?

With the Cleveland loss, the Yankees have dropped two straight and risk losing momentum heading into a key weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays. They need a win in the series finale to avoid a sweep and reclaim their standing in the division.

Volpe, meanwhile, will be under intense scrutiny. His defensive skills, often praised, must become consistent. His bat, which showed flashes in prior seasons, needs to find rhythm. One poor night won’t define his season, but it has made the road ahead more challenging.

As reliever Mark Leiter Jr. put it: “Sometimes it goes your way. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

For Volpe and the Yankees, Wednesday offers a chance to reset, respond, and remind fans why expectations were so high to begin with.

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