ST. LOUIS — Jose Caballero proved exactly why the New York Yankees targeted him before the trade deadline, sparking a dramatic four-run ninth inning that lifted the Bronx Bombers to an 8-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Busch Stadium.
The speedy utility player’s aggressive baserunning forced Cardinals second baseman Thomas Saggese into a crucial error that opened the floodgates for New York’s comeback victory, completing a three-game sweep of St. Louis.
Caballero’s speed creates chaos in ninth inning
With the score knotted at 4-4 entering the ninth, Jose Caballero led off against Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero with a high chopper to second base. His reputation for speed put immediate pressure on Saggese, who rushed his throw and sailed it wide of first base.
“At this point I’m just trying to to help the team,” he said. “I might have something in my back pocket, but you’re gonna see it later on and I’m just trying to help the team as much as I can right now.”
The former Tampa Bay Ray advanced to second on the error, then moved to third on a wild pitch. Three batters later, Cody Bellinger’s grounder to second resulted in Saggese’s second error of the inning, allowing Caballero and pinch-runner Anthony Volpe to score.
Manager Aaron Boone praised his team’s approach in the decisive frame.
“The value of putting the ball in play there at the end, and taking advantage of the mistake,” Boone said. “Good way to finish up into an off-day.”
Yankees complete first Cardinals sweep at Busch Stadium
The victory marked the Yankees’ first regular-season sweep of the Cardinals at Busch Stadium in franchise history. New York (67-57) has now won five of their last six games and six of their last eight, building momentum as they chase a playoff spot.
The Yankees currently lead Cleveland by 3½ games for the final American League wild-card spot and sit just a half-game behind both Boston and Seattle, who are tied for the first wild-card position.
Paul Goldschmidt, facing his former team for the first time since joining New York, went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. The veteran first baseman received a standing ovation from Cardinals fans before his first at-bat and acknowledged the crowd by tipping his cap.
“I told him, ‘I hated playing against you,’ because it was hard,” Goldschmidt said of Caballero on YES Network. “He plays such good defense. He has such good at-bats. He steals bags. [He] put the pressure on the defense right there and forced them to probably be a little quick and make a mistake.”
Caballero’s weekend surge continues strong series
The 27-year-old Caballero started at shortstop Sunday, giving Anthony Volpe a rare day off. He finished the series 5-for-11 with four stolen bases and four runs scored, showcasing the versatility and aggression the Yankees sought when they acquired him.
His RBI single through the right side of the infield in the fourth helped stake New York to an early 3-0 lead. The Yankees built that advantage on four consecutive hits, including Goldschmidt’s double and singles by Jasson Domínguez and Ryan McMahon.
Will Warren, who had previously referred to Caballero as “a pest” when facing him as an opponent, pitched 4⅔ innings for New York. He allowed three runs, only one earned, and struck out three.
“It makes me feel really good because that’s what I’m trying to do,” he replied to the nickname. “I’m trying to make them hate me. I don’t want them to like me. I’m just trying to mess with them.”
Cardinals rally falls short despite Pozo homer
St. Louis fought back from the early deficit, scoring two unearned runs in the fourth on Saggese’s two-out double. Alec Burleson tied the game 3-3 with an RBI single in the fifth.
The Cardinals briefly took a 4-3 lead in the sixth when Yohel Pozo crushed a 405-foot home run to left-center off reliever Camilo Doval. However, New York answered in the seventh on Bellinger’s sacrifice fly to set up the dramatic ninth-inning rally.
Luke Weaver (3-3) earned the victory by pitching the final 1⅓ innings without allowing a hit. Romero (4-5) took the loss after surrendering four runs in the ninth.
Yankees gain ground in playoff race
The sweep proved especially valuable as several American League competitors suffered losses Sunday. The Blue Jays and Red Sox both fell, allowing New York to gain ground in both the division and wild-card races.
The Yankees now trail Toronto by 5½ games in the AL East and sit just a half-game behind Boston. More importantly, they’ve opened up breathing room over Cleveland for the final playoff spot.
“We’ve been saying it all year: When we play like we’re supposed to play, these are the results you’re going to get,” Warren said. “We’ve been staying with the process. We haven’t strayed from anything we’ve done.”
Yankees hopeful to exploit the crucial stretch
With Monday off, the Yankees will travel to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa for a two-game series against the Rays. The unusual venue serves as Tampa Bay’s temporary home after Hurricane Milton damaged Tropicana Field.
Goldschmidt acknowledged the importance of the coming weeks in determining New York’s playoff fate.
“These last five or six weeks will tell,” Goldschmidt said. “Obviously this was a good week for us to win five out of six games, but there’s a lot of tough opponents coming up. We’ll try to play well and keep going. We definitely have a chance.”
The Yankees’ back-to-back series victories against Minnesota and St. Louis have come against struggling opponents, but Boone emphasized the team isn’t taking anything for granted.
“We’re not a finished product yet,” Boone said. “We know we’re capable of a lot, but we’ve got a ways to go.”
For now, Caballero’s impact provides reason for optimism as the Yankees attempt to build on their recent success and secure a return to October baseball.
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