The Yankees’ Game 2 victory against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday was largely due to their young players. While Jhony Brito didn’t allow the Orioles to score more than once in his second career start, Anthony Volpe’s triple, his first career extra-base hit, led a Yankees rally that transformed into a great victory.
The foundation of the Yankees’ 4-1 win was built on a strong edifice by the fifth innings. By then, the Yankees had three runs, which was enough to seize a lead they wouldn’t lose, thanks to a triple by Anthony Volpe and five brave innings from Jhony Brito.
When their No. 9 hitter set the tone, the Yankees capitalize on his energy and clinical execution. DJ LeMahieu followed suit with an RBI double down the left-field line. Volpe stayed at third for a second to make sure left fielder Austin Hays didn’t catch it. As he arrived, Aaron Judge was waiting at home plate to dap him up. LeMahieu moved to third on a wild pitch, setting up Judge’s sacrifice fly to center field, his fifth RBI of the season.
Brito won his second career start. He didn’t allow another run after conceding one in the bottom of the first, and he only allowed three baserunners in his last four innings at Camden Yards. Those his control and strikeout stuff failed to match his first-game level and the youngest in the Yankee squad struggled to locate his fastball, the rookie pitcher relied heavily on his changeup in this start and routinely threw it for strikes while the formidable Oriole lineup faltered before him. Once Brito left, the Yankee bullpen rounded off Baltimore for the remainder of the game.
Anthony Volpe’s triple
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe had just one hit in his 16 at-bats when he came to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning on Saturday night in Baltimore. But he altered the course of Saturday night’s game with a swing. Volpe almost hit his first professional home run the opposite way. He had to settle with a leadoff triple to start a three-run inning that powered the Yankees to a 4-1 victory against the Orioles.
Per Statcast, Anthony Volpe’s triple would’ve been a HR in 8 parks: NYY, MIL, CHW, SEA, HOU, PHI, DET, CIN
The Yankees’ player of the game belt was prominently displayed in his locker at the conclusion of the night.
“It means the world,” Volpe said of the honor. “I’ve said it, but being a part of this team and being welcomed by these guys has made it 10 times better than I ever could have imagined. For them to recognize I was going through it and struggling and they’re there for me every step of the way. And then to get recognized by them makes it better than being recognized by anyone else.”
Volpe’s triple came after his hit traveled 358 feet before banging off the scoreboard in right field. The top prospect sped around the bases, diving headfirst into third base even though there was no relay throw and clapping his hands loudly.
“Not just for him, but for anyone early in the season where you’re trying to get going, a big hit can kind of settle you a little bit,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the win. “You just want to get into the normal flow of things. That’s a little harder to do when it’s early.”
Before the Yankees’ 4-1 win on Saturday, Volpe, who went 1-for-4, said he didn’t feel like he was making good adjustments at the plate. Aaron Boone, the manager of the Yankees, said that he thought Volpe’s strike zone got a little bigger when he was behind in the count.
“I was probably hard on myself,” Volpe said when evaluating his start. “Not giving myself any excuses because I feel like I am working hard and equipped to go out and perform but at the end of the day, as long as the process is good and my swing decisions, the rest will take care of itself. In the first week or so, that’s what was frustrating.”
The Yankees are willing to be patient with the rookie’s bat as long as he keeps making plays at shortstop, which he has done. A rookie who has only played in eight games may struggle at first in the major leagues, which is not uncommon. Before Saturday’s game, Boone referred to it as “overreaction week.”
Jhony Brito’s heroics
Jhony Brito made his second start in pinstripes and excelled once again. Brito’s lights-out, unhittable changeup didn’t operate as effectively as it did in his debut. He only had three whiffs on his put-away pitch. However, Brito managed to power through five innings.
In the first inning, Adley Rutschman followed with a single that ricocheted off the Yankees starter’s thigh and into the outfield. Brito seemed to have induced Rutschman to ground into a double play and gave up a sac fly before forcing two ground balls to end the inning. Brito only allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out two batters. This ranks Brito as the first Yankee to permit three or fewer hits and one run in while going five innings or more in two starts.
“You don’t always have to necessarily be at your best but he made a lot of big pitches when he needed to,” Boone said. “He was up against it a little bit in the first inning — wiggles out of it — and he did everything to put us in position to win a game.”
Brito has shown his level and that he should stay in the rotation. Brito, Domingo Germán, and Clarke Schmidt are all in the running to be the team’s fifth starter when Carlos Rodón and Luis Severino will come back. Schmidt and Brito have both had two starts, but Brito has done much better than Schmidt. Boone was asked if he thought Brito had made a strong case to stay in the rotation going forward.
“I mean, yeah, he’s in the rotation, so,” Boone said.
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