Yankees 3-4 Diamondbacks: Volpe sizzles while Bombers fizzle, Rodon fails early

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New York Yankees 3-4 Arizona Diamondbacks

NEW YORK — On a chilly Wednesday night in the Bronx, a late-inning surge by the New York Yankees was nearly enough to erase a four-run deficit, but the rally came up just shy as the Arizona Diamondbacks held on for a 4-3 victory. With the loss, the Yankees fell to 3-2 on the young 2025 season, while Arizona evened their record at 3-3.

The New York Yankees came into this midweek clash riding a wave of early-season offensive fireworks, having piled up 41 runs across their first four games. But on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, their bats were muzzled for eight innings by Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen — until a ninth-inning spark almost rewrote the script.

Ultimately, it wasn’t enough.

Despite a valiant ninth-inning home run by Anthony Volpe, who launched a three-run blast off D-backs reliever A.J. Puk to breathe life into Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers were ultimately undone by a sluggish offensive start and early pitching woes from Carlos Rodon.

Gallen Dominates Early as Rodon Stumbles

Arizona ace Zac Gallen was surgical through 6 2/3 innings, silencing a Yankees offense that had exploded for 41 runs in its first four games. Gallen allowed just three hits while striking out 13, including seven of the final nine batters he faced.

“His command was on another level tonight,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “We’ve seen what Gallen can do when he’s on. He was just executing everything.”

The Diamondbacks wasted no time pouncing on Rodon. Three batters into the game, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. smashed a two-run homer deep into the second deck in left field, following a leadoff walk by Ketel Marte, who just inked a six-year, $116 million contract extension.

Rodon’s early struggles continued in the second inning, issuing a walk to Eugenio Suarez and surrendering a single to Gabriel Moreno after falling behind 2-0. A sacrifice fly by Geraldo Perdomo and an RBI single from Marte made it 4-0 before Rodón could find his rhythm.

Rodon settles in, but damage done

To his credit, Rodon bounced back after a rocky start. After Marte lined a comebacker off his right arm in the fifth, the lefty shook it off and went on to retire 10 straight batters to close his night. He ended with six innings pitched, four earned runs, and three walks — a gritty outing that showed resilience, albeit too late to prevent the early deficit.

“I felt like I settled down,” Rodon said postgame. “Obviously, the first couple innings didn’t go how I wanted, but it’s a long season. I’ll take the good from how I finished and build on it.”

Volpe sparks a ninth-inning rally

The Yankees’ bats were dormant for most of the game, unable to string together hits against Gallen or capitalize on limited scoring chances. That changed in the ninth, when Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge each singled off Puk, setting the stage for Volpe.

With one out, Volpe turned on a pitch and sent it soaring into the left-field seats — a dramatic three-run shot that brought the Yankees within one.

“I was just trying to keep the line moving,” Volpe said. “Obviously wish it came in a winning effort, but we showed fight. We’re not going to go quietly.”

But the comeback ended there. After Austin Wells popped out and Jasson Domínguez struck out swinging, the Diamondbacks sealed the win and handed the Yankees their second consecutive loss.

A tale of two aces

Wednesday’s matchup was a contrast between two left-handers with vastly different results. While Rodón eventually found his groove, Gallen looked every bit like the Cy Young contender he’s been projected to be. After a rocky Opening Day outing against the Rockies, the D-backs right-hander bounced back with command and control that kept the Yankees guessing all night.

Gallen’s 13 strikeouts marked a new early-season high and underscored why Arizona remains a dangerous team in the NL West. For a Diamondbacks team looking to return to postseason contention after a strong 2023 and a middling 2024 campaign, performances like this are essential.

Yankees still searching for offensive consistency

After a dominant offensive start to the season, the Yankees’ bats have gone quiet the past two nights, totaling just five runs combined in losses to the Diamondbacks. Aaron Judge, who had been tearing through Milwaukee’s pitching staff to start the year, struck out five times across the last two games before his single in the ninth.

The Yankees will need more consistent production throughout the lineup — especially from younger hitters like Domínguez and Ben Rice — if they hope to avoid the cold streaks that plagued them in previous seasons.

Yoendrys Gomez a bright spot in relief

One silver lining was the three shutout innings provided by Yoendrys Gómez, who kept the game close and preserved the bullpen for Thursday’s series finale. With long relief now an important part of any contending team’s strategy, Gomez’s outing could prove crucial as the Yankees navigate a heavy early-season schedule.

The Yankees roster

Source: ESPN

Looking ahead

The Yankees (3-2) will look to bounce back in the series finale Thursday, hoping to avoid a rare sweep at home. All eyes will be on whether the offense can rediscover the rhythm it showed against Milwaukee — and whether the bullpen depth continues to hold firm.

For the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-1), the victory was another reminder of their talent and balance. With a deep rotation headlined by Gallen, timely hitting, and a dynamic young core, they remain one of the most dangerous teams in the NL.

As for Anthony Volpe, his late-game blast may have come in a loss, but it was a loud statement nonetheless — a sign that the Yankees’ shortstop is ready to seize the spotlight in 2025.

The Yankees are expected to have a better show Thursday afternoon when they send Marcus Stroman to the mound against Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

For a Yankees team with October ambitions, series like this offer early tests of mettle — and while Wednesday’s loss stung, the ninth-inning fight, led by Anthony Volpe, showed that this team isn’t short on grit.

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