Daily Report – 5/26/26
Yankees
The competition between José Caballero and Anthony Volpe paid off yesterday as the Yankees erased a ninth-inning deficit on the road, beating the Kansas City Royals 4-3. This time, David Bednar earned his save; it was Kansas City’s closer, Lucas Erceg, who faltered.
Against the tough righty Michael Wacha, who features reverse splits, the Yankees placed Caballero at third base for Ryan McMahon. For the first time this season, Caballero played alongside Volpe on the left side of the infield, and they combined for three of the Yankees’ four RBI.
In the top of the ninth inning against Erceg, with the Yankees trailing 3-2, Paul Goldschmidt singled, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. sped into second base. Then, Volpe mashed a center-cut slider to left field for a go-ahead two-run single. He got tagged out rounding first, but both runs had already scored.
“It just felt great to contribute and help the team win,” Volpe said. “You do it for this, for the guys. I’m just trying to go out there and compete, help the team win, and have fun. It’s the same game I’ve been playing forever. We have really big goals, and it’s going to take all of us.”
With their 11th consecutive win over the Royals, the Yankees have moved within 3.5 games of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place. On a clear, sunny Memorial Day in Kansas City, Will Warren dueled with Wacha. Warren surrendered two runs over six innings, and Wacha two runs through seven.
Warren didn’t have his best secondary stuff, but he secured outs by commanding his fastball. “He kind of grinded today,” said manager Aaron Boone, who pulled Warren after 85 pitches. “It’s just a sign of how far he has come as a pitcher. Six innings, two runs allowed. The game could have gotten away from him very easily. Just a tick off mechanically.”
The Royals are tied for 19th in the Majors in home runs this season, but they muscled two yesterday, both solo shots. In the sixth inning, Salvador Perez teed off on Warren to tie the game, and in the eighth, Bobby Witt Jr. added another homer. Against Jake Bird, He pummeled a hanging curveball 432 feet down the left-field line, putting his team ahead 3-2.
The dinger was a setback for Bird, who was coming off three consecutive scoreless outings. The righty relieved Brent Headrick in the seventh inning and, with a runner at second base, got Maikel Garcia to ground out. After Witt’s eighth-inning blast, Bird walked Vinnie Pasquantino before striking out Salvador Perez. Tim Hill earned the next two outs.
Entering the ninth inning, the Yankees’ two runs came from a home run by Cody Bellinger and an RBI single by Caballero. Both runs came in the second inning, and Caballero struck a base hit despite a pitch clock violation. He stepped into the batter’s box late because he couldn’t find his helmet.
Understandably, Boone was disappointed with Caballero’s mistake, especially because the Yankees had runners at the corners. “Cabby and I have a love-hate [relationship],” Boone said. “He’ll drive you nuts sometimes, and then you want to give him a hug when he gets a base hit and drives in the run.”
From there, Kansas City silenced the Yankees’ bats until they were needed most, when Anthony Volpe struck his go-ahead ninth-inning single. “He’s a dawg, he’s a gamer,” Boone said of Volpe. “He’s a tough kid. Certainly, [fighting for his job] isn’t the way he would draw it up or maybe even doesn’t feel fair, whatever it may be. But the one thing he does is continue to work [and play] his tail off.”
According to Jomboy Media, Yankees catchers excel offensively at Kauffman Stadium. Before yesterday, since 2017, Yankees catchers in Kansas City have hit to a .371 batting average, a .410 on-base percentage, and a .742 slugging percentage with nine home runs.
Yesterday, JC Escarra had his best game of the season. He went 3-for-4, all singles, in a much-needed bounce-back effort. Between Escarra and Austin Wells, the Yankees’ catchers are currently batting .183 with a .551 OPS. They have accounted for 5% of the Yankees’ home runs, 7.5% of their hits, 6% of their runs, and 10% of their strikeouts.
Tonight, at 7:40 PM, the Yankees will try to give their catching another offensive boost as RHP Cam Schlittler (6-2, 1.50 ERA) toes the slab against the struggling lefty Bailey Falter (0-1, 9.82 ERA) (YES, Gotham Sports).
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
CF Trent Grisham (L)
RF Aaron Judge (C)
LF Cody Bellinger (L)
1B Paul Goldschmidt (R)
DH Ben Rice (L)
3B Amed Rosario (R)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
SS Anthony Volpe (R)
C Austin Wells (L)
SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (6-2, 1.50 ERA)
Schedule
7:40 PM: NYY at KC; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (6-2, 1.50 ERA) vs. LHP Bailey Falter (0-1, 9.82 ERA)
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Yankees
