Daily Report – 8/29/25
Yankees
Last night in Chicago, three more dingers propelled the Yankees past the 48-86 White Sox for a 10-4 win. Anthony Volpe broke out of his 1-for-37 jumbo slump with two hits, an RBI, and a run scored to help deliver the victory.
“It’s obviously [been] frustrating,” said Volpe, “because you want to get results and help the team, and [I wasn’t] not doing that. At the same time, I feel like I was close and in a good spot. I feel like I was taking good swings and putting together pretty good at-bats.”
The hope is that with improved offense, Volpe will simultaneously improve defensively. In baseball, there is a mental connection that exists between poor and defensive struggles. Anthony Volpe’s .207 batting average ranks worst in the American League alongside his 18 errors. But manager Aaron Boone praised the young shortstop, saying, “He has that trait [of a short memory. That’s why I talk about, wiring-wise, he’s made for it.”
Earlier today, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner published an article in which he asked Boone why Volpe never got sent down to Triple-A to help aid his struggles. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t have viewed Volpe getting sent down as an insult. In fact, I would have commended the Yankees for recognizing the situation and praised Volpe for putting in the effort. Also, it is worth noting that before the trade deadline, the Yankees’ only other option at shortstop was Oswald Peraza.
Here’s what Boone told Kirschner: “First of all, [Volpe is] a more productive offensive player than he gets credit for. We just hammer the struggles because, on some level, there were people who anointed him and expected so much. Even though he hasn’t come close to realizing what we expect and what he expects offensively – and acknowledging a few weeks this year where he’s struggled defensively – he’s still a frontline defensive player at a premium position that is offensively somewhat productive. Now, obviously, he’s had a 10-day stretch here where he’s gone from over a .700 OPS four months into the year to below.”
And then, Boone hastily added, “We want to send that guy down? [On] what planet does that guy get sent down that’s a shortstop? I don’t know that planet.”
Given how the Yankees have performed this month and how they have finally recognized the urgency of their position in the pennant race, I want to steer clear of criticizing Aaron Boone. However, you might have reread this quote, given that it makes zero sense. Not only is it grammatically confounding, but I don’t recognize the evidence Boone is referencing when justifying why Volpe didn’t get optioned to the minors.
I would rebut by claiming that many teams have sent young, struggling players to the minors before, including the Mets this year with Francisco Alvarez. In fact, the factors Boone referenced when discussing Volpe ironically suggest he should have been sent down months ago. This quote feels like a blatant lie.
Now, back to last night’s game. Will Warren struggled to locate some of his secondary pitches, and it cost him in the second inning. The Yankees were leading 4-0 after home runs from Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Warren began the second inning by forcing Edgar Quero to ground a fastball to shortstop, but Anthony Volpe mishandled it for his 18th error of the season. The mistake eventually led to four unearned runs off Warren as Brooks Baldwin walked, Chase Meidroth got hit by a pitch, and Miguel Vargas hit a grand slam.
“I hate that I give up the grand slam, and it’s back to a 0-0 game,” said Warren. “[But Aaron Judge] came over and was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to put up runs.’”
In the fifth inning, Ben Rice and Aaron Judge both singled. Judge’s hit scored the go-ahead run in Rice because Curtis Mead made an errant throw, and Miguel Vargas hit Judge’s body while reaching for it. Judge advanced to second base on the play before Cody Bellinger drove a hanging sweeper so far it looked like it would leave the yard, but Mike Tauchman knocked it down at the wall, so Bellinger was limited to a double. Jazz Chisholm Jr. then plated Judge with a sacrifice fly.
The Yankees scored again in the eighth inning as Paul Goldschmidt reached first base on an error, and Ryan McMahon doubled to put runners at second and third. Then, Anthony Volpe advanced both runners with a sacrifice fly, putting the Yankees ahead 7-4. Then, Cam Booser replaced Wikelman González on the mound, and Trent Grisham came up to the plate. He was sitting on Booser’s fastball throughout his at-bat, fouling off everything he could before getting something he could hit. He managed to turn on the sixth pitch he saw – a high fastball – and drive it over the right-field wall for a 9-4 lead. Big Sleep, as Grisham’s teammates call him, now has four home runs in his last five games.
The Yankees’ 10th run came in the ninth inning as Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled before Paul Goldschmidt plated Bellinger with the Yankees’ third sacrifice fly of the night. With five straight wins, some Yankees players seem increasingly confident in their team’s potential. “We want to win the division,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. proclaimed. “We don’t just want to get to a Wild Card spot. […] And then we’re going to go and win the World Series.”
Cody Bellinger seconded his teammate’s sentiment, saying, “Nothing’s impossible. We have faith in everyone in here.” And Aaron Boone added his trademark, “I still feel like our best baseball is in front of us.”
But it’s true. Everything is all right in front of the Yankees. They rank four games behind Toronto for the division lead and 0.5 games behind Boston for second place, and they still get to play three more games against each team.
Tonight, at 7:40 PM (6:40 PM CDT), the Yankees will try to extend their win streak as LHP Carlos Rodón (14-7, 3.24) toes the slab against former Yankees reliever RHP Yoendrys Gómez (3-1, 4.73 ERA) (YES).
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees, featuring Giancarlo Stanton in right field for the second straight night:
CF Trent Grisham (L)
DH Aaron Judge (C) (R)
LF Cody Bellinger (L)
1B Ben Rice (L)
RF Giancarlo Stanton (R)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
3B Ryan McMahon (L)
SS Anthony Volpe (R)
C Austin Wells (L)
SP: LHP Carlos Rodón (14-7, 3.24)
Tomorrow, at 7:10 PM (6:10 PM CDT), RHP Cam Schlittler (2-2, 2.76 ERA) will start against RHP Shane Smith (4-7, 3.87 ERA) (YES).
Finally, on Sunday at 2:10 PM (1:10 PM CDT), the Yankees will send RHP Luis Gil (2-1, 3.75 ERA) to the rock against LHP Martín Pérez (1-3, 2.02 ERA) (YES).
The Yankees will have Monday off before playing three games in Houston, three against Toronto, and three against Detroit.
Schedule
As per the annual AGM Sports tradition, here is the schedule for this Labor Day weekend, including college football kickoff games:
Tonight 8/29:
6:00 PM (5:00 PM CDT): 2025 US Open, Third Round; ESPN2
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): Primetime at the US Open, 2025 Third Round; ESPN2
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Western Michigan at Michigan State; FS1
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Auburn at Baylor; FOX
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Georgia Tech at Colorado; ESPN
7:40 PM (6:40 PM CDT): NYY at CWS; YES; SP: LHP Carlos Rodón (14-7, 3.24 ERA)
10:30 PM (9:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Central Michigan at San Jose State; FS1
Saturday 8/30:
11:00 AM (10:00 AM CDT): 2025 US Open, Third Round; ESPN2
12:00 PM (11:00 AM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Texas at Ohio State; FOX
12:00 PM (11:00 AM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff, Aflac Kickoff Game – Syracuse vs. Tennessee; ABC
12:00 PM (11:00 AM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Mississippi State at Southern Mississippi; ESPN
3:30 PM (2:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Marshall at Georgia; ESPN
3:30 PM (2:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Alabama at Florida State; ABC
3:30 PM (2:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – South Dakota at Iowa State; FOX
3:30 PM (2:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Nevada at Penn State; CBS
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): Primetime at the US Open, 2025 Third Round; ESPN2
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Texas-San Antonio at Texas A&M; ESPN
7:10 PM (6:10 PM CDT): NYY at CWS; YES; SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (2-2, 2.76 ERA)
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – LSU at Clemson; ABC
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – New Mexico at Michigan; NBC
9:30 PM (8:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Georgia Southern at Fresno State; FS1
10:00 PM (9:00 PM CDT): NYL at PHX; WWOR (MY9)
10:30 PM (9:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Hawaii at Arizona; TNT
10:30 PM (9:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – California at Oregon State; ESPN
11:00 PM (10:00 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Utah at UCLA; FOX
Sunday 8/31:
11:00 AM (10:00 AM CDT): 2025 US Open, Round of 16; ESPN
2:10 PM (1:10 PM CDT): NYY at CWS; YES; SP: RHP Luis Gil (2-1, 3.75 ERA)
3:00 PM (2:00 PM CDT): 2025 US Open, Round of 16; ABC
3:00 PM (2:00 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina; ESPN
6:00 PM (5:00 PM CDT): 2025 US Open, Round of 16; ESPN2
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): Primetime at the US Open, 2025 Round of 16; ESPN2
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – Notre Dame at Miami; ABC
Monday 9/1 (Labor Day):
11:00 AM (10:00 AM CDT): 2025 US Open, Round of 16; ESPN
6:00 PM (5:00 PM CDT): Primetime at the US Open, 2025 Round of 16; ESPN2
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CDT): 2025 College Football Kickoff – TCU at North Carolina; ESPN
