New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe might be scuffling at the plate, but those struggles clearly aren’t affecting him in the field.
Volpe has been one of several defensive standouts for the Yankees, who continue their four-game series against the host Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
After winning the series opener 6-3, the Yankees held the Rays to three hits in a 1-0 victory on Friday. New York has won five straight games and seven of its last nine.
Volpe has three hits in his last 34 at-bats after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Friday, but his two stellar defensive plays played a key role in the narrow victory.
“That’s who he is,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s just such a good player. It’s just so valuable to have someone like that at a premier position out there. To have him play the way he does, it’s big. And obviously in a 1-0 game, it’s enormous.”
Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 5.94 ERA) will take the mound for the Yankees on Saturday. He allowed one run on a solo homer over five innings in a 4-1 win over the Kansas City Royals last Monday.
After posting a 7.71 ERA across his first three starts this season, the 38-year-old Carrasco was impressive against the Royals, retiring the final seven hitters he faced in order.
“I think he was great at not giving in to an aggressive lineup,” New York catcher Austin Wells said. “He made pitches and they got themselves out, which is great.”
Brandon Lowe is 4-for-10 (.400) with two homers against Carrasco, who is 4-7 with a 3.56 ERA in 14 career games (12 starts) versus Tampa Bay.
The Rays will counter with right-hander Shane Baz (2-0, 1.42), who allowed one run on two hits with no walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts in a 16-1 win over the Boston Red Sox last Monday.
Baz has been dominant in his first three starts this season, giving up a total of three runs with a 27-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 19 innings.
Aaron Judge is 2-for-6 (.333) with a home run against Baz, who owns a 3.00 ERA in four career starts covering 15 innings versus the Yankees.
Tampa Bay has lost four straight and is hoping for a spark from outfielder Chandler Simpson, who was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Friday. Simpson was promoted to replace Richie Palacios, who landed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain.
The 24-year-old Simpson will be making his major-league debut after stealing 104 bases in the minors last season.
“I think, in theory, that he adds an element to any lineup with how fast he is, his contact ability,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I think he’s going to get an opportunity here, a little bit of a runway. We’ll see. I don’t know if it’ll be a short stint, long stint.”
Simpson fills a valuable need in Tampa Bay’s depleted outfield with both Josh Lowe (right oblique strain) and Jonny DeLuca (right shoulder strain) on the injured list. Palacios’ return to the IL after one game necessitated Simpson’s call.
“We’re in a spot where it’s like, look, we felt he was the best option, and we’ll just see where it takes us,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. “We just know there’s opportunity, and we’ll let the feedback from that opportunity decide where it goes from here.”
-Field Level Media
