The piercing pain of a 2-0 shutout loss to the Baltimore Orioles lingers on for the New York Yankees. However, one person felt it more acutely than others. The Yankees’ young shortstop Anthony Volpe. On one hand, the entire team struggled to find its offensive rhythm. On the other, it was Volpe’s misplay in the ninth inning that changed the course of the game.

The offensive woes of the Yankees go beyond Volpe’s move. Although they out-hit the Orioles 7-4 and constantly put baserunners on board, they couldn’t deliver the crucial hit. Certain opportunities were missed in crucial moments. As the recently turned 23-year-old mentioned in a post-game interview, “Had a lot of opportunities”. 

Anthony Volpe acknowledges his error

So what were these missed opportunities? First off, a flyball to right by catcher Austin Wells initially thought to be a potential RBI single, turned out to be Giancarlo Stanton getting thrown out at second base on Baltimore’s Anthony Santander’s heads-up move. This was not it. Earlier, Aaron Judge was struck out on a change-up with runners on the corners and one out, letting go of another scoring chance. The 0-for-8 night with runners in scoring position tells a painful story.

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Apart from addressing the lost opportunities, he spoke about his own performance in the ninth. Upon being asked, “What happened on that ball in the ninth?“ he shared how he’d like to be more decisive. His words were, “Yeah, just in between. Kind of everything. One hop, whether to go to second of first, so definitely gotta be more decisive.”

With the game scoreless in the ninth, the tension was rising. Just then, a ground ball that Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman hit found its way to Volpe. A routine play, on most nights, turned into a nightmare. Volpe held back, not sure of whether to go to first or second base. But eventually, he mishandled the ball and allowed the runner on second to score the game-winning run. 

How will the Orioles vs Yankees game look in the next few days?

On one hand, Volpe’s error would be scrutinized on the other, it’s important to remember that Volpe is a young player still developing. The season of 2024 marks his first full year as a starter, and the pressure of playing in a pennant race for a team like the Yankees is far higher than one can imagine. Nevertheless, this setback can be a valuable learning experience. The NYY, despite the loss, remains a team with championship aspirations. Their pitching staff is strong, and their offense, though inconsistent in this game, consists of immense power. 

That said, manager Aaron Boone will undoubtedly be emphasizing a more aggressive approach at the plate going forward. This series opener displays how intense the race for leading the American League East is. The young and hungry Orioles, led by phenoms like Gunnar Henderson, are intimidating as they proved on Monday. The next three games could be a battleground, with both teams showcasing their best in pursuit of divisional dominance. But in the thick of it all, how will Anthony Volpe perform?