Volpe Grand Slam Sparks Yankees Return

Anthony Volpe came back from Triple-A with three hits, a grand slam, and a career-high five RBI as the Yankees beat the Rockies 10-3 and completed a three-game sweep Thursday at Yankee Stadium. New York recalled him the same day to play second base while Jazz Chisholm Jr. recovers from a strained right thumb, and Volpe answered with the loudest return night of his young career.

The Yankees (84-62) moved within three games of first-place Tampa Bay (87-59) in the AL East and opened a 4 1/2-game lead on Boston (80-67) for the AL's top wild card. For a fan base that watched Volpe get optioned after George Lombard Jr. took shortstop in early August, Thursday felt like a reset button with a curtain call attached.

Slam in a six-run seventh

Volpe singled home a run in the second, singled again in the sixth, then crushed a 1-1 sinker from Jimmy Herget into the right-field seats in the seventh for a 10-2 lead. It was his second home run of the season and his first in the majors since May 26. He also stole a base and finished 3-for-4. The grand slam was his second in regular-season play (the other came May 10, 2023 against Oakland) after he also went deep in Game 4 of the 2024 World Series.

Luis Garcia Jr. reached 30 homers for the first time with a two-run shot off Ryan Feltner (5-10). Rookie Spencer Jones tied a career high with three hits, including a two-run single ahead of Volpe's slam. Max Fried, still on a pitch count in his third start back from a left-elbow bone bruise, allowed one run on one hit with seven strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. John Schreiber (2-3) earned the win with 1 1/3 shutout frames.

Scranton bat, Bronx stage

Volpe mashed 10 homers in 28 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the option. Thursday was his third three-hit game this season and the kind of night that forces the Yankees to keep him in the mix even when Jazz returns. Colorado (55-91) dropped its 10th loss in 13 games. Feltner lasted five innings and gave up four runs.

Kyle Karros homered for Colorado. Jake McCarthy added an RBI triple. Ezequiel Tovar had two hits. None of it slowed a Yankees club that has now won eight of 11. Volpe's night was the headline because the roster move and the grand slam landed on the same scoreboard.

Yankees fans got the curtain call they wanted. Volpe got the box score. The wild-card race just got a little louder in the Bronx, and second base just got a lot more interesting while Jazz heals.