Just when it looked like the New York Yankees were back on track after snapping a six-game losing skid with a 7-3 victory on Thursday over the Los Angeles Angels, they followed that up by stumbling right out of the gate of their series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.
The Yankees faltered anew in the Orioles game, as they suffered a 5-3 defeat, which was probably extra disappointing for shortstop Anthony Volpe, who saw his hitless streak continue to 22 at-bats.
Volpe went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts versus the Orioles. He was also 0-for-3 with at least a runner in scoring position, further intensifying the heat of the spotlight on him amid his struggles at the plate.
Meanwhile, reigning American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge went 3-for-4 with a run scored off a solo blast in the third inning. Even an incredibly talented hitter like Judge knows what it’s like to be in a slump, and he used that experience to show his support for Volpe, who’s batting just .194/.242/.339 in June.
"Keep going, you've been there before,” Judge said when asked for advice for Volpe following the loss to Baltimore.
“I think he knows what he needs to work on, and he's a guy that will definitely outwork anybody in this room. And I got a lot of confidence in him, just like everybody else in this room. So just go out there, keep doing your thing. That's the biggest thing. Don't feel bad for yourself because nobody else, especially the Orioles, feels bad for you. So just keep going out there and doing your thing.”
Despite Volpe’s tough stretch, he can feel optimistic about his chances to end his slump this Saturday, with the Orioles scheduled to have Zach Eflin on the mound. Volpe is a career .333 hitter against Eflin, going 6-for-18 with a double and four RBIs.
As for the Yankees, they are still atop the American League East table with a 43-32 record, 1.5 games better than their rivals in the division.
