A dropped fly ball by Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe in the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday night injected late-game drama into the team's eventual 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox. With two outs and the Yankees leading by five runs, Volpe was unable to secure a routine pop-up in short right field, allowing a run to score.
The miscue forced the Yankees to bring in closer David Bednar to record the final out, which he did with ease. The win marked the Yankees' first by more than three runs since July 9.
Despite the late error, Volpe had contributed defensively earlier in the game. In the seventh inning, with the Yankees holding a narrow 5-4 lead, he made two crucial plays, including throwing out Colson Montgomery at home on a relay from left fielder Max Schuemann to preserve the advantage.
The comical late error adds to Volpe's season statistics, giving him 56 career errors compared to 53 home runs since his major league debut in March 2023. Volpe is 25 years old. The defensive lapse comes amid speculation about a potential promotion for top prospect and fellow shortstop George Lombard Jr., who has been performing well in Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre while Volpe and Jose Caballero have experienced slumps at the major league level. Caballero, playing third base on Monday, also committed an error in the ninth inning that resulted in a run.