Left-handerRyan Yarbrough‘s impressive May as a starting pitcher in the Yankees’ injury-bitten rotation featured his best outing yet Monday at the Los Angeles Angels. He shoved for a season-high six innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out seven and walking two in New York’s 5-1 win to open a series with the Angels.
Takeaways
- The Yankees made a late offseason move by signing Yarbrough to a reported one-year contract worth $2 million and an additional $500,000 in incentives, and the move is aging well. Yarbrough, 33, is 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 35.1 IP over 12 games (four starts). He entered the rotation in May and has been more than what New York could have hoped for, following his season-high eight strikeouts in last Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers with Monday’s gem. Yarbrough allowed a leadoff home run against Zach Neto on a 2-2 changeup at 78 mph in the bottom of the first inning, giving the Angels a 1-0 lead, but shoved from there. In a season where the Yankees are without ace Gerrit Cole for the year and started with 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil on the 60-day injured list, production such as this one from Yarbrough is invaluable.
- Anthony Volpe‘s bases-clearing double over center fielder Chris Taylor‘s head in the fourth inning gave the Yankees the lead at 4-1 and Yarbrough and New York’s bullpen enough room to work with. Volpe, who picked up Jasson Domínguez‘s strikeout swinging in the previous at-bat, now has five RBI in his past three games after he scratched two across during this past Saturday’s 13-1 win at the Colorado Rockies. Through 52 games, Volpe is slashing .244/.323/.440 with six home runs and 31 RBI.
- Cody Bellinger bounced back from an 0-for-4 game in Sunday’s 5-4 win at the Rockies and was the only Yankee with two hits Monday. Bellinger’s four-pitch walk with the bases loaded and none out in the fourth inning set the table for Volpe’s game-changing knock. On the season, Bellinger has a .268/.337/.475 slash line with eight home runs and 32 RBI through 48 games.
- The Yankees (33-20) are winners in seven of their past eight games. They have three straight victories and lead the American League East Division by 5.5 games.
Who’s the MVP?
Yarbrough, who needed little run support and passed the baton to the bullpen’s 7-8-9 shutdown.
Highlights
Cody Bellinger works a bases-loaded, four-pitch walk! pic.twitter.com/HMkp4D6mGi
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 27, 2025
ANTHONY VOLPE CLEARS THE BASES!
(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/HmiseQhvdP
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 27, 2025
A sacrifice fly for Austin Wells! pic.twitter.com/oSD9LZvc0C
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 27, 2025
What’s next
The Yankees and Angels (25-28) continue their three-game set at Angel Park in Anaheim, Calif., with Tuesday’s 9:38 p.m. start. New York is set to go for the series win with left-hander Carlos Rodón (6-3, 2.88 ERA) on the mound while Los Angeles starts fellow southpaw Tyler Anderson (2-1, 3.60 ERA).
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