Many people have trouble remembering their 21st birthday. Anthony Volpe won’t have that problem.
The Somerset Patriots shortstop, who is the New York Yankees’ top-ranked prospect, celebrated his big day Thursday with a big day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, leading his club to a 15-3 win over the Portland Sea Dogs at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J.
Want to bet on MLB?
See the best NJ Sports Betting sites
Volpe drove in his first run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth inning, followed by a bases clearing triple in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was Volpe’s second straight multi-hit game and the four RBI tied his season high. Per MLB.com:
“It was a really good birthday,” said Volpe. “The competitive nature of the game is what makes it so much fun for me and why we’re out here working so hard, because we want to win. ... There’s a lot of guys that grinded out a lot of at-bats today, especially at the bottom third of the lineup. It’s awesome to see those guys do that kind of stuff and it gives us a lot of confidence.”
MORE MLB:
- Ex-Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is struggling to stay in Twins lineup
- MLB rumors: Ex-Mets ace is set for next step in comeback with Orioles
- Injured ex-Yankees prospect struggles in rehab start
Volpe was particularly proud of his opposite-field triple.
“I’m glad I didn’t miss that one,” said Volpe. “It’s awesome to come up in those situations and get good pitches to hit. ... I felt great. Just putting good swings on good pitches. I felt that way at the end of last week, just taking good pitches and really seeing it so [I have] a lot of confidence going forward.”
Despite Thursday’s success, Volpe is hitting just .200 in 16 games this season with the Patriots. But In his last seven games, Volpe has seven base hits, six RBI, eight walks and five stolen bases.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
Ad Choices