Calhoun, Volpe help Yankees rally past Guardians to halt skid

Associated PressMay 2, 2023, 11:29 PM EDT
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
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NEW YORK – Willie Calhoun snapped a seventh-inning tie with his first home run for the New York Yankees, who beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 on to stop a four-game slide.

Gerrit Cole settled down after a rocky start and rookie Anthony Volpe homered in the sixth to begin New York’s comeback from a two-run deficit.

Gleyber Torres followed with a double that chased impressive rookie Tanner Bibee. Anthony Rizzo‘s single off James Karinchak tied it.

Before the sixth, New York had gone 50 innings without multiple extra-base hits.

With one out in the seventh, Calhoun lined an 0-2 curveball from Karinchak (0-4) to right field for his first major league home run since April 11 last year with Texas.

Volpe singled in the eighth and stole two bases before scoring on a two-out RBI single by DJ LeMahieu that made him 9 for 21 with runners in scoring position.

Calhoun started at designated hitter in place of Giancarlo Stanton, one of several regulars missing from an injury-depleted Yankees team that began the day last in the AL East. New York had dropped seven of nine, totaling only 10 runs during those seven defeats.

Center fielder Harrison Bader came off the injured list before the game and went 1 for 4 with a diving catch in his season debut.

Volpe also made a good play at shortstop in the top of the eighth on a bounced throw to second by Wandy Peralta.

Peralta (2-0) got two outs and Michael King worked 1 2/3 hitless innings for his second save, striking out three.

Cole struck out eight in six innings and remained unbeaten in seven starts this season with a 1.35 ERA. He pitched out of trouble in the first and second before allowing a run-scoring double to Josh Naylor and an RBI groundout to Andrés Giménez in the third.

The right-hander needed 69 pitches to get through the first three innings but threw only 39 over the next three.

Bibee took a two-hit shutout into the sixth and hasn’t walked a batter in either of his first two big league stars. He struck out five and was charged with two runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Guardians: LHP Sam Hentges has been unable to make his rehab appearance with Triple-A Columbus because of consecutive rainouts Sunday and Tuesday. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said the club will try again Wednesday and if it doesn’t work out, Hentges will throw a simulated inning before coming off the injured list. The reliever has been sidelined since spring training with shoulder inflammation.

Yankees: OF Aaron Judge planned to take batting practice indoors for the second consecutive day. Judge went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to April 28, because of a strained right hip. … RHP Lou Trivino (elbow strain) is scheduled for season-ending Tommy John surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles. … Reserve catcher Ben Rortvedt (left shoulder aneurysm surgery) had his rehab assignment transferred from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. … RHP Jonathan Loáisiga had arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur and loose bodies from his pitching elbow. He likely will be sidelined until August.

UP NEXT

Guardians ace Shane Bieber (2-1, 3.11 ERA) faces struggling right-hander Clarke Schmidt (0-3, 6.84) in the series finale Wednesday night.

Orioles sign OF Aaron Hicks, put Cedric Mullins on 10-day IL with groin strain

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 11:07 AM EDT
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
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BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”