The Yankees looked in control in Baltimore in Game 2. Paul Goldschmidt jumped on the very first pitch for a leadoff homer, Trent Grisham later smashed a three-run shot, and Will Warren had the Orioles quiet while New York built a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Then one routine play changed everything.

Max Schuemann, filling in at shortstop, let a ground ball turn messy and then rushed the follow-up throw. The ball got away from Jazz Chisolm Jr. over his head, Baltimore kept the inning alive, and the Orioles made New York pay right away with a Samuel Basallo RBI single and a Tyler O’Neill double that brought in another run.

The final score was still 6-2. But that one sequence was enough to bring back a very familiar Yankees fear: Anthony Volpe's last season's error at that very position, which changed the outcome of so many games in tight positions.

Schuemann was in the lineup because José Caballero was hurt. Caballero was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right middle finger, and the Yankees recalled Anthony Volpe from Triple-A the same day.

Before that injury, Caballero led all Major League shortstops with +9 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and maintained a productive. 259/.320/.400 slash line. And the Yankees had already shown how much they trusted him by sending Volpe to Triple-A after his rehab assignment ended.

Schuemann's fumbled throw in the sixth was the first error by a Yankees shortstop since April 13.

Fans Are Not Happy With this Error

"The Bronx would burn if Volpe did this," one fan said.

The reaction stems from the immense pressure placed on Anthony Volpe since his debut. Last season, Volpe led all MLB shortstops with 16 errors. It led to significant fan fury and may have contributed to his eventual demotion to the minors this season.

One fan even said, "On second thought, maybe Volpe won’t be that bad."

This fan might be looking back at Volpe's 2023 rookie season, where he won the AL Gold Glove at shortstop. Although his 2025 campaign was a defensive disaster, it was later revealed that he played through a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder.

That's why one fan said, "Volpe already here in spirit " while another fan added, "Can we stop crying about Volpe now?"

Volpe was officially recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre just hours before this game to replace the injured Caballero. While he didn't start the game, he arrived at Camden Yards shortly before first pitch.

At the end, one fan said, "With Volpe coming back, Schuemann might be distracted w/ thoughts about his job security. This play isn't going to help make the case to keep him around."

The Yankees acquired Schuemann from the Athletics in February in exchange for RHP Luis Burgos. He called up on April 28 after Giancarlo Stanton's injury. Since then, he played at second base, third base, and all three outfield positions while batting.273 with an .840 OPS.

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Written by

Md Saife Fida

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi