Anthony Volpe finally breaks out of brutal slump to provide needed Yankees spark

Anthony Volpe struck out to lead off the bottom of the second inning Saturday, extending his hitless streak to 25 at-bats. 

But when it looked like it might be another tough afternoon for the shortstop, he hit into some good luck, breaking the skid with a slow roller down the third base line an inning later for his first of three hits in the Yankees’ 9-0 win over Baltimore. 

He followed it with an opposite-field homer, just inside the right field foul pole to lead off the bottom of the fifth and then added a flare single into right-center in the sixth to help set up another run. 

Volpe’s first three-hit game in nearly a month was a welcome relief for the Yankees and came after Aaron Boone said the shortstop’s timing had been off, which led to poor swing decisions. 

“It always is a timing thing,” Volpe said, adding the most important part of his approach is to “be able to trust yourself.” 

Regardless of his approach, it’s hard not to tie the homer — one of four by the Yankees on the afternoon — to Volpe’s snapping his lengthy 0-fer two innings prior.