Volpe is in a major slump, worse than he's experienced in his short career so far. Entering Thursday's series opener, Volpe is 1-for-37 with 14 strikeouts in his last 11 games. In the Yankees' 11-2 pounding of the Nationals on Wednesday, Volpe went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and was the only starter to not get a hit. The Yankees tried to give Volpe a breather and reset with two games off earlier in the week,
Giancarlo Stanton delivered another clutch hit on Wednesday night, blasting a pinch-hit two-run homer in the 10th inning to propel the New York Yankees to a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays after David Bednar's third blown save of the season. The win stretched New York's streak to five games and gave them added separation in the American League wild-card standings.