Anthony Volpe wins over Yankees fans with grand slam and 5 RBIs in rousing return to majors

NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Volpe's first night back in the majors was one to remember.

Suddenly a fan favorite in New York again, Volpe smacked a grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs during his rousing return from Triple-A as the Yankees beat the Colorado Rockies 10-3 on Thursday.

The much-maligned Volpe is getting another chance with the Yankees — this time at a new position — and he's off to a terrific start. With the Bronx crowd chanting his name on several occasions, Volpe had three hits and a stolen base in his first big league game since Aug. 1.

“I wanted to be back up here. I wanted to contribute," Volpe said. "But when you’re down there, there’s obviously no guarantees. So you work really hard for yourself and for the player that you feel like can help the organization. But other than that, there’s nothing guaranteed. You can’t control it. So, I never thought I was going to be back here in this moment, but I want to be ready and prepared in case something happens.”

Something did happen.

Volpe was recalled from the minors Thursday when second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. went on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Wednesday, with a sprained right thumb.

“Unexpected whirlwind, but it feels good to be back," Volpe said.

The 25-year-old Volpe, who lost his shortstop job in New York to 21-year-old rookie George Lombard Jr. last month, made his first big league start at second base and looked rejuvenated.

Batting ninth, he received an enthusiastic ovation from the Yankee Stadium crowd of 40,706 his first time up and laced an RBI single in the second inning before stealing third base. Volpe reached on a hard-hit infield single in the sixth and lined his second big league homer this season over the short porch in right field to make it 10-2 in the seventh.

He finished 3 for 4 and saw 21 pitches at the plate — 15 during his first two at-bats.

“Good to see the crowd right away behind him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

After rounding the bases in the seventh, Volpe came out of the dugout for a curtain call to salute fans who were chanting his name again.

“Probably a little bit of blackout," Volpe said. “It will be definitely something I’ll remember for a long time. ... I didn’t really know what was happening.”

New York didn't have a grand slam all season until Lombard connected in 6-1 win Wednesday night. It's the first time in franchise history players 25 or younger hit grand slams in consecutive games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The only other regular-season slam for Volpe came in May 2023 against the Athletics. He also had one in the 2024 World Series.

“Excited for him. He hasn’t done anything but just continue to work and grind, and got his way back here and obviously had a massive impact tonight,” Boone said. “Hopefully something that can springboard him even a little bit more.”

A first-round draft pick in 2019 out of a nearby New Jersey high school, the 5-foot-10 Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie shortstop and hit 21 home runs with the Yankees in 2023.

He was expected to hold down the position for years to come, but Volpe entered Thursday with a .224 career batting average, .287 on-base percentage and .660 OPS in four big league seasons. He's also struggled at times on defense, drawing criticism from Yankees fans.

Volpe was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 4, with a plan to gain experience at other positions. He played 19 games at second base for the RailRiders and went on a recent tear at the plate.

“He’s been excellent, from all the reports from player development,” Boone said. "The double-play turn’s been excellent. So, not surprised. He’s the type of athlete that should take to that position well and so far, so good.”

In his last 28 games at Triple-A, Volpe batted .284 with 10 homers, 21 RBIs, seven doubles, 15 walks and eight steals. He compiled a 1.023 OPS after getting demoted.

“It’s not an easy thing to go back there and have the right mindset and not only that but go out and perform at a high level, and that’s what he did," Boone said. “It’s a testament to who he is and his character and I think his love and respect for this game.”

Volpe was selected International League Player of the Week for hitting .524 with three homers, six RBIs and five stolen bases over six games from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6. He compiled a 1.674 OPS with five homers over his past eight games for the RailRiders.

“I definitely see a little difference with how he’s spread out," Boone said. “I thought he looked really good, really under control, controlled the strike zone, patient at-bats while also obviously delivering some blows.”

Volpe’s season debut for the Yankees was delayed until May 13 after he recovered from surgery last October to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He is batting .251 with 24 RBIs in 57 games with New York.

Chisholm can become a free agent after the World Series, so Volpe's chance at second base in a September pennant race could offer something of an audition for next season.

“I just feel like I have an opportunity," Volpe said. “Obviously, it’s weird the way it happened. You never want somebody to get hurt or anything, but I had nothing guaranteed, obviously. I thought I was never going to be back up here. So I’m trying to make the most of it.”

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum and AP freelance writer Larry Fleisher contributed to this report.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates with teammate after defeating the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jimmy Herget reacts after giving up a grand slam to New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe hits a run scoring single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe hits a grand slam during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe is congratulated after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. heads to third after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. throws to first for the out on San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts in the dugout during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

FILE - New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates in the dugout after scoring on Trent Grisham RBI single in the during the tenth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, July 30, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez, File)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The small-ball Milwaukee Brewers playing in the smallest market in the majors are World Series champions for the first time in franchise history.

Hey, Milwaukee: grab a brat, raise a beer and prepare for that parade.

Young ace Jacob Misiorowski threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball, rookie Cooper Pratt got two more hits and two RBIs, and the Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to set off a long-awaited celebration among thousands of Brewers fans in attendance at Tropicana Field.

Misiorowski left the game because of a right calf cramp. He got a standing ovation from the Brew-Crew fans, who took over the section behind Milwaukee’s dugout for the last three games.

The 22-year-old Pratt set a Series rookie record with six straight hits before a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Jackson Chourio set a five-game Series record with 11 hits.

The World Series title comes in the 58th season for a franchise that began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and moved to Milwaukee the following year. The Brewers’ only previous trip to the World Series in 1982 ended in heartbreak when they blew a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning of Game 7 and lost 6-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

But Pat Murphy’s team displayed the resilience of the 67-year-old manager, who survived a heart attack in 2020 and was the NL Manager of the Year in his first two full seasons at the helm in 2024 and 2025.

With their flame-throwing, 24-year-old two-time All-Star on the mound, the Brewers rebounded from a heartbreaking, 4-3 extra-inning loss in Game 4 when they were three outs away from a sweep in the 12th before a stellar bullpen finally faltered.

Pitching on four days’ rest for only the fifth time in 34 starts this season, including the playoffs, the Miz had his longest outing since throwing 6 1/3 innings against the Cubs on Sept. 8. Leg cramps also forced him out of two outings earlier in the season.

Misiorowski, who broke the World Series velocity record with a 103.5 mph fastball on the first pitch of the Series last Friday, opened with 12 straight four-seamers between 100.9-103 mph. He topped at 103 twice among his 86 pitches, 58 strikes.

Misiorowski didn’t record a strikeout in the first three innings for the first time in his brief career and finished with two, matching his career low. He was fired up after Yandy Diaz missed a cutter to end the fifth. The Miz pumped his fist twice and punched the air walking off the mound.

The NL Cy Young Award favorite allowed one run over five innings to get his first postseason win as a starter in a 3-2 victory in the series opener. He was 2-0 with a 0.84 ERA in the Series.

JoJo Romero got two outs, Abner Uribe recorded two more and closer Trevor Megill pitched the last two innings, allowing an RBI double to Chandler Simpson with two outs in the ninth.

Megill retired Richie Palacios on a grounder to second to end it, threw his arms in the air and was mobbed by teammates near the mound while Brewers fans celebrated in the stands.

Pratt, who was 4 for 5 with a tiebreaking solo homer in the 12th inning in Game 4, gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead off Rays ace Drew Rasmussen in the second. Pratt singled for his sixth straight hit in the series in the fifth and scored on David Hamilton’s single off Kevin Kelly.

William Contreras hit an RBI double off Garrett Cleavinger in the sixth and Pratt added a sac fly to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 4-0.

Pitching on three days’ rest, Rasmussen went deeper than he did in Game 2, allowing one run and two hits in four innings. He had a 4-0 lead before he took the mound in Milwaukee on Saturday but couldn’t hold it, lasting only 3 2/3 innings as the Brewers rallied for a 5-4 victory.

Rasmussen retired the first four batters before Brice Turang lined a double the opposite way to left-center. After Sal Frelick was hit by a pitch, Pratt ripped an RBI single to center but was thrown out in a well-executed rundown between first and second. Rasmussen struck out Garrett Mitchell looking to strand a runner on third.

The Rays had runners on second and third with two outs in the fourth but Ben Williamson grounded out to third. Williamson, who was 1 for 15 in the postseason before his game-winning RBI single in the 12th inning in Game 4, started over the lefty-swinging Palacios.

Kelly replaced Rasmussen to start the fifth and allowed consecutive one-out singles to Pratt, Mitchell and Hamilton.

The teams combined to hit just four homers, three for Milwaukee. The Brewers scored a major league-low 32.1% of their runs on homers and Tampa Bay was second-lowest at 34.4%, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Brewers led the majors with 103 wins in the regular season and went 11-2 in the postseason, including seven comeback wins and a sweep of the mighty Dodgers in the NLCS.

Milwaukee’s only other MLB championship was won in 1957 by the Braves, who moved to Atlanta for the 1966 season.

Murphy’s team finished what Harvey Kuenn’s star-studded crew couldn’t accomplish 44 years ago as the AL champions. Harvey’s Wallbangers had five Hall of Famers: Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Ted Simmons, Don Sutton and Rollie Fingers. But Fingers missed the postseason with a forearm injury. They also had Hall of Famer Bob Uecker in the broadcast booth.

The Rays, an expansion team that debuted in 1998, dropped to 0-3 in the World Series after defeats in 2008 and 2020. The only other clubs to lose in their first three Series appearances were the Brooklyn Dodgers (0-7) and Detroit Tigers (0-4), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

This might have been the last Major League Baseball game for an extended period.

The Brewers won the World Series at a time when owners are pushing for a salary cap from the players’ association because they maintain small-market teams can’t regularly succeed. A management lockout is likely to start Dec. 2 and could threaten the 2027 season.

This was the first Series since 1991 between teams in the bottom half of payrolls. The Brewers ranked 19th as of Aug. 31 and Rays were 25th.

The Rays were trying to become the first team to fall behind 3-0 in a World Series and force a sixth game. Of the 26 teams to fall behind 3-0, 21 were swept and Tampa Bay became the fifth to lose in Game 5.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski talks with head athletic trainer Brad Epstein and manager Kevin Cash after being pulled from the game during the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras celebrates his RBI double during the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras follows through on an RBI double off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Garrett Cleavinger during the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers' William Contreras celebrates after scoring during the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers' William Contreras celebrates after scoring during the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)