The Yankees started slowly, but scored seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to beat the Kansas City Royals 10-4.
Here are some key points…
– NY struggled to capitalize on runners in scoring position most of the evening, going 0-for-5 through the first six innings. Aaron Rechter came through in the seventh inning with a tying RBI single, and Austin Wells put the Yanks ahead 7-4 with a three-run home run James McArthur.
Gleyber Torres In the eighth inning he hit another, a single to center field, his third hit of the night, and then Wells doubled off the left-field wall to make it 10-4.
– The Yanks started the game sloppy, as they threw errors Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Wells allowed the leadoff man Tommy Pham to reach first base and advance to third base on a stolen base. Salvador Perez a single to center to make it 1-0 before Carlos Rodón finally settled down to get the final two outs of the inning. The left-hander needed 27 pitches to get through the first inning.
Perez again outplayed Rodon in the third inning, hitting a solo homerun to center field to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.
– Perez came to bat again in the fifth inning with two outs and hit a pop-up to shallow right field, but Torres and Juan Soto miscommunicated and dropped the ball, causing Bobby Whit Jr. to score from first base and tie the score at 3-3. Rodon’s inconsistencies continued in the sixth inning, where he allowed a leadoff home run Hunter Renfroe which gave KC a 4-3 lead.
Rodon’s final score: four runs (three earned) on six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in 6.0 IP.
– New York called up star prospect Jasson Dominguez before the game and made it clear that he’s “here to play almost every day.” The 21-year-old was batting sixth and grounded out to first base in his first at-bat of the night in the second inning.
The Martian notched his first hit of the season in the fourth inning with an opposite-field grounder through the gap. Hitting right-handed against the left-handed Sam Langhe struck out with a 2-2 curveball in the bottom of the sixth. He flew out to short in the seventh and finished the game 1-for-4 with a run scored.
– After Dominguez’s single in the fourth, Oswaldo Cabrera walked and Alex Verdugo hit a three-run homer to give the Yanks a 3-2 lead. It was Verdugo’s 12th homer of the year, but only his fourth since May 30.
– The Yankees bullpen did its job Monday night. Jake Neven pitched a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts and a walk. Lucas Wever allowed one hit and retired two Royals in the eighth inning. Ian Hamilton ended with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, with one strikeout.
Most Valuable Player of the Match: Austin Wells
After Wells made a run-leading pitch in the first inning, he went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer to galvanize the Yankees, adding an RBI double later.
Highlights
Upcoming planning
The Yankees and Royals continue their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.
Marcus Stroman (10-7, 4.03 ERA) will battle with Seth Lugo (15-8, 3.05 ERA) for KC.
