MLB playoffs 2024: New York Yankees take 2-1 series lead over Kansas City Royals with Giancarlo Stanton’s home run

NEW YORK — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer within the eighth inning amid a battle of the bullpens, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas Metropolis Royals 3-2 on Wednesday night time in Sport 3 of their AL Division Sequence at Kauffman Stadium.

Stanton completed with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the primary time in 4 years for the Yankees, who will flip to six-time All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole on Thursday night time with an opportunity to succeed in the American League Championship Sequence.

The Royals used 4 relievers earlier than Kris Bubic took over for the eighth. The left-hander struck out Austin Wells earlier than Stanton hit his 3-1 pitch practically 420 ft to left to offer New York the lead.

The Royals tried to reply off Luke Weaver within the backside half, getting Bobby Witt Jr.’s first hit of the collection and a two-out single by franchise stalwart Salvador Perez. Weaver recovered to get Yuli Gurriel to fly out to finish the menace, and he additionally dealt with the ninth to earn the save and cap 4 1/3 scoreless innings by the New York bullpen.

The Yankees received regardless of one other irritating night time within the postseason for MVP front-runner Aaron Decide. He went 0 for 4 with a stroll, and is now 1 for 11 with solely an infield single by means of three video games towards the Royals.

It helped that the highly effective Yankees drew 9 walks Wednesday night time, giving them 22 for the collection.

It was the primary playoff sport on the Okay in 3,268 days, for the reason that Royals beat the Mets in Sport 2 of the 2015 World Sequence. They received their first title in 30 years a couple of days later in New York.

The primary baseman on that Royals staff, Eric Hosmer, was readily available to ship the primary pitch for a crowd that included Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Yankees had some good swings towards Seth Lugo’s dizzying array of 9 pitches, however that they had nothing to indicate for it early on.

Juan Soto flew out to middle within the first on what would have been a homer in 17 ballparks. Decide adopted with a liner snared by Witt at shortstop that had an exit velocity of 114 mph. And within the third, Gleyber Torres hit a ball to the warning observe in proper, moments after a evaluation confirmed that his would-be RBI blooper down the road had landed foul.

The Yankees broke by means of within the fourth on Stanton’s double – Soto got here round from first to attain, although he may properly have been out had Witt delivered a greater relay throw to the plate. And within the fifth, Soto added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

The Royals answered with two within the fifth. Kyle Isbel received them on the board with a two-out double to left, and Michael Massey ripped a sinking liner that one way or the other missed Soto’s glove in proper for an RBI triple.

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt was dinged for each runs on 4 hits and a stroll in 4 2/3 innings. Lugo went 5 for Kansas Metropolis, permitting two hits and strolling 4 towards the staff that led the league in free passes this season.

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Yankees: Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA) heads again to the mound Thursday night time. He allowed 4 runs – three earned – over 5 innings within the opener Saturday night time however received no determination within the 6-5 win for New York.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (13-8, 3.35 ERA) will face Cole once more after pitching simply 4 innings Saturday. He allowed three runs however was lengthy gone by the point the Yankees scored the go-ahead run within the seventh.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

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