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After the craziness of the last two games, the Yankees must have gotten a little weird with their pitch for the series final against the Royals. A little short of options, they gave the ball to Lucas Luetge for an opening in what was to be his very first Major League start. What would happen after that was to be guessed.
However, the pitch in that game ended up being a positive for the Yankees. Six pitchers combined to allow just two runs on seven hits, and they threw a shutout in the last four innings. The Yankees offense gave them enough backing from the start, as they clinched a series victory and a 5-2 win over the Royals to wrap up all three games at Kansas City.
With the bottom of the roster and the pitching situation as it was, the top of the Yankees roster at least got off to a quick start in the first. Royals starter Brady Singer fixed some control issues in Game 1, allowing two walks in the first four batters. Combined with a single from Aaron Judge, which loaded the basics of Luke Voit. The first baseman delivered with a single, scoring two runs. Rougned Odor then added another single, tackling a third round.
The Royals managed to fend off Luetge in the middle of the first inning. Whit Merrifield led the game for Kansas City with a single and stole second on the next strike at bat. After a wild pitch propelled him to third, Merrifield scored on a field to put the Royals on the board.
The Yankees missed opportunities to add to their cushion in the second and third, before breaking through again in the fourth. Tyler Wade started the round with a double and then stole third place shortly thereafter. DJ LeMahieu then added a single, making three times in three plate appearances on the day he hit base. Brett Gardner and Judge then scored their own hits, the second of which scored LeMahieu to give the Yankees another run.
Albert Abreu had replaced Luetge after the second set, and he threw two solid frames before coming back for a third. Cam Gallagher led the fifth against him with a double, then moved up to third after a fly out on a dive from Wade (which probably didn’t need to be a dive). It would be the end of Abreu’s day, as Joely Rodríguez has been brought in to replace him.
Rodríguez got a ground goal against the first hitter he faced. Andrew Velazquez didn’t play at home, but he did rebound the ball so there was no play early on either. This reduced the lead to three points, but the mistake did not cost the Yankees more, as Rodríguez then managed to induce a double play.
The Yankees offense didn’t add more points to their total, but they did threaten a few times. They also got a very notable performance from Wade, who finished the day with a 2 for 3 with two doubles, one walk and two stolen. He’s been quietly doing his part lately, going 9 for 14 with an OBP of .667 since the trade deadline – a much needed production with fellow infielders Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela on the shelf.
The combination of Rodríguez, Chad Green for two sets and Jonathan Loaisiga for the eighth gradually passed the baton to Zack Britton, hoping to close the streak and make up for his failed save on Monday. After hitting a batter, Britton then induced a Grounder and a forced takedown, then another Grounder that looked like it had to be a late game double play. However, Odor botched the second-place draw for the first out, and everyone ended up being safe. Fortunately, it didn’t come back to haunt them. Britton got another player down in the next at-bat, and this one in Wade in the third was properly turned into a double play to complete the victory.
Mark it like the Yankees victory of the ninth series in their last ten attempts. They are 21-10 during that streak, even losing players left and right – including reliever Clay Holmes earlier today – to either COVID-IL or the standard injury list.
After what turned out to be a very odd three-game set, the Yankees will now play a game in the very normal setting of a cornfield. Andrew Heaney will get the start against Lance Lynn of the White Sox tomorrow night at 7 p.m. ET, live from Dyersville, IA.
The score of the box
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