Judge swallowed 3K, the Yankees relied on Verdugo’s key hit to narrowly defeat the Royals

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Judge swallowed 3K, the Yankees relied on Verdugo’s key hit to narrowly defeat the Royals

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In a thrilling playoff matchup, the New York Yankees, the top seed in the American League, faced off against the Kansas City Royals at a packed Yankee Stadium, drawing an impressive crowd of 48,790 fans. The game was a back-and-forth battle, ultimately culminating in a nail-biting 6-5 victory for the Yankees, who secured their first win in this division series.

The Royals, who captured their second World Series title in 2015, hadn’t reached the playoffs for eight consecutive years until this season, entering as the AL’s fifth seed. They advanced after winning two straight games against the Orioles in the wild-card series, and they maintained a fierce competitiveness against the Yankees, equaling the score five times before the outcome was decided.

Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole faced a tough outing, allowing seven hits over five innings, including a two-run homer in the fourth by MJ Melendez that put the Yankees in a brief deficit. However, it was a tightly contested game, as both teams were locked at 5-5 after six innings.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Yankees mounted a critical offensive push. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a single and stole second base. After two outs, Alex Verdugo delivered a pivotal hit, scoring the winning run. The loss was charged to Royals reliever Michael Lorenzen, who allowed one run in 1.1 innings, despite initially being a starter.

Both teams ended the game with nine hits, including a homer each. Gleyber Torres led the charge for the Yankees with a two-run blast in the third inning. Meanwhile, Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, a top MVP candidate, had a quiet night at the plate, going hitless in four at-bats and striking out three times. However, he managed to score after drawing a walk in the fifth, benefiting from the efforts of his teammates.

Coming off a disappointing sweep by the Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series two years ago and missing the playoffs last year, today’s victory was a crucial step for the Yankees as they strive to take control in this best-of-five series against the Royals.