Yankees Edge Royals 1-0 in Wild Finish to Complete Season Sweep
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A bizarre and wild play in the eighth inning proved to be the difference as the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night, securing a 1-0 win at Kauffman Stadium.
Pablo Reyes provided the lone run in dramatic fashion. After stumbling around third base on a Paul Goldschmidt single, Reyes recovered and dashed home, scoring when Royals reliever Lucas Erceg’s throw to the plate bounced past the catcher. Despite the chaos, Reyes slid in safely—capping a strange but pivotal moment that sealed the Yankees' victory.
The win pushed the Yankees (42-25) to a season-high 17 games above .500 and completed a 6-0 sweep of the Royals this season, following New York’s playoff win over Kansas City last October. With the win, the Yankees now boast the best road record in the majors at 21-13.
Pitching dominated the evening. Yankees rookie Will Warren and the bullpen combined for a five-hit shutout. Mark Leiter Jr. (4-3) was credited with the win, while Devin Williams closed the door with a perfect ninth, striking out rookie Jac Caglianone looking on a full-count fastball for his ninth save.
Kansas City starter Seth Lugo was stellar in a no-decision, holding the Yankees to just two hits over 5 2/3 innings. He was matched pitch-for-pitch by Warren, who gave up four hits over the same span. A 28-minute rain delay in the sixth didn’t seem to disrupt either side’s rhythm.
The Royals had their chances to break the scoreless tie, stranding runners in scoring position in both the second and fifth innings. Meanwhile, Vinnie Pasquantino extended his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games and pushed his on-base streak to 27 games.
Notably, the Yankees rested some key bats Thursday night—Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Austin Wells all sat after combining for three home runs and 10 RBIs in the first two games of the series.
Stat of the Night:
New York has now swept a season series against Kansas City for just the third time in their 57-year history. The Yankees have also won 19 of the last 20 series between the two clubs.
What’s Next:
The Yankees head to Boston for a showdown at Fenway Park. LHP Ryan Yarbrough (3-1, 4.17 ERA) will take the mound against Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet (6-4, 2.35 ERA) on Friday night.
The Royals return home to host the Oakland Athletics. Michael Wacha (3-5, 3.01 ERA) will face former Yankee Luis Severino (1-6, 4.77 ERA) in Friday’s series opener.