Kansas City Royals 3 – New York Yankees 7
Looking for the series win, the Yankees faced a former teammate, starting for the Kansas City Royals.
After Nathan Eovaldi worked around a pair of singles with a perfectly timed double play, the Yankees came to bat against Ian Kennedy. The former Yankee got the first out before Starlin Castro hit a Yankee Stadium treat, a home run to right field.
In the second inning, Carlos Beltran led off with a walk before the next two outs reduced the chance of scoring. Fortunately, Chase Headley broke the 90 at-bat, extra-base hit slump in a big way. His first extra base hit of the 2016 season went to left field, just deep enough to be a two-run home run, extending the Yankees lead to three.
After three scoreless by Eovaldi, the Royals began to rally in the fourth.
With one out in the fourth, Alex Gordon hit a home run to deep right field to put the Royals on the board. Then with two outs, Chelsor Cuthbert hit a double and scored on a single by Christian Colon to bring them within one.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Yankees responded.
With one out, Carlos Beltran walked but he was replaced on the bases by Aaron Hicks when Hicks beat out the throw at first of a potential double play. Denying the potential double play paid off big when Didi Gregorius went deep to right field for a two-run home run, reclaiming a 5-2 lead.
With an elevating pitch count, Eovaldi looked to get through the fifth inning, securing a win if the bullpen can hold the lead.
After retiring the first two batters of the fifth inning, Eovaldi struggled to find the last out. Eric Hosmer hit a double and a walk of Kendrys Morales put two on with two out. Alex Gordon made it a 2 RBI night for him with a single but Eovaldi managed to get the last out on a warning track fly out to right.
In five innings, Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out three. He needed 98 pitches (64 strikes) to get through his five innings of work.
Following Eovaldi, Kirby Yates provided a scoreless sixth inning. Dellin Betances pitched a scoreless seventh inning and the Yankees offense continued to faceoff with a couple familiar faces on the mound for the Royals.
After Kennedy retired the first batter he faced, Chase Headley walked and Austin Romine hit a single to knock him out of the game. Former Yankee Chien-Ming Wang entered in relief and started his outing by walking Brett Gardner, loading the bases. Starlin Castro went the other way with a run-scoring single and with two outs, Brian McCann walked with the bases loaded to score another run.
With the Yankees up by four after seven, Andrew Miller did his part of the game plan, striking out one. But with a non-save situation entering the ninth, reliever Chasen Shreve got the call and set the Royals down to complete the series win against the World Series champions.
Win – Nathan Eovaldi (3-2)
Loss – Ian Kennedy (4-3)
Notables
Royals
*Alex Gordon – 2 for 4, R, Solo home run (4) in the 4th, 2 RBI (10)
*Christian Colon – 2 for 4, RBI (3)
Yankees
*Didi Gregorius – 1 for 4, R, Two-run home run (3) in the 4th, 2 RBI (14)
*Chase Headley – 2 for 3, 2 R, BB, Two-run home run (1) in the 1st, 2 RBI (6)
Current Yankees Record: 14-19
