KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 10: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees looks on prior to Game 4 of the Division Series presented by Booking.com between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday, October 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
When MLB free agency kicks off on the day after the World Series, no player will be more coveted than left fielder Juan Soto.
The 26-year-old is in the midst of the best statistical season of his career and is a unicorn of sorts: a young player, at the peak of his talent, hitting free agency for the first time in his career.
Nearly all franchises with available funds will be in the hunt for the generational player, but the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported there is a pecking order for teams favored to land him.
The incumbent team, the ALCS-bound New York Yankees, are the current and "clear" favorites, followed closely by the cross-town New York Mets.
Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia round out the remainder of the list.
Soto finished the regular season with a career-high in home runs (41), hits (166), runs (128), and WAR (7.9), so it is not surprising that any contending team with a reasonable amount of money would be considered potential suitors for the four-time All-Star.
Soto, though, admits it has been a special season with the Yankees, telling NorthJersey.com’s Pete Caldera, “When you put that jersey on and those pinstripes, it just feels different. There's so much history and everything, so many fans all over the world that we have...it feels really nice to play for a team that has so many big moments in history.”
Sentiment aside, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel told insider Buster Olney on the Baseball Tonight podcast that the serious bidders could drive his price to the $550-560 million range and that a Yankees win would mean he goes back to the Bronx.
A loss and he winds up in Queens.
Olney predicted he ends up with the Mets either way.
The Mets have the money after Justin Verlander's contract did not vest and with Starling Marte's knee injury slowing him this season, there is room in the outfield for Soto, even if it means shuffling Brandon Nimmo around.
Steve Cohen is always looking for the next big free agent addition and as long as the organization believes it will not mess with team chemistry, and general manager David Stearns has no prior issues with him from their time spent in San Diego, there is every reason to believe the Mets will aggressively pursue the potent hitter.
Still, there is something to be said about the success that Soto has had in New York, hitting in front of AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge. While he is a businessman first, the Yankees still feel likely to retain him, if for no other reason than the regular season excellence and postseason relevancy he helped bring back to the club in 2024.
Prediction: Juan Soto stays with the Yankees
Yankees' Kahnle Honors WWE's Stone Cold with Beer Bash Celebration in Photo, Video
Oct 11, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 09: Tommy Kahnle #41 of the New York Yankees pitches in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals during Game Three of the Division Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 09, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
New York Yankees relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle channeled his inner "Stone Cold" Steve Austin while celebrating the Yanks' elimination of the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series on Thursday night.
As the team reveled in their 3-1 victory in Game 4 to advance to the American League Championship Series, Kahnle wore a Stone Cold vest and threw back a couple of beers simultaneously:
Austin, who is a WWE Hall of Famer and one of the most popular pro wrestlers of all time, was famous for his "beer bash" celebrations after winning big matches, typically double-fisting some "Steveweisers," much to the delight of the fans.
The 35-year-old Kahnle was 8 years old when Austin won his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 14, so it comes as little surprise that he is a Stone Cold fan given that many people of a similar age fondly remember WWE's Attitude Era.
Kahnle initially played for the Yankees from 2017 to 2020, and after a stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he returned to the Bronx last year.
After posting a 2.66 ERA in 42 appearances in 2023, Kahnle was even better this season, delivering a 2.11 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 46 strikeouts over 42.2 innings in his 50 appearances.
Kahnle also came up huge during the ALDS, pitching in three of the four games and allowing no hits, two walks and no runs, while striking out three in three innings.
While he is still in search of his first World Series win, Kahnle has a career postseason ERA of 2.96, which suggests he is comfortable on the biggest stage.
The Yankees now await their ALCS opponent in the form of either the Cleveland Guardians or Detroit Tigers, who will play a decisive Game 5 in the ALDS on Saturday.
Should the Yankees find a way to beat either the Guardians or Tigers in the ALCS and reach their first World Series since 2009, perhaps "Stone Cold" Tommy Kahnle will resurface in a couple of weeks.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Rips 'Sore Loser' Maikel Garcia After Yankees Beat Royals in ALDS
Oct 11, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 10: New York Yankees third base Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) after getting doubled off first base in the sixth inning of game 4 of the ALDS between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals on October 10, 2024 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jazz Chisholm Jr. had some words for Maikel Garcia following the New York Yankees' ALDS victory over the Kansas City Royals.
Garcia slid hard into second base as Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe was applying the tag in the sixth inning of Thursday's series-clinching victory. That led to some tensions flaring between the two teams, and Chisholm expressed his belief that Garcia's actions reflected him being a "sore loser."
"I just felt like he tried to go in and injure Volpe because he was being a sore loser. You know what I mean?" Chisholm said, per the Associated Press. "He was talking a ton on Instagram and Twitter and stuff. I do the same thing, but I'm not going to injure somebody if they're winning a game. I didn't like that. I told him we don't do that on this side, and I'm going to stick up for my guys."
The Yankees won Game 4 and now return to the ALCS for the second time in the past three seasons. New York will await the Detroit Tigers or the Cleveland Guardians in the Championship Series and will hope to advance to the World Series for the first time since 2009.
Chisholm was a deadline acquisition by the Yankees and has played well since arriving in the Bronx. He hit .273/.325.500 with 11 home runs and 23 RBIs in 46 games and despite a quiet bat in the ALDS, he remains a formidable force in the lineup.
The Royals reached the postseason for the first time since 2015 and knocked off the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Round. While the loss to the Yankees was a disappointment, it was still a monumental step for a franchise that is now seeing the rewards of a rebuild.
Expectations will likely shoot up following this season, and the confrontation between Garcia and Chisholm shows that a rivalry between the two ball clubs may have been revitalized.
The Yankees' Stars Are Aligning for 1st MLB World Series Run in Aaron Judge Era
Zachary D. Rymer
Oct 11, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 10: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrates after a win over the Kansas City Royals during Game Four of the Division Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees are now just four wins away from ending their 14-year World Series drought, and it really feels like they will not be denied.
The Kansas City Royals gave it a spirited effort, and acknowledging as such is not meant as a condescending pat on the shoulder. They didn't make it easy on the Yankees in the American League Division Series, limiting them to wins of one run, one run and, finally, two runs by way of a 3-1 final in Game 4 at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday.
All the same, an L plus an L plus an L in a best-of-five isn't going to get you to where the Yankees are headed: the American League Championship Series.
This is the Yankees' fourth trip to the ALCS since Aaron Judge's arrival as a superstar in 2017 effectively opened their current contention window. Yet it is, of course, American League pennant No. 41 the Yankees want. Or better yet, World Series championship No. 28.
Work remains in this regard, and it'll start with keeping the good vibes against the Cleveland Guardians or the Detroit Tigers. They'll duke it out in Game 5 of their own ALDS for the right to face the Yankees at Yankee Stadium for ALCS Game 1 on Monday.
The Yankees' status as DraftKings' current betting favorite to win the World Series is not a divine decree from the Baseball Gods but indicative of how well their stars are aligning.
Yes, Soto and Judge Could Be Doing Better
If there's a "Yeah, but..." here, it concerns how little Juan Soto and Aaron Judge factored into the Yankees' triumph in the Division Series.
In the regular season, they did more than anyone to lead the Yankees' charge to AL bests with 94 wins and 815 runs. But then this happened:
Regular Season: 1.073 OPS, 99 HR
ALDS: .685 OPS, 0 HR
In the regular season, the Yankees went 38-13 when Judge homered, 23-11 when Soto homered and 10-3 when both homered. By all rights, their staying on the green side of the fence in the Division Series should have resulted in disaster.
And yes, Judge's coolness is an all-too-familiar story. He now has just a .151 average and two homers in his last 14 playoff games.
Give the Royals credit, though. They showed Judge and Soto much fewer pitches in the heart of the zone than they're used to. As a result, neither got a mistake to hit.
The Yankees can hope that whoever they face in the Championship Series won't be so sharp. And, for that matter, the high exit velocities that Judge mustered in Games 3 and 4 of the Division Series will translate to more hits.
It's Not the Soto and Judge Show After All
The Yankees' success in the ALCS despite Soto and Judge's limited help can be summarized in three words: Ace, Pariahs and Bullpen.
The Ace is Gerrit Cole, who was shaky in Game 1 but masterful in Game 4. He averaged a season-high 96.8 mph on his fastball and fired seven innings of one-run ball.
For Cole, this feels like an exorcism after a five-start run in the playoffs in which he managed only a 4.26 ERA. It is certainly exactly what the Yankees expect from their $326 million righty.
The Pariahs are Giancarlo Stanton and Alex Verdugo.
The two played the parts of fallen stars during the regular season, combining for only 1.4 rWAR. Yet the Division Series saw each prove they can still immerse themselves in important roles.
In Game 1, Verdugo spearheaded a 6-5 win with his bat and his glove. In Game 3, Stanton added to his historic resume of postseason slugging with the game-winning homer in a 4-3 victory.
As for Bullpen, well, isn't that one self-explanatory?
Relief pitching figured to be a relative weakness for the Yankees against the Royals, but New York's pen came out of the series with a 0.00 ERA. Former closer Clay Holmes got 15 huge outs, and nobody could even touch current closer Luke Weaver. He faced 12 batters and allowed only two to reach.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Gleyber Torres and Clarke Schmidt made lesser but still important contributions to the Division Series. Thus, it took a whole village for the Yankees to keep winning while Soto and Judge took their licks.
Perhaps not how they drew it up, but it worked.
The Yankees Match Up Well with the Guardians
The Guardians were a better team than the Royals this season, notably due to a deeper lineup and one of the best bullpens of all time.
They are, however, beatable.
This became particularly apparent amid a season-ending stretch in which the Guardians were one of the lowest-scoring teams in MLB. The trick is neutralizing José Ramírez, and the Yankees' neutralization of Bobby Witt Jr. (.118 AVG in the ALDS) is a sign that they're up to it.
Between Cole, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil, the Yankees also have four viable starters, whereas the Guardians really only have one in Tanner Bibee. And as for that vaunted bullpen, even Emmanuel Clase can bleed, apparently.
The Yankees Also Match Up Well with the Tigers
Speaking of starting pitching, the Yankees got good news on the ALCS before they even took the field on Thursday.
Because of the Tigers' loss to Cleveland earlier in the day, AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal will now have to start Game 5 of that series on Saturday. That takes him out of the equation for Game 1 of the ALCS.
The Tigers are otherwise an even weaker offensive team than the Guardians, scoring 0.19 fewer runs per game during the regular season. And with Kerry Carpenter now nursing a bad left hamstring, Detroit's best hitter is on the fritz.
The Hurdle the Yankees Couldn't Get Over Is Gone
Even with all this said, perhaps the best omen for the Yankees' World Series chances concerns who's not standing in their way.
That's right, the Houston Astros are nowhere to be found.
They kept the Yankees from the World Series in 2017, 2019 and again in 2022, beating them in the ALCS on all three occasions. One of those wins was ill-begotten, sure, but by the '22 ALCS, it was clear that the Astros just plain had the Yankees' number.
The Astros might have ended up in the Yankees' way again, but the Tigers took care of that by sweeping them in the Wild Card Series. If that was bad news for the Yankees, it was only because it robbed them of a chance for revenge.
There is, admittedly, a backhanded quality to implying that the Yankees are better for not having the Astros in their way. Yet believe me when I say I'm not so much making excuses as highlighting an opportunity.
There's a power vacuum in the American League right now, and the Yankees are clearly the best candidate of the three teams left standing to fill it.
If they do, 14 years of frustration will finally, mercifully be history.
Gerrit Cole, Yankees Win ALDS vs. Royals, Hyped by MLB Fans as World Series Favorite
Oct 11, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 10: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees throws a pitch during the first inning during Game Four of the Division Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees are heading to the American League Championship Series after downing the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in Game 4 of the ALDS on Thursday.
The reigning Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole guided New York on the bump, pitching seven innings and allowing just one run while picking up four strikeouts. Clay Holmes relieved him in the eighth and Luke Weaver pitched the bottom of the ninth to hold the lead.
Much like the rest of the series, it wasn't an outstanding performance from the Yankees' offense.
Juan Soto had an RBI single in the first inning, Gleyber Torres added another in the fifth and Giancarlo Stanton drove Aaron Judge home in the sixth inning to give New York its three runs.
With the game Cole had, the Yankees' slow night on offense didn't matter.
After the win, fans hyped New York as the World Series favorite as it looks to become American League champions for the first time since 2009.
THE YANKEES ARE ONTO THE ALCS AND FAVORITES TO WIN THEIR FIRST WORLD SERIES IN 15 YEARS...
The Yankees are favorites to win the World Series, but they still have a tough road ahead of them. While New York had the best record in the American League this year, both the Guardians and Tigers are getting hot at the right time.
If the Yankees can move on, they'll then get either the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.
For now, New York will enjoy getting back to the ALCS after missing the postseason entirely last year.
Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. Reacts to Boos from Royals Fans After ALDS Game 3 Win
Oct 10, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 09: New York Yankees third base Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) smiles in the ninth inning of game 3 of the ALDS between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals on October 9, 2024 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
New York Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was not the most popular person at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday.
The Kansas City Royals fans consistently booed him following his comments after Game 2 when he told reporters the American League Central team "just got lucky" when tying the series at one apiece.
"I ain't ever seen anybody boo a bum," he told reporters Wednesday before also reacting on social media:
Once my home crowd is cheering for me nothing matters 🗣️🤷🏾♂️🐣#bronxdawgs
Royals fans were likely more concerned with players such as Aaron Judge or Juan Soto coming into the American League Division Series, but Chisholm drew their ire when he brushed off New York's loss in Game 2.
"Still feels the same that we're going to win it," he said in full. "I don't feel like anybody feels any different. We're going to go out there and do our thing still. We still don't feel like any other team is better than us. We had a lot of missed opportunities tonight, so they just got lucky."
Jazz Chisholm Jr. says "I love it" as he runs out to boos from the Royals fans 👀 pic.twitter.com/7PUTZ8e6IF
He got the last laugh Wednesday, as the Yankees stole home-field advantage right back with a 3-2 victory.
While Chisholm didn't do much at 0-for-4, Giancarlo Stanton played the role of hero for the Bronx Bombers.
The slugger went 3-for-5 with two RBI, a stolen base and what proved to be the winning home run in the eighth inning. Both bullpens turned in strong performances after starters Clarke Schmidt and Seth Lugo each gave up two runs in the first five innings, as Stanton's blast was the only run in the final four frames.
Kansas City will be playing for its season when it takes the field Thursday.
If it wins, there will be a decisive Game 5 back in New York on Saturday. If it loses, all the crowd's booing of Chisholm will be for naught.
Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees Praised By MLB Fans After ALDS Game 3 Win vs. Royals
Oct 10, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 09: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting a home run in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals during Game Three of the Division Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 09, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
In October, it's only a matter of time before Giancarlo Stanton delivers.
After going just 1-for-8 in the first two games of the New York Yankees' American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals, the slugger did just that and led his team to a 3-2 victory in Game 3 on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium.
His RBI double in the fourth inning opened the scoring, but it was his solo homer in the eighth that proved to be the difference.
New York now leads the series 2-1 and will have the opportunity to close things out in Thursday's Game 4.
And it was Stanton—who even stole a base—drawing much of the social-media response with his team just one win away from the American League Championship Series:
— Ali’s “Casual” Thoughts on NY Sports, TV/Movies (@MindNy77) October 10, 2024
While the teams split the first two contests, all the momentum was on the Royals' side entering play after they won Game 2 on the road to seize home-field advantage. The pressure was also on the Yankees as the No. 1 seed in the American League with championship-or-bust expectations.
That made getting out to an ideal start all the more important, which the visitors did thanks to Stanton's RBI double in the fourth. Throw in a sacrifice fly from Juan Soto in the fifth, and it seemed like the Yankees were on cruise control.
Yet Kansas City fought back with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the fifth thanks to an RBI double from Kyle Isbel and an RBI triple from Michael Massey. The two-out rally drove New York starter Clarke Schmidt from the game after just 4.2 innings and turned things into a bullpen game since Royals starter Seth Lugo pitched the first five.
All the Yankees' bullpen needed was the one run, which came from Stanton's blast in the eighth against Kris Bubic.
Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle each threw 1.1 scoreless innings to get the ball to closer Luke Weaver for a five-out save. It was a tall ask for Weaver, and he escaped a jam with runners on the corners in the eighth by inducing a fly out from Yuli Gurriel.
There would be no such worries in the ninth as Weaver closed the door and moved New York to within one win of the ALCS.
Brian Cashman Says Yankees 'Happy' with Aaron Boone, Won't Discuss Manager's Future
Oct 9, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on during batting practice prior to Game Two of the Division Series against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that the organization is "happy" to have manager Aaron Boone aboard, adding that he's done a "great job" when speaking with reporters at Kauffman Stadium prior to Game 3 of the Bronx Bombers' American League Division Series at the Kansas City Royals.
"We're certainly happy to have him as our manager, as you all know that," Cashman said, per Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. "I got nothing more to add other than let's try to find a way to beat Kansas City."
Cashman was asked if the ALDS result would impact the Yankees' decision on Boone's future.
Per The Athletic, "Cashman said it was important for the entire club to advance in the postseason because their ultimate goal is to win a world championship. He stopped short of indicating the result, positive or negative, would dictate one of the club's biggest decisions this offseason."
Cashman stated: "When the winter starts, the winter starts and we'll deal with the winter when we need to deal with it. Hopefully, it's a lot later than another week."
The 51-year-old Boone has been the Yankees' manager since 2018. New York has made the playoffs each year except for 2023, when the team went 82-80. The Yankees have gone as far as the American League Championship Series twice, falling to the Houston Astros in 2019 and 2022. Overall, the Yankees have won 603 regular-season games and lost 429 under Boone for a 58.4 percent win rate.
Boone is in the last year of a three-season contract signed following the 2021 campaign. The Yankees have an option on Boone's deal for 2025.
The Yanks entered this year coming off their worst season since 1992. Granted, it was still a winning campaign at 82-80, but New York finished seven games out of the playoffs en route to a disappointing season.
The Yankees kept Boone aboard despite the tough year and excelled in the 2024 regular season, going 94-68 and finishing with the American League's No. 1 seed.
But New York's ALDS has gotten off to an uneven start, going 1-1 against Kansas City. The Yanks snuck by the Royals 6-5 in Game 1 before falling 4-2 in Game 2 in a lifeless offensive performance.
If the Yankees lose in the ALDS to the 86-win Royals, then there certainly could be calls for the team to look elsewhere at manager. That would mean seven years without a World Series appearance under Boone.
However, as Cashman said, the team is ultimately waiting until the end of the season to assess the squad, and the Yanks could very well finally break through and win their first World Series since 2009. Kansas City stands in the way for now, though.
Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. Says Royals 'Just Got Lucky' with ALDS Game 2 Win
Oct 8, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 07: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, October 7, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Kansas City Royals stole home-field advantage from the New York Yankees in their American League Divisional Series matchup with a 4-2 road victory in Monday's Game 2, but not everybody with the AL East team is worried.
"Still feels the same that we're going to win it," Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. told reporters. "I don't feel like anybody feels any different. We're going to go out there and do our thing still. We still don't feel like any other team is better than us. We had a lot of missed opportunities tonight, so they just got lucky."
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was asked if he felt the ALDS felt different after Game 2 compared to Game 1:
"Still feels the same that we're going to win it. I don't feel like anybody feels any different. We still don't feel like any other team is better than us" pic.twitter.com/zjQQBvZMYf
New York had its opportunities with seven hits and five walks but was unable to cash in on the majority of them.
In fact, it put a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings and chased starter Cole Ragans after just four frames. Yet it was only able to score one run against him, and the Royals bullpen controlled the game from there with five innings of one-run baseball.
It was Chisholm who gave the Yankees their only run against Kansas City's bullpen with a solo homer in the ninth, but all that did was cut the final deficit to two instead of three.
Kansas City failed to score in eight of the nine innings but did enough damage in the fourth.
Salvador Perez launched a solo homer to start the scoring, while RBI singles from Tommy Pham, Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia gave the visitors four runs in the frame. That was all they needed thanks to the strong performance from their bullpen.
The Yankees are the No. 1 seed in the American League, while the Royals are one of the wild-card teams. That Chisholm and others still have confidence after just one loss doesn't come as much of a surprise, but the pressure will be firmly on their shoulders as the series shifts to Kansas City.
If they can't win either Wednesday's Game 3 or Thursday's Game 4, their excellent season will suddenly be over. If they manage a split, the decisive Game 5 will be back in New York on Saturday.
As for the Royals, it wouldn't be a surprise if they used Chisholm's comments as bulletin board material as they return home.
Aaron Judge, Yankees Offense Ripped by MLB Fans After ALDS Game 2 Loss to Royals
Oct 8, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts after flying out in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals during Game Two of the Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Royals evened their American League Division Series matchup with the New York Yankees after a 4-2 win on Monday.
New York's offense was sluggish in the loss, picking up just seven hits. The Yankees got some life down three runs in the bottom of the ninth after Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a leadoff home run, but it wasn't enough to spark a comeback with Kansas City still up by two runs.
The Royals did all their scoring in the fourth inning, starting with a solo homer from Salvador Pérez. From there, Kansas City made it a three-run lead with three RBI singles, a deficit that proved to be too much for the struggling Yankees' offense to overcome.
Aaron Judge's postseason struggles continued as he went 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk. The star has now struck out in four of his nine at-bats.
After the loss, fans ripped New York's offensive struggles as it failed to get a 2-0 cushion over the Royals.
I'm so sick of the Yankees' offense being shut down in the postseason every single year. It doesn't matter who's in the lineup; they all can't hit. They added one of the best hitters in baseball to an already great lineup, and they still can't hit. #Yankees#RepBX#YankeesTwitterpic.twitter.com/3bHMUPWQLG
The Yankees snuck past Kansas City in Game 1 with a 6-5 win, but their offense was mostly absent on Monday. New York will now have to go on the road and try to find its offense to avoid going down two games to one.
