Giancarlo Stanton’s clutch home run in the eighth inning propelled the New York Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of their AL Division Series on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. With this win, the Yankees now hold a 2-1 lead in the series.
Stanton had an impressive game, recording three hits, driving in two runs, and stealing a base for the first time in four years. The Yankees will look to clinch a spot in the American League Championship Series as they turn to pitcher Gerrit Cole, a six-time All-Star, for Thursday night’s game.
The Royals utilized four relievers before Kris Bubic came in during the eighth inning. After striking out Austin Wells, Bubic faced Stanton, who launched a powerful 3-1 pitch nearly 420 feet to left field, giving the Yankees a crucial lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Royals attempted to respond against Yankees’ reliever Luke Weaver. They managed to get Bobby Witt Jr. his first hit of the series and a two-out single from Salvador Perez. However, Weaver secured the final out, ending the inning without further damage, and successfully closed out the game in the ninth for a save, capping off 4 1/3 scoreless innings by the New York bullpen.
Aaron Judge, the MVP front-runner, continued to struggle in the postseason, going 0 for 4 with a walk, bringing his total to just one hit in 11 at-bats against the Royals. However, the Yankees’ offense found success by drawing nine walks during the game, giving them a series total of 22.
The evening marked the first playoff game at Kauffman Stadium in over eight years, since the Royals defeated the Mets in Game 2 of the 2015 World Series. Eric Hosmer, the first baseman from that championship team, was present to throw the ceremonial first pitch. The crowd also included Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Yankees faced Seth Lugo’s diverse pitching arsenal, but struggled to capitalize on several scoring opportunities early in the game. Stanton’s double in the fourth inning allowed Juan Soto to score, and Soto then contributed a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. The Royals responded with two runs in the fifth, with Kyle Isbel hitting a two-out double and Michael Massey following with an RBI triple.
Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt endured a challenging outing, yielding two runs on four hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings, while Lugo lasted five innings for the Royals, allowing two hits and walking four batters.
Looking ahead, Gerrit Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA) is set to pitch for the Yankees, seeking redemption after allowing four runs in his first game of the series. The Royals will counter with Michael Wacha (13-8, 3.35 ERA), who previously pitched just four innings in the series opener.