Alex Verdugo delivered a pivotal hit in the seventh inning and made a crucial sliding catch, leading the New York Yankees to a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the opening game of their AL Division Series on Saturday night.
In a thrilling matchup, both teams exchanged leads multiple times, with the Yankees’ Gleyber Torres and the Royals’ MJ Melendez each hitting two-run home runs. The Royals held leads of 1-0, 3-2, and 5-4, while the Yankees failed to maintain their own leads of 2-1 and 4-3. This marked the first postseason game recorded with five lead changes, as noted by the Elias Sports Bureau.
“What a game!” exclaimed Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Kansas City pitchers struggled, tying their season record with eight walks, which directly led to two runs for New York in the fifth inning. The Yankees, before Verdugo’s late hit, were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Verdugo’s single brought home Jazz Chisholm Jr., who had earlier reached base and stolen second base after a video review concluded in favor of the Yankees.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “I think we did have a really good argument that that should have been overturned.”
Boone chose to start Verdugo in left field over rookie Jasson Domínguez, hoping to bolster the team’s defense despite Verdugo entering the game amid a rough batting stretch of only three hits in his last 25 at-bats.
“I feel like I’m pretty real with myself,” Verdugo mentioned. “As in fans booing me, fans getting on me. I understand it. I was booing myself, too.”
Verdugo later reflected on the importance of support from his teammates, stating, “They all got my back. They all know what kind of player I am.”
Defensively, Verdugo showcased his skills by making a sliding catch in the fourth inning to keep two runners stranded. He described the challenging play, saying, “Thank goodness it popped over to the left hand, so it all worked out.”
Chisholm, who was playing third base for the first time this season after joining the Yankees from Miami, made several impressive defensive plays with assistance from first baseman Oswaldo Cabrera.
Following ace Gerrit Cole’s departure after five innings where he allowed four runs, the Yankees’ bullpen managed to hold the Royals to just one unearned run over the final four innings. Clay Holmes earned the win, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings, while Luke Weaver recorded the save in his postseason debut.
Star players Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. both struggled at the plate, with Judge going 0 for 4 and Witt 0 for 5. In a noteworthy defensive effort, Juan Soto recorded three hits and prevented Salvador Perez from scoring in the second inning.
The series is set to continue with Game 2 on Monday night after a day off, featuring a matchup of left-handers—Carlos Rodón for the Yankees and Cole Ragans for the Royals. The history between these teams in the postseason includes four matchups from 1976 to 1980, with the Yankees winning three of those series.