Royals playoff dreams crushed by Yankees pitching in ALDS Game 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gerrit Cole pitched like a postseason ace Thursday night, holding the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings and sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back in the American League Championship Series.

The six-time All-Star scattered six hits and struck out four before handing the ball to the New York bullpen, which dominated a tense AL Division Series. Clay Holmes tossed a perfect eighth inning and Luke Weaver breezed through the ninth, extending the scoreless streak by Yankees relievers to 15 2/3 innings this postseason.

New York will play Cleveland or Detroit of the ALCS starting Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres and Game 3 star Giancarlo Stanton drove in runs for the Yankees, who fittingly clinched a spot in their fourth ALCS in eight years on the road. They won 50 games away from home in the regular season, their most in 21 years.

Michael Wacha failed to get through five innings for Kansas City, allowing two runs, six hits and a walk. He didn't get much help from a long-scuffling offense that managed just five runs total over the final three games of the series.

Still, it was a remarkable turnaround for a club that went from 106-loss laughingstock a year ago to making its first postseason appearance since winning the 2015 World Series. And with young stars such as Bobby Witt Jr. signed to long-term deals, there is hope in Kansas City that this was a beginning rather than an ending.

New York set the tone from the start, pouncing on Wacha like it did in the series opener. Torres hit the veteran right-hander's first pitch of the game for a double, and Soto followed with an RBI single on just the third pitch of the night.

Anthony Volpe kept on the pressure with his single in the fifth. And after Alex Verdugo grounded into a forceout and Jon Berti singled to put runners on the corners, Torres lined a two-out single to make it 2-0 and put an end to Wacha's night.

Meanwhile, Cole only seemed to get stronger as he clicked off innings.

The reigning Cy Young Award winner retired his first six batters, worked around a leadoff single in the third and retired eight more before Tommy Pham's single in the fifth. Cole promptly struck out Kyle Isbel on three pitches to end that inning.

Stanton, who hit the go-ahead homer in the eighth inning in Game 3, extended the lead to 3-0 with his single in the sixth.

Tensions that had simmered all night — and all series, after Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. called the Royals' Game 2 win “lucky” — finally boiled over in the sixth. Volpe slapped a hard tag on Maikel Garcia at second base to complete a double play, and the Royals third baseman took umbrage with it. Players spilled out of both dugouts before order was restored.

The near-fracas nearly ignited Kansas City, too. Witt, who had been 1 for 15 in the series, followed with a base hit and Vinnie Pasquantino — who'd been 0 for 14 — had an RBI double. But with the sellout crowd of 39,012 in Kauffman Stadium whipped into a sudden frenzy, Cole got Salvador Perez to pop out lazily to second base to end the inning.

Cole's night ended after he got Isbel to fly out to the warning track with a runner aboard to end the seventh, a deep shot to right field that would have been a tying homer had it been hit to that part of Yankee Stadium.

New York's bullpen did the rest.

UP NEXT

The Yankees are headed to the ALCS for the 19th time to face the Guardians or Tigers, who play the decisive game of their AL Division Series on Saturday night in Cleveland.

The Royals head into the offseason with some momentum. Most of their key players are signed for next season or under club control, though a couple of decisions loom. Wacha could opt out of his deal after a strong season while 2B Adam Frazier has a mutual option and OF Hunter Renfroe a player option for 2025.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It was a win or go home for the Kansas City Royals Thursday night.

The Royals were one game away from elimination in the 2024 postseason after losing Game 3 Wednesday in yet another close game with the slugging New York Yankees. While there's certainly reason for stress, Royals fans shouldn't panic, as Kansas City will send a seasoned veteran to the mound.

Michael Wacha is set to get the start at Kauffman tonight for the Royals. He pitched in the Game 1 ALDS loss five days ago for the Royals, allowing three runs on four hits. He pitched just four innings, striking out three and walking three.

New York will be sending their ace, Gerrit Cole to the mound. Cole also pitched in Game 1, giving up three runs over five innings on seven hits. He struck out four Royals and walked two.

The Game 4 elimination game is a replay of Game 1 in a way, as the Royals' lineup will be identical too. Kansas City, however, will be looking for a different result tonight.

Whether the Royals win or lose, it's been a historic season for the Royals; they made it back to the postseason for the first time since 2015 and were the first team to win a playoff series the year after dropping 100+ games.

First Inning

Michael Wacha came out to the mound to get Game 4 of the ALDS started in an electric Kansas City. Gleyber Torres immediately silenced the crowd, though, with a first-pitch leadoff double to center field. Juan Soto was the next batter, hitting a ground ball single to right field which scored Torres. The Yankees jump to a quick 1-0 lead with no outs.

Judge came up to bat next, grounding into a well-played double play for the first two outs of the inning. Austin Wells then lined out to MJ Melendez in left field, Melendez making a great sliding catch for the final out.

2B Michael Massey was the first batter Gerrit Cole saw, striking out swinging on a well-placed four-seamer. Bobby Witt Jr. followed the first out with another on a fly-out to right fielder Juan Soto. Vinnie Pasquantino, on his 27th birthday, then came up to bat for KC. He struck out for the final out of a one-two-three inning which included two strikeouts from RHP Gerrit Cole.

Inning over, New York leading Kansas City 1-0.

Second Inning

After being hit in the back of the neck by a Michael Massey foul ball in the dugout, Wacha returned to the mound, eyeing Giancarlo Stanton, who was responsible for last night's win. Stanton continued his hot streak, hitting a full-count double down the first base line into right field. 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr. stepped in next, filling the count before striking out swinging.

With one out and Stanton at second, SS Anthony Volpe stepped in, lining out to RF Tommy Pham. Stanton remains at second. Two outs, one on with LF Alex Verdugo stepping in before grounding out to 1B Yuli Gurriel. The Yankees stranded Stanton at second.

Royals legend Salvador Perez was the Royals' first batter of the second inning. He lined out to Aaron Judge in center field just before Yuli Gurriel flew out to Judge similarly. Two outs, no one on for MJ Melendez, who grounded out to SS Anthony Volpe. Six up and six down for Gerrit Cole, and the inning is over. Royals trail the Yankees 0-1.

Third Inning

Yankees 1B Jon Berti stepped in against Wacha to start the third. He hit a routine fly to CF Kyle Isbel before trotting back to the dugout. 2B Gleyber Torres then hit a high pop out in foul territory to Gurriel for the second out. Soto came up with no one on and two outs, striking out swinging on a nasty changeup from Wacha.

RF Tommy Pham didn't play last night, but he stepped in first for the Royals in the third. Pham hit a liner to CF Aaron Judge for the Royals' first base hit of the game. Pham at first with no outs and Kyle Isbel in the box. Isbel hit a grounder right back to Cole, which should've been a double play, but Isbel outran the play. Isbel takes Pham's spot at first with one out and 3B Maikel Garcia up to bat.

Garcia hit a grounder to Chisholm Jr. at third, who barely threw him out at first, Isbel moved to second, however, and the lineup flipped over. Michael Massey stepped in next with two out and one on. He struck out swinging on a high fastball from Cole. Inning over, Yankees still up 1-0.

Fourth Inning

Judge stepped in first for New York, drawing a five-pitch walk from Wacha before C Austin Wells dug in. Wells hit a grounder into a great 4-6-3 double play from the Royals. Two outs, no one on for Stanton, who popped out to SS Bobby Witt Jr. in centerfield.

Witt Jr. was also first up to bat for KC in the fourth, looking to get hot and extend the Royals' postseason. Witt Jr. hit a liner to Alex Verdugo in leftfield. It was a well-hit ball, but the out moves Witt Jr. to 1-15 on the series. If the Royals want to win, he'll need to show up.

Pasquantino then grounded out to second for the second out, and Perez stepped in next. Perez popped out to SS Volpe for the final out of the inning. The fourth inning over, Royals still down 0-1.

Fifth Inning

Jazz Chisholm Jr. led the fifth inning off for New York, hitting a grounder to Michael Massey at second for the first out. SS Anthony Volpe then hit a one-out single just missed by a diving Bobby Witt Jr. Verdugo stepped in, hitting a grounder back up the middle to Massey, who made a great shovel throw to Witt Jr. at second but couldn't get the double play at first. Two outs, Verdugo at first for Berti, who moved Verdugo to third with a line drive single to right field.

With runners at the corners and two outs, Torres was up. With Wacha now over 60 pitches, righty Lucas Erceg could be seen warming up in the bullpen. Torres got another big hit to RF Tommy Pham to drive in a run.

Wacha came out of the game after the hit, he pitched 4+ innings, allowing two runs on six hits. Erceg's first batter was Juan Soto, who flew out to center to get out of the inning.

Gurriel would be Cole's first batter of the fifth. He hit a high pop-out to Torres at second base for the first out. Melendez stepped in next for Kansas City, filling the count before hitting a fly ball to Juan Soto on the warning track for the second out. The hit would have been a homer in 26 of 30 MLB stadiums.

Tommy Pham, with the only hit of the game for KC, stepped into the box with no one on and two outs, hitting a single to LF Alex Verdugo. Isbel was next up for the Royals, striking out to end the inning. Inning over, Kansas City trailing New York 0-2.

Sixth Inning

Erceg saw Aaron Judge first in the top of the sixth. He hit an easy leadoff double before Wells stepped in with Stanton on deck. Wells moved Judge to third with a ground out to second baseman Michael Massey. One out, Judge at third and Stanton digging in.

Erceg came out challenging the red-hot Stanton, and it burned him. Stanton hit a single up the middle between Erceg's legs, Judge scored and the Yankees extended their lead to three. Jazz Chisholm Jr. came up next with one out and Stanton on first. Erceg walked him right before a KC mound visit.

Volpe came up to bat next, and Yuli Gurriel made a great play at first, catching a line drive ball and tagging Chisholm Jr. before he could get back to the bag to get Erceg out of the inning.

Garcia, Massey and Witt Jr. would be the next three KC batters. Garcia got the leadoff hit into right field for a single. Massey then dug in, quieting the crowd for a second as he hit into a double play.

The crowd got right back to rocking, though, as the dugouts were cleared after Maikel Garcia and Anthony Volpe got into it. Nothing came of it, and the teams were off the field quickly.

Witt Jr. came up to bat next, immediately going down 0-2 before hitting a two-out single into right field. Pasquantino stepped in next, with Clay Holmes warming up in New York's bullpen. Pasquantino knocked in the first run of the game for the Royals on a deep fly to right center field.

New York opted to leave Cole in the game on 75 pitches, and Perez stepped in for KC. NY's catcher Austin Wells had a chance to catch a fly ball that went straight up but missed, it didn't matter though as Perez popped out on the second pitch.

Inning over, Royals down 1-3.

Seventh Inning

The left-handed Angel Zerpa came in for Erceg in the top of the seventh. He got Verdugo to hit a soft one right back to him for the first out. He had Berti up next with Torres to follow. Berti hit one right to CF Kyle Isbel for the second out. Zerpa didn't waste any time in the seventh, striking out Torres on three straight strikes to end the inning.

Gurriel dug in first for KC in the seventh, while Cole remained in the game. Gurriel grounded out to short for the first out of the inning. Melendez followed that up with a fly-out to LF Verdugo. Tommy Pham then came up to bat for KC and immediately got his third hit of the night on a grounder past shortstop for a single.

Kyle Isbel dug in with two outs and Pham at first. He hit a ball as far as possible without being a home run to Soto, who had his back against the bullpen for the catch and third out of the inning. The inning ended on an absolute heart-breaker, as Isbel's hit was mere feet away from leaving the outfield and tying the game. The Yanks still up 3-1.

Eighth Inning

Zerpa was back on the mound to start the eighth, with Juan Soto in the box. On a full count, Soto grounded out to Michael Massey at second. John Schreiber then came out of KC's bullpen to relieve Zerpa. The righty will see Judge first.

Schreiber walked Judge on a full count and Austin Wells would dig in for New York. Schreiber struck him out on a high fastball before Stanton marched to the plate at 6-16 on the series. Judge stole second on the first pitch. Two outs with Judge on second, Stanton at the plate and Chisholm Jr. up next.

On a wild pitch, Judge moved to third and Stanton to first. Schreiber was done and would be replaced by Sam Long. Duke Ellis came in to run for Stanton as well. It didn't end up mattering, though, as Chisholm grounded out to turn the inning over.

New York swapped Cole for reliever Clay Holmes. He would see Garcia, Massey and Witt Jr. first in the eighth, striking out Garcia first on a well-placed pitch. Massey then dug in, lining out to Verdugo in left field.

Bobby Witt Jr. then stepped in for Kansas City, in likely his last at-bat of the season. He grounded out to SS Anthony Volpe as the Royals went down one-two-three. Three outs remain for KC and the inning was over. NY leads the Royals 3-1.

Ninth Inning

Sam Long was still on the mound for the top of the ninth, he got Volpe out first on a liner to third baseman Maikel Garcia. Witt Jr. then caught a looping liner from Verdugo for the second out. Berti stepped in next, filling the count before walking.

2B Torres then stepped in for the Yankees, he flew out to RF Tommy Pham, and the Royals sent Pasquantino to the plate, needing two runs to extend the game or three to walk it off. The Yankees made a pitching change, putting in Luke Weaver, who's had the Royals' number throughout the series.

Vinnie swung at all three pitches outside the zone. Two outs remain for KC's season with Salvador Perez digging in. He got down in the count early as well and struck out for the second out. Yuli Gurriel followed and flew out to CF Aaron Judge.

Kansas City's season is over on a one-two-three inning.