NY YANKEES @ KANSAS CITY (NY -120, 7.5)
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YANKEES @ ROYALS 10/9/24
The American League Division series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals is tied at one game each going into Wednesday night. The Royals bounced back with a 4-2 victory on Monday night after the Yankees won Game 1, 6-5, on Saturday. Wednesday's pitching matchup will feature righty Clarke Schmidt of the Yankees (5-5, 2.85) and Seth Lugo of the Royals (16-9, 3.00).
The New York Yankees lost 4-2 to the Royals at Yankee Stadium on Monday night. The offense was held in check and the Yankees missed a chance to take a 2-0 series lead. After striking out the side in the first inning, starter Carlos Rodon quickly cooled off and gave up seven hits and four runs before being pulled after just 3.2 innings.
Before a home run by Jazz Chisholm in the ninth inning for their final run, the Yankees had only managed one run in the third inning. Aaron Judge, who went 1-for-3 with an infield single and is currently 1-for-7 in the series with four strikeouts, continued his postseason woes. He is hitting slightly over .200 in his playoff career and has struck out in 35 percent of his plate appearances. That’s tops in MLB history.
Schmidt spent a significant amount of time on the injured list this season. He rejoined the rotation almost a month ago. Out of his 16 starts during the season, he only had two quality starts, but he ended the year 5-5 with a respectable 2.85 ERA. With an ERA of 1.39 in eight road starts and a 3-3 record, Schmidt has pitched better away from home this season. He was 0-2 in five starts during the final month of the season, striking out 26 batters and giving up 22 hits in 24.2 innings.
Sal Perez, the only player left from the Kansas City Royals' previous World Series winning squad, gave them the boost they needed in the fourth inning of Game 2. He hit a leadoff home run to tie the score at 1-1. The Royals then went on to score three more runs in the fourth inning, taking out Yankees starter Carlos Rodon and winning 4-2 to tie the series at 1-1. The Royals advanced to the fifth inning thanks to starter Cole Ragans, who overcame control problems and four walks before the team's unexpectedly strong bullpen ended the game for the win. The Royals now have the opportunity to hend the series with two victories in front of a Royals fan base that should be ecstatic.
After four straight road games, the Royals are now making their first homecoming this postseason. With two victories, they have a chance to avoid going back to New York. Tonight, Lugo gets the start. He was one of the Royals' most important acquisitions before this season. He was signed from San Diego in the offseason. He made 33 starts, including a team-high 22 quality starts, and ended the season 16-9 with an ERA of 3.00.
Lugo made 17 starts this season and was 7-6 at home with an ERA of 3.36. He pitched 14 innings, gave up 11 hits, and recorded 14 strikeouts in his 1-1 record against the Yankees twice. Lugo pitched 4.1 innings against the Orioles in his only postseason appearance, giving up five hits and one run on a solo home run.
Kaufmann Stadium, where the Royals finished 45-36 during the regular season, is the host for tonight’s game. Bobby Witt Jr. hit over .360 for the season and almost .400 at home in the second half for Kansas City. Witt began the series at New York 0-for-10 with five strikeouts.
Schmidt has made eight road starts this season and has pitched well, but he doesn't stay in games long enough. That means the Yankees' bullpen will have to finish. In the first two games of the series, the Yankees drew 12 walks, which put the Royals' pitching under constant pressure. But in his two starts, Lugo struck out 14 batters in 14 innings and walked just one Yankee batter.
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In his last seven starts, Lugo has allowed 2 ER or fewer six times. In one of those seven starts, Lugo pitched 7 innings, allowed 3 hits, and struck out 10 in a 5-0 shutout win over the Yankees. He’s 16-9 on the season and has a 3.03 ERA for the season. Schmidt hasn’t pitched great, but he does have a 2.85 ERA and he pitched much better on the road compared to at Yankee Stadium. For the season, Schmidt’s road ERA was 1.39. He should be able to fend off the Royals before the bullpen takes over.