Royals Edge Yankees with Dramatic Finish
The Kansas City Royals ended their four-game losing streak in spectacular fashion, as Maikel Garcia's game-ending two-run double off New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes lifted Kansas City to a 4-3 victory. This win on Sunday allowed the Royals to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees, who had dominated the opening three games of the series.
Marsh's Stellar Performance
Rookie pitcher Alec Marsh was a standout performer for the Royals, carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. Marsh’s impressive outing included a leadoff single to Juan Soto in the seventh, which was the first hit he allowed. Following that, he retired the next three batters to complete his 96-pitch effort. "I thought we had a good game plan going in," said Marsh. "Me and [catcher Freddy Fermin] were on the same page all day. I just felt comfortable out there."
Encouragement was not in short supply either. "I couldn't be more proud of those guys," said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. "You're down. That's a really good club with an elite closer coming in. The way they hustle, the way they never quit, it's inspiring for me to come to work every day to be around these guys."
Yankees' Brief Resurgence
Despite Marsh's efforts, the Yankees mounted a comeback in the eighth inning against reliever John Schreiber. Anthony Rizzo brought New York within one run with a homer, following a critical error by Royals second baseman Garrett Hampson that set the stage for Anthony Volpe's RBI grounder. The Yankees took a 3-2 lead after Angel Zerpa surrendered an RBI single to Soto.
Royals' Nine-Inning Comeback
In the ninth inning, the Royals engineered their own comeback. Drew Waters started with an infield single against Holmes. Following a fielder's choice, Kyle Isbel singled to bring up Maikel Garcia. Garcia delivered a liner down the left-field line, scoring MJ Melendez and Isbel to clinch the game for the Royals. James McArthur sealed the victory for Kansas City by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Kansas City's Standout Players
While Marsh undoubtedly stole the spotlight, many other Royals players contributed significantly. Nestor Cortes allowed two runs over seven innings for New York, effectively lowering his road ERA from 6.17 to 5.57. Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the fourth inning, later scoring on Vinnie Pasquantino's two-run double. The Royals’ sixth-inning threat was curtailed when Witt was caught stealing after a pickoff throw by Cortes.
Manager Matt Quatraro added some drama when he was ejected for arguing obstruction by Yankees’ Gleyber Torres. The fiery discourse reflected the Royals' fighting spirit and determination to win. Quatraro spoke about the memorable moment with Marsh, joking, "Quatraro told me he didn't even know I had a no-hitter going," to which Marsh replied, "I responded, 'Don't get tossed next time.’”
Looking Forward
Following this gripping victory, the Royals hold second place in the AL Central and hope to build on this momentum. The triumph also helped them avoid a four-game sweep and ended their four-game losing streak. "I thought Nestor was good," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, commending his own pitcher. "It was a good pitchers' duel. His fastball was playing up. He was at 90, 91, 92, but it had something on it. He had a presence on both sides. I thought he did a good job, like Marsh, of mixing things up to give us seven strong innings."
As the Royals savor this hard-fought win, the Yankees now need to regroup and strategize for upcoming games. The sports scene never lacks excitement, as demonstrated by this thrilling matchup, and both teams undoubtedly have their eyes set on future victories.