About Last Night: The Yankees Outlasted the Royals 6-5
By Tim Kabel
October 6, 2024
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The Yankees opened the 2024 postseason with an exciting, hard-fought victory over the Royals. Gerrit Cole was flat and not on his game after a nine-day layoff. The Yankees did not look especially sharp, but they did what they had to do to win the game. It wasn’t easy or pretty, but it was a win. In the playoffs, that’s all that matters.
Quick Stats –
· There were five lead changes in the game.
· The Yankees and the Royals combined to use 11 pitchers.
· Juan Soto threw Salvador Perez out at home in the second inning. He had the second-most outfield assists in the American League this season with 10.
· Since Luke Weaver has become the closer, he has not allowed an earned run.
· The Royals’ pitchers walked 8 Yankees’ batters.
· The Yankees were 2-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. Luckily, they won anyway.
The Big Story –
If the Yankees are going to win the 2024 World Series, they need 11 victories in the postseason. It does not matter how they get the wins. It doesn’t matter who pitches well or gets the win or the save. It doesn’t matter who gets the game-winning hit or drives in the winning run. None of those things matter. The only thing that matters is winning the game. The Yankees won the first game in the 2024 postseason last night. They need 10 more. They need to do whatever it takes to get them.
Player of the Game –
Luke Weaver earned a 4-out save, allowing no hits or walks. He had 3 strikeouts.
Notable Performances –
Gleyber Torres was on base three times and hit a two-run home run.
Juan Soto was 3-5 and threw out a runner at home.
Better to Forget:
Giancarlo Stanton was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Hopefully, he is not in one of his dormant periods.
My Take –
Aaron Judge did not have a good game. Gerrit Cole was not sharp. Anthony Volpe was hitless and made an error. The Yankees won anyway. It was a back-and-forth game with five lead changes. The Royals did not go quietly.
The Yankees had a bye in the first round of the playoffs. This was a game they had to win. They had their ace, Gerrett Cole, pitching. They needed to win the game and they did. The Royals did not have a bye. They used their two best starting pitchers, Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo in the wild card round against the Orioles. Ragans and Lugo will pitch the next two games against the Yankees.
It was imperative that the Yankees take advantage of the bye and win last night. Although it was not a pretty game and was not crisply played, they won. Now, the Yankees need to go hard against the Royals. The Royals are not pushovers. The Yankees can beat them and should beat them but, they will need contributions from everyone to do so.
I still have major concerns about Aaron Boone’s managerial abilities. His questionable decision to bring the infield in the 6th inning led to two runs being scored by the Royals. The Yankees won anyway. I'm willing to bet that will not be Boone’s last dubious decision this postseason. I don't know if the team will overcome the ones in the future. We will have to see.
The Yankees certainly could have beaten the Royals even if they lost this first game. It simply would have been a lot more difficult. They cannot afford to take their foot off the gas pedal, and they need to push on. Accumulating a total of eleven wins is what they need to focus on. That needs to be done one win at a time.
I have baked many cakes in my life. However, I am not much of a cake decorator. Frequently, the cakes I bake are not works of art. They are not impressive in their appearance. However, everyone who has ever eaten a cake I have baked has proclaimed it to be delicious. The Yankees do not need to play beautiful, spotless, impeccable games in the playoffs. It would be nice. However, they need to win. That is what they did last night and it's what they need to do going forward. Like my father always said, “It doesn't matter how the cake looks, it's how it tastes that counts.” A win always tastes good.
Next Up-
Monday, the Yankees will play the second game of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals at 7:38 PM at Yankee Stadium. Carlos Rodon, (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will face Kansas City’s Cole Ragans, (1-0, 0.00 ERA).
the Yankees did not play as well as they should have played.
they looked like an off-Broadway cast playing in the rehearsal before the dress rehearsal.
and they out-played the Royals and won.
some folks will understand that the Yankees might well have lost and didn't really earn the win
other folks will understand that the Yankees demonstrated that they are the better, deeper team
and still others will understand that ..... it dont mean a thing...... and that the next one is all that is now important
The Yankees looked shaky and Royals walked the game away.... all they need to do is split and they move on!
Neither team looked like a playoff team last night. Can't blame the layoff because the Royals looked almost as bad as the Yankees. Soto hit (but no runs scored or RBIs) but Judge didn't and Cole was not good so one bright spot is that a 2-run homer by Torres, key hits by Wells and Verdugo and some bases loaded walks supplied enough offense and the bullpen (even Holmes) held the fort.
Burn the tape and get ready for Ragans in Game 2.
A win is a win, but there was (almost) nothing that brought confidence to me about that game and this postseason. I'll go out on a limb, and say their infield is the worst in the playoffs. Wally made a few excellent scoops, besides that and a nice play going to his right by Gleyber, they are shaky at best. Judge looks out of whack and unless he finds his groove, it will be difficult to make up for the weakness on the infield. Also, pulling the infielders in during that critical 6th inning play was a bone headed move by Boone. He got away with it, this time. Next time? I'm not so sure.
"Juan Soto threw Salvador Perez…
About Boone. Even the national announcers are talking about it. It's not the Manager's moves that should be questioned, too much is based on analytics that the dugout is told what to do.
The moment, at least for Game 1 was not too big for Wells. Too bad same couldn't be said for Volpe.
Verdugo may not be as good as we'd hoped, but he is another hitter The Cashman Way of Coaching has let down.
Soto has a Brett Gardner type of arm, not that strong but very accurate.