Royals Edge Yankees in Dramatic Fashion
The Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia delivered a game-ending two-run double off Yankees closer Clay Holmes, enabling his team to edge out New York 4-3. The clutch hit allowed the Royals to avoid a four-game sweep.
Marsh's No-Hit Bid
Rookie pitcher Alec Marsh carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning against the Yankees. Marsh's performance was a bright spot for Kansas City as he allowed a leadoff single to Juan Soto in the seventh. Despite giving up the hit, Marsh retired the next three batters, concluding his impressive 96-pitch outing.
Yankees' Dominance and Comeback
The Yankees had dominated the first three games of the series. They mounted a comeback against Royals reliever John Schreiber in the eighth inning. Anthony Rizzo brought New York within one run with a homer. A critical error by second baseman Garrett Hampson set the stage for Anthony Volpe's RBI grounder, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead after Angel Zerpa surrendered an RBI single to Soto.
The Royals Rally
However, the Royals were not done. Drew Waters hit an infield single in the ninth inning against Holmes. Following a fielder's choice, Kyle Isbel singled to bring up Garcia. Garcia then delivered a liner down the left-field line, driving in MJ Melendez and Isbel for the walk-off win.
Securing the Win
James McArthur secured the win for Kansas City by pitching a scoreless ninth inning. The victory snapped the Royals' four-game losing streak and kept them in second place in the AL Central.
Key Performances
Nestor Cortes of the Yankees allowed two runs over seven innings, lowering his road ERA to 5.57 from 6.17. Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the fourth inning and later scored on Vinnie Pasquantino's two-run double. The Royals' sixth-inning threat was cut short when Witt was caught stealing following a pickoff throw by Cortes.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro was ejected for arguing obstruction by Gleyber Torres, adding to the drama of the game.
Post-Game Reactions
After the game, Marsh praised the game plan he and catcher Freddy Fermin had. "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."
Royals manager Matt Quatraro couldn't be prouder of his team's effort. "I couldn't be more proud of those guys," Quatraro said. "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 manager Aaron Boone also had positive words for his pitcher. "I thought Nestor was good," commented Boone. "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."
Marsh humorously recounted a conversation with Quatraro. "Quatraro told me he didn't even know I had a no-hitter going," Marsh said. "I responded, 'Don't get tossed next time.'"
The Road Ahead
The Royals hope to build on this thrilling victory, while the Yankees need to regroup after a tough loss. The game showcased the resilience and hustle of the Royals and set the stage for an exciting continuation of the season.