KANSAS CITY —For nearly two full innings, the Yankees looked stuck. Their bats had gone quiet. Michael Wacha had retired nine straight. A one-run hole felt heavier than the scoreboard suggested.
Then the ninth inning arrived, and everything changed.
This Memorial Day matinee at Kauffman Stadium tested the Yankees’ resolve. The Yankees jumped ahead early. They let the lead slip. They watched a familiar face spoil their afternoon. And still, somehow, they found a way.
Yankees jump ahead before lead slips away
The early script favored the Yankees. Cody Bellinger opened the second inning with his seventh home run of the year. The 403-foot drive to right marked his first road blast of the season. Two outs later, Anthony Volpe worked a walk and J.C. Escarra singled to set the table. Jose Caballero then lined an RBI single into the right-center gap for a 2-0 edge.
The cushion did not hold. Will Warren walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the second. Michael Massey then lifted a sacrifice fly to trim the margin. The Yankees kept missing chances, too. They stranded a runner at third base in both the third and fourth innings.
Wacha settled in after that. The veteran righty retired nine Yankees in a row and finished seven full frames. The Yankees’ early aggression faded into frustration.
The Royals tied it in the sixth. Salvador Perez crushed a two-seamer to left for his 136th home run at Kauffman Stadium. That blast matched George Brett’s stadium record. It also pulled Perez within five of Brett’s franchise mark of 317.
Warren still gutted out a strong outing. He gave up two runs over six innings and kept the game within reach. His manager praised the growth.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said his young starter wobbled but never broke.
“[Warren] kind of grinded today,” Boone said. “It’s just a sign of how far he has come as a pitcher. Six innings, two runs allowed. The game could have gotten away from him very easily.”
Then came the eighth, and the Yankees’ grip loosened again. Jake Bird hung a curveball to Bobby Witt Jr. The Royals’ franchise shortstop hammered it 432 feet down the left-field line for a 3-2 lead. Yankees fans across the Tri-State area braced for another deflating loss.
Volpe delivers the swing that flipped the game
The ninth started just as quietly. Bellinger grounded out on the first pitch against closer Lucas Erceg. Fourteen straight Yankees had now been retired. The comeback seemed unlikely.
Here is where the afternoon turned.
Paul Goldschmidt jammed himself on a pitch and chopped a broken-bat roller toward shortstop. The ball died on the grass. Witt had no play. Goldschmidt beat it out for an infield single and a rally was born.
Boone explained how the veteran first baseman earned the spark.
“Goldy gets rewarded there,” Boone said. “Getting blown up on the fists and he’s able to beat it out. Then a good at-bat by Jazz to sneak it past the first baseman.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. came next and slapped a hustle double past first baseman Perez. He raced to second and tweaked his right ankle, but stayed in. Pinch-runner Max Schuemann moved to third. Two runners were now in scoring position for the Yankees.
That set the stage for Anthony Volpe, who had not started the previous two games.
The 24-year-old shortstop fell behind 1-2. Erceg fired a slider, but it caught too much of the plate. Volpe drove a knee-high pitch into left-center field. Two runs scored. The Yankees suddenly led the Royals 4-3.
Boone admired the at-bat under the toughest count.
“No panic there with two strikes,” Boone said. “He doesn’t chase a pitch to net him another opportunity and gets one elevated enough.”
David Bednar handled the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees closer recorded two quick outs, then walked pinch-hitter Lane Thomas. The lapse did not matter. Maikel Garcia bounced to third, where Caballero made a clean play to end it. Bednar earned his 12th save.
Streak over Royals nears rare Yankees territory
The 4-3 win extended one of the most lopsided streaks in baseball. The Yankees have not lost to Kansas City since Sept. 10, 2024. That run now spans 11 straight regular-season meetings plus the clinching game of the 2024 AL Division Series. They are just one away to tie their 12-win streak recorded in 1997-98.
It is also the longest Yankees winning run against a single opponent since 2020. New York last managed the feat by taking 12 in a row from Boston across the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Volpe’s grind makes the moment matter
Volpe’s path to the moment made it sweeter for the Yankees. He underwent shoulder surgery last October. He lost his job to Caballero. He was optioned to Triple-A. Now he is delivering in the clutch.
Volpe kept his focus on the group after the game.
“It just felt great to contribute and help the team win,” Volpe said. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. That was all I ever wanted to do while I was working and grinding to come back.”
His teammates noticed. Chisholm wrapped him in a bear hug on the field and shared his pride.
“In that moment where we needed it the most, (Volpe) came in and helped us win that game right there,” Chisholm said. “I was super excited for my guy.”
The lineup itself was a fresh experiment. Boone started Volpe and Caballero together for the first time this season. Wacha owns reverse splits, so two right-handed bats made sense. Caballero handled third base and called it “like riding a bike.”
Aaron Judge admired the result from the dugout rail. He waved a white towel as the runs crossed and trusted his shortstop in the spot.
“In that situation, I knew Volpe was gonna get the job done,” Judge said. “He was down two strikes and you’re going against their closer, but when he’s right and feeling healthy, man, he puts the ball in play and makes things happen.”
The victory also helped in the standings. Tampa Bay lost on a walk-off in Baltimore. The Yankees‘ AL East position shrank to 3.5 games.
Cam Schlittler takes the ball Tuesday night. The right-hander carries a 6-2 record and a 1.50 ERA into his 12th start. The Royals are expected to open with a bullpen game against the Yankees.
What do you think about the Yankees’ comeback win?
