Royals let Yankees walk away with win in AL Division Series opener

By: Larry Fleisher, The Associated Press Posted: 11:11 PM CDT Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — Given a lead, the Kansas City Royals' pitching staff let the New York Yankees walk away with a playoff win.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

NEW YORK (AP) — Given a lead, the Kansas City Royals' pitching staff let the New York Yankees walk away with a playoff win.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/10/2024 (395 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEW YORK (AP) — Given a lead, the Kansas City Royals’ pitching staff let the New York Yankees walk away with a playoff win.

Facing the team that led the major leagues in walks during the regular season, the Royals held the lead three times, only to see it erased when their pitchers struggled to find the strike zone during a 6-5 loss to the Yankees in their AL Division Series opener Saturday night.

Kansas City tied a season high by issuing eight walks for the third time. It was the first time the Royals handed out that many free passes since July 4 against Tampa Bay, though they also walked seven batters during a 10-4 loss at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 9.

Kansas City Royals pitcher Angel Zerpa walks off the field after walking home a run against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning of Game 1 of the American League baseball division series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

“That’s really uncharacteristic for us,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s something you don’t want to try to fight back from against a team like that. So that was uncharacteristic and unfortunate because that’s not really who we are as a staff.”

Angel Zerpa and John Schreiber in particular struggled with their command, issuing bases-loaded walks to Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe in the fifth inning that allowed the Yankees to take a 5-4 lead. Zerpa also walked Aaron Judge on a slider before walking Wells on a sinker that was high and inside.

“They looked at a lot of pitches,” Zerpa said through a translator. “We were close, but not good enough pitches to make them count.”

Schreiber got two quick outs but fell behind Volpe and walked the shortstop on a sinker that was outside.

“They’re a great team,” Schreiber said. “We’ve just got to go out there and keep trying to execute pitches and get them out, and that’s the biggest thing.”

It was the first time the Yankees drew a pair of bases-loaded walks in a postseason game since Bullet Joe Bush and Joe Dugan against the New York Giants’ Rosy Ryan in Game 6 of the 1923 World Series.

Zerpa and Schreiber combined to walk three of the seven hitters they faced after starter Michael Wacha walked three in four-plus innings and was pulled following a walk to Gleyber Torres to open the fifth. Wacha threw 44 of 70 pitches for strikes and issued at least three walks for the sixth time this year.

“You try to stay on the attack and make good, quality pitches,” Wacha said. “I was able to do that at times and then not at times as well.”

After Zerpa and Schreiber walked Wells and Volpe, Sam Long opened the sixth by walking No. 9 hitter Alex Verdugo, who later scored on a tying single by Wells.

“I think you’ve got to treat everybody the same,” Long said about pitching to the Yankees. “They’re a good lineup, no doubt about it. There’s a little bit more emphasis on making quality pitches. So just come in and execute better next time.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb