Recap: Yankees Score 10, Defeat Royals in Battle of the Bullpens

It was Tanaka Tuesday in the Bronx as Yankees’ ace Masahiro Tanaka aimed to keep the momentum rolling from the series-opening victory against the Kansas City Royals.

The offense had powered the team to a 6-3 win on Monday, and Tanaka was hoping for the same love from his Bombers. In his last start against the Baltimore Orioles he received zero run support through eight dominant innings.

Once again, the Yankees’ lineup was devoid of lead-off man Jacoby Ellsbury, who is still favoring a hip injury and potentially approaching a short DL stint. Joe Girardi also informed the media that Mark Teixeira will be out for a day or two with neck spasms. Filling in at first base for him on Tuesday was Dustin Ackley.

Starlin Castro was back in the field and batting in the no. 2 hole after sitting out last game due to a sore oblique. Rookie Ben Gamel, who collected his first major-league hit in Monday’s contest, earned his debut start in right field.

Yankees’ shortstop Didi Gregorius made a magnificent play in the top of the 1st to rob Eric Hosmer of a line-drive hit. His diving catch likely bailed Tanaka out of early trouble, because Alcides Escobar had been lingering on first base following a first-pitch single.

In the bottom-half of the inning, Castro ripped New York’s first hit of the ballgame between the shortstop and third baseman. Brian McCann followed it up with a bloop single to center, and Carlos Beltran kept the hit parade going with a single into right field. The bases were juiced for Ackley, who lifted a sac fly to score Castro and put the Yankees up early, 1-0.

Cheslor Cuthbert, substituting in at third base for the injured Mike Moustakas, lifted a two-run shot beyond the left field confines to put the Royals on top in the 2nd.

Gregorius and Chase Headley teamed up against Royals’ pitcher Kris Medlen to tie the game in the bottom of the 2nd. After Didi pummeled a double into the right field corner, Headley barely missed his first extra base hit of the season, but still picked up the RBI on a missile into the outfield.

Lorenzo Cain would end up having an incredible night, which began when he launched a solo homer to right field off Tanaka, putting Kansas City up 3-2.

But the Yankees answered right back in their half of the 3rd, as a Beltran double and a walk to Ackley ended Medlen’s night at only 2+ innings pitched. Brian Flynn took over with Aaron Hicks at the plate. On a 1-2 count, Flynn bounced a wild pitch behind Salvador Perez that advanced the runners to second and third, which became a moot point when Flynn walked Hicks to load the bases. Didi capitalized and broke the game open with a 3-run double into right-center field.

After an action-packed three innings, the Yankees led the defending World Series champions 5-3.

But the lead wouldn’t last. Tanaka didn’t seem to appreciate his new-found run support when he coughed up another home-run to Cain, this one a 3-run blast that Statcast measured at 109 mph off the bat.

However, Ackley came through against Joakim Soria in the bottom of the 7th, tying the game 6-6 on an RBI-single that snuck its way through the infield. McCann was able to score thanks to a balk that had previously advanced him to second base and a high throw from left fielder Alex Gordon to home plate on the play, which would’ve smoked McCann if it was on target. Ackley moved up to second on the throw, and Hicks came through in the clutch to score him on an RBI-double to left.

With a one-run lead, the Yankees were primed to use Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman in the final two innings.

A solid plan it seemed, but baseball can be an unpredictable mistress. Miller, who had dominated in his closer role, gave up a homer to the first batter he faced as the Yankees’ setup man in the 8th inning. Care to guess who hit this one out?

If you had Cain for his third tater of the night, you would be correct.

Looking to recapture the lead before turning the ball over to Chapman, the Yankees had life in the bottom of the 8th. Royals’ Gold Glove shortstop Escobar bobbled a ball that would have been a routine ground out. Instead, Gamel (who has surprisingly long hair considering the Yankees’ policy) reached first base with one out. Brett Gardner was up next, and he stung a pitch into the left-center gap for an RBI double that scored Gamel all the way from first. McCann widened the gap to 10-7 with a booming two-run double off the center field wall.

With a three-run lead, Chapman was in charge of firing his first save with the New York Yankees. He retired his first batter on a ground out, struck out Christian Colon on a 100-mph fastball, walked Escobar, and got Yankee-killer Cain to pop out weakly to end the game. Chapman threw 21 pitches–all fastballs–and topped out at 101 mph.

On Wednesday, the Yankees will try and lock up the series in the third game of four to be played against Kansas City. Michael Pineda (1-3, 5.73) is set to start against Yordano Ventura (2-2, 4.65). The game will start at 7:05 PM ET and can be viewed on YES Network and ESPN.