 We are under the lights this evening as we get you set for another edition of baseball on the show ought to be a good one here between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees the Yanks attempt to break out the brooms in this three game series right after this Jay half a southpaw from Illinois gets the starting call in this one and please act. What do you got? Hey Maddy V this ought to be a fun one to watch this guy's been around the block for a while But he's having a rock solid season with a real good ERA It'll be really interesting to see how he attacks his opposing lineup. So striding forward now at Alberto Montesee Get us started in this one under the lights Ready to deliver here's the first pitch And he takes ball one and as the Yankees get started here tonight guys They come in off another victory last time out and now they're winners of eight of their last nine ball games Yeah, Maddy. This team finds itself with a huge lead double digits right now and climbing playing really good baseball Some people will say oh, you don't want to have that big a lead you start resting on your laurels I look at it the other way man You've earned the right to kind of get some guys off their feet if the manager wants There's a lot of different ways you can go about it. This team's focused in playing really good baseball I would not worry about it keep pushing the throttle the two one Try to bunt for a base hit here as he gets this one down And a wise decision there to make sure this ball stays foul and that's the second strike Swung on but it's pulled foul wide of third Weak grounder down the line at third Oh, and he has some trouble with it And this is a case of a hitter's reputation Proceeding the ball was a little dribbler to the left side, but he knew the guy had speed So he rushed it and ends up unable to make a clean play That's another example of why speed is such an offensive weapon now move over to first a dive, but he's back first pitch to him 37 years old He's in the midst of his 14th major league season. So I guess you could say baseball has been good to him Yeah, matty This guy has had an amazing career and you know what it's a testament to how hard he's worked The changes he's had to made this is a game of adjustments And you don't hang around this long if you're not prepared to make some adjustments along the way Time to take a look at the umpires in this one behind the plate is mike filmore Hey, you know d-roll mike filmore He'll give a little bit off the edges, but he gets the respect not only from the pitchers But from the players because his zone is consistent. Yeah as long as he's consistent dan I'm okay with mike filmore's zone if a pitcher's pound in that zone. He wants to give a little bit off the outer edge I'm okay with that One and two here it comes and a fastball in the dirt that's taken for a ball Monday see a board here at first with nobody out Had to sit back on the changeup and he did a good job to get the bat on that one Could take there to lay off the high fastball Gotta believe that runner from first is going to be in motion Especially in this situation as an offensive player just hit something hard because those defenders are going to be moving Now with throw over and he'll be back in standing up Ready takes strike three called on the fastball one gone One thing to know is not all strikeouts are created equal right there He goes down on strikes, but he really made that guy in the mound work for it And when you're doing that in the first inning it can have an effect on how deep he's going to be able to go into this start There's a big difference between that and going down on three or four pitches With merafield next to hit and a swing from him yields a foul pop out of play to the right A pitch out nothing doing though and that's ball one Per second offered added missed here's the throw Is well behind the play that's an easy stolen base We all know this team is struggling right now. They're on a losing streak So when that's the case sometimes you need to be a little bit more aggressive and try to put some pressure on your opponents Stolen bases are a good way of doing that So we'll see if it pays off on the scoreboard for him right now Skied into straight away right Judge is there two down Coming to the plate now Jorge so there opportunity for him here to pick up that runner from second with two away First delivery to him on the way fouled away He set the oh one And that misses downstairs for a ball one and one just got the corner that time with a fastball strike two Two and two to Jorge so there That's a good take on a fastball out of the zone. Hey, I get it He's looking for a ball to drive but that ball was a little bit too far up in the zone That's one you normally pop right up three and two full count. He with the payoff pitch Back up the middle and that's through into center field base hit He'll get it into second The tag and they'll get him at second and with that the side is retired Royals settled for just the one On now to the bottom of ending number one Royals out in front one to nothing Mike Montgomery is ready to go as he'll be on the mound for kansas city. What's your take on him dan? Yeah, man, his last start wasn't a particularly good one lasted five innings and ended up taking the loss He's a much better pitcher than that and I think he's looking to at least Hopefully pitch into the sixth or seventh inning in this one. Here's miguel endohar now It'll leave things off here in the bottom half of the first Cutter runs outside ball one dan D row we take a look at the royals as they enter play here tonight They are in the midst of a pretty bad stretch as they've dropped six straight coming in It was wind up. Here comes the 1-0 Now a pitch popped up should be enough room for parez behind the plate And he'll stay with it here as he puts the squeeze on it for route number one Here's big erin judge First shot for him here as he comes in currently leading the junior circuit in hitting This season really shouldn't come as a surprise to many We all know what kind of skill this guy produces when he has a bat in his hands Here comes the first pitch Ball one as he lays off below the zone and he looks at a curveball that falls in one and one Who I'm shocked he got away with that one boys Curveball right down the middle of the plate and for him to take that pitch looking He had to be sitting on something else, but he should have pulled the trigger And a change up here, but that's taken low in the dirt for a ball He's falling behind now three and one They know the threat this guy possesses at the plate I know it's three one in this situation right here, but I can't imagine anything comes over the heart of the plate Close as this control deserts him here. It's a five-pitch walk Oh, you know a pitcher is really fighting himself when he misses the zone by that much I'm surprised the catcher could even bring that in Now with the plate jon carlo stenton as he'll get his first opportunity in this one. He's set here it comes And he lays off here, but it's a cold strike one Well, if you could throw it for a strike consistently a first pitch changeup is effective Hitters are almost never looking for it Too much dip on the sinker laid off for a ball Runner at first here one man out will offer on that one two balls and a strike Hasn't seen a heater yet in this at bat one might be coming right here the two one Saws him off here as his balls popped into the air To second for one writing forward now torres and he's someone they're gonna have to watch out for You can see he's been a tough out over the last couple of series Ready to deliver. Here's the first pitch Hey, I know the tying runs at first right here, but if the pitcher on the mound executes keeps the ball in play I think good things are gonna happen Two out with the man at first that evens it up one and one Bouncer up the middle And the inning will continue as that's through for a two out hit Nice execution right there Dan kept his front shoulder in Kept his hands inside the baseball and ripped the base If your pitch is right there, you can't hit the skirt sometimes even when you make a good ditch The ball is going to find a hole somewhere that would right up the middle Stepping up now Brett Gardner and he's been swinging it well the last couple of games He's set and the pitch This is on the ground over to first Scooped up and the two out threat will not come to pass as the inning is over Yanks strand a pair. They still trail one nothing Second inning set to go and that'll bring up hunter-gozer First offering on its way sent on the ground but right into the shift Pro to first will be in time and there's one gone here to start the second Salvador Digging in now Salvador Perez you'll get to take his first cuts here pitch on the way Low with a fastball here in the dirt even hits ball one Today's contest is of course the finale of the series and the Yankees have dominated so far They've got the opportunity to complete the sweep with a win in this one You know and it's not an easy thing to complete a sweep Particularly in this day and age where the games and the teams are so competitive So a sweep at home would be extra special a ball and two strikes to the royals catcher I can't imagine he was sitting on fastball at his neck right there He is going to have to lower his sights if he's going to have any chance Holds slowly down the first baseline the one two Is taken for ball two Don't be surprised if he gets another back foot slider right here Don't think for a second just because he took the first one that this pitcher won't come back Exactly the same way the two two one more time eighth pitch of the at bat coming up and another foul ball I know the fans love the souvenirs, but the battle between the pitcher and batter right here is what makes the game great Neither guy giving in here's the next one And he finally wins the battle as this is swung on and missed for the second out Nice two-seeing fastball there You don't usually see a lot of swings and misses with that pitch unless it's really moving So that one must have had some real good late life At the plate michael franco As the first pitch to him is swung on and missed for strike one Bases are empty here with two men out. He fouls this one off. It's fouled away another oan two coming And on oan two he misses with a fastball still one and two as he fouls it away Two out nobody on Drilled the first The off balance throw is right there for the third out and a high degree of difficulty on that one as the side is retired Royals go down one two three and after an ending and a half. It's one to nothing Here's the second baseman dj. Lemay here and he's looking to turn things around ice cold at the plate in recent action For here's the first pitch Here's a shot to left field and deep look at this Boom Fourth home run for him on the season and the yankees have drawn even now at one apiece Hey, listen, there's an old adage in baseball that solo home runs won't kill you This is one of the top hitters in that lineup. So a home run a solo home run right here It's not the end of the world Playing in Giovanni urshella first at bat form as he enters play third in the american league batting race Now here's the pitch And that misses ball one Too much bite on the sinker and he's behind two and oh now That's where he wants that sinker to end up. But that was a nice job of laying off Popped him up Mundes he is under it One away Stepping into the box look boy Stoffering on its way Bases are empty one man out lying toward the gap in left center And this is into the alley and ought to be good for extra bases In at second base with a one out double off the bat It was pretty clear right away that that hit was going to get him at least two bases Yeah, man, some people like to curl about homers and towering drives But you have to like hits like this a no doubt double the second it left his bat Like you said, the only question was whether the outfielders were going to be able to keep them at second Which they did Standing in Kyle Higashiyoka And he's seen his numbers on the rise here over the last five games or so But he here's the first offering Swing and a ball hit toward the shortstop Mundes see Reigned in Pro gets him two down So it's back to the top of the order now and striding into the plate It'll be Miguel Endujar from the stretch. Here's the pitch On the season, Endujar hits a little over the 270 mark Ready with the 0 and 1 and a sinker dips too low there into the dirt in fact Runner in scoring position at second with two down Hit back up the middle Mundes see scoops it up throw to first in plenty of time and the side is retired Some of our nation's young minds and future leaders here in attendance Yikes Thursday night baseball rolls on we'll have more after this Welcome back to the Bronx where these fans have witnessed a lot of good pitching from their Yankees this season Coming into the day They rank first in the league in both eRA and strikeouts a combination that has opposing lineup searching for answers One member of the staff told me it's a special group of guys I've never been on a pitching staff that's so dominant top to bottom and i've been on some pretty good ones Now one of the hitters on the team told me i'm relieved i get to stand behind them and play defense instead of staring Them down in the box that can't be fun Matt back to you number 66. All right, hidey. Thank you Digging in ryan. Oh her and for him you have to think a turnaround is coming clearly not going his way of late the pitch That's lifted the other way out to left Stanton giving chase But he won't get to it and this should put a man in scoring position to start the inning And he'll pull into second here with nobody out So quickly into scoring position here following the opposite field double And as we take a look there at the kansas city team leaders in that category He's currently second best on this royals ball club brett philips will bet next As he'll take a change up here for strike one And you see that average below the dreaded mendosa line that here's the 01 And this one's downstairs. It's a ball and a strike a one-on-one count. Here's the pitch Taken called strike two on the inside part of the plate one and two now Aspall is right by him as he swings and misses for the first out of the inning Well, his struggles continue. It's been a rough goal that at the plate with him and watching this at bat It's clear to me that his rhythm and timing. They're just all off even as a pitcher like I was You can tell these things and exploit them to the plate now at alberto mundacy He swings and grounds at the short And a bit of a high throw that time, but no problem over there at first as they record the out Digging in for his second at bat alex gordon. He got called out on strikes his last time through Yeah, always frustrating to go down looking everybody does it though You'll have a few ab's where you get completely fooled. Look for him to be on the attack early in the set bat First pitch hack in here and that's the first strike Great execution of that change up right there. Great arm action batter was totally out front on that one He set the oh one Fastball right there with a two strike count. You know what that might be doing setting up the next pitch could be That hard slider down in a way something breaking down in a way off the plate The set and the one two Now a swing and the barrel of the bat breaks into that time Throw not nearly in time. So despite the great effort that'll go into the books as an infield single That's one of those do or die plays right there D road Good job there by the third baseman to get it has to do that bare hand That was a strong throw the first baseman just not in time for an infield single Yeah, dan you practice this one in spring training the bare hand from the third baseman It's not easy again all your momentum is going towards home plate And you try and find a way to redirect that ball to first base One of the best in the business, but even he Couldn't stop it from being an infield single the set and the one oh Time to start making some quality pitches. He finds himself in a tough spot behind an account with guys on base Runners on first and third two away Inside edge perhaps off the inside edge, but it's a called strike two and two now fastball well outside Three two two out runner on first Lots of possible outcomes on this pitch On strike three called and a great pitch there to retire the side Royal strand a pair home half of the third coming up tied at one Come to the third now and that'll bring up the big bat of erin judge Off the inside that time as the sinker misses for a ball Judge is simply an all-around great defensive outfielder. Not only does he have great range and great hands He's also got a plus arm one that base runners and base coaches certainly have to be mindful of Absolutely when you are in the meeting room preparing for this guy It is the first thing that jumps off the page. Do not take the extra base. Here's another one two Look out that one almost got away from him two and two now Ground ball sent back up the middle and the throw to first is in time one gun Into the box now Jean-Carlo Stanton reached by way of a fielder's choice his first time around infield in the over shift here now the pitch Starts him out with a change-up for a strike And that's a base hit in the left field flavor torrent As the sinker to him finds the zone for strike one One for one after a single his first time up price for the backhand reach at third But it gets by the gloves down the line Throw won't get him Hey guys this he's not known for being a singles hitter right here But that's his second knock at the game And i'm sure he'll take him but the guys on the other side of the scorecard might be thinking We really avoided a worse fate So here's the veteran Brett Gardner As the first pitch to him is off the plate for a ball one and own Both for one for him here in this one no pitch on the way Outside with the cut fastball there and it's a two ball count You want to talk about being in the zone this guy's been raking lately and it all starts with his pitch selection Two great takes and he's almost daring to pitch or just go ahead and challenge him Hit out towards second And that'll get through in the center field for a base hit and the run is in to score from third It's now a two to one ball game And time will be called here as the pitching coach heads out to the mound and hopefully try and settle this guy down a bit And that sends dj lamehu into the box as he will take strike one on the fastball here. No balls and a strike First and second now one man out Swing and a liner A leaping try but it's out of his reach and into the outfield Now it's cut off a throw to the plate and not in time as the run scores Well, there's a bullet they set the left field right there d row and there was a terrific play at the plate A lot of fundamentals were on display right there. Dan nice throw home from the left fielder and nice Aggressive send by the third base coach to beat that. Hey, it's really good base So I did a good job of cutting that corner around third base able to score on that base hit from left field at the plate Now geo or shell on as the first pitch to him's a change up that can't find the zone. It's ball one Well, I think he's got to find a way out of this jam and limit the damage If he's unable to do that this game could get away from him I did that one either. It's two and oh Still only one out in the inning now a called strike that time as the zone expands a bit here It's two and one now the pitch Lying to the right side Salir is back in plenty of time to put this away. However, and there are two gone The throw is wild and he gets away and he is in there Now that Stepping in and ready for another shot look void and we'll see what he can do here Two on two away two home so far this inning. I'm set. Here's the nothing and nothing pitch Sinker runs outside to start the at bat one and oh Well, that sinker is normally a really important pitch for him But it really has a bit effective so far. It just looks kind of flat Looking to minimize the damage here grounded to first and he'll step on the bag himself and the inning is over So it's two runs on four base hits No errors and a couple of men left on On now to the top of ending number four the Yankees lead this one three to one Start of the fourth upcoming but first Heidi Watney is standing by with a report Matt I talked with the Kansas City manager during the inning break about the royals offensive production to this point And flat out. He was very pleased with the quality of their at bats. Yes They've only scored one run But he said they've done a great job of forcing the pitch count up And he thinks that's going to lead to more offense for them as this game goes on Okay, thank you, Heidi All set for the start of the fourth and that'll bring up Jorge Salair to hit next Hey, we're still in the early stages and this one only down by a couple of runs But it's really key for this leadoff guy to try to get on and get a big inning started First offering on its way Pitcher wants to have a quick inning right here capitalized on the momentum his batters have Starts to go around but the home player says he held up ball two If i'm in the box right now, i'm coming unglued. He is going to throw something over the heart of the plate Here it comes the 3-0 Drilled down the line and this is going to be a foul ball the 3-1 Takes a strike for a full count now three and two Hey, he's got great feel for that pitch right there. He can throw it any time he wants for a strike And he lays off their ball four so the leadoff man is on here to begin stands a number four Now that Stepping in hunter dozier he got on top of one. It was a ground out victim last time Yeah, vady expect this pitcher to try and get the same result That's his last step that right here the double play is in order anything on the ground the way this defense is They could certainly roll two one ball. No strikes the count. You know one is our score here in inning number four Off speed pitch just missed inside Point not exactly what you'd like as a pitcher one of the keys is to minimize your pitches Attack the strike zone early a lot of deep counts and working himself into a lot of trouble High in the air down the right field line But this will wind up being a foul of all the two one Team's been struggling on offense. Let your d work for you right here pound the zone One run on three hits and no errors so far for the royals Fouled away. Here comes the payoff pitch popped up The gashioka over to his left Makes the play one away So we saw a fastball there as he got the pop out and that'll segue right into our pitch speed Comparison for these two starters and you can see that both guys are well into the 90s 95 on one hand and just two miles an hour slower on the other So a runner at first with one man gone and up next the former world series hero salvador parenza about the pitch Check swing, but he held up in time ball one Timing just a tick off there as this one's fouled off to the right Perez playing here in his age 29 season. He's a nine-year major league vet ball in a strike. Here's the pitch And this is drifting foul back into the stands Set to deal on a ball in two strikes Easy take there is the off speed pitch misses well inside He'll hang in with him another good swing to keep it going He stays alive still two and two Four foul balls in this ab pitcher cannot find anywhere to go to put this guy away Don't quite know where that one missed, but it's not for me to decide three and two Not a bad time right here to put that runner in motion three two count You send the runner and if it's a bad pitch it's ball four They off pitch home And a liner foul into the seats down the right side Lucky he got a piece right there. He was definitely late on that pitch after seeing a previous off speed pitch Smoke toward the hole and that gets through for a one-out base hit and that runner will go no further than second Is there are two aboard now? Well, that's one of the I guess the advantages of hitting with that hole between first and second base d-roll First baseman has to hold that runner on that leaves that right side wide open Yeah, and credit the batter right there nice piece of hitting right there not trying to do too much He took a look at the defense and saw it where it was aligned and tried to beat him Now that's popped up and this is going to wind up a foul ball He's over one after grounding out in his only trip to the plate so far One ball and one strike and some action out in the Yankee bullpen now as the right hander starts to loosen up Runners are at first and second with one away run this one in on him and he can't connect so he finds himself down one and two now In a big spot like this you have to be looking for something you can handle that pitch bunched him up completely So I think he's trying to do a little bit too much right now He's set and the one two pitch The one two the mound this is one of those innings where nothing comes easy He's throwing a bunch of pitches and this ab hasn't been any different definitely laboring at the moment a rope to the second baseman Stepping in ryan o'hearn two men on two away here in the fourth the first pitch to him He pops him up toward the left side of the infield for shella. He's got it and the side is retired Royal strand a pair score holds it's three to one Just about set to go for the last of the fourth, but before we do that. Here's Heidi Watney Thanks matt. I talked with the Yankees manager erin boon during the break about the team's offensive performance so far And one thing he mentioned is how well they're doing it simply putting the ball in play our research team found that to this point In the game they've only missed the ball on less than five percent of their swings major league average is closer to 25 Percent so to put it simply their hand-eye coordination at the plate is second to none right now Okay, thank you. Heidi Ready to go in the bottom of the fourth and up to bat next it'll be the catcher kyle higashioka First pitch of the at bat and that misses for ball one And this is on the ground from merafield at second and there's one away And that'll bring up miguel and duhar. He comes in over two thus far First pitch of the at bat on its way One up to third dozier brings it in And quickly there are two away ready for another shot now erin judge He was retired via the ground ball last time up Yeah maddie and it looked like a sinker in his last a b that got him to roll over Kind of similar situation right here similar stuff on the mound Look for them to try and get him to do exactly the same thing as his last a b He's got a fight to get it elevated just a little bit more Free runs seven hits and one error on the yankee line score so far That nibbled the corner there, but missed two and one You know what i'm seeing here is a reluctance to throw the fastball It's like he feels he can't throw the ball right by him right now Now the two one Hey, this is a huge at bat right here This pitcher wants to end this inning and have three four five do up to start the next inning His motion here comes the three and one Here's a swing in a long drive high in the air and deep to center field Moon goes the dynamite solo home run there for erin judge number 18 for him on the campaign As the yankees have taken a four to one lead No surprise with that swing of the bat This guy is simply one of the best in the game right now There's not too many guys that take a beautiful hack like that in the league Now Fold strike at the knees its own one a hidden two tries for him so far for the wind up here comes the o and one A swinging strike and now it's o and two Down o two maybe simplify the game plan right here get on the heater even though he has five weapons to go to Faces are empty here with two men out Did a good job to shorten up and protect the plate and he'll have another shot at it here Neither guy willing to give in and the ad battle continue The next o two Is swung on and misty got him Yanks able to add on one more via the solo home run We played four it's now four to one new york Jonathan holder a six foot two inch right-hander jogs in to take over on the mound 55 Late Brett Phillips comes into this at bat o for one in the ball game He's ready. Here's the first offering Who started in with the change and it's nothing in one Someone on this offense needs to take it upon themselves to have a quality ab and start the line moving again The wind up and the o one And he watches one dip low and inside for a ball one and one In front of the change up and he can't keep it fair two strikes on him now He fouls this one off and it's a two and two count to Brett Phillips Three and two a full count of the royal center fielder You could pretty much book it that a fastball's coming a challenge fastball right here He cannot allow the nine hole hitter to get on base with the top of the order loom A swing and a drive sent out toward the gap gardener going back Gone to lead off the inning It's a solo shot here for Brett Phillips home run number five on the year and the royals draw closer here It's now a four two ball game Well, you could see when that one was tracking towards home That was a hanging breaker right over the middle part of the plate and that one wasn't coming back Adelberto Montesey As the first pitch to him is taken alone away for ball one Oh for two from him so far in this one all in a straight No outs nobody on a two and one count to the leadoff hitter for kansas city to two and two now pitch on the way This is skied into the air to straight away center Gartner is there and he has it for the first out Alex Into the box now Alex Gordon lifetime versus this pitcher. He's one for three The field shifted well to the right. Here's the first pitch And the third baseman will have a look at it, but this is back into the seats One out nobody on and there's ball one now a good pitch around the knees But it doesn't quite catch the bottom of the zone Two and two now good job going down and hanging with it that time He's got that certainly timed up now. I'd be shocked if the pitcher goes to the well three times in a row at all speed There's a ball low. He misses with a change up Not a time to fool around right now on a three two count with the middle part of the order coming up expect a good pitch to swing at Making him sweat out there the seventh pitch coming up and Gordon looks at ball four He's going to be pretty upset with himself about that three two pitch All you want to do in that count is make a competitive pitch But that one wasn't even smithing the zone and he let him get away With merafield next to bat third trip to the plate for him here tonight offer two at this point Ready with the first pitch here it comes bounce to first And that gets through for a one-out base in and that runner will go no further than second is there are two A board now boy so frustrating as a pitcher you make a quality pitch on the inside half to the plate right there Try to bust him in d ronnie fights it off the other way Yeah, you tip your hat to the pitcher right there. He executed his pitch But nice job by the offensive player fighting. It doesn't matter what it looks like a knock's a knock In his whore hazel there and on the first pitch he grounds foul It was a walk in his last trip that and the 01 And a fastball way off target here and it's even at one First and second now one man out with slider there gets a swing amidst the one two Looks like this guy's afraid to throw the ball in the strike So gave up that home run earlier in the inning needs to get back to being aggressive two two I don't think he can afford another base runner here. So whatever pitch he feels best about Whichever one he feels most comfortable with that's the one to expect in the turn to Runners are at first and second with one away Swung on and driven to right and no doubt about it And this ball is gone No chance to make a play on that one. So it's a three run shot to straight away right field Number 17 for him on the season as they will take the lead here. It's now a five four ball game Another excellent swing right there. That's multiple home runs in the same inning watch yourself You're missing over the heart of the plate Louis Sessa a right hander standing six foot even will take over the pitching duties here Number eight That brings in hunter dozier And it's fouled away He's hit listen is too at bats so far into the wind up. Here comes the oan one Here's another one that's drilled this one to left back goes stanton at the track the wall gone Back to back homers A solo shot here to left number 10 for him on the year and it's now six to four How about the work the lineups have been doing so far fellas? Yeah, hey matty v this big ballpark in the Bronx has that short ports in right field d row But you can hit the ball out of just about any part of this ballpark Yeah, this place plays sneaky small. I know it's got big gaps But right that field is so juicy as a right-handed hitter You don't feel like you have to cheat not surprised by what we saw today This pitch coming here it is No The 1-0 the right side and a backhanded reach at first, but he can't flag it down And that certainly represents a career milestone hit number 1000. Yeah, that's pretty cool 1000 isn't a milestone that's going to get everyone talking But as an individual you have to feel pretty good about it He'll definitely be wanting that ball for his trophy case Now michael franco He'll take a look at ball one Oh for two for him to this point hit on the ground down the first baseline pro pulls him off the bag And he'll get in there safely Now that well, that's really hard to complain about this because that's one of the hardest double plays the turn The first baseman has to deal with the runner headed the second and he sometimes Shields you from throwing where you want to make the throw they should have made it But that's a tough play all the way around So striding in ryan. Oh her one for two with a double on his line thus far Ready with the first pitch here it comes Hey, this dude's clearly capable of clearing the bases with one swing So I think the approach to this guy is trying to keep the ball off to play See if they can get him to chase something Two balls and no stripes Hey, not a good spot to be down two and oh this guy has some serious pop at the plate I'm expecting a big hack here from the bell kicks and deals and whoa, but there's a swingy like back It's two and one now Hey, I can't have one of my best left-handed power bats fishing for balls off the plate to one here it is Now a shot toward the gap in left center Perez rounds third and is digging for the plate He'll score easily as they extend their lead to three and he'll pull into second with one away So much of this game is situational hitting guys nice job there Yeah, you've got to find a way to pick your teammates up when you're given the chance and he doesn't try to do too much Right here. He just takes what's there safely on second and his buddy is high-fiving teammates in the dugout Stepping in now Brett Phillips as he can't catch up on a fast ball to letters and it's strike one He's working on a one for two games so far That's over but low. It's a ball and a strike and this one runs a little too far in ball two Hey, lots of guys get too aggressive in a spot like this But he's done a nice job of gaining some count leverage look for him to put the ball and play hard And this is on the inside edge perhaps off the inside edge, but it's a called strike two and two now Not close with that when it's way above the strike zone Look like he tried to elevate a fastball on that two two pitch there But kind of overdid it with a pitch that high. It's pretty easy to lay off if you're the hitter three two pitch pulled toward right center field Catch made here in medium deep right center and the runners breaking from third Play at the plate and he's out a great throw But they get the long ball working here as they club three home runs in the inning on their way to putting up a sixth spot Home half of the fifth coming up. It's the royals seven and the Yankees four Set now for the bottom of the fifth and stepping in the long ball threat Torres First pitch on its way And now that royals bullpen will get busy as we see both the southpaw and a right-hander get loose to wind up and the 01 This is lying to left again a nice clean base hit as third of the game So that puts the leadoff man aboard to get the inning underway Hey another leadoff knock right there. This game has been full of offense full of traffic on the base pass Let's see who's going to get that big double in the gap to clear them Here's Brett Gartner now as he'll take a cold strike at the knees its own one Wouldn't the big keys to pitching well is getting ahead early on and it's been far from that for this guy so far Less than 50 percent of his first pitches have been for strikes The 01 on its way Off the plate one ball one strike foul ball left side and that'll move it to one and two Kicks and deals Now a double play ball the second four six Three, but it's not in time and they'll just get the one Now that that was kind of a high degree of difficulty play that time You see the off-balance throw the second base and he couldn't get a lot on it But they did get the out So one guy in the inning here with the runner at first and that'll bring in dj lamehue Got him picked off and a good decision to throw as he is toast at second base First pitch on its way finds its way through for a base hit The numbers don't lie. They've tagged them for 10 hits Including that last one and he's having a hard time getting out of any trouble They might be buying some time to let the relievers get a few more pitches in before they give him the book To the box now geo or shella as the first pitch sinker misses to him. It's ball one He's 0 for 2 in the ballgame so far Now this is the kind of count this guy feeds on at the plate You can bet he's geared to hit the fastball right here Down low and the plot thickens here three and oh We're starting to see a lot more balls from him now and that's a direct result of him getting hit around pretty good He's trying to do something different and it's resulting in him not tacking the strike zone anymore Swinging on three and oh and he can't keep it fair so it'll be three and one now Both teams with an even 10 hits in the ballgame That's in there and it'll run the count to full three and two Good spot for an rbi put the ball in play with the runner in motion. He could score all the way from first Good swing on a tough pitch and he'll stick around to see another one set. Here's the three and two Swing and a liner He leaps but he can't get it. It's down for extra bases and now it'll kick around in the corner And the runner scores all the way from first as they try and ship away at their deficit that makes it seven to five now And this is just a cut fastball. He's trying to sneak in the back door He's unable to get it done leaves it right over the heart of the plate And that that's just too easy for a guy like this He's licking his chops as the ball arrives and he drills it to the outfield for an extra base hit plate Look void as he'll take a look at a high strike that time It's nothing in one so far this season with runners in scoring position void is below the mendoza line Abandoning average under 200 unfortunately. He'd be the first to tell you he's not happy with the batting average on this season But he's found a way to get on base more than 350 work and walks with an unbelievable eye at the dish Two out here in a runner at second two balls in a strike to the yankees first baseman Don't make your manager be the bad guy in this situation. I know you struggled a little bit right here You've got to find a way to get through this fifth inning and qualify for that win And that finds the outfield grass for a base hit this will kick up against the wall now It's a second now, but he's safe as they also push across his score to make it a one run game Carl again giving up an rbi double is always painful But even more so when they're two outs in the inning A run had already crossed the plate and then he gives up a blistering double to allow another run on the ball Kyle Higashiyoka as the first pitch misses to limits ball one 0 for two from him so far in this one Painter in there for a base hit And the runner at third will put the brakes on here as they didn't want to chance it even with two outs Boyd Deereau, he's not missing very many barrels so far in this one that is back to back bullets And another base hit. Yeah, no doubt about it. There was this banner that hung into texas rangers clubhouse back in the day That said hit or get left behind. That's exactly what this offense is doing Now here comes the royal skipper up the stairs on his way to the mound And a change is forthcoming as that's going to do it for his starter here this evening So he'll depart here and you know, he would have loved one more out to qualify for the win But he's gone nonetheless after four and two-thirds Jesse Hahn Brought in from the bullpen here is he inherits a tough spot with two on and two away out of the plate Miguel Andujar He swings and hits it foul off to the right it out of play He could really use a knock here 0 for three in the game so far He'd here's the delivery ball to short Merrifield's right there to take the routine throw and retire the side So two runs on five hits no errors and a couple of men left We're through five here at the ballpark. The royals lead it seven to six Abelberto Mondese as the switch hitter will take his cuts left handed here This is somewhat of a cause for concern. This guy needs to hit better left handed against right handed pitching Third baseman in tight protecting the bunt the first pitch I couldn't lay off the pitch inside. It's oh and one right side hit hard And that is threw into right field for a single over to first and a dive, but he's back in Here's the left fielder alex gordon as he looks at a fastball that's in there for strike one One for two in the ballgame must far A pitch out the throw It bounces, but he's out nice play there to pick the throw and put the tag on quickly Wow, that's a big time throw right there and it's a tall task to throw him out stealing a back But he got rid of it quickly and it was a good job down there applying the quick tag They'll have to feel good about that shot down the line and this will stay inside the third base bag a fair ball The throw into second And he's able to hustle his way up the second as he'll reach here with a two base hit Now that good piece of hitting there, but you can't help wonder what might have been if the previous play didn't unfold Like the way it did if he doesn't get tagged out He probably scores on that one pretty easily instead. It's just a one out double plate now with merafield Takes this the other way to right that's in there base hit Nice piece of hitting right there looked like the guy on second had to respect it and freeze a little bit He had to freeze there for a second to make sure that line drive gets down But eventually does get the third base from the stretch And he'll start in with a fastball that misses down and away for a ball one and oh Hey, the bullpen needs to step up in this situation. I gotta believe the manager was hoping for way more than this Runners are at first and third one away here one and one wings through it for strike number two Big pitch coming up right here. He'd love for a ground ball or strikeout still one and two looking for the k Here's the pitch In the dirt and block behind the plate the job to corral this quickly as the runners hold on Runners you're at the corners with one man out He got him and it'll probably take a base hit now to get that runner across from third It's never a good look to strike out looking But it's way worse when you do it with a guy in scoring position Those are the times you really want to see a guy battle and at least put the ball in play Hunter dozier digging in now This he'll take a look at a strike right down the middle its own one He's working on a one for three thus far and it's one and one popped him up Boy it has a play And that ends the inning they'll strand a pair They'll try and hold him in the field now. It's seven to six And next it'll be the outfielder Aaron judge It'll be interesting to see if they use that change up in this at bat that last that bet that was a change up He hit for a home run. I'm going to see if this time they don't go to more Fastballs and curveballs no balls in one strike One and two now is that one's fouled off and this is swung on and missed in the american league's leading hitter Is gone on strikes one away It's not that easy to make a good hitter look that bad But that's what happens when you can bring that fastball and write it in on the inner half of the plate right there You can get some pretty ugly swings And digging into the batter's box next will be jen carlo stanton as the first pitchers have been high It's ball one. He's got a hidden three at bats to this point Ben's into the zone for a strike Hey, it looks like this guy's going to work in the upper part of the strike zone It'll be interesting to see if this lineup can adjust to the way he pitches a one-one home You can't just do a little Han has logged upwards of 75 innings pitched and when you look at his whip over those innings It's not a particularly pretty number over 1.5 So he's often dealing with a lot of traffic on the base paths unfortunately Inside for a ball as he falls behind to him here three and one To be honest with you I'm a little bit more afraid of the guy on deck than the guy that's up right now If i'm on the mound, I want this guy up right now. He's the guy that's got to beat me This is in the air out to left field Gordon is there makes the play and there are two gone now Digging in now for the yankees torres he singled his last time up first pitch of the at bat on its way And it lay off a fastball here in a good spot But ruled the ball one and all a swing and a shot hit down the corner and it's a foul ball When the guy on the mound has complete command of his off speed Especially as change up sometimes as a hitter you just have to give up pull side to stay on it fouled away Will somebody sitting off speed right here only way he was laid on that heater as he was expecting another change up This is on the ground over to first And he'll step on the bag himself and the inning is over So the yanks go one two three trying to hold him in the field now. It's seven to six Tommy Keenley is on to pitch from the bullpen now to start ending number seven All set for the start of the inning and that'll bring in the veteran catcher salvador parez Pitch coming here it is yo one One I remember when an 88 mile an hour fastball wasn't all that bad man the game's changing one two Is a wave and a miss he struck him out Nice job there taking care of the leadoff hitter via the strike out I'll tell you in a one run game Especially this late getting that first guy in the inning. It's so important It changes the whole complexion of the inning so that was a big out now Michael franco as he'll take one up in the zone But indeed in the strike zone for the first strike He's hitless in three at bats to this point. He falls behind oh and two a thing in two count and the pitch Got him swinging chased it well out of the zone and there are two gone No problems for him on the mound since he's come out of the pen to start this inning That's back to back case and he's making it look pretty easy. This has the makings of a good outing so far Stepping in now ryan o'hearn As the first pitch misses high and inside for ball one He's two for three and looking for more here No pitch on the way Who pulled the string and had him way out in front of ball in a strike Two and one to the royals first baseman Two out nobody on all even now two and two When you're playing close games like this baserunners mean everything so he can ill afford to start giving away free passes Three two pitch is swung on and missed strike three Kc down in order as they still cling to a seven six lead In now Brett Gardner. He reached on a fielder's choice previously This thing's far from over even though we're moving into the back end of this game Only down by one all they need to do is get this leadoff guy And they're an extra base hit away from tying this thing up line shot to first and there's one away The second baseman Now batting dj lamehu trying to keep it going a perfect three for three thus far Ready to deliver. Here's the first pitch And this is on the ground from merafield the second he's got it In time to first and there are two away Good pitch right there to roll the two seamer in on his hands and bunch him up and an easy ground ball as the result Again geor shellop. He's working on a one for three thus far Han's ready first pitch on its way Pulled high in the air out to left field going after it is gordon He gets there to make the catch and that ends the inning Yankees retired on just four pitches down a run in a tight one. It's seven to six Ben Heller has been summoned from the bullpen as he'll do so to start the eighth Number 61 Ready to begin the eighth and that brings up outfielder brett fillers to the first pitch to him Fly ball right down the line and left stanton on the run and he makes the catch in the corner Time now for our starter comparison and that tells the story as you can see Neither guy able to get past five innings So the lineup flips over and digging in at alberto mondessey first delivery to him on the way Action in the bullpen now as a right-hander begins to throw out there Faces your empty one man out into the corner and slicing foul The yankees are looking for the sweep in this game as we mentioned earlier But trailing by one they're going to need to come from behind to do it This one's still well in striking distance Only trailing by one going late on to the game They just need a bloop in the blaster some kind of extra base hit this one's far from over Two balls and a strike now now the two on pitch On the ground to the right side And this will get through in the right and he's aboard with a single Alex Gordon as he will take strike one on the fastball here No balls and a strike and for the opposition wrapping this up and salvaging a win Would at least make their trip out of here a little more pleasant This could be just what the doctor ordered nobody likes to get swept on the road So winning this one could be big for building back team morale Thing in one count here it comes pitch is high the throw He just gets the tag down We've seen a lot of that now with pitchers being quick to the plate with that slide step awfully difficult for base runners to get a good lead because the pitchers get the ball to plate so quick Faces are empty here with two men out fastball not close as he runs it to two and one now This is in the air out to straight away center gardener is there makes the catch and that'll retire the side Royals bats are quiet there. He'll try and hold them in the field now. It's seven to six Trevor rosin fall is going to come on in relief as he'll be making his 20th appearance of the season rubbery Bottom of ending number eight set to go and here comes the first baseman Look boy the first base play And it's in for a called strike one slider there, but it runs away It's a ball and a strike now action in the bullpen as their closer starts to get loose out there The one one pitch like to see a little bit more Discipline than that you get a count your favorite. He's swinging a pitch that bad not good three two full count now It's been a great job so far by the eight hole here if he finds a way to get on base This could spell for a huge in he lays off ball four So now the potential time run here is aboard late in the game Man, that's a tough one to swallow you're hanging on to a slim lead And the last thing you want to do is give up a lead off walk Seems like those are the ones that always come back to haunt you so we'll see if that's the case here So a runner at first now with nobody out and up to bat next it'll be the catcher Kyle Higashioka From the belt kicks and deals pretty good fastball after he walked the hitter previous There was little angry on that heater Stands six two and throws from the right side This contract is set to expire at the end of this season So he may end up hitting the market this winter. You know matty I know he's in the final year of his contract, but he's playing to act expectations to be honest with you I know he wants to turn it up a little bit though as he approaches the end of the season and make that salary push As he heads towards free agency again Files this one off now the two two Smoked on the ground up the middle and gets through and he'll reach base again on his second base hit of the game To the top of the lineup stepping in Miguel Andujar His day at the plate hasn't amounted to much oh for four, but this is a great opportunity to make a man Well, your team really needs you like they need it right here You have to be able to put your personal struggles out of your mind right now is all that matters Here it comes He's able to ride this one high and deep toward light center So they're going back On the warning track. He makes the catch And the throw in gets away from him and he'll indeed move up 90 feet putting runners at the corners now with one away Could be there at second base to know he could make it the third on the flyout Now he's only 90 feet away with one out So stepping in Aaron judge as he's got a chance to tie this ballgame up with that equalizing run just 90 feet away at third Swing in a miss that one tied him up I kind of like the aggressive attitude right here. I know he's in a jam What does he do? He goes to his best stuff and that's the fast ball He's gotten so inside conscious after those first two pitches anything on the outer half of the plate is going to look at foot outside the 2 2 Is looked at and the count moves full Well, no doubt in my mind. This has been the at bat of the night so far One out with the possible tying and go ahead runs on base here They'll stand alive putting together a really good at bat here He got the fast ball where he wanted and just pulled off of it It's one more time the base hit in the left field and the tying run is in to score from third. It's a 7 7 game You know d-roll in today's game. It's not easy scoring in the late in so that rbi base hit to tie things up That comes at a really good time. Yeah, I say it's not easy. They got 11 guys in a bullpen I don't think a guy throws under 97 miles an hour with sinking cut. That is unbelievable He's able to get that knock in that big spot Eric scotland takes the man to try to get out of this mess There are two on with only one away Giancarlo Stanton He swings and it's a line drive to left center and that is down for extra bases Is that ought to play to go ahead run and maybe another? As he arrives at second without a play as a run is also win and with it they take the lead Dan you'll take rbi's any way you can get them but when they give your team the lead in the late innings man That feels good. Oh, it especially does especially when you start the score runs late the game off of quality pitching When runs are at a premium, that's one makes you feel really good about yourself And a fastball close but ultimately ruled a ball Want to know three for four so far and seeing it well in this ball game Well, they miss with the first one, but then they decide let's go ahead and put him aboard here And they'll do just that as you see the signal from the dugout Yeah, well when a guy's swinging the bat as well as he's been this is a smart move no reason to tempt fate out there So bases are loaded nowhere to put him with one away and up next the left-handed hitting brett gardener He's set and the pitch Oh This is where you gotta empty the bucket out on the mound throw your best stuff right here right now and try and get out of this If anything catches outfield grass, this game's probably over all in a strike the air to center Dive but it's off his glove and that ought to get at least one run in And a big rbi there is the run scores to make this a two run game now Now Dan that's a huge insurance run right there has to feel good as a hitter right there To not only get a ribby knock but to give your team a little bit of breathing It does and to make sure pitcher go out there with a little bit more free and easy frame of mind Instead of going into one run game where every pitch is so important You're one pitch away from a solo tying to game up. That's not the case now A ball of no strikes. It's been a nice game for him three hits Including a homer to this point and a strike to even the count one and one He struggled a bit coming out of the bullpen here. So he needed that strike. Maybe it settles him down a little bit Three runs already home here popped him up Oh, her waits on it Too gone That's exactly what they wanted out of that pitch up in the zone They took him up the ladder and he couldn't get up to it. So that was an easy pop out Well executed pitch there In now georgella. He's looking to deliver here with the bases loaded and two out in the inning stretch Here's the pitch Hit on the ground out to short First is in time, but the damage has been done as the side has retired So they do get three that ending. That's the good news. The bad news is they leave three men on base Ninth inning coming up the yankees lead at nine seven Ladies and gentlemen, do you want attention? So with a safe situation on tap They'll hand the ball over to a formidable force. Indeed the very hard throwing left-hander a oldest Winning set to get underway and that'll bring in the second baseman whit merafield Looking for base runners here as they're down to playing on the road Not an easy thing to do trying to score runs or bunch hits together off of a closer A great job pounding his own strike one when you got a great hitter in the box You gotta get ahead count leverages a must Tried to get him to go after the slider, but it's one and one And he'll lay off the fastball down low. It's two and one now and it's two balls and two strikes now Time run stands on deck, but it'll only matter if the guy in the box can get on base Yeah, and that has to be his mentality at the plate right now matt He can't be the hero so he needs to do what he can to give the guy behind him a chance to be the guy A little late with the swing, but he stays alive still two and two Now the pitch Hey leading off an inning in this situation three balls on you You have to know that a solo shot's not tying this game up. You have to find a way to get on base any way possible Full count here. Here comes the pitch Count remains full Only battle for so long as he's finally set down here after an eight pitch at bat So here's the cleanup hitter for his so there he looked to bounce back after striking out his last time up Yeah maddie and hopefully he got it out of his system, especially now. He's got a bear down He gets the two strikes in this spot has to put the ball in play Out in front of it strike one one pitch on its way And right into the shift One to first is going to take care of him as the royals are now down to their last chance now Stepping into the box hunter dozier he comes to the plate as the last chance for his side two out here in the ninth Here comes the first pitch Two out nobody on how a swing and a fly ball And this should do it and that'll get down for a base hit throw into second And he is out at second base and partner that's going to do it for this one Yeah, that's the way you want to finish a three game home series Breaking out the brooms and sweeping the other guys right out of you Nine to seven the final score in this ball game So the Bronx bombers came through late taking the lead in the eighth to secure the victory Ben Heller earns his third win of the year in relief Aroldis Chapman hammers down the save his 16th of the season So that just about does it from art de rosa dan. Please act hidey watney and our entire crew on matt vascers And you've been watching mlb the show for more make your way over to the show nation dot com