 We are under the lights this evening as we get you set for another edition of baseball on the show a good match-up here for you tonight Between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees. It's baseball It's the show and it comes your way next Eric Cole will be on the mound for the series opener Dan any thoughts hey It's real easy to see why this guy is one of the top pitchers his strikeout per nine ratio is off the charts What does that tell me? Not only is his stuff good, but when he throws it in the strike zone He's tough to hit if he brings his a-game pack up your bats because he's gonna punch out quite a few hitters Weeding off at the plate at Obertio, Montesey, and we are set for baseball here this evening First pitch coming here it is Skied in the air to straight away left Therefore it is Stanton and he's got it for the first out The left field Alec Gordon Here's the left fielder Alex Gordon his career line against Garrett Cole not great. He's won for eight In field shifted well to the right. Here's the first pitch And here's a called strike to the 36 year old veteran It's nothing in one and as the Yankees get started here tonight guys They're definitely in a nice stretch as they've won six of their last seven ball games Yeah, Maddie 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 a ball and two strikes to Alex Gordon 67 degrees our game time temperature One app nobody on and this is swung on and missed and Gordon becomes app number two now Good job of making him chase a pitch for the strike out there. Yeah, Matt That's the advantage of getting ahead and account You can really force hitters to expand their zone of protect and when they're in that mode getting them to go after a Pitch they can't do much with becomes a lot easier with Merrifield next to hit See we'll take a fastball in there at the knees for strike one First chance for him here in the top of the first with nobody on and it's quickly on to Cold or the cold train as he's frequently called This is year one of a new nine-year deal that he signed recently so it looks like he's here to stay for a long time Windup and the o2 pitch And a fastball called strike three and the side is retired Royals go down one two three and now the Yankees will see what they can do no score Danny Duffy gets the call for game one of the series. What do you have for us on him Danny? Hey, you can't always judge a pitcher by the numbers I know the ERA is into the fours coming into this start But he's actually a pretty solid pitcher and every once in a while he can throw some decent games in there It's not easy having an ERA under foreign baseball He's slightly over that but this guy's a better pitcher than that ERA indicates and that'll bring up Miguel and do hard It'll eat things off here in the bottom half of the first Now the pitch Dan Deereau we take a look at the Royals as they enter play here tonight fair to say they're not playing their best Baseball right now losers of five of their last six Downstairs two balls in no strikes Two balls in a strike now to the Yankees lead-off man Nasty 2-0 slider right there for a strike no shame in tipping your hat Set to deliver on two and one out in front of a fastball as this is ripped down the left field line That's gonna be 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 No doubt about it. He was looking fastball all the way there and that's exactly what he got Got the barrel out front and just blasted it down the line for an extra base hit nobody out runner in scoring position Great opportunity here. Here's the second baseman DJ LeMay here As he takes a fastball off the plate for a ball one and all and he's a guy looking to break out in a big way Hasn't been getting the results. He or his club have been hoping for the 1-0 Swung right over the top of that one is this is a little dribbler out in front of the mound Throw just in time as they get him by an eyelash Digging in now for the Yankees Aaron judge comes in today leading the American League in batting for the season Fantastic season all the way around not only this guy just get on base by base hits But he also leads the league in slugging percentage. So he's up there doing a lot of damage First pitch of the at bat And here's a drive well hit out this straightaway center a ball that's carrying on the warning track He makes the catch And they're gonna take a 1-0 lead as the run comes across to score great job there by this power hitter Known for driving the ball on the ballpark does the job right there with the sack fly and brings the run home Giancarlo Stanton now looking to get on base and keep this first inning alive Duffy sets here it is Ball one as he lays off below the zone Time to be aggressive with these hitters now after that sack fly now It's time to try to get out of the setting with only one run scored the 1-0 He is swung on and missed in that strike one Hey from a pitcher standpoint sometimes the greatest pitch is the slider that backs up He got away with that one, but he wants that thing to bury down the way One and one here it is. Hey, and he pulled up in time, but it's a called strike two Two out nobody on and the inning goes away in Unceremonious fashion on a swing and a miss at a ball way outside the strike zone some more of the Colorful characters here at the ballpark tonight back with more here on a Tuesday night after this Now to the plate Jorge so there and as you take a look at the splits here He's actually better against right-handed pitching this season In field in the over shift here now the pitch One strike now from Cole off the plate two and one Two and two to Jorge so there now the two-two is looked at and the count moves full Look to me like he tried to do way too much on that two-two pitch You don't have to come into the zone on that count But a pitch that far outside isn't going to tempt anyone to swing and the knuckle curved that time got him swinging And that's the first out not a lot of guys pull that knuckle curve But some guys have a lot of success with it some say it has more bite than the traditional curveball But I think it's more of a field thing It just works for certain pitchers and it worked right there Hunter Dozier digging in now As the first pitch to him is in there for a cold strike one and he comes in as a player to watch out for hitting Well over 300 on the season Set up away with the change up, but it's one-on-one. Oh, they have him looking awfully confused up there right now It's one and two See guys. He is human occasionally an ugly swing right there. He's having a monster season So I'm gonna give him a free pass Yankees lead this one to nothing here in inning number two Two and two to Hunter Dozier. This is swung on and missed four strikeouts already and that's out number two He's really on a roll right now in the mound back-to-back strikeouts to wrap up the last inning And now he started this frame with the same story four straight strikeouts at all digging in now Salvador Perez and as you check out his righty lefty splits No surprise that he hits better against south pause than he does against right-handers Ready to deliver. Here's the first pitch All had him chopping at that one. It's nothing in one Hey, he's looking to punch out the side right here And if this guy's gonna do him favors and swing outside the zone, that's exactly what's gonna happen Salvador Perez behind in the count nothing in two Faces are empty here with two men out ball and two strikes to the Royals catcher It's sharply but foul down the right side and he got another one here He strikes out the side. He's set down five in a row via the punch out and the inning is over Three up three down three strikeouts not too shabby Don't go anywhere more Tuesday night baseball after this in Giovanni your shell up first at that form as he enters play Third in the American League batting race 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 First pitch of the at bat on its way And he'll try to crowd him there to start the at bat. It's one and all Against left-handed pitching so far this season for Shella as an eye grabbing batting line one that resides above the 340 plateau his batting average right now certainly signifies that this guy is having a great year I'm very interested to see how this guy finishes up on the year for Shella enters the day with a slugging percentage in the 460s a number he can be proud of 1-1 Duffy playing here in his age 31 season. He was selected in the third round back in the draft of 2007 yeah, he has turned himself into a really nice ball player I wouldn't put him on a superstar level, but you know what they didn't miss with this pick either you go Into high rounds and you carve out a career the way this guy has nice pick the 2-1 home To be honest with you I'm a little bit more afraid the guy on deck to 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 high in the air down the right field line This is gonna wind up a foul ball the next three to Swing and a miss on the fastball and that's the first down Leading off the inning your job is to get on base and set the table for the inning That was a pretty good at bat that he pushed the count to three and two and made the picture work But I think he'd like to have that three to pitch back pretty sure that was ball for he went after and that'll bring up Glaber Torres He'll take a look at ball one. He enters play with 14 home runs to his credit this year It's a lot easier to hit when you're putting yourself in good hitters counts This guy's done a great job not swinging at pitchers pitches and when he's getting the ball in his own He's getting the barrel to it. He's been hot lately the 2-0 on the way three and oh now I Wouldn't be surprised if he had the green light here Matter of fact, I know he's got the green light here. He's looking for something set or cut and he's looking to do damage Mrs. Ball four and with the bases empty. You don't feel bad about walking that guy He's capable of taking deep every time he digs in so it's not the worst thing in the world to work around him if you can Stepping into the box Mike Tuckman as he'll get his first opportunity in this one on the stretch Here's the pitch grounder down the line at third. This is foul for the first strike Torres stands at first with one out up and in here as he had to bend out of danger Well that'll wake everyone up any time you buzz the tower like that There's reason for people to start getting a little bit edgy One-one home Big sweeping breaking ball right there a good pitch But if he wants to get him to swing at it You'll have to bring it in a little bit closer to the strike zone Get up the first baseline step on the back for one that tag And he is out at second base and a costly decision there is it's a double play turn to retire the side So they go quietly here in this half inning will go now to the top of the third the Yankees lead this one one to nothing Now batting Ryan O'Hearn. He's the number seven hitter But he's leading off the third after the first six guys in the lineup have been retired in order Yeah, it's been a great start to the guy on the mound It'll be interesting to see if they could find a way to get to this guy before he really settles in Here's the pitch eggs swing and a miss at the fastball and he's behind in the count 0-1 to This lineup is flailing right now. They're having a hard time just making contact let alone putting the ball in play Oh, and they still have no answer for him up there six straight punch outs now and there's one away Well, we're all hearing his name in the Saiyan award discussions at this point of the season It's pretty hard to argue against it when you watch him dominate a guy on three pitches and send him packing without much problem Standing in now Michael Franco This he'll take a look at a pitch too low It's ball one that pitch misses in the dirt and it's to an O now to tight with that one three and oh Pretty good pitch right there fastball in off the plate one of the things you want to do as a pitcher try to stand those pitchers up And he won't even have to take the bat off its moorings of four pitch walk here They haven't been able to register a hit against this guy, but at least they have a base runner here We'll see if that leads to something Brett Brett Phillips will bat next first shot for him here with a runner at first now and won away about the pitch a ball of no strikes Runner at first here one man out and he misses again to an O He's gonna have to have a talk with the umpire after this half inning because if he's not gonna get those calls He's got to come a little bit more over the heart of the plate and that usually means damage done They count now a two and one Bleak control now seven strikeouts as this is swung on and missed for the second out boy This guy has really good stuff so far on this one How about seven K's and we're just in the middle innings of this one if he continues this up This could be a real solid performance To the plate now at Oberto Montesey as the first pitch misses to him It's ball one he fly out leading off the ball game is the 1-0 a runner on first with two away High in the air down the right field line But this is just gonna wind up being a foul ball Hit down the third base line, but this will be a foul ball as that evens things at two and two ends the inning One left for Kansas City, they still trail one nothing Riding into the box look boy as we move on to the bottom of ending number three First pitch to him at the ball the 1-0 Swing and a miss strike one hit on the ground is short Speared on the die the throat of first safe Remarkable play just to stop that ball, but it's gonna go into the books as a hit and the lead-off man is a board I know that has to be frustrating from pitchers standpoint, but nice execution nice hustle bottom line nice hustle pitchers still One good pitch away from getting a double play You know D-roll one of the things you want to do is make quality pitches as a pitcher There's not much you can do right there You make a pretty good pitch and the next thing you know you have a lead-off single on an infield ground ball Swing and a line drive Foul Nobody outrunner on first that's in there and he's deep in the hole now one two nothing in two count and the pitch Well above the letters with the fastball that time If I'm in the box, you take a step out right here take a deep breath after that high fastball You've got to be leery of him bury in something in the dirt the one two first with no outs here Ball inside and he works it back to a full count now Not what you want to do on the mound go from 0 and 2 to 3 and 2 But credit the man in the box for being patient even with two strikes Ready with the payoff pitch swing and a miss as he ran the fastball right by him for the first down Man, I love watching a pitcher that just rears back and blows smoke by a guy at the letters That's the ultimate challenge pitching for me personally watching hitters swing and miss man. That's a sight of beauty Here's Miguel and a hard now as the first pitch to him's a change up that can't find the zone It's ball one It was a double for him in his first turn at the plate and that one misses upstairs 2 and 0 Hey, if you're gonna throw a pitch like that to this guy, that's right where you want to miss any lower And he'll probably make you pay for it Strike taken up in the zone Hey, you get to owe your eyes light up But you're sitting in one spot and he obviously didn't get it right there But he still finds himself in a 2-1 count ready to do some damage from the belt kicks and deals on a good pitch There had him stretching to get out there and it's 2 and 2 now Lifted down the line and left And this is gonna wind up a foul ball had to sit back on the change up And he did a good job to get the bat on that one for now the 2-2 Grounded back up the middle mirror field brings it in the second for one The first stand for the second time in three innings They bounced into a double play and with this one the side is retired How it to play Alex Gordon comes into this at bat 0 for 1 in the ball game First delivery to him on the way In there no balls in a strike and a good-looking swing there from Gordon But he can't come up with it and it's 0 and 2 now looking to punch him out again the pitch No, and here's a fastball on 0 to but it misses 1 and 2 now Stole cold take right there that fastball very well could have sent him packing back to the bench And a good job there to hold back as the count moves to two balls and two strikes now to the Kansas City left fielder So a full count now Great a B up into this point a walk right here could really just infuse some confidence into this lineup High in the air and a shallow left center Stanton has a read on it One out opportunity now to take a look at some of the future players in the Yankee Organization as our road to the show report spotlights a couple of guys that have been playing well in recent action With Merrifield next to bat Swing and a ball lifted in the air toward the line and right and now it'll kick around in the corner Boy this guy's been swinging a hot stick lately and there's just another example and even when he doesn't hit work on the barrel He still manages another base in yeah, don't overthink it when you're flowing like he is right now He's hot as a pistol everything's falling In his whore hastle there So take a look at the strike right down the middle its own one looking to put the ball in play here He went down on strikes in his first step back one on its way and here's a foul tip into the catcher's glove Moves it to 0 and 2 now. I know he's down to count right now, and it's not looking good But he's been swinging at bats so well lately I don't think he minds this one bit and the 0-2 He's really got the strikeout pitch working now as he notches number nine in the ball game Got him with a good high fastball there Danny We see a lot of that pitch and strikeout situations these days. What makes it so effective I think Matt would makes it such a tough pitch as you're changing eye levels that fastball up Look so enticing to hit that you think you see that ball as a hitter You think you can drive it, but it's really hard to get on top of that good high hard fastball Oh and won the count about the pitch And it's one and one That's a great call right there fastball away with a guy who's got some jets on first base Almost like a hybrid pitch out great for a catcher if that guy's running easy transfer throw to second base In the dirt and he'll just beat the throw to second He's in there and he'll make it into scoring position here with two away as that'll be scored a wild pitch Well the graphic here isn't going to properly show just how far that pitch was from the strike zone That thing wasn't even close and I think it made the decision to move up a base pretty easy to make the 2-2 pitch Swing and a liner And that's in there base hit only has some trouble with it He'll get it into second on to second But he's in safely as a run comes across to score on the play tying the ball game Well, that's the difference between a harmless error and a costly one with the bases empty It doesn't hurt that much but with a man on that allows a run to score catcher Salvador Perez He'll take a look at ball one He was a strikeout victim in his first try one and oh here it is And a strike to even the count one and one even at one and one the pitch The slider across that time laid off for a ball Hey after those two breaking balls missed you have to be sitting on a fastball right here the set and the two one Turned on that one and crushed it just pulled it a little foul and a shot hit down the corner And that nearly broke our tie, but instead it's a foul ball the 2-2 But this won't get over the second baseman's glove as he's got it to end the inning It's a run on two hits here for KC on now to the bottom half of any number four all tied at one and one And that sends DJ LaMahee into the box. He's over one after grounding out in his only trip to the plate so far First pitch of the at bat on its way 92 splits the plate and it's strike one They love the confidence in that pitch right there going right after one of the better hitters on this team Not afraid to execute the fastball by him here and he's in control oh and to to short Modesty blinks it in And that's the first down Not a lot you can do with that pitch that fastball just end them up inside and gets the soft grounder for the out So the base is empty here with one away and that'll bring up the big bat of Aaron judge He comes set. Here's the nothing-and-nothing pitch First pitch here misses wide one and all and that finds some outfield grass. It's a base hit Fortunately, he'll hold on at first with just a single Now after that base hit right there. He's got a six game hit streak Oh, you know what and this could be this could lead him on to something some bigger and better things right here He's been swinging the bat pretty well if he's been rewarded for it as you talked about six game hitting streak so far And digging into the batter's box next will be Giancarlo Stanton One and oh the count on first here with one gone in a one-one tie And he fires in a strike this time to make it one ball and one strike now the one-and-one pitch I Don't blame him for not coming over the heart of the plate He circled this guy on the lineup card when he got to the yard today He's been swinging one of the hotter bats in the game. It's one's low here. So the count swells to 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 play Hitters count all the way here. It comes and that misses ball four So it's first and second now with only one away You know it takes a lot of discipline to watch a pitch like that go by but on a three one count He had the luxury of being a little bit more selective up there good take and a walk is the result Riding in once again. Geo or Shella. He looked to bounce back after striking out his last time up Yeah, and kind of shocked he got blown away with a fastball You could tell he was late on that one and we'll see if he tries to cheat to something this a big no balls in one strike He's ready. Here's the oh one And here's a swing and a miss as he falls behind nothing in two Hey, he's got great feel for that pitch right there He can throw it anytime he wants for a strike Fastball misses in the dirt as he tried to get him to chase the low one Dirt here and a nice job to keep the runners at bay as the count moves to two and two One run on three hits and one error on the Yankee line score so far a swing And he pops him up on the infield and the infield fly rule will be an effect here Digging in for a second at bat Torres two men on two away here in the fourth Duffy sets and the pitch And that's a great take right there backdoor slider just missed the outside corner. This guy must have a really good eye Most guys swing at that pitch Here's the one oh What a great opportunity to come through right here to O count runners on base Find something middle of the plate and let it rip the set and the two and oh two balls in a strike Gutsy pitch right there to oh change up for a strike good call by the catcher great execution by the pitcher Eddie with the two one Curveball bounces and that gets by to the backstop So the lead runner moves up but the runner on first was sleeping at same One run on three hits and one error on the Yankee line score so far Can't keep that one fair and now the counts fold Three two two out runner on first Lots of possible outcomes on this pitch Well for And this is the kind of thing that's been happening to him all season long He'll cruise for a while hitting his spots and all of a sudden the wheels come off and he struggles We'll see if he can recover here Looking to wiggle out of this here. It is In there strike one Hey when a pitcher's putting a tough spot He's usually going to go to what got him here and that's this guy's slider expect to see that more often Two out bases loaded for two now Definitely a big pitch coming up right here He's going to be pumped if he can work his way out of this sitting with the game still time He checks his swing. Did he go around? No says third base umpire rusty valentine ball one low with a fastball that time two balls and two strikes He's already walked two in this inning already This guy just can't seem to find the strike zone and he strikes him out So a missed opportunity at the plate as he strands three runners in the side is retired A couple of walks, but no damage back with more here on a Tuesday night after this Welcome back. Heidi Watney standing by as we get set for the top of the fifth Matt I talked with the Kansas City manager during the inning break about the royals offensive production to this point And one thing he mentioned to me was the lack of discipline He's seeing out of their at bats right now a lot of their outs have come from weak contact and strikeouts as a result of chasing pitches Outside the strike zone He said it's going to be extremely important for them going forward to be more selective with their swings and force the opposition to throw more strikes Okay, thank you. Heidi All ready to go in the top of the fifth and next to battle be the first baseman ryanl herne Here's the pitch and the first pitch of the inning here misses down and in for a ball It's one and oh Fastball catches the black there for a called strike and then that's a pretty good example of why he's such a great pitcher Yeah, stuff stuff is obviously the important key to being dominant on the mound But it doesn't meet a whole lot if you don't have outstanding control to go along with it But he does and he really spotted that pitch Set to deal on a ball in two strikes Lays off two and two now That's a great take right there great pitch recognition to let that one go Opposite handed that's coming across the plate. You might think you got a shot to stay inside that one now the two two Left side, but well followed Here's another two two It's a fine line from working down in the zone on two and two and bouncing one in there that basically stands No chance of getting swung at right there He basically spiked that one right into the dirt and now he has to find the zone on a three two pitch And a good eye here as he takes ball four and it's a base on balls to lead off the fifth inning Man when the game is tied the last thing you can afford to do is walk the leadoff hitter Got to focus on getting that ground ball now Next will be the designated hitter michael franco reach base via the walk in his first plate appearance Set here it comes Ono home He's taken strike one You can clearly see that the hitter didn't like that strike call and his manager He didn't like it either as he's given the umpire an earful from that dugout One one home Boy 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 the pitch on two and two And he lays off so it's full now three and two That misses as well. It's back-to-back walks to start out the inning And now time will be called here as you see the pitching coach making his way after the bound to pay a quick visit Stepping into the box brett phillips bring on its way And a strike call that they need nothing in one This is one of those classic bunt situations here But it's not a given anymore like it used to be and that's the case even more so in the american league One strike now from coal Round ball sent back up the middle Blubbed by lemak here torres at the back On to first but not in time as he's in there ahead of the throw So they avoid what could have been a costly double play there Well, they dodged the bullet that time by avoiding the double play That would have been pretty demoralizing to end the inning now They've at least still got runners on the corners Here's now with one man gone and then striding toward the plate next will be ad liberto amundi see Hey, this is the left-handed hitter that can fly down the line if they want to turn two They're going to have to be almost perfect here. It comes one on own Fastball got him to swing through it. It's one and one He is in complete command out on the mound today He's got all four corners locked in and now he's raising eye levels to boot The runners are at first and third one away Plate disciplined to lay off the slider that time and he draws even a two and two He struck him out. So double digits now 10 strikeouts for him thus far That's 10 strikeouts for him now and i'll tell you he could rack up quite a few more before he's done Still a lot of game left in this one Plate now alex gordon this will take a look at a slider here that finds the zone for strike one Come set the 01 ready 24 pitches to this point in the inning The slider is laid off on the inside as it just misses the zone These are the situations right here that make me miss wearing a uniform the big spot the cat and mouse of what's he gonna throw I'm down one two. Can I battle back the pitchers trying to put me away? This is what the game's all about ball in two strikes It's center field Judge is there and he puts this one away for the third out So a great job there of working out a potential trouble Royals strand a pair half way home all even at one apiece Welcome back for the bottom of the fifth. 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 overall he's really happy with the at bats. They're putting together They've already worked out three walks So he feels as though that kind of willingness to let the opposition work themselves into trouble Will continue to result in good things for them on the scoreboard Good stuff. Heidi. Thanks Stepping in look boy, they'll get his side started in the inning and dance so far They've been stifled offensively since the first inning boy They sure have that they came out of the gates and got hot right away But whatever was going for them pretty much has disappeared. We'll see if they can wake it back up From the stretch Taken and that one catches the bottom part of the strike zone the 01 pitch A bouncer up the middle and he's gonna beat the offline throat at first as the first baseman couldn't get the foot back in time Boy, this is an absolute gift to them, especially when they've had so much trouble getting anybody on base So now the leadoff hitter is aboard and might be looking to run They've got to do whatever they can to get some offense going So it's a runner at first as a result of the throwing error and next to hit is the catcher kyle higashiyoka First pitch of the at bat on its way And a fastball close, but ultimately ruled a ball one and own into the corner and slicing foul Leadoff man aboard here in a one one ball game One and two to the yankees catcher Good thing he didn't make contact with that pitch. The only thing he could do is probably hit that on the ground It could be a double play ball high in the air and deep to left center field looking up his gorton Oh Run shot to left center his first home run of the season and it gives the yankees a three to one lead No, we're not sitting up here with a crystal ball But that swing right there although in the middle innings could be the deciding factor And we could be looking back at this one when it's all said and done Miguel Andujan As the first pitch to him is off the plate for a ball one and oh He's one for two in this one off for ball two It's one thing to get hit around But it's far worse when you're getting yourself into trouble by not throwing strikes Every pitch has been there, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating or unacceptable the two of Outside three and oh now DJ LeMay here waits on deck fastball misses their ball four What's the saying When you find yourself in a hole the first thing you should do is stop digging well the guy on that bump obviously hasn't heard that one Coming to the plate now DJ LeMay here he comes in 0 for 2 thus far The liver here's the first pitch And a fastball to start things out here not close it's a ball and no strikes Can't sit back long enough in the count evens up at one and one Now the pitch Grounded down the third baseline But a foul ball one and two now has a look now the pitch Now this has slowly hit the short probably too slowly to get to And the off-balance throw beats him at first and that's a tough play Man at second with one down and that'll bring up the former american league rookie of the year big erin judge and the pitch 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 Is the first thing that jumps off the page do not take the extra base Here it comes on one and one This one's down to third dozier brings it in and that's the second out Here's the cleanup hitter jon krullo stanton. He's 0 for one thus far first pitch of the at bat Fastball in there for a called strike One count and the pitch Off the plate and in it's a ball and a strike Great game plan so far by this offense. They're not chasing any of those breaking balls out of the zone One one home is looked at for ball number 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 Paul'd strike that time and it's even a two and two Softly hit here to the left side But an easy play over at third and that'll be that yankees get a couple on the two run home run Five innings complete. It's now three to one yanks In now wit merafield. He'll start things out in the sixth or a lineup that really hasn't found its groove in this one Yeah, only two hits so far met and not very many hard hit balls either We'll see if they could start making some adjustments to the first pitch to him in there for strike one 0 and 1 Pitcher wants to have a quick inning right here capitalized on the momentum as batters have And the 0 1 did a two run game right here You really don't want to walk the leadoff guy to start a inning You've got to keep that tying run in the on deck circle as long as you can Here it is on three and one And this is polled fouled as he was way out in front there There's a check swing and they appeal down to first no swing. So that's wall four Now that All man that check swing was about as close as they get Tough call for the umpire, but it goes the batter's way this time And he draws the walk honor at first now with nobody out and that'll bring up poor hayse so lair to hit next about the pitch And who looks like he got the call there on the pitch inside. It's nothing in one That was a pretty good fastball after he walked the hitter previous There was a little angry on that heater one pitch pitch is high the throw Is not in time pretty close what he got in there safely And a knuckle curve missed that time two and one and through just five innings. He's coming up on a hundred pitches now Yeah, man I think one of the things you want to do is try to drive that pitch count up in d row If you're the offense right now, you're sitting in a pretty good spot Yeah, usually the starting pitcher doesn't get to see the lineup three now. Here's a fly ball well hit judge looks up A two run blast to straight away right field home run number 16 for him on the year and the royals will draw level now at three apiece Hey, that's the price you pay right there when you try and sneak a fastball pass this guy power hitter And every power hitter in the league knows you got to start with the numero uno number one Man, you got to get on the heater and adjust to everything else and he did just that And that brings in hunter dozier He swings and hits it foul off to the right and out of play One for two in the ball game thus far the wind up here comes the o and one Another one fouled off and he's quickly behind o and two nothing in two count and the pitch Heading out towards shallow right judge is on his horse He makes the catch a great effort to get there and record the first out of the inning Correct And up steps solvedor parens hit the ball pretty well in his last act back, but it resulted in a line out Yeah maddie It's always a little frustrating when you square one up You hit a solid line drive like he did and all you have to show for it is a jog back to the dugout That can get your head for a little while The guy in the mount is having one heck of a night But the downside of that if you're going to strike out a lot of guys Your pitch count is going to be high. So this gives the offense some kind of hope as this game is getting down to the end Now a fastball that's taken close that time, but it's one and one No offer on that one two balls in a strike now the two one is taken for strike two Faces are empty one manner. This ball is popped up drifting back behind the mound Boyd camps under it and he's got it for route number two 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 Now at the plate ryan o'hearn it was a walk in his last trip ready to deliver. Here's the first pitch And that misses for ball one he founds this one off Two out nobody on the ballman two strikes 88 on a change up I remember when an 88 mile an hour fastball wasn't all that bad. Man the game's changing the one two Swung on and missed he got him on strikes Up with a pair however on this two run home run On to the bottom of the sixth. We're tied now with three apiece Jesse Hahn enters to do the pitching in the bottom of the sixth Number 32 Settling in now Giorg Schella, they'll do battle with a new arm out there in their half of the sixth First pitch on its way Swing and a line drive And now this will get over the wall down the line out there for a ground rule double Well, that will bring a smile to manager's face every single time First hitter of the inning just squares it up and bounces it over the fence Even if it stays in the yard, that's a double either way Stepping in now torres he swings and sends it on a line to right center that gets down He's got himself a base hit pretty quickly. It's first and third now with nobody out Well, there's a bullet base hit right there But you have to hold their d-roll to make sure that gets down and isn't caught for a line drive double play Yeah, you have to play the game right there and respect the infield and respect the line drive I know he wants to get a ribby for his buddy, but that's the way the game's played At the plate Mike Tuckman so weighed out a breaking pitch here that finds the zone for strike one Turned on but it's wide of first and foul and two strikes now Runners at the corners here. Nobody out Hit out toward second Merrifield picks it up one there and the tag gets him But they do grab the lead on the run that scored away from the play It certainly looked like they might have had a big inning cooking there with first and third and no outs But the double play kind of kills it. They did get the run in but the batter doesn't get credit for an rbi So base is empty now after the double play and stepping in the long ball threat loop void He's ready. Here's the first offering Well one and this is low bowl one Bases are empty here with two men out Rising fastball then it catches the zone for a strike ball and two strikes the count now with the base is empty in two away To two balls and two strikes now So you'd love for him to offer at that one But the execution was flawless nice curveball that starts in the zone And we'll have to leave it there as this is strike three and that will retire the side A run on two hits for the yankees Seventh inning coming up the yankees lead it four to three Tommy kingley is on to pitch from the bullpen now to start ending number seven Going off the inning Michael franco and they'll need him to get something going here 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 First pitch coming here it is And oh looked inside, but that's ruled a strike nothing in one a pitch in the dirt as he lays off It's one and one a couple of righties starting to loosen now in the bullpen a one one home To down the line in left on the move is stanton And he can't get to it as it bounces over the wall for a ground rule double and the tying run will be in scoring position You can see that he was all over that pitch yanking it down the line They're lucky that thing bounced over the fence because if it would have gotten lost in the corner out there There's no telling how far he could have gotten So now to the plate brett phillips This he'll take a look at a slider that can't make it back to the corner It's ball one. He's hit listen is to add bats so far. This is pulled into right Judge moves to his right and puts this one away in the alley first pitch here. It comes Interesting at that. I think he has to be pitching for a strike out here So we'll see what kind of sequence he uses on its way the oh one pitch Swing and a miss and he's quickly in the hole oh and two One and two the counts of the royal shortstop The one two from the seventh inning now of a four three ballgame Low so a good eye there as he works the count back full Wow, this is a pretty good at that right here from down in the count Oh and two to work the count back to three and two and he's seen a lot of pitches too Pay off pitch. He struck him out the third time. He's fanned in the game It's been a rough night at the yard for him. That's three times He's going down on strikes in this one. So they've really figured out how to attack this guy So they'll make a matchup move here and bring on a southpaw to face the left-handed hitter do up Alex Gordon So take a look at a slider here that misses for ball one Runner in scoring position at second with two down. He wins it up one and one One and one here it is That's lifted the other way out to left on the move is Stanton. He's got it as the time run is left on base Fine work there out of the Yankee bullpen Seventh inning stretch time here at the ballpark the Yankees four and the royals three Oh for the last half of the yinning and up to bat next it'll be the catcher kyle higashioka The last at that maddie d we heard this guy's a good fastball hitter He got a fastball didn't miss it. We'll see if they pitch him a little bit differently this time and mix in some off-speed pitches Now the pitch Some action out in the bullpen couple of right-handers starting to loosen up to the wind up here comes the yohan one Oh got him to swing out of his shoes on that one nothing in two line drive to left And there's a base hit so a chance for some insurance here to start out the home half of the seventh Flake now miguel anduhar as he will take strike one on the fastball here No balls and a strike a hit and two tries for him so far And that finds the target nothing in two now Your idea of working the count goes out the window you're frustrated right now down o2 got to find a way to grind Did a good job to shorten up and protect the plate and he'll have another shot at it here Nobody outrunner on first another foul ball Big cut at the breaking ball, but he comes up empty and that's the first out That was some nice execution on that pitch Spotted it nicely down around the bottom of the zone and when you do that especially with two strikes Not a lot of guys are going to hurt you you're going to get a lot of ground balls and swings and misses down there To the plate now dj lemay here as he lifts it in the air to right field So there is there and that's the second out of the inning Into try it again erin judge a hidden two at bats for him at this point in the ball game ready to deliver Here's the first pitch off the plate change up floats outside here for ball one Two out with the man at first Here's a swing and a miss one and one This pitch is bringing it with some high view though. You better get that front foot down early and get ready or he's going to throw it right by you Ready with the one and one And it's one and two Two balls and two strikes now Working for the punch out and the offering And a half hearted swing there as they tie him up inside for the third strike and the inning is over Yanks leave one then it remains a four three game And that'll bring up the second baseman wit maryfield And shone its way Swung on and missed that strike two Now action in the bullpen as their closer starts to get loose out there oh and two One two High fly ball out to straight away center center fielder giving chase He gets to it and makes the catch for the first out Chad green takes the mound now and it appears he's being brought in to face the right-handed batter who waits next Yeah, you usually don't hear the term righty specialist very often But that's kind of how they're using in here matt most hitters have a harder time against pitchers of the same handedness So we'll see if this move pans out stretch. Here's the pitch Well out in front of the breaking ball there for a strike one ball one strike One and two Here's the pitch And he's struck out again. That's the third time he's gone down on strikes in this one Well, we'll see a lot of these power arms coming out of the bullpen in these days But it doesn't make it any less impressive to me I love watching guys come in and blow smoke right by guys Into the box now hunter dozier as he takes a called strike at the knees its own one He's working on a one for three thus far Tying run at the plate the oh one Four three our score here as we play the eighth down the left field line and deep And that will end up a foul ball the one two Swung on and misty got him on strikes KC down in order score holds at four three On him of any number eight set to go and standing in his divetron outfielder John crelo stanton First pitch of the at bat on its way High in the air out to center field phillips is there for it Looks it into his glove and there's one gone ready for another chance Giorg shellop it came across to score after doubling in his last at bat Yeah, he jumped all over that first pitch last time up interested to see if he has the same approach this ab Well below the knees laid off on the change up there One out nobody on Swing and a miss for strike one Changed up on him as this is grounded a second mirror field scoops it up in time to first and there are two away Coming to the plate torres he singled his last time up Han's ready first pitch on its way That's a ball Torres A venezuelan born ball player. He's in his third season as a major league player. I'm the wind up the one one pitch Two out nobody on fouled away Here now the two two Lofted in the air out toward right center And here's so there to make the grab and that will end the inning One two three go the bombers, but they hold on to a four three lead The oldest Chapman comes on from the pen hoping to finish this one off here in the top of the ninth So next to the plate for the royals Salvador Perez He got under one and popped out his last time up. Yeah, man. Look like you got fooled a little bit little bit out front Ended up popping out expect him to be a little bit more Leary of the breaking pitch this evening strike one to start the at bat Easy take there on the sinker well off the outside You know something to keep in mind They're really burning through that bullpen and this is only the first game of the series Definitely could have an impact on the rest of the series and maybe even the whole week ahead Fastball taken but that gets the zone for a strike Chapman nicknamed the missile for obvious reasons. He's in year one of a new three-year deal How's this one off? Got to take advantage of that pitch right there o2 breaker hanging over the heart of the plate not going to see too many of those today The one two Doesn't catch the outside corner. It's a ball ball three. So it's a full count now Every base runner in a close game like this really matters. So you can't afford to be giving out free passes this late And a swing and a miss good pitch there for the first out here in the ninth On to start the top of the ninth as we take a look at the league's Saved leaders entering play and as you see he's right up there among league leaders in that department Digging in now for kansas city ryan o'hearn no hits to this point the first pitch to him A solo shot here to straight away right field as that'll pull him even at four apiece Big time at bat right there team trailing and he ties it up with a bomb Interested to see how this one finishes out Hill franco as the first pitch to him runs a bit inside for ball one He doubled his last time through It's a fastball that misses This inning really feels like it's getting away from him out there as a reliever You can't let that happen Nothing you can do about what's already happened and it's only going to get worse If you're not focusing on the guy in the batter's box That one's more like it he says back to two and one now He's gotten a favorable call or two at the plate and this at bat So that take on two and o is probably a result of feeling like the umpires got a pretty tight zone Didn't go his way that time though to two and two now I think it's about time to choke up on that bat and get that foot down. He's awfully tardy right now Fight to that sinker as he gets him to swing through it for wrap number two We know he's probably still thinking about that game tying home run He just gave up but i'm going to give him credit for not showing that and bothering him Right when you come back and strike out the next guy it shows you still got your head in the right place Brett Phillips as he'll go after the first pitch to him and comes up empty at strike one He could really use a knock here 0 for 3 in the game so far just about in the catcher's glove there It's 0 and 2 I know that feeling played 14 years in the big leagues and still can't hit a slider Bases are empty here with two men out Strikes him out on a good pitch so one run can win it as we head to the bottom of the inning Those are able to knock things up on the solo home run Home half of the ninth is straight ahead all even now at four apiece Mike Tocnoe he's hit listen three at backs to this point Balls on a strike to count find up here comes the 0 and 1 The loser starts to get loose out there This is lying to left. He dives. Did he catch that? He did. What a play there for the first out Boy that would look like a cinch extra base hit off the bat But a terrific diving catch in left center field Next for new york look boy. He's got a hit in three at bats to this point first pitch on its way High fly ball out to straight away center phillips is there for it Makes the play and there are two gone now At the plate pile Higashiyoka he steps in off a base hit in his last at bat That's the sign. Here's the first pitch And here's a fastball called for strike one Two out nobody on this has swung on and lifted down the left field line But it'll get back into the crowd as he jumps ahead of him now 0 and 2 And a sliders in the dirt as he lays off it for a ball He went with the awes be there once he got him the 0 and 2 but now that they both missed I think we'll see more of a challenge pitch here. You don't have to give in but you can't be too cute either Into the wind up the 2 2 pitch Hit hard toward first And this is town for extra bases and there's your winning run moving into scoring position And he is safe at second base as he legs out a double Hey, that's a nice piece of hitting right there two out base not to put the winning run on base Let's see if someone can catch a gap in endless Thanks to ball needing to get the final out of the night to send this one to extra innings Number Miguel Andujar will be his first assignment upon entering as he'll bat with the runner in scoring position here and two away first pitch Change up called strike one See he's coming right at this guy just pounding the ball in the strike zone He certainly has the advantage now. This guy hasn't even swung the bat yet The pawns and the o2 swing high drive left field and deep Two run shot to straight away left and with one swing of the bat this ball game is over Well, they say better late than never and that's obviously something that he takes the heart as he puts a charge in one For a walk-off homer got to be the best feeling in all of baseball