Royals Rally to Stun Yankees
Maikel Garcia delivered a clutch, game-ending two-run double off Yankees closer Clay Holmes, enabling the Kansas City Royals to edge out the New York Yankees 4-3. The victory allowed the Royals to avoid a four-game sweep and snap their own four-game losing streak.
Marsh's Masterful Start
Rookie pitcher Alec Marsh turned heads by carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning against the Yankees. Marsh, who looked unflappable on the mound, allowed a leadoff single to Juan Soto in the seventh but retired the next three batters. Finishing his impressive 96-pitch outing, Marsh yielded to the bullpen after demonstrating his potential as a future pitching star.
"I thought we had a good game plan going in," said Marsh. "Me and [catcher Freddy Fermin] were on the same page all day. I just felt comfortable out there."
Yankees Rally but Fall Short
The Yankees, who had dominated the first three games of the series, mounted a comeback against reliever John Schreiber in the eighth inning. Anthony Rizzo brought New York within one run with a homer, electrifying their dugout and fans. A critical error by second baseman Garrett Hampson then set the stage for Anthony Volpe's RBI grounder, and the Yankees took a 3-2 lead after Angel Zerpa surrendered an RBI single to Soto.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised his team's effort despite the loss: "I thought Nestor was good. It was a good pitchers' duel. His fastball was playing up. He was at 90, 91, 92, but it had something on it. He had a presence on both sides. I thought he did a good job, like Marsh, of mixing things up to give us seven strong innings."
Royals' Ninth-Inning Heroics
The game took another dramatic turn in the bottom of the ninth inning. Drew Waters hit an infield single against Holmes. Following a fielder's choice, Kyle Isbel singled, bringing up Garcia with runners in scoring positions. Garcia delivered a liner down the left-field line, scoring MJ Melendez and Isbel to secure the victory for Kansas City.
"I couldn't be more proud of those guys," said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. "You're down. That's a really good club with an elite closer coming in. The way they hustle, the way they never quit, it's inspiring for me to come to work every day to be around these guys."
James McArthur pitched a scoreless ninth inning to safeguard the win for Kansas City. With this victory, the Royals now hold second place in the AL Central and hope to build on this momentum in the coming games.
Streaks and Highlights
Nestor Cortes also delivered a strong performance for the Yankees, allowing two runs over seven innings and lowering his road ERA to 5.57 from 6.17. Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the fourth inning. Witt later scored on Vinnie Pasquantino's two-run double.
The Royals' sixth-inning threat was cut short when Witt was caught stealing following a pickoff throw by Cortes. Royals manager Matt Quatraro was ejected during the game for arguing obstruction by Gleyber Torres, underscoring the tensions that pervaded this tightly contested matchup.
As the Royals celebrate a hard-fought win, they hope to carry this fighting spirit forward through the rest of the season. Meanwhile, the Yankees need to regroup and address the issues that led to their collapse in the ninth inning.
In closing, Marsh humorously mentioned a conversation with Quatraro regarding his no-hit bid: "Quatraro told me he didn't even know I had a no-hitter going. I responded, 'Don't get tossed next time.’"