Gerrit Cole maintains command as New York Yankees secure their place in the ALCS following victory against Kansas City Royals.
Gerrit Cole, the triumphant ace of the match, conceded a solitary run and six hits in seven innings, striking out four batters.
Post-celebrations, Cole, the victorious AL Cy Young Award holder, said, as reported by MLB.com, "We're pumped! I shared a couple of IPAs with the lads and sprinkled some champagne around. This is the pinnacle!"
The formidable Yankees bullpen lived up to expectations once more, with Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver each pitching an inning, retiring the opposition without much resistance.
The triumph propels New York into their 19th Championship Series, outranking any other franchise by four series. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the Yankees' closest rivals in this regard, but a win by the San Diego Padres against the Dodgers on Friday night could narrow the gap to three.
The victory also marks the Yankees' fourth Championship Series triumph in eight years while on the road, a feat they last achieved in 2003, when they won 50 games away from home during the regular season.
In contrast, the Royals have experienced nine consecutive losses at Kauffman Stadium.
The series' turning point came quickly for the Royals, as the Yankees scored with just three pitches, beginning with a double by Gleyber Torres off the first pitch of the game, and Juan Soto's single driving him home.
RBI singles from Torres and Giancarlo Stanton in the fifth and sixth innings gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead, prompting the Royals to exhibit their frustration, as Maikel Garcia forcefully slid into second base, causing a commotion, according to the Yankees' shortstop Anthony Volpe.
Tensions escalated, leading to both benches clearing and umpires intervening to separate the teams. However, the home crowd became energized, and Kansas City eventually scored with an RBI double by Vinnie Pasquantino.
The Royals came close to tying the game in the seventh inning, with Tommy Pham on base, but Kyle Isbel's fly ball to deep right field was caught expertly by Soto, preventing a potential equalizer.
The victory was sealed by Aaron Judge recording the final out in the ninth, sending the Yankees through to their next meeting at home, either against the Cleveland Guardians or the Detroit Tigers in the best-of-seven ALCS starting on Monday night.
As Judge said, per AP, "In 2023, our season ended here. We didn't qualify for the playoffs [back then]. Many of these guys were looking out at the field, and we all agreed, 'It's not happening again.'"
After the thrilling win, Cole, the AL Cy Young Award winner, expressed his excitement, stating, "This is incredible, we're back in the Championship Series again." The victory also marked the Yankees' fourth Championship Series triumph in sport, further cementing their dominance.
