Yankees vs Royals Recap: Volpe delivers go-ahead late

The Yankees rolled into Kansas City hungry for a win. They'd taken two straight games and wanted to keep that momentum rolling. The Royals, sitting at 22-32, needed a spark at home. You could feel the energy at the ballpark as the teams took the field. In the second inning, the Yankees came out swinging. Cody Bellinger crushed a Michael Wacha fastball that rocketed over the wall in right-center field. The ball flew 403 feet. Bellinger's home run gave New York a 1-0 lead. Then Anthony Volpe worked a walk and came around to score when Jose Caballero singled to center. The Yankees had struck fast, leading 2-0 after just two innings. The Royals answered right back when Michael Massey hit a sacrifice fly that scored Salvador Perez. Kansas City cut it to 2-1. The game was tight and both teams looked ready to battle.

The game stayed tight through the middle innings. Will Warren pitched strong for the Yankees, keeping the Royals off balance with his fastballs. Then came the sixth inning and everything shifted. Salvador Perez stepped up to the plate. The powerful catcher swung hard and sent the ball soaring to left-center. It traveled 422 feet and landed over the wall. Perez's blast tied the game at 2-2. Two innings later, the Royals took the lead. Jake Bird threw a curveball to Bobby Witt Jr., and the Royals' superstar turned on it immediately. Witt Jr.'s home run flew 432 feet to left field. Kansas City suddenly led 3-2 with one swing. The momentum had shifted to the home team. Everything seemed to favor the Royals now. They just needed to protect the lead and finish strong.

The Royals sat one inning away from victory. Lucas Erceg took the mound for Kansas City in the ninth to close it out. The Yankees had other plans. Anthony Volpe stepped into the box with two outs. Erceg fired a 96 mph sinker and Volpe fouled it off. Then came an 85 mph slider. Volpe connected and smashed a single to left field. Suddenly, the bases loaded with runners. Two runs crossed the plate as the ball found grass. Volpe raced toward second but got thrown out. The Yankees had tied the game 3-3, then surged ahead 4-3. David Bednar took the mound to lock down the save for New York. The Yankees escaped Kansas City with a dramatic victory. New York improved to 32-22 and kept their winning streak alive. The Royals fell to 22-32 and dropped their second straight.