Maybe Perez was sitting on that 2-0 slider after seeing sliders on the two previous pitches.
It’s getting loud here, as Giancarlo Stanton singled past the backhanded attempt of shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., driving in Gleyber Torres for a 1-0 lead in the third.
After walking Torres to start the frame, Ragans did the hard part by fanning Soto and getting Judge on a flyball that somehow died at the right field warning track.
But Austin Wells singled and Stanton delivered.
If you’re going to continue walking Gleyber Torres ahead of Soto and Judge, chances are you’re going back to KC down 0-2.
Torres just walked again to lead off the third, his fourth walk of the series. And he’s been up seven times.
Got a Mike Mussina “get back to the dugout!” to Joe Torre vibe from Carlos Rodon, waving Aaron Boone and the athletic trainer back to the bench after a Maikel Garcia comebacker might have clipped him on the wrist/arm?
Anyway, it went as a single, putting runners at first and second with one out in the Royals third, but Rodon got out of it. That included retiring Bobby Witt Jr. – now 0-for-7 in this series – on a fielder’s choice grounder.
Yankees’ first-inning failure, again
We’ve seen this before- in Game 1.
After Ragans walked Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto to start the game, Aaron Judge – in need of changing his October mojo – struck out and the Yanks failed to cash in.
In Game 1, Judge K’d with runners at second and third, none out, and the Yanks failed to score in the first. This time, Austin Wells followed by striking out and Giancarlo Stanton had a broken bat groundout.
Carlos Rodon comes out roaring
Making his first playoff start as a Yankee, a fired-up Carlos Rodon struck out the side, getting Maikel Garcia (95 mph) and Bobby Witt Jr. (98 mph) on fastballs and getting Vinnie Pasquantino to make a half-hearted swing at a slider.
Rodon came off the mound smiling and shouting. As one press box wag said next to me, “It might have been his best inning as a Yankee.”
Willie Randolph throws ceremonial first pitch
Following Andy Pettitte in Game 1, Willie Randolph got the call in Game 2, making like a second baseman and snapping a nice throw in front of the mound to Oswaldo Cabrera.
Of course, Randolph was a key figure in those epic and often nasty playoff battles with the Royals 40-plus years ago. Watching from the Royals side was the great George Brett.
Jon Berti gets the call at first base
In Monday night’s Game 2, it’s a slightly different lineup look for the Yankees than their best-of-five AL Division Series opener – a 6-5 win Saturday against the Royals.
Jon Berti will be making his first ever start at first base, replacing Oswaldo Cabrera who started Game 1.
Including lefty-hitting Ben Rice, the Yankees don’t have a natural first baseman on their roster due to Anthony Rizzo’s injury (fractured fingers, right hand), which will keep the veteran sidelined until at least the next round – if the Yanks advance.
Also, Berti has been limited to just 25 games (74 plate appearances) this year due to a severe calf strain suffered in late May.
However, “if we’re going to go long in this, he’s going to play a big role for us,’’ Boone said of the veteran, acquired via trade from the Miami Marlins just before Opening Day.
Berti “really looked the part’’ of a first baseman during the long workout week leading up to the ALDS opener, and Boone feels “good about him the way I feel about Cabrera’’ at first base.
And with Berti’s ability to steal a base, “he brings an athletic dynamic to the table at the bottom of our lineup,” along with providing more overall balance to the lineup.
Royals’ lefty starter Cole Ragans has had some difficulty against lefty hitters, but Boone felt “comfortable’’ with the right-handed hitting Berti over the lefty-hitting rookie Rice and Cabrera.
A switch-hitter who has struggled as a right-handed hitter, Cabrera was considered as a lefty hitter by Boone, had Cabrera started against Ragans.
“Just felt this made a lot of sense,’’ said Boone, who considered Rice but ultimately didn’t want the rookie having to face the tough Ragans in his postseason debut.
