Live score, postgame updates for ALDS Game 1

NEW YORK – Mistakes were made, and ultimately the Kansas City Royals’ missteps outweighed those of the Yankees.

Plus, the Yankees are now equipped with a better bullpen than they’ve had all season, which helped them lock down a 6-5 playoff-opening win Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was shaky over five innings, charged with three runs, and Aaron Judge (0-for-4, 3 Ks) was mostly absent.

But the Yanks prevailed in Game 1 of this best-of-five, AL Division Series, with embattled No. 9 hitter Alex Verdugo lashing the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh and Luke Weaver locking down a four-out save.

Here’s our analysis of the Yankees’ Game 1 victory:

Dream Weaver

With a runner at first, two out, and the Yanks up 6-5 in the eighth, here’s Luke Weaver on to get a four-out save – and he strikes out Maikel Garcia. Three outs to go.

While we’re here, some applause for Oswaldo Cabrera’s defense at first base, not a natural position for him, gathering some tough throws tonight.

Alex Verdugo comes through

They love him now at Yankee Stadium.

Alex Verdugo, who had a summer slumber at the plate, lashed the go-ahead RBI single off Michael Lorenzen, giving the Yanks a 6-5, two-out lead in the seventh.

That sharp single to left scored the speedy Jazz Chisholm Jr. from second, after the Yanks survived a KC replay challenge on Chisholm’s steal of second base, where even a decent throw by Salvy Perez gets him easily.

Austin Wells picks up the Captain

After righty Michael Lorenzen struck out Aaron Judge (0-for-3, 2 Ks), Austin Wells’ sharp single to right tied it 5-5, in the sixth, in this extremely entertaining (but nerve-wracking for both fan bases) playoff opener.

The Yanks’ chance to take a one-run lead was thwarted by KC third baseman Maikel Garcia, with a tremendous inning-ending play on a grounder to his left, robbing Giancarlo Stanton of an RBI single.

Relentless Royals answer back

It’s 5-4 Royals, after shortstop Anthony Volpe’s throwing error led to two unearned runs, driven home by pinch-hitter Garrett Hampson’s two-run ground single off lefty reliever Tim Hill.

Volpe made a great stop in the hole to snare Tommy Pham’s grounder, but in trying to make the force play at second, for the second out of the sixth inning, Volpe threw wildly into shallow right field.

Gerrit Cole finished after five-plus innings

Old Houston Astros nemesis Yuli Gurriel (2 walks, single) opened the Royals sixth by singling off the left field wall, ending Cole’s night, a shaky outing by the ace.

Here comes lefty Tim Hill, the reliever signed in June after being released by the awful White Sox, to protect a 4-3 lead.

Questionable move by Matt Quatraro, Yanks re-take the lead

Taking out veteran Michael Wacha in the fifth and replacing him with 24-year-old lefty reliever Angel Zerpa was a questionable move by KC manager Matt Quatraro to say the least.

Wacha was just at 70 pitches when he walked Gleyber Torres to open the fifth. Instead of waiting for a lefty-lefty matchup against Austin Wells, Quatraro went with Zerpa to face Juan Soto.

What happened: Soto singles, Aaron Judge (1-for-20 vs. Wacha) walks and Wells walks with the bases loaded to tie it, 3-3.

Quatraro summons John Schreiber, who gets two quick outs before walking Anthony Volpe on a 3-2 pitch to force in the go-ahead run, 4-3.

Yankees’ lead is gone, goodbye

That was quick.

In the latest sign that Cole doesn’t have it tonight, MJ Melendez just launched a two-run homer for a 3-2 KC lead, and Tommy Pham followed with another sharp hit off Cole.

Clay Holmes has just begun warming up in the bullpen, and we’re only in the fourth inning.

Gleyber goes yard, 2-1 Yanks

Entering the fourth inning, Cole now has a lead to protect.

After Alex Verdugo (booed by many during intros) singled, Gleyber Torres used Yankee Stadium’s friendly right field dimensions to lift a fly ball homer to right for a 2-1 lead.

Since being inserted back in the leadoff spot on Aug. 16, Torres is batting over .300 with an OPS over .800.

Royals make second inning mistake, but strike first

This might not be Cole’s night.

The first five batted balls off Cole were scorched at least 100-mph, and the Yanks caught a break when KC third base coach Vance Wilson – an ex-Mets catcher – sent the lumbering Salvador Perez home on a sharp single by MJ Melendez.

Trying to score from second, Perez was thrown out by Soto in right for the first out, and the Royals settled for a 1-0 lead on Tommy Pham’s sac fly. Pham is a career .343 hitter vs. Cole in 353 regular season ABs.

Aaron Judge vs. Michael Wacha

It’s still advantage Wacha, by a mile.

After the Yanks opened their half of the first with runners at second and third and none out, they came up empty.

Wacha’s comeback began with a strike out of Judge, making the Yankees captain 1-for-19 in his career vs. the veteran righty with 12 strikeouts.

The Royals pulled their infield in, and Austin Wells’ grounder resulted in an out at the plate and Giancarlo Stanton struck out.

Wells, the lefty-hitting rookie catcher, batted .111 in September, but Aaron Boone did not waver in putting him back in the cleanup spot.

Interesting start

As we speak, Gerrit Cole might be penning a thank you note to Aaron Judge.

After leadoff hitter Michael Massey went after Cole’s first delivery, nearly pinning Juan Soto to the right field wall on a long fly out, Judge made a sensational, running catch in deep left-center field to rob Bobby Witt Jr. of extra bases.

The hard-hitting, 1-2-3 inning ended with Vinnie Pasquantino’s lineout to center.

First pitch by Andy Pettitte

Good move by the Yankees to get some good karma going early, inviting Andy Pettitte to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before their playoff opener.

Pettitte had a second career just pitching in October, and the last time the Yankees won it – in 2009 – the lefty started and won all three of their postseason clinching games.