Yankees Sweep Royals, Bring On the Red Sox

The Yankees needed to get back on track. Fortunately, the Kansas City Royals proved to be just what they needed.

Cam Schlittler started on Friday night, and he was very good, again, going 6 innings, allowing just 1 run, unearned. He was backed by a Ben Rice home run, giving him a 2-1. He tired in the 7th, but Brent Headrick finished the inning.

Aaron Boone should have let Headrick pitch the 8th, too. Instead, he brought in Camilo Doval, who gave up a game-tying home run. But with 2 out in the bottom of the 8th, Rice singled, and the most struggling hitter on the team, Ryan McMahon, hit a home run. David Bednar got the save, and the Yankees had won, 4-2.

Personally, I think that, regardless of whether the final lead was taken while a pitcher was on the mound, if he also blew what amounted to a save opportunity, he should be disqualified from being credited as the winning pitcher. But that's just my opinion, and Doval was credited with the win.

Will Warren pitched his best game as a Yankee on Saturday afternoon, going 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, no walks, and 11 strikeouts. He got 2 home runs from Cody Bellinger (who had 5 RBIs on the day), and 1 each from Rice and Amed Rosario. Yankees 13, Royals 4.

Along with Warren, Ryan Weathers has been the other hole-plugger in the injury-plagued Yankee starting rotation. He pitched his best game as a Yankee yesterday afternoon, going 7 1/3rd shutout innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 walk, striking out 8. Angel Chivilli finished the 6-hit shutout. Rice hit another home run, as did Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham. Yankees 7, Royals 0.

Meanwhile, the higher-payroll Mets have lost 11 straight.

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We are about 1/8th of the way into the season. The Yankees are 13-9, leading the American League Eastern Division, half a game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, even with them in the loss column. The Baltimore Orioles are 3 back, and the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays are both 4 1/2 back.

The Yankees have today off, before starting a 3-game series in Boston. As has previously been the case many times, they have scored a lot of runs in the series before going into Fenway Park, which makes me wonder if they've used up their runs on their way into Boston. In spite of their 8-13 record, The Scum do look improved. Hopefully, the Bronx Bombers can keep the attack going at the little green pinball machine in the Back Bay.