By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
It was quite the improvement for the Kansas City Royals in 2024, a team that last year was 56-106 turned things around becoming just the second team ever in MLB history to make the playoffs after a 100 loss season, finishing an outstanding 86-76.
The miraculous run continued into the AL Wildcard series, where they swept the top Wildcard team, the Baltimore Orioles, but the run would come to an end on Thursday night in the ALDS against the New York Yankees, falling 3-1, losing the best of five series 3-1 as well.
With the season on the line, it was not the ideal time for the offense to start off so slow, managing just two hits through the first five innings, both coming off the bat of Tommy Pham. And with little offense to show, Kansas City fell behind early.
The Yankees got to starting pitcher Michael Wacha early on in the first inning, first with a double by Gleyber Torres, who in the very next at bat came in to score on an RBI single from Juan Soto hitting the ball sharply into right field. Wacha escaped the inning however, Aaron Judge grounding into a double play, before Austin Wells lined out to left field.
Wacha settled into the matchup over the next three innings giving up just one hit and a walk, before the Yankees struck again in the fifth inning. A one out single from Anthony Volpe was followed by a two out single by Jon Berti, advancing Volpe to scoring position, where he was driven in on a single by Torres for a 2-0 lead.
New York scored again in the sixth inning, the frame starting with a double by Aaron Judge, just his second hit of the series, Judge came in to score on an RBI single off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton who was a terror all series for the Royals, driving in four runs.
The Royals scored the lone run of the game in the bottom half of the sixth, finally getting some offense from Bobby Witt Jr and Vinnie Pasquantino after struggling throughout the playoffs, Witt Jr singling with two outs and being driven in by Pasquantino on an RBI double.
Kansas City threatened to tie the game up in the seventh inning after Pham's third hit of the game with two outs, bringing Kyle Isbel to the plate. On a 1-0 count Isbel made solid contact on an inside fastball, sending the ball into the sky and taking Soto, the right fielder, all the way to the bullpen fence, missing a game tying home run by mere inches.
Yankees relievers Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver closed out the final two innings giving up no hits to the Royals and sealing the game for another trip to the ALCS for New York, where they will play either the Detroit Tigers or Cleveland Guardians who play a decisive Game 5 on Saturday.
Wacha was charged with the loss pitching 4.2 innings and giving up two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out two. Pham was the leading hitter going 3-for-3
Kansas City’s 2024 season was built on its pitching, particularly its rotation, but not one of their starters pitched into the sixth inning this series.
The Royals go into the offseason now with a lot of hope for the future, by all accounts overachieving this season based on expectations coming in. They will also get a boost to their rotation next year with the return of Kyle Wright, but do have decisions to make on players such as Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson as they prepare for 2025.