A Memorable Game on Memorial Day. Yankees 4, Royals 3

About Yesterday Afternoon: A Memorable Game on Memorial Day. Yankees 4, Royals 3

By Tim Kabel

May 26, 2026

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This was a very nice win for the Yankees. They came from behind to win a game on the road in the 9th inning. The Yankees reached the 1/3 mark of the season and are 10 games over .500. They are in second place in the American League East, 3 1/2 games behind the Rays. This was their 12th consecutive win against the Royals. Beating the Royals is like eating a doughnut, why just stop at one when you can have a dozen?

Will Warren pitched another solid but not spectacular game. He has turned into a very reliable and consistent pitcher. He is not an ace, but he doesn't need to be. He is also improving.

Anthony Volpe, who as I predicted, was playing shortstop, had the game-winning hit in the 9th inning. Volpe hit a two-run single, giving the Yankees the lead which David Bednar managed to hold, earning the save. The Yankees scored the other two runs on a home run by Cody Bellinger and an RBI single by Jose Caballero.

Yes, that's right. Volpe and Caballero both started. We all knew that Aaron Boone was champing at the bit to get Volpe back into the starting lineup. I believe he was reluctant to do that at home due to the reaction it would received from the fans. He made his move in the safety zone of Kansas City where the Yankees haven't lost a game it seems, since Richard Nixon was president. The odd man out was Ryan McMahon. To borrow some lyrics from My Fair Lady, Caballero could very soon be singing “I've grown accustomed to third base.” The Yankees on the other hand could very well be singing “Without you” to Ryan McMahon. The fact that Caballero played well at third base and both he and Volpe had key hits in the victory could gain them more playing time in that arrangement.

The victory yesterday was not perfect. Jake Bird struggled in relief again which is part of a pattern of inconsistency from not just Bird but the bullpen as a whole.

Something else that can't be overlooked is the relatively anemic offense. The Yankees scored two runs against the Rays on Sunday and four runs against the Royals yesterday. The Yankees had nine hits yesterday. Three of them came from JC Escarra. No one else had more than one hit. While Escarra had three hits yesterday, he only had eight hits on the season coming into the game. He had about 30% of his season's hits in one game. That's baseball, Suzyn. His huge day pushed his batting average all the way up to .200.

Now that we have reached the 1/3 mark of the season, we need to look at a few things closely. Trent Grisham is batting .196 for the year after going 0-4 yesterday.  Remember, he had two multiple-hit games in the last few days and is still batting below .200. He has 6 home runs and 27 RBI. He is not the only starter hitting below .200.

At this point, Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells are starters. McMahon is batting .190 with 4 home runs and 16 RBI. Wells is batting.165 with 4 home runs and 6 RBI. Wells projects to have 18 RBI for the season. In 1976, Fred “Chicken” Stanley batted .238 with 20 RBI.  When it comes to offensive production, Fred Stanley should not be your benchmark. To be at the 1/3 mark of the season and have three starters who are batting below .200 with a total of 14 home runs among them is not good.

Jazz Chisholm, Jr. has pushed his batting average up to .247 but he only has 5 home runs and 19 RBI. He also has 13 stolen bases. Remember, he predicted that he would have 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases this year. He has 2/3 of the season to get 37 stolen bases and 45 home runs. In the words of Princess Anne, “not bloody likely.” 

I think Chisholm put too much pressure on himself in his walk year. There is no way that he is going to wind up with the type of season he expected, predicted, or wanted. However, he can still have a good season from this point forward. I think the Yankees should make him a contract offer now, while they are in a better bargaining position. They might be able to sign him to a reasonable contract for five or six years. It would also give Chisholm some peace of mind which might produce better results on the field.

The Yankees have two more games in Kansas City. Unfortunately, after this, they won't play them again until 2027 unless a miracle occurs and they meet in the playoffs. The Yankees absolutely have to make hay while the sun shines and beat the Royals the next two games.

A Few Tidbits: 

·       Will Warren has allowed 2 or fewer earned runs in 9 of his 11 starts this season.

·       Salvador Perez’s home run in the sixth inning was his 136th home run at Kauffman Stadium, tying George Brett’s stadium record. That home run also moved Perez to within 5 of George Brett’s overall club record of 317 home runs.

·       On May 25th, 1922, Babe Ruth was stripped of his newly minted captaincy, ejected, suspended, and fined $200 after he threw dirt in an umpire’s face when called out trying to stretch a single into a double and subsequently chased a heckler into the stands of the Polo Grounds. My friend Roger was actually the heckler and said that he never expected Babe to run that fast.

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The Yankees will play the second game of this three-game series against the Royals tonight at 7:40 PM at Kauffman Stadium. Cam Schlittler, (6-2, 1.50 ERA) will face Bailey Falter, (0-1, 9.82 ERA). Let's hope Bailey falters and the Yankees win the game.