About Last Night: Yanks 1, Royals 0

by Paul Semendinger

July 13, 2025

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Last night, the Yankees won 1-0 over the Royals to sweep the three-game series.

Quick Stats:

• Will Warren: 5.2 ip, 0 runs, 4 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

• Yankees bullpen: 3.1 ip, 1 hit, 0 runs

• The Yankees managed only 5 hits

• JC Escarra: 2 hits, double

• Devin Williams earned the save (1 ip, 0 hits, 0 runs. 1 strikeout)

The Game:

The game last night was played at a pretty brisk pace.

Both the Yankees and the Royals went down in order in the first inning.

After the Yankees went down in order, the Royals collected two hits and a walk in the bottom of the second, but, with the help of a double play, Will Warren pitched out of the jam.

In the third inning, the Yankees had a single from J.C. Escarra and a walk by Trent Grisham, but they were unable to score. The Royals went down in order in the third, thanks, in part to a terrific defensive play by Oswald Peraza on a bunt up the third base line.

The Yankees failed to deliver in the fourth. The Royals as well.

After a quiet Yankees half in the fifth, the Royals got a one out triple from Nick Loftin. He was save because the relay throw hit him as he slid and the ball bounced away. Will Warren backed up the play so the runner could not head home. The next batter hit a ground ball to short. The Royals did not use the contact play so the runner held at third. The next batter also grounded out. Will Warren pitched out of another jam.

In the sixth inning Trent Grisham singled and Paul Goldschmidt walked. Cody Bellinger came up with two outs and then...

The rain came...

And so did a delay.

When the game resumed, Cody Bellinger hit a shot into the left-center gap and was robbed of an extra base hit, and at least one RBI, on a great catch by Kyle Isbel. Will Warren pitched the bottom of the sixth, giving up a lead off single before retiring the next two batters. Tim Hill came in and retired the side.

In the seventh inning, the Yankees went quietly. The Royals did not. With two outs, Nick Loftin walked. The Yankees called on Mark Leiter, Jr. He gave up a hit to Freddy Fermin moving Loftin to third. But the next batter flew out.

The Yankees scored their run in the eighth inning. Pablo Reyes singled. Aaron Judge pinch-hit and....

struck out.

After Trent Grisham grounded out, Ben Rice walked. Paul Goldschmidt then had an infield single off the glove of the first baseman. Pablo Reyes came around to score on what was ruled an error on the throw by the pitcher who had been covering first base. That was the only run the Yankees would need. It was also the only run they'd get.

Here is the play:

Jonathan Loaisiga pitched a perfect eighth.

Devin Williams pitched a perfect ninth to close out the 1-0 victory.

Player of the Game:

• Will Warren - he pitched an excellent game and in some tough spots, he found a way to get himself (and the Yankees) out of trouble.

My Thoughts:

I write these summaries as the game is played. My home office is away from the television, so I run back-and-forth to write, watch, and write some more. As such, I don't see every play so I rely on the play-by-play on espn.com to fill in the gaps. Radio doesn't work for me since it's all talk and when I'm tring to formulate my own words it is a distraction rather than a help. Tonight some of the innings went by very quickly. (That or I was typing very slowly.)

The contact play is something the Yankees seem to always do with a man on third and less than two outs. For years we have seen the runner thrown out at home. I'm not a big fan of the play. But, the Royals didn't use that play and they didn't score anyway. I wonder if Aaron Boone was thinking, "I would have at least tried to score the run."

I would not have brought Will Warren out to pitch the sixth after the rain delay. Mr. Boone had a better sense on this than I did. Warren pitched well enough after the delay.

The Yankees are now 42-25, 17 games over .500. After losing a series to the Red Sox, they bounced back and swept the Royals.

Next Up:

It's off to Fenway Park on Boston for the Yankees. Ryan Yarbrough will take the mound for the Yankees tonight. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

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The image was created by ChatGPT.