Austin Wells hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to put the Yankees ahead and added an RBI double in the eighth, leading New York to a 10-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. This win helped the Yankees extend their lead in the AL East.
The Yankees (83-61) surpassed their win total from last season and now lead the Orioles by 1 1/2 games, who lost 12-3 to Boston.
Aaron Judge hit a tying single off James McArthur, and a few pitches later, Wells hit a 2-1 fastball into the right field bleachers, increasing the Yankees’ lead to 7-4.
“Got a couple of pitches in off the plate, so I was kind of looking inside there,” Wells said. “I was able to put a good swing on it.”
After hitting the homer, Wells briefly watched the ball’s flight, tossed his bat, and shouted with excitement toward his teammates in the dugout. “I was jacked,” Wells said. “I blacked out.”
The 404-foot home run was Wells’ seventh in his last 37 games since July 21 and his sixth while batting in the cleanup spot behind Judge.
The rookie catcher matched his career high by driving in four runs for the fourth time since his debut last September. Three of these occasions have been since the All-Star break, and Wells is hitting .301 in his last 37 games.
“He’s been a middle of the order hitter for two, three months now and I think we’ve all seen that, witnessed that,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
“Whether you get a result or not it’s just the level of the at-bat that he gives you from the left side is impressive and that was a no doubter tonight.”
“That homer today was insane,” added outfielder Jasson Domínguez, who was 1 for 4 after being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.
Hunter Renfroe hit a home run to lead off the sixth inning, giving the Royals a 4-3 lead before the Yankees rallied against McArthur (5-7) and scored the last seven runs of the game.
Gleyber Torres managed an infield single after Bobby Witt Jr. made a diving stop at shortstop, and Juan Soto drew a walk. Judge, who hasn’t hit a home run in 13 games, then singled to left field, easily bringing Torres home.
Domínguez singled, stole third base, and scored New York’s first run when catcher Salvador Perez made a throwing error. Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer, giving the Yankees a short-lived 3-2 lead.
Verdugo hit his second home run since the All-Star break after the Yankees brought up Domínguez to play regularly in left field. Domínguez, who started in center field, went 1 for 4, while Judge was the designated hitter.
Torres had an RBI single in the eighth inning, and Wells doubled off the left-field wall as the Yankees reached double-digit runs for the 13th time this season.
Perez hit a home run, went 4 for 4, and drove in the Royals’ first three runs, taking advantage of poor defense to give Kansas City an early lead.
He hit an RBI single off Carlos Rodón in the first inning after Tommy Pham reached base due to a throwing error by third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who made a low throw to first base.
Perez homered in the third inning for a 2-0 lead and hit a tying single in the fifth after a miscommunication between Torres and Soto on a pop-up.
The Royals (79-66) lost their sixth consecutive road game and fell 3 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central.
“We felt really good about him (McArthur) there,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “It was one of those nights where he wasn’t able to put them away.”
Rodón allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in six innings.
Jake Cousins (2-1) picked off pinch hitter Kyle Isbel in the seventh inning, and Luke Weaver stranded two runners in the eighth. Ian Hamilton pitched a perfect ninth inning in his first game since June 16.
Kansas City starter Brady Singer gave up three runs and five hits in five innings.
