Yankees' solo shots topple Royals as Carlos Carrasco delivers best start yet

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Apr 14, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — After defeating the Royals in the 2024 American League Division Series, the Yankees picked up where they left off with a 4-1 victory over Kansas City on Monday night.

A power surge at Yankee Stadium fueled the Bombers’ series-opening win, as Trent Grisham, Ben Rice and Austin Wells all smoked solo shots off Royals starter Seth Lugo in the fifth inning. The right-hander has hurt the Yankees in the past – Lugo entered the game with a 2.55 career ERA against them – but the Bombers were all over his heaters on Monday.

Lugo’s tough luck with the longball actually began in the fourth inning, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit his own solo shot. Chisholm, thankful to no longer be playing in the freezing cold, now has six home runs this season after also going deep on Sunday to snap an 0 for 24 skid.

At the time of publication, Chisholm was tied with Aaron Judge, among several others, for the major league lead in homers.

While the Yankees’ bats stung Lugo for four earned runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings, Carlos Carrasco delivered his best start with the pinstripers.

The veteran righty entered the game with a 7.71 ERA, and it looked as if that number would inflate after the 38-year-old walked two of the first three hitters he faced. But Carrasco quickly found a groove, retiring 14 of the next 15 batters.

Carrasco’s only mistake came against Bobby Witt Jr., who hit a solo homer in the third inning. All in all, Carrasco totaled five innings, one hit, one earned run, two walks and four strikeouts over 79 pitches.

Carrasco, who now has a 5.94 ERA this season, also had some help from Jasson Domínguez, who made a running, leaping catch in the fourth inning to rob Salvador Perez of extra bases on a line drive. It was a pretty play for The Martian, who has had his fair share of struggles defensively but enjoyed his strongest showing in left field yet on Monday despite a busy night. Still, Cody Bellinger replaced Domínguez late in the game.

With the Yankees beginning their three-game set on the right note, they’ll try to lock in a series win as all of Major League Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson Day on Tuesday.

Michael Wacha, another pitcher the Yankees have had trouble with in the past, will start for Kansas City. Max Fried, fresh off a brilliant outing against the Detroit Tigers, will take the ball for the Yankees.

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