Royals HRs by Perez + Witt not enough as Yankees score 2 in 9th on Memorial Day
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- Bobby Witt Jr. hit a solo home run in the eighth to give KC a 3-2 lead.
- Anthony Volpe delivered a two-run single in the ninth to give New York a 4-3 lead.
- The Royals have lost 11 consecutive regular-season games in the all-time series.
The New York Yankees continue to be the Kansas City Royals’ nemeses.
And the Royals came close to vanquishing their longtime adversaries at Kauffman Stadium on Monday afternoon.
The Royals took a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning of the Memorial Day game thanks to Bobby Witt Jr.’s emphatic solo homer off Yankees reliever Jake Bird. When the ball carried into the left-field seats, it seemed like that could be the deciding blow.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe had other ideas. He hit a two-run single in the ninth off KC reliever Lucas Erceg as the Yankees escaped with a 4-3 victory.
The Royals (22-32) have now lost 11 consecutive regular-season games to New York’s American League franchise. Kansas City’s last regular-season win against the Yankees came on Sept. 10, 2024.
Monday’s loss was the fifth for the Royals during their nine-game homestand. Two more games remain in this series, Tuesday and Wednesday, against the Yankees.
Michael Wacha duels with Bronx Bombers
Few lineups across Major League Baseball are constructed quite like the Yankees’. New York’s batting order is sprinkled with All-Stars — led by three-time MVP Aaron Judge.
Facing the Yankees makes for a long day at the office for any big-league pitcher. On Monday afternoon, however, Royals starter Michael Wacha neutralized New York’s lineup for six innings.
The 34-year-old right-hander allowed two runs and five hits while striking out four.
Wacha shook off an early mistake in the second inning. Yankees slugger Cody Bellinger turned around a 91.9 mph fastball on the inside corner for his seventh home run of the year.
Wacha kept plugging along, however. He surrendered two runs that inning but limited the damage just enough. A two-out walk led to New York’s second run, via Jose Caballero’s RBI single, but that was it offensively for the visitors — off Wacha, anyway.
Wacha didn’t allow a run in his final five innings. He threw 59 of his 93 pitches for strikes, relying primarily on his fastball and changeup. He also showcased his curveball, which registered seven swings and three whiffs, per Baseball Savant.
The Royals did enough to take Wacha off the hook. Michael Massey hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning and team captain Salvador Perez tied the game at 2 with a solo homer in the sixth.
Perez is now six homers shy of setting the Royals’ career record. He also pulled into a tie with Hall of Famer George Brett with his 136th career homer at Kauffman Stadium.
Royals’ bullpen struggles continue
Wacha eventually handed things over to the Royals’ bullpen.
Daniel Lynch IV threw a scoreless eighth inning before Erceg blew the save opportunity in the ninth.
Erceg got one out, then put Yankees on second and third by allowing a single to Paul Goldschmidt and double to Jazz Chisholm Jr. That set the stage for shortstop Anthony Volpe to lace a go-ahead, two-run single to left.
The Royals couldn’t overcome that late swing on the scoreboard. Yankees closer David Bednar earned his 12th save by retiring the Royals in order in the bottom of the ninth.
The Yankees (32-22) now have 12 comeback wins this season.
What’s next: The Royals continue their three-game series against the Yankees on Tuesday. KC hasn’t announced a starter to oppose New York right-hander Cam Schlittler (6-2, 1.50 ERA) in the evening game at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. Central Time.
This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 5:34 PM.
