The New York Yankees have advanced to the ALCS after taking down the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of the ALDS. Despite lackluster production from Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, other Yankees stepped up, like Giancarlo Stanton homering in Game 3, and in Game 4, Gerrit Cole pitched like their season depended on it.
Even Jazz Chisholm Jr. saying the Royals got “lucky” in Game 2 became somehow prophetic, though the Royals gave them a fight. Likewise, the Cole seemed to agree.
“I've got to be honest with you, the Royals are a damn good ballclub,” he said at the postgame press conference, via SNY Yankees on X, formerly Twitter. “That was a really tough series.”
ALDS Game 4: Yankees def. Royals, Yankees win series 3-1
Reigning Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole has a point, too. Last season, the Royals were a laughingstock, having lost 106 games, but they've staged a dramatic turnaround that started with signing young stars like Bobby Witt, Jr. to long-term contracts.
During the series, the Royals had kept every game close, too, winning Game 2 by two runs. Two of their three losses were one-run losses, while Game 4 had a two-run difference. The Yankees were certainly not toying with them.
So despite their elimination, the Royals have a lot of optimism heading into next season. They might go further next year, but this season's ALDS belongs to the Yankees.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed confidence in his squad moving forward to the ALCS.
“Proud of these guys. We get to go play for it now, and we're excited about that,” he said, via a report from the Associated Press.
After securing the final out to seal the series win, Aaron Judge remembered how last season ended for the Yankees.
“In 2023, our season ended here, you know? We didn't get in the postseason. I remember a lot of these guys were looking out on the field, and you know, we all kind of came together and said, ‘It's not going to happen again,'” the slugger said.
What's next?
After beating the Royals in Game 4, the Yankees await the winner of the other ALDS series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers, as the Guardians have forced a deciding Game 5 on Thursday.
“We're in a good place,” Stanton said after the game. “We're here to win. No one wants to be on the losing side of this. Imagine how Kansas City feels right now. Nobody wants to feel that way. We have an opportunity to keep it rolling, but that is understood reality, that we have to take care of business.”
The Yankees will have to play even better if they want to keep the possibility of a “Subway Series” between them and the New York Mets alive for the World Series.