Kansas City @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 9, 2024 ) Kansas City 4, NY Yankees 10
Jasson Dominguez was not included in the New York Yankees' list of initial September call-ups, but the top prospect figures to be part of the team's everyday lineup moving forward.
Dominguez likely will be in the lineup again when the Yankees continue a three-game series against the visiting Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.
New York (83-61) has won three of its past four games to move 1 1/2 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East.
Dominguez, 21, was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday and started in center field in the Yankees' 10-4 win. Dominguez went 1-for-4 with a single, stolen base and a run.
"I've been a huge fan ever since I met him," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Just love his makeup, his talent, and he's earned this opportunity."
New York catcher Austin Wells continued to impress on Monday with a three-run homer and an RBI double. He is batting .303 with seven homers in his past 36 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," 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."
Kansas City (79-66) had its four-game win streak snapped on Monday and fell 3 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians. Salvador Perez went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs in the loss.
The Royals' bullpen began the series on a 12-inning scoreless streak, but four relievers allowed a combined seven runs on seven hits and four walks across three innings on Monday.
"Just a bad day today. It's part of this game. Everybody can have a bad day," Perez said. "If we win, we win all together. If we lose, we lose all together."
The Tuesday pitching matchup features a pair of right-handers as New York's Marcus Stroman (10-7, 4.03 ERA) faces Kansas City's Seth Lugo (15-8, 3.05).
Stroman is looking to bounce back after allowing five runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings in a 10-6 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old veteran was 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA in his previous four starts before struggling against the Rangers.
Tommy Pham is 5-for-9 against Stroman, who is 4-1 with a 2.52 ERA in six career starts vs. the Royals. Stroman fired 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a win at Kansas City on June 11.
Lugo, 34, allowed one run and six hits over seven innings in a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.
"I thought I threw the ball well," he said. "I thought I was using both sides of the plate with my fastball and breaking balls and kept the hitters off balance. I used a pretty good mix out there."
Juan Soto is 4-for-13 with a home run against Lugo, who has completed at least six innings in 23 of his 29 starts this season.
Lugo is 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 13 career games (three starts) against the Yankees. He allowed four runs over seven innings in a 4-2 loss to New York on June 10.
--Field Level Media