Ryan McMahon began Friday’s match against the Kansas City Royals on the bench, largely due to the historically poor start he’s had this season.
He stepped up in the top of the 8th inning, joining the game with the Yankees ahead by a single run.
Things took an unexpected turn when the bullpen faltered again. Yet, McMahon turned out to be a pivotal player, hitting a two-run homer with two outs and a man on second, leading the Yankees to a 4-2 victory.
This win was particularly crucial for the Yankees, who had entered the game on a rough streak, losing seven of their last nine against a Royals team that itself had recently lost three straight and seven out of nine.
The victory nearly slipped away, especially considering Cam Schritler’s impressive performance. He retired the first 11 batters he faced, showcasing his skills.
Schritler was flawless until he encountered a bit of trouble in the fourth inning when Vinny Pasquantino managed a hit, but he still only gave up one earned run across six-plus innings.
In the sixth inning, tension rose when Ben Rice’s homer in the fourth kept the Yankees leading by two runs.
Despite this, Schlitler walked Michael Garcia with one out—his second walk of the season. A bit of a surprise there.
But Schlitler redeemed himself by forcing Bobby Witt Jr. to hit a fly ball that Trent Grisham misjudged, leading to a costly double error. With runners on second and third and one out, Pasquantino grounded out to first, scoring Garcia and cutting the Yankees’ lead to 2-1.
Schlitter’s night ended when he walked Carter Jensen at the beginning of the seventh, after which Lane Thomas came through with a single.
Brent Headrick took over, and while he struck out one player and popped out another, he also made a throwing error during a pickoff attempt. Still, he managed to maintain the one-run lead.
However, in the 8th, Camilo Doval let Pasquantino level the score with a two-run homer to right field.
Against the odds, the Yankees retaliated. With two outs, Rice hit a single, and McMahon followed up with a decisive home run. Manager Aaron Boone commented that McMahon hasn’t had much playing time lately, especially since the next series features only a handful of left-handed pitchers.
It’s worth noting that even though McMahon typically hits more than 20 home runs a season, he was still seeking that breakout moment this early in the year.
