The Yankees didn't reach second base on Tuesday and didn't come to bat with runners in scoring position until the seventh inning on Wednesday.
Jose Trevino's at-bat ended in a nail-biting double play.
They managed just six hits in 11 innings and were consistently kept in check by the Royals' strong pitching staff.
But they capitalized on the few hits they got to play their strongest game of the season, making the theatrics of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Juan Soto and solid work from the bullpen count for nothing.
In the 11th inning, Chisholm's infield hit allowed Jon Bertie to score, sealing a 4-3 walk-off victory in front of a crowd of 40,908 in the Bronx.
“That was a great game,” manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees (84-62) moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Orioles in the AL East and won the series against the Royals before heading into a four-game series against the Red Sox.
In the winning frame, the Yankees thrived.
Soto's grounder advanced ghost runner Berti to third base, and after an intentional walk by Aaron Judge, Chisholm singled to left.
Bobby Witt Jr. dived to poke the ball home, but his throw went wide and the Yankees swarmed the field.
Chisholm said he just wanted to hand the baton off and carry on in the game, but ended up getting the game-winning hit, and celebrated with his teammates after rounding first base.
It was a cool moment for Coach Chisholm, who described it as an “eye-opener” after Tommy Kahnle struck out Paul DeJong in the seventh and a half innings to keep the game tied.
“The whole crowd went wild,” Chisholm said after the Yankees' third walk-off win of the season. “It's amazing. It's not even October yet. I can't wait.”
The Yankees were able to celebrate the win thanks to Luke Weaver's help in stifling the Kansas City offense in the top of the 11th.
The right-hander got Michael Massie to fly out, then struck out DeJong and Michael Garcia, leaving the mound with a ghost runner on second base and a bang.
The Yankees' relief corps was reshuffled, with Clay Holmes pitching the seventh inning and allowing the tying run, but Weaver and Jake Cousins were on standby.
“Our bullpen was outstanding,” Boone said after holding the opposing team to just two runs, one earned, in six innings.
The Yankees' offense was held in check by left-hander Cole Ragans until the sixth inning.
After Gleyber Torres walked to reach base, Soto fouled off the pitch with the tip of his right foot.
The superstar stumbled halfway to first base before dropping to his knees and allowing team trainers to nervously examine his leg for several minutes.
“It hurt a lot,” Soto said, adding that he was still in pain when he returned to the plate.
Two pitches later, he smashed a 2-2 knuckle curveball into the deep right field stands for his 39th home run of the season. The two-run homer didn't last long for the Yankees, but it did keep them ahead.
The Yankees were behind early on, but quickly built a lead thanks to Soto's dramatic performance, and then watched the Royals hang in there with some great defense and a competent offense.
Holmes gave up singles to Kyle Isbell and Tommy Pham in the seventh inning to lose a one-run lead, but then two flyouts allowed Isbell to home.
Holmes was booed after losing his closer role.
In the bottom of the inning, Anthony Volpe reached second base and Oswaldo Cabrera, pinch runner for Anthony Rizzo, attempted a double steal with one out.
Trevino hit a chopped ball toward first base, and Salvador Pérez first grabbed it, then lunged forward and managed to touch the curving ball to Trevino, who spun and threw it to home plate.
Pérez needed to make a perfect play to get Volpe out at home, and he did just that: a well-thrown dart that guided catcher Freddie Firmin's glove past Volpe's diving head for a devastating double play.
The game remained tied until the 10th thanks to efforts from Kahnle and Jake Cousins.
The teams traded runs in the 10th inning, and a wild pitch by Cousins gave the Royals a brief lead, but pinch-hitter Austin Wells hit a high fly ball down the left field line to bring home Volpe at third base.
A team known for achieving big things achieved small things.
“This is a big series win for us,” Boone said. “They played a lot of good pitching against a really good team over there.”
