SHREVE SAVES YANKS IN 10TH
Bombers narrowly escape with victory over Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chasen Shreve started the day in Buffalo with Triple-A Scranton/WilkesBarre.
He ended it by retiring two of the toughest hitters in the Royals’ lineup to escape a bases-loaded, oneout jam and the Yankees escaped with a 5-4, 10-inning win at Kauffman Stadium, which included a 59-minute rain delay.
“I want to be that guy they can count on,” said Shreve, who struck out Kendrys Morales and then got Salvador Perez to fly out to end the game after rookie Ben Heller ran into trouble. “It’s been a frustrating year for me and I want to finish strong.”
Sounds like the Yankees, who avoided what would have been a crushing third straight defeat after blowing a 4-0 lead, as well as one-run advantage in the eighth, when Dellin Betances blew his first save since becoming the closer.
But another Yankee who has had a rough 2016, Jacoby Ellsbury, put the Yankees in position to win with an infield single with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th that scored pinchrunner Aaron Hicks with the winning run.
The ball hit off Royals’ closer Joakim Soria and deflected toward third.
“I didn’t know if it was gonna get up the middle,” Ellsbury said. “You need breaks throughout the season. I guess this was a break for us.”
Girardi then went to Heller, who hit Raul Mondesi, gave up a single to Jarrod Dyson and then fanned Lorenzo Cain before walking Eric Hosmer intentionally.
Shreve, who was sent to the minors after his previous outing when he gave up four runs without recording an out, seemed an unlikely hero.
“He’s been there before and been able to come through,” Joe Girardi said. “It’s one of the reasons we called him up.”
Shreve closed it out in the 10th for his first career save.
The top of the 10th looked like it might be another wasted opportunity.
Brian McCann and Chase Headley singled to start the inning, but Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin struck out — with Mark Teixeira unavailable because of neck spasms. Brett Gardner walked to load the bases for Ellsbury.
Betances had allowed the Royals to tie the game in the eighth after Tyler Clippard walked Lorenzo Cain to start the bottom of the inning. Cain immediately stole second and advanced to third when Gary Sanchez’s throw went into center.
After Betances got Hosmer to ground out with the infield in, Cain scored when Morales knocked him in with a sacrifice fly.
Masahiro Tanaka was yanked after five innings and just 71 pitches when the rain came before the sixth.
“Another silly rain delay,” Girardi said.
It was reminiscent of the ugly loss Aug. 16, when the Yankees saw a 6-0 lead disappear against the Blue Jays in The Bronx. That’s when a 42minute delay forced Michael Pineda from the game after five innings — only to see the bullpen surrender a dozen unanswered runs.
The offense could have made things easier for Tanaka and the bullpen on Tuesday, but repeatedly squandered opportunities.
The Yankees knocked out starter Edinson Volquez with just one out in the fourth after nine hits, but struggled against the Kansas City relievers.
Through six innings, the Yankees had just one hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position and had left nine on base.
Aaron Judge hit a tworun homer in the second and Ellsbury delivered an RBI double to make it 3-0.
The Yankees scored just once after loading the bases with no outs in the third.
Tanaka surrendered a solo homer to Morales in the fourth.
“This would have been really difficult,” Girardi said. “We had a lot of opportunities we didn’t cash in on.”
And if Shreve didn’t come through, Ellsbury said, “We might still be playing.”
Instead, their season is still alive.