KC Royals need to contain Giancarlo Stanton as they face elimination in ALDS

Giancarlo Stanton's towering 417-foot home run in the eighth inning Wednesday night didn't just give the New York Yankees a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals — it pushed the Royals to the brink of playoff elimination, leaving them trailing 2-1 in the American League Division Series.

Stanton's homer, hit off left-handed reliever Kris Bubic, turned the tightly-contested Game 3 into a win for the Yankees, giving New York the opportunity to potentially clinch the series in Game 4 on Thursday night.

KC Royals' pitching bends before it breaks

Despite issuing nine walks, Royals pitchers managed to keep the powerful Yankees lineup mostly in check through seven innings, allowing just two runs. However, the combination of free passes and Stanton's late-game heroics proved too much to overcome.

Still, the Royals remain optimistic that they can make a comeback in the last two games of the series.

"I feel like we haven't even met, really, our full potential in these last three games," Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. told Anne Rogers of MLB.com. "Now I feel like we come in tomorrow ready to rock."

NY Yankees Stanton's postseason prowess

Stanton's performance in Game 3 was nothing short of spectacular. He finished the night with three hits, two RBI, and his first stolen base in four years. His final at-bat, resulting in the game-winning homer, came off a 3-1 pitch from Bubic.

This postseason outburst is no fluke — Stanton boasts a career .964 OPS in 30 playoff games, with 12 home runs and 27 RBIs. His latest heroics place him alongside Yankees legends Reggie Jackson and Lou Gehrig as the only players in franchise history to record 24+ RBI over any 20-game span.

"We need to wrap it up tomorrow. No wiggle room," Stanton told the AP after Game 3. "We've got to get it done."

Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Stanton's approach: "He's done it throughout his career with us. I thought that at-bat off Bubic was just phenomenal."

Game 4 is do-or-die for the KC Royals

The Royals find themselves in a must-win situation as they prepare for Game 4. Right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha (13-8, 3.35 ERA) takes the mound to start, facing the daunting task of out-dueling Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.

Wacha needs a significant turnaround after his disappointing four-inning stint in Game 1, while Cole, a six-time All-Star, presents a formidable challenge for the Royals' struggling offense. The Yankees' decision to start their ace on short rest underscores the urgency they feel to close out the series.

For the Royals to force a Game 5, they must solve two critical issues. First, they need to neutralize Stanton, whose exit velocities in Game 3 were alarming — 108.2 mph, 114.1 mph, 97.2 mph, and 112.9 mph on his four at-bats. He was responsible for two of the three hardest-hit balls in the game, showcasing the "it" factor that makes him such a postseason threat.

The Royals' strategy should be to pitch Stanton carefully, potentially walking him in critical late-game situations. Forcing other Yankees to step up and try to beat them could be the key to extending the Royals' season.

Second, Kansas City's offense must come alive. They've managed to score in only two innings over the previous two games, putting immense pressure on their pitching staff. The Royals need their key hitters like Salvador Pérez and Witt Jr. to step up.

As the series hangs in the balance, the Royals face a monumental task: contain Stanton's red-hot bat, overcome Cole's pitching, revive their offense, and manage the Yankees' momentum. Their postseason dreams — and perhaps the trajectory of their rebuilding efforts — depend on their performance in this crucial game.