Offensive shortcomings and pitching woes lead to KC Royals' Game 3 loss to NY Yankees

The Kansas City Royals mustered a mere four hits against New York Yankees’ starter Clarke Schmidt in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday night, plus just two against a trio of relievers. Going into Game 4 on Thursday, they now find themselves in a do-or-die situation.

The Royals got a man on base in four of the first five innings, but only manufactured runs in the fifth when Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey had back-to-back two-out RBI hits to tie the game at 2-2. Attempting to put more runs on the board, Bobby Witt Jr. — who collected his first series hit in the eighth — drew a walk with Massey at third, but Vinnie Pasquantino flew out to center to end the inning. 

That was the last time Kansas City had a man on base until Witt’s one-out single in the eighth. From there, Salvador Pérez ripped a two-out single up the middle to push Witt to third — but yet again, the Royals could not tie the game as Yuli Gurriel lifted a fly ball to center to end the inning.

Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead with a solo home run in the top of the eighth, and the Royals never recovered. After Game 3, Witt Jr. is 1-for-13 in the series, while Pasquantino is 0-for-12, and Peréz is 3-for-12.

Kansas City left six men on base and were just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The Yankees were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

KC Royals struggling to retire leadoff batters in ALDS

The Yankees’ leadoff hitter have gotten on base 16 times in 26 innings this series, and eight of them have gone on to score.

On a night when he was being matched and perhaps out-pitched by Schmidt, Royals starter Seth Lugo allowed the leadoff man to reach base in both the fourth and fifth innings, leading directly to the Yankees’ first two runs.

Lugo walked Juan Soto in the fourth inning, and even after battling back to retire the next two batters, he couldn't keep the Yankees off the board — Giancarlo Stanton doubled off the wall in left-center field, and with Soto on base, the double drove him in.

A similar scene played out in the fifth inning. The Yankees' Anthony Volpe singled to start the frame, and after a pair of walks and a sacrifice bunt loaded the bases, Volpe scored on Soto’s sacrifice fly to put New York ahead 2-0.

KC Royals pitchers are having trouble finding the strike zone

Kansas City pitchers walked a season-high nine batters in Game 3, bringing the series-total of walks issued by Royals' hurlers to 22. While the silver lining may be that only one of the nine free passes issued in Game 3 actually got around the bases to score — and just one of the five in Game 2 — it's still exactly those free passes that have the Royals on the brink of elimination instead of advancement. 

In Game 1, three of the eight walks issued came home to score in a one-run loss, and although only one of nine walks circled the bases in Game 3, it was the difference in another one-run loss.

Going into Game 4 on Thursday, October 10, the Yankees lead the ALDS over the Royals, 2-1.