Yankees ride Aaron Judge walk-off to steal 1st game of series against Royals

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May 10, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) is greeted by his teammates after hitting a walk-off three-run home run to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The talk of the town was the acquisition of Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon, but he struggled to get anything going against his former team as part of the New York Yankees.

The Bombers and Royals started the first of a four-game series on Thursday night, with the home team stealing a win in the final moments courtesy of Aaron Judge.

The Yankees tallied two hits on the evening compared to four from Kansas City, but the most important one of the game came from Judge, a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th inning.

A pitching duel stole the show:

Both teams featured phenomenal pitching, with Jameson Taillon lasting 6.0 innings, giving up four hits, and striking out eight batters over 98 pitches. Taillon now has a 3.72 ERA this season but is coming off a few tumultuous performances. Prior to Thursday’s win, Jamo had given up 14 runs over his last 19 innings this month, so he desperately needed a positive outcome.

The Royals featured Brady Singer on the mound, who went 7.0 innings, striking out 10 and allowing just one hit. Singer is having a fantastic season, showcasing his quality against a struggling Yankee team.

The team’s new acquisition, Benintendi, recorded one strikeout but failed to make adequate contact. The only other player to record a hit was Gleyber Torres, who slapped a single to right field in the 4th inning.

The Yankees need more offensive production in the coming days, especially against a lonely team like the Royals that currently hold a 39–60 record. They are in sell mode, perfectly exemplified by the Benintendi trade on Wednesday night.

After dropping a two-game Subway series against the Mets, the Yankees will be happy to get back in the win column and look ahead to Friday with Gerrit Cole on the mound against Kris Bubic. Bubic is struggling this year with a 5.53 ERA over 68.1 innings. Obviously, Cole is having a dominant season once again, hosting a 3.09 ERA.

Nonetheless, the heroics of Aaron Judge continue to help propel the Yankees to victory, further justifying a monster extension in the coming months.