Gerrit Cole in control as New York Yankees clinch ALCS spot with win over Kansas City Royals

(CNN) — The New York Yankees clinched an American League Championship Series (ALCS) spot on Thursday night with a 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals which saw them take the American League Division Series (ALDS) by the same score.

Starter Gerrit Cole was the game’s dominant force, giving up just one run and six hits across seven innings, striking out four.

“We’re fired up,” the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner said after the celebrations, according to MLB.com. “I had a couple of IPAs with the boys and sprayed some champagne. This is the greatest.”

The Yankees bullpen also impressed once again, Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver each pitching an inning and retiring the side with little fuss.

The victory sees New York advance to the 19th Championship Series in its history, four more than any other franchise. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the Bronx Bombers’ closest rivals in that respect, and can close the gap to three with a win over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

The win also means that the Yankees have clinched their fourth ALCS in eight years on the road having won 50 games on their travels during the regular season, their most since 2003.

Kansas City, meanwhile, has now lost its last nine games at Kauffman Stadium.

Any hopes the Royals had of taking the series to Game 5 were immediately dented when the Yankees scored after just three pitches, Gleyber Torres hitting a double off the first pitch of the game, before Juan Soto’s single drove him home.

RBI singles from Torres and Giancarlo Stanton in the fifth and sixth gave New York a 3-0 lead, and the Royals began to let their frustrations show, Maikel Garcia sliding – too forcefully, according to Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe – into second in an attempt to avoid a double play.

Both benches cleared and umpires were required to separate the teams, but the home crowd were suddenly up and the team responded, an RBI double from Vinnie Pasquantino finally getting Kansas City on the board.

The seventh saw the Royals come within a few feet of tying the game. With Tommy Pham on base, Kyle Isbel sent a fly ball to deep right field, but Soto was able to catch on the track to spoil the party.

It was the closest Kansas City would come, Aaron Judge recording the final out in the ninth to send New York through.

“In 2023, our season ended here, you know? We didn’t get in the postseason,” said Judge, per AP. “I remember a lot of these guys were looking out on the field, and you know, we all kind of came together and said, ‘It’s not going to happen again.’”

The Yankees will now return home to face either the Cleveland Guardians or the Detroit Tigers in the best-of-seven ALCS starting on Monday night.

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