The New York Yankees suffered a 4-2 loss at home to the Kansas City Royals in Game 2 of the ALDS. Aaron Judge and his teammates briefly held the lead in the third inning but couldn’t hold on, and it never came back. However, Judge recently revealed the mindset his team will carry into Game 3.
The next matchup against the Kansas City Royals will be far from the Bronx, with the Yankees set to play at Kauffman Stadium. Judge assured fans that his teammates are pumped up and ready for Game 3, despite the tough loss at home.
“The boys are pumped up, excited,” Judge said, emphasizing that the team hasn’t lost its inspiration to keep fighting in the series. The Yankees will now need to win at least one game in Missouri to force a potential Game 5 back in New York.
The loss stung, but Aaron Judge believes teammates like Gleyber Torres, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Alex Verdugo are now even more motivated to keep pushing. “They’re definitely disappointed after this loss, but I think it definitely fired the guys up,” he added.
The boys are pumped up, excited. They're definitely disappointed after this loss, but I think it definitely fired the guys up. - Aaron Judge on the team's mindset heading into Game 3
Yankees-Royals Game 2 Recap
The Yankees got on the board first in the third inning, much to the delight of the home crowd, when a single by Giancarlo Stanton allowed Gleyber Torres to score the first of New York’s two runs.
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However, the Royals responded in the top of the 4th inning, scoring four runs thanks to three RBI singles (Pham, Hampson, Garcia) and a home run by Venezuelan catcher Salvador Perez. Four innings of strong defensive play followed, with the Yankees stranding multiple runners on base. Their final run came from a Jazz Chisholm Jr. home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Royals’ lead.
