Salvy’s homer ignites Royals rally in Game 2 win at Yankee Stadium

Salvador Perez homered leading off the fourth inning, sparking a four-run rally against Carlos Rodon, and the Kansas City Royals evened their AL Division Series with the New York Yankees at one game apiece with a 4-2 victory on Monday night. 

Perez’s homer tied the game, and the Royals added three more runs in the inning on singles by Tommy Pham, Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia.

Four relievers combined to hold the Yankees in check after Cole Ragans lasted four innings.  Garcia, moved up to the leadoff spot, had four hits for the Royals.  The series shifts to Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday. 

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge went 1 for 3 with an infield single and is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts in the series.  Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. was 0 for 5 with three strikeouts, dropping to 0 for 10.  

Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees ahead with an RBI single in the third, but New York went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

Ragans allowed one run and three hits, striking out five and walking four.  Angel Zerpa, John Schreiber, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg combined for five hitless inning.

Rodon gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.  On Wednesday night, Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt will make his first postseason start, with the Royals going with Seth Lugo in the franchise’s first home playoff game in nine years.

Despite the loss to Kansas City, the AL East champion Yankees remain confident.  Manager Aaron Boone saying, “I think that’s been a hallmark of our success.  These guys are really confident, and understandably so, and we’ll be ready to go in Game 3.”

In Cleveland on Monday afternoon, Kerry Carpenter’s three-run homer off All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning lifted the Detroit Tigers to a stunning 3-0 victory over the host Guardians, evening their AL Division Series at one game apiece. 

Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney hit consecutive two-out singles, setting up Carpenter’s late-game heroics.  Beau Brieske pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

Detroit, winners of 31 of their last 44 games, including a Wild Card series sweep of Houston, return home to Comerica Park for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday.