Austin Wells clubbed a three-run homer and matched a career high with five RBIs while Aaron Judge set the tempo with a first-inning two-run shot, and the New York Yankees rolled to a 10-2 victory over the host Kansas City Royals.
New York starter Max Fried (9-1) took sole possession of the major league lead for wins after allowing two runs and six hits without a walk over seven innings. He struck out four while lowering his ERA to 1.84.
The Yankees rebounded after losing two straight to the Boston Red Sox. The Royals took their third loss in a row.
From the ninth spot, Wells was the offensive star, also delivering a two-RBI double during a five-run sixth for the Yankees, who recorded 16 hits while improving to 4-0 vs. Kansas City this season.
The Royals’ Noah Cameron (2-2) entered with an 0.85 ERA through his first five career starts, but he yielded the homers to Judge and Wells, plus five other hits, while permitting six runs in 5 2/3 innings. He fanned six and walked one.
Jonathan India homered for Kansas City, which has averaged 3.2 runs during its current 10-17 stretch.
Judge wasted no time delivering his personal major league welcome to Cameron. After Trent Grisham drew a one-out walk in the first inning, Judge drove the ball 469 feet off the top of the Royals’ Hall of Fame area in left field.
Kansas City halved its deficit in the second. Vinnie Pasquantino led off with an infield single and eventually scored from third on rookie Jac Caglianone’s groundout.
Cameron retired eight straight until Jasson Dominguez (three hits) blooped a single into right field with two outs in the fourth. DJ LeMahieu then singled and Wells capped a nine-pitch at-bat by barely clearing the right field fence for a 5-1 Yankees lead.
In the New York sixth, Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled, and after Cameron left with two outs, Taylor Clarke came on and walked LeMahieu. The right-hander then yielded Wells’ double just inside the right field line that plated both runners.
After Paul Goldschmidt reached on an infield single, Grisham, Judge and Cody Bellinger each delivered a RBI single.
India cleared the center field wall off Fried to open the bottom of the sixth.
Chisholm exited in the seventh with neck tightness.
–Field Level Media
