Anthony Volpe’s two-run single in the ninth inning rallied the New York Yankees to a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Monday.
Facing Royals closer Lucas Erceg, Paul Goldschmidt reached base on a one-out single that popped up, then just died in the infield grass. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had no chance to get Goldschmidt at first base by the time he reached the ball.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed up with a double to right field that advanced pinch-runner Max Schuemann to third base. Erceg then got ahead of Volpe with two strikes before trying to get the Yankees shortstop to chase a pitch out of the zone. His next pitch, a sinker, was in the lower middle and Volpe smacked it to short left field.
Volpe delivers 🙌 pic.twitter.com/YNkkW3kvMZ
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 25, 2026
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Erceg blew his fourth save opportunity of the season, tying him for the MLB lead. He has 11 saves and a 5.06 ERA in 22 appearances.
The Royals went ahead 3-2 in the eighth inning on a home run from Witt. Leading off the bottom of the frame, Witt turned on a curveball left in the inner middle of the strike zone by Yankees reliever Jake Bird to put the Royals on top.
Bobby Witt Jr. HAMMERS one out to give the @Royals a late lead! pic.twitter.com/pHGpbBzKnL
— MLB (@MLB) May 25, 2026
The Yankees have won two straight games after losing three in a row and 11 of their past 16 games. But with the Tampa Bay Rays’ 13-inning, 9-7 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Colton Cowser’s walk-off home run, New York is now 3.5 games out of first place in the AL East.
Salvador Perez’s record-setting home run
Kansas City tied the score at 2-2 in the sixth on a solo home run by Salvador Perez. Not only did the home run come at an important time for the Royals, it also carried historical significance for the 15-year veteran.
Salvador Perez hits his 9th home run of the year and ties the game! pic.twitter.com/TO4lhC1LYO
— MLB (@MLB) May 25, 2026
Perez’s homer was the 136th he’s hit at Kauffman Stadium, tying him with George Brett for the most in the ballpark’s history. Additionally, Perez overtook Iván Rodríguez for the most home runs by a Latin-American catcher in major-league history with 312.
Up next for Perez in the Royals’ record book will be Brett’s franchise mark of 317 home runs.