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MICHAEL KAY RECAP – ALDS GAME 3
NEW YORK YANKEES AT KANSAS CITY ROYALS – OCTOBER 15, 1924 – KAUFFMAN STADIUM
Well folks, this was one of those games that felt like October baseball—tense, gritty, and loaded with moments that could turn a series. And tonight, the New York Yankees—the team built for these moments—delivered exactly the kind of performance you expect from a club with championship aspirations.
The Yankees go into Kansas City, a hostile crowd of over fifty-two thousand on hand, and they take down the Royals, 5–3. They now lead the Division Series two games to one—one win away from punching their ticket to the American League Championship Series.
And let me tell you something—Sal Cantu was the story. The left-hander wasn’t dominant in a flashy way, but he was everything you want out of a postseason starter. Seven innings, three runs, seven strikeouts, and most importantly, no walks. He worked efficiently, he attacked hitters, and when the Royals tried to mount rallies—Cantu slammed the door shut. That’s veteran composure right there.
Now, the offense? Timely. Professional. Yankee-like.
Top of the first—A. Rivera sets the tone early. A two-run blast to left field that silenced the Kansas City crowd before they even got settled in. Then in the third, Stephen Johnson added some thunder of his own—a two-run homer to right-center that made it 4–2 Yankees. Johnson didn’t have a big night statistically, but that one swing changed the entire rhythm of the game.
From there, it was about holding serve. Kansas City chipped away—W. Obregón hit a solo shot in the fifth—but New York never panicked. They added a huge insurance run in the ninth on a clutch RBI single by J. Rawlings, and that was all she wrote.
How about Andy Marley’s bullpen management? Spot on. Two clean innings from Sam Schoeppen—just what the doctor ordered. No drama, no tension, just power pitching and confidence.
Look, the Royals didn’t play poorly. They got another multi-hit game from Oscar Vargas, and E. Clancy continued his impressive postseason with a two-run homer in the first. But you could feel it—the Yankees were just sharper. They played cleaner baseball, they executed the little things, and they never gave Kansas City the extra inch.
This is what great teams do in October. They go on the road, take the crowd out of it, and play their game.
So now, the Yankees are one win away. One. Tomorrow, they’ll send their ace to the mound with a chance to close out the series and head to the ALCS.
And if you’re the Royals—you’ve got to be perfect. No more mistakes, no more hanging breaking balls, no more missed chances with runners in scoring position. Because the Yankees smell blood, and when this team gets rolling… they’re awfully hard to stop.
Final score once again: Yankees 5, Royals 3.
New York leads the series two games to one.
For the Yankees—poise, power, precision. For the Royals—desperation time.
This is postseason baseball. This… is October.
— Michael Kay, YES Network 🎙️
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