(New York) Salvador Perez hit a home run in the top of the fourth inning to start a four-run spurt against Carlos Rodon and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night.
They thus level their second round series of the American League at one game everywhere.
Four relievers kept the Yankees in check after Cole Ragans was inconsistent for four innings. Tommy Pham, Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia hit productive singles for the Royals.
Garcia, who moved from ninth to first in the Royals’ batting order, had four hits.
Game 3 of the series is Wednesday night in Kansas City, the Royals’ first home playoff game since the 2015 World Series. Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his first and only hit of the series, a single in the infield. He is now 1 for 7 against the Royals.
Bobby Witt Jr., expected to finish second to Judge for American League MVP, was 0 for 5 with three strikeouts, falling to 0 for 10 in the series.
The four sectional series are tied 1-1 for the first time since 1995.
Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yankees the lead with a productive single in the third inning, but the Yankees hit only one hit in six chances with runners in scoring position.
Ragans allowed just one run and three hits, striking out five batters and allowing four walks.
Winning pitcher Angel Zerpa and John Schreiber each followed with a hitless inning before Kris Bubic pitched two scoreless innings. Lucas Erceg worked in the ninth for his third save of the playoffs.
A first match at 1er goal for Berti
Jon Berti started a game on first base for the first time in his career. He had one hit in four at-bats.
Berti, acquired from the Miami Marlins just before the first game of the season, maintained offensive averages of .273/.342/.318 in 25 games and 66 at-bats for the Yankees this season while playing second and third base. , as well as in left field.
With Anthony Rizzo sidelined by two broken fingers, Oswaldo Cabrera was used on the first sack in the first game, won 6-5 by the Yankees. He had one hit in four appearances and made several brilliant plays on defense.
Rookie Ben Rice, who played first while Rizzo was on the injured list from mid-June to late August, was the other option for Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Rizzo hopes to be back if the Yankees advance to the American Championship Series.
Boone said he chose Clarke Schmidt over Luis Gil to be the starting pitcher for Game 3 in Kansas City on Wednesday.