Yankees' Alex Verdugo sends subtle warning to ALCS opponent
10/11/2024 09:35 AM
As the smell of champagne and beer filled the visitor’s clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium Thursday night, the New York Yankees celebrated accomplishing their next step toward a 28th World Series title. New York is still eight wins away from lifting the trophy, but getting past a scrappy Kansas City Royals team might be its biggest test in the American League playoffs.
The Yanks get an extra two days off thanks to clinching their AL Division Series in four games. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers are set for a Game 5 clash in their ALDS in Cleveland Saturday night.
The Yankees don't know who they’ll be hosting for Game 1 of the ALCS next Monday, but they’re confident they’ll be ready to go for whoever the opponent is.
“We’re going to prepare for either one. We’ll take the extra day off and get our bodies right. Whoever it is, we’ll focus in and lock in on ’em,” Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo said, per the YES Network.
The Yankees had to lock in for this series which easily could have gone the other way. All four games were decided by one or two runs with no more than six total runs scored in Games 2 through 4.
New York outlasted Kansas City and will await another matchup with an AL Central team. The stakes will be higher this time, with a trip to the Fall Classic on the line.
Yankees hold edge over Guardians, Tigers
There aren’t many teams that can claim their regular-season series over the Yankees, and the Guardians and Tigers are not among them.
New York won four of six games against Cleveland and Detroit, respectively. The Yanks dominated the Guards by outscoring them by 37-22 in their six games, while the Tigers kept things tighter, as only one of their six meetings with the Yankees ended in a deficit of more than three runs.
The Yankees only dropped one season series to an American League opponent. They lost eight of 13 against the Baltimore Orioles but got the last laugh by squeaking past the O’s for the AL East crown.
Baltimore was sent packing by Kansas City in a pair of one-run games in its AL Wild Card Series. New York did what Baltimore couldn't in the MLB playoffs.
The Yankees will be favored and expected to win the AL pennant regardless of the opponent. Thus is the price of wearing the navy pinstripes, but this is where New York wanted to be. Now the Yanks have to finish the job.
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