Yankees: Good news and bad news from 4-2 Game 2 loss to Royals

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The Yankees fell to the Kansas City Royals in Game 2 of the ALDS on Monday night 4-2, failing to build on their strong offensive performance from Game 1. This time, they couldn’t get their offense going against lefty starter Cole Ragans, who kept the Yankees in check for much of the game.

Missed Opportunities Early

The Yankees opened the game with two consecutive walks, setting the stage for a potential early lead. However, they squandered the opportunity, failing to score with no outs and two men on base. After that shaky start, Ragans settled in, delivering a solid performance despite pitching only four innings. He gave up just one earned run and struck out five batters while throwing 87 pitches.

Though the Yankees forced Ragans out of the game early, their strategy of working deep into counts and driving up the pitch count didn't yield the desired results. Kansas City’s bullpen held strong, and the Yankees managed only seven hits, struck out eight times, and scored just two runs.

Chisholm's Late Effort Not Enough

One of the few bright spots for the Yankees was a solo home run from Jazz Chisholm in the ninth inning, which brought them within two runs. However, that rally came too late. The Yankees’ offense seemed to go quiet for most of the game, struggling to find consistency after the early innings.

Rodon's Short Outing Costs Yankees

Carlos Rodon got the start for the Yanks, but his outing was cut short after just 3.2 innings. Despite striking out seven batters, Rodon gave up seven hits and four earned runs. After a strong start, things unraveled quickly in the fourth inning, where he surrendered all four runs before being pulled by manager Aaron Boone. Rodon had thrown only 72 pitches, but the Royals’ lineup adjusted well, and his effectiveness diminished.

"Obviously, I want to be better than that — especially how the first three innings went," Rodón said. "I wouldn't say I tired out. Just got to be better with those pitches, just more fine with them and get to better spots."

The Yankees’ bullpen was a silver lining in the loss. The relief pitchers combined for eight strikeouts and didn't allow any runs, but the damage had already been done.

Defensive Bright Spots, but Judge's Struggles Continue

One of the positive takeaways from the game was Jon Berti, who started at first base and helped turn a crucial double play to escape a jam with runners on the corners. Berti also contributed a hit, and it was the bottom half of the Yankees’ order that caused the most damage in this game.

Aaron Judge's struggles, however, were glaring once again. He managed just one hit and struck out once. For the Yankees to have any chance of advancing in the postseason, they will need Judge to return to his MVP-caliber form. The offense, as it stands, is struggling to carry sustained momentum without his production at the top of the lineup. Juan Soto's big Game 1 performance helped mask some of these issues, but the Yankees need more from Judge as they head deeper into the series.

Game 3 Preview: Schmidt vs. Lugo

Looking ahead to Game 3, the Yankees announced that Clarke Schmidt will take the mound. He'll face off against one of the league's best starters, Seth Lugo. Lugo enters the game with a 3.00 ERA over 206.2 innings, while Schmidt has been impressive in his own right, posting a 2.85 ERA over 85.1 innings.

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Though this looks like a competitive matchup on paper, it slightly favors the Royals, given Lugo's consistency and the Yankees’ current offensive struggles. With the series tied at 1-1, the Yankees will need a strong performance from Schmidt and a bounce-back game from their lineup to regain control of the series.