Yankees punch ticket to ALCS as Gerrit Cole leads team to Game 4 victory over Royals

The New York Yankees are heading to the ALCS after defeating the Kansas City Royals, 3-1, in Game 4 of the ALDS on Thursday night. 

It will be the Yankees' 19th trip to the ALCS, their latest in 2022, which is the most all-time in MLB history. And they are the first AL team to clinch their spot, as the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers will play Game 5 to determine their opponent for the pennant. 

It took some time for a team to get on the board in Game 3, but the Yankees needed just two batters to do so in Game 4. 

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) scores on an RBI single from New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27, not pictured) during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

Gleyber Torres laced the first pitch of the game from Royals starter Michael Wacha to left-center field and stretched it into a double to get things rolling for the Bombers. Then, Juan Soto skipped a ball through a hole on the right side for an RBI single to make it 1-0.

Meanwhile, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had perhaps his best start of the season at the right moment for his squad, as he was keeping the Royals’ offense at bay throughout this game. 

He went seven innings, allowing six hits, one earned run and struck out four over his 87 pitches. 

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The Yankees would add one more in the top of the fifth inning when Gleyber Torres had a clutch, two-out single to the right side to score Alex Verdugo. Jon Berti, getting another start at first base after doing so in Game 2 of this ALDS, got Verdugo over to third after slapping a single to the right side. 

Then, the man who carried the Yankees’ offense in Game 3, Giancarlo Stanton, once again came up clutch with an RBI single that scored Aaron Judge, who finally roped a baseball this postseason. He smashed a double to left-center field that perhaps took a weight off his shoulders. 

There was a moment in this game where tempers got close to flaring after Berti turned a double play, stepping on his bag at first base before firing the ball to shortstop Anthony Volpe, who tagged Maikel Garcia out in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

However, Garcia appeared to take exception to Volpe’s high tag, while the defender’s forearm looked to hit him in the head and neck area as well. Volpe patted Garcia on the back to basically say everything is all right and it wasn’t done intentionally. 

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) stares down New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) following tagout at second base during the sixth inning during game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

But things escalated when Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is already an enemy for Royals fans after his comments on social media and during post-game interviews, started to defend Volpe with his words. 

That’s when the benches cleared, as Torres tried pushing Garcia make toward the dugout. Thankfully, nothing more physical came of this. 

Kansas City tried using that moment as some fuel with them yet to score a run off Cole. But three straight hits followed the scrum on the infield, capped by Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI double to score Bobby Witt Jr. from first base gave the Royals’ life in a 3-1 game. 

But the air was taken out of Kauffman Stadium when Kyle Isbel got hold of a Cole inside fastball that was soaring to right field. Everyone tried to will it out, as it would’ve tied the game, but Soto caught the ball at the base of the right field wall to end the inning. 

From there, Clay Holmes had a quick eighth inning in relief of Cole, and Luke Weaver closed it out in the bottom of the ninth, as Judge hauled in the final out in center field. 

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after hitting a pop-fly during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

The Yankees will have some time to head home, regroup as they watch how Game 5 in the Guardians-Tigers series unfolds, and await their opponent for Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday at Yankee Stadium. 

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.