Royals at Yankees
The New York Yankees pounded out four home runs in their most recent win but their injury-ravaged lineup could be facing another huge loss with slugger Aaron Judge exiting Saturday's game with an oblique injury. Judge is not expected to be in the lineup Sunday afternoon when the Yankees look to make it three consecutive wins over the visiting Kansas City Royals.
Judge clubbed his fifth homer in Saturday's 9-2 rout but grabbed at his left side after hitting a sixth-inning single and was sent to the hospital for an MRI exam. "Probably not," manager Aaron Boone said when asked if he thought Judge could avoid becoming the 13th Yankee to land on the injured list. "Such a key figure to our club, not only between the lines obviously, but what he means to us in the (locker) room." Mike Tauchman, acquired last month to provide depth in the outfield, homered for the second straight day and has three blasts and eight RBIs in the last four games for New York. Whit Merrifield and Chris Owings belted solo homers Saturday for the Royals, who have been outscored 15-4 in the last two games after posting a 6-1 win in the series opener.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jorge Lopez (0-2, 4.30 ERA) vs. Yankees LH James Paxton (2-2, 3.91)
Lopez registered a career high with 10 strikeouts over six innings last time out at the Chicago White Sox but wound up taking the loss after he was reached for four runs on eight hits, including three home runs. It was the third consecutive start of six innings for the 26-year-old, who had to settle for a pair of no-decisions in his previous two turns despite allowing just four runs and eight hits. Right-handed batters are hitting only .191 versus Lopez, who will face the Yankees for the first time.
Expected to be one of the anchors of the rotation after he was acquired from Seattle, Paxton finally gave New York what it was looking for with a masterful performance against Boston on Tuesday, striking out 12 in eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball. The 30-year-old Canadian took the loss in his previous turn at Houston, serving up two homers and permitting five runs on eight hits. Paxton has never lost in six career starts against Kansas City, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.98 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees LF Clint Frazier is 8-for-16 in the last four games after coming up a triple shy of the cycle on Saturday.
2. Royals OF Jorge Soler has struck out in 17 straight games after his four-game hitting streak was snapped Saturday.
3. Yankees C Gary Sanchez will play in rehab game Monday and is expected to rejoin the active roster Wednesday.