Yankees erupt for 5 runs early, coast to win over Royals

Clarke Schmidt allowed two hits and struck out seven over six scoreless innings and Paul Goldschmidt’s two-run single highlighted a five-run second inning as the New York Yankees won 6-3 over the host Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
Aaron Judge homered for the fourth time in three games for New York, which posted a 10-2 series-opening victory Tuesday and has won all five 2025 meetings with Kansas City. Schmidt (3-3) bested the Royals’ Kris Bubic (5-4), who entered with a major league-leading 1.43 ERA.
Schmidt issued three walks but allowed just a pair of singles, one to Jonathan India and the other to Maikel Garcia, who was thrown out trying to stretch his into a double in the fourth inning.
Bubic allowed a season-high five runs, all in the second inning, on six hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings. Salvador Perez clubbed a two-run, ninth-inning homer for Kansas City, which is 10-18 since starting 24-16.
The left-hander struck out two while retiring the side in the first, but the Yankees broke out an inning later.
Cody Bellinger began the frame with a triple to right-center field. After Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked, Bellinger scored on Anthony Volpe’s fielder’s choice.
Then, with two out and two on, Austin Wells, who had five RBIs Tuesday, roped an RBI double to right center. Goldschmidt followed with his two-run single, then Ben Rice added his own run-scoring single off Bubic, who threw 41 pitches in the frame.
Bubic’s night ended with a man on and one out in the fifth. The Yankees loaded the bases later in the inning, but Garcia began a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play from his backside after fielding a smash from DJ LeMahieu.
Judge, batting .394, stayed hot by driving Steven Cruz’s pitch well over the right-center-field wall in the seventh.
Devin Williams was summoned for his eighth save after Kansas City’s Nick Loftin scored from first base on Mark Leiter Jr.’s throwing error on John Rave’s infield hit in the ninth to make it a three-run game.
Chisholm exited Wednesday with left groin tightness.