It has been years—decades?—since the Royals and Yankees squared off this late in the season with serious postseason hopes on the line for both teams.
And the surging Royals came out swinging first in the three-game set at Kauffman Stadium, punching across three runs in the first and then riding the strong pitching of right-hander Dillon Gee in an 8-5 win on Monday night.
The defending World Series champion Royals have won 18 of 22, and crept to just two games back of the Orioles in the American League Wild Card standings. The Yankees stayed 3 1/2 behind Baltimore.