Stanton Lifts Yankees Past Royals to Inch Closer to ALCS

The New York Yankees are one step closer to returning to the American League Championship Series, and they can thank Giancarlo Stanton for all of it.

The veteran slugger went off on the Royals, knocking three hits, including a solo home run in the eighth inning that proved to be the game winner in a nail-biting 3-2 victory in Game 3 of the ALDS in Kansas City. 

The Yankees haven't made it easy on themselves or their fans in this series. Every game has been close, and both victories have each been decided by a single run. 

Giancarlo Stanton celebrates with Anthony Volpe Getty Images.

 

New York built a 2-0 lead thanks to a RBI double by Stanton in the top of the fourth inning, and a sac fly by Juan Soto in the top of the fifth, but Clark Schmidt just couldn't handle a little prosperity. 

Schmidt coughed up the lead, surrendering a pair of runs to the Royals in the bottom half of the fifth inning on RBIs hits by Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey. 

The score remained tied at two until Stanton's heroics in the eighth inning. 

The Yankees did have chances earlier however. They had two on for Orlando Cabreara in the sixth, but he lined out. And then in the seventh inning, a slumping Aaron Judge struck out on a check swing with a pair on.

It hasn't been an easy series for the Yankees. We knew the Royals could pitch, but this has been a harder series than many anticipated. 

Still the Yankees just need one win on Thursday to wrap it up and head to the ALCS to meet either Detroit or Cleveland. Gerrit Cole gets the ball in Game 4.