Yanks Jump On Former Yankee Kennedy, Win 7-3

     On another absolutely beautiful night in the Bronx, the Yankees tried to take three games of the four-game series against the Royals, ending tonight in Yankee Stadium. New York sent Nathan Eovaldi to the bump to face Kansas City, carrying with him a 2-2 record and an ERA of 4.78. Opposing New York was the familiar face of Ian Kennedy, a first round draft pick by the Yankees in 2006. Kennedy is having one of his best seasons this year, sporting a 4-2 Record and a 2.17 ERA. The Yankees once again carried a short bench, starting both catchers tonight, McCann and Romine, leaving Ackley and Torreyes as the only two players available on the bench. Despite that, the pinstripe or's would reminders all why they were second in all of baseball in long balls a season ago. 

     New York was the first to hit the scoreboard, coming in the bottom of the first inning when Starlin Castro hit a solo shot to right center,  giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. And then, in the bottom of the second after Kennedy walked Carlos Beltran, Chase Headley recorded his first extra-base hit of the entire 2016 season, a line drive home run just inside the foul-pole in left. extending the Yankee lead to 3-0. When he was circling the bases, and especially when he crossed home plate, the struggling third baseman was grinning ear to ear as if to say, "finally". 

     Kansas City joined in on the scoring in the top of the fourth when Alex Gordon hit a solo homerun deep to right field off Eovaldi, 3-1. They went on to add one more in the inning, coming on a Christian Colon RBI single, scoring rookie Cheslor Cuthbert who had doubled with two outs, 3-2. The Bronx Bombers, however, would keep the launch party going in the bottom of the frame. Again, after a Kennedy walk of Beltran, Didi Gregorius unloaded on an Ian Kennedy fastball over the right-field wall, getting the two runs back they surrendered in the top of the inning, 5-2 Yanks. 

     Kansas City would get one of those runs back in the top of the next inning. Eovaldi served up a two-out bullet to first baseman Eric Hosmer. Then, Alex Gordon stung Eovaldi again, this time for an RBI double that scored Eric Hosmer and pulled KC within two, 5-3. Although Eovaldi would eventually record the final out of the fifth, he was quickly approaching the hundred pitch Mark and would not be back to pitch the sixth. Nasty Nate's final mine was five innings pitched, eight hits, three earned runs, two walks and three punch outs.

     Kennedy's struggles continued as he came towards the end of his night. In the bottom of the seventh, he walked Chase Headley and was pulled after allowing a base hit to backup catcher Austin Romine. Kennedy would be replaced by yet another familiar former Yankee, Chen-Ming Wang. Wang immediately walked Brett Gardner which loaded the bases for New York with one out. Starlin Castro drove home Headley Ina single to right, 6-3. Wang then walked McCann, scoring Romine,  extending the Yankee lead to four, 7-3,  where the score would stay. 

     With New York taking the lead by four, we were unfortunately unable to see what they are calling "No-Run DMC"; Delin, Miller, Chapman. Hopefully, we get our chance this weekend when the Yankees take on the a L central leading Chicago White Sox, with the first game starting tomorrow night at 7:05 PM ET.