(Reuters) — Aaron Judge and Ben Rice homered off Cole Ragans in the opening two innings, and the host New York Yankees continued their dominance over the Kansas City Royals with a 7-0 victory on Sunday.
Austin Wells contributed a sacrifice fly as the Yankees won their 10th straight regular-season game over Kansas City. New York also is 11-0 against the Royals since a 4-2 loss in Game 2 of the 2024 ALDS.
Following a nearly three-hour rain delay, the Yankees finished off the three-game sweep by quickly gaining a lead.
Judge hit a two-run homer on a first-pitch curveball following a walk by Rice, who batted leadoff for the first time this season after starting 21 games there last season. Judge’s 425-footer onto the netting above Monument Park was his ninth homer — second only to Yordan Alvarez’s 10 — and sixth in eighth games.
After Wells’ sac fly later in the first, Rice gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead in the second when he belted a 0-1 fastball into the right field seats. It was Rice’s fourth straight game with a homer, his eight of the season and his third off a left-handed pitcher.
Trent Grisham added a three-run homer in the fifth when he parked a 1-0 fastball into the right field seats for a 7-0 lead. Cody Bellinger opened that inning with a double on a ball that landed in between left fielder Isaac Collins and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and Paul Goldschmidt walked to set up Grisham’s homer.
Ryan Weathers (1-2) showed better fastball command after allowing three of his four homers on the pitch in Tuesday’s 7-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Weathers scattered five hits in 7 1/3 innings Sunday, striking out eight and walking one in his first win as a Yankee.
The Yankees outscored the Royals 20-4 in the final two games of the series after Ryan McMahon’s two-run homer in the eighth gave them a 4-2 win on Friday.
Ragans (0-4) tied a career-worst seven runs allowed in 4 1/3 innings. Ragans also issued a career-high eight walks and yielded four hits while throwing six strikeouts.
The Royals saw their losing streak reach seven games. Kansas City also lost for the 10th time in 12 games and was blanked for the third time this season.
