Royals Matt Quatraro after Game 1 loss to Yankees: "we did have a really good argument"

Verdugo’s Heroics Lift Yankees Over Royals in Game 1 ALDS Thriller
‪@JeffSkverskyRUclips‬
In a nail-biting start to the AL Division Series, the New York Yankees edged the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. Alex Verdugo played the hero, breaking a seventh-inning tie with a clutch RBI single and making a game-saving sliding catch to propel the Yankees to victory.
Verdugo’s go-ahead single scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., who had led off the inning with a single and stolen second base on a play upheld after video review. The Royals challenged the call, but the decision stood, leaving manager Matt Quatraro frustrated.
“I think we did have a really good argument that should have been overturned,” Quatraro said.
The Yankees entered the game with questions about Verdugo’s form after a prolonged slump, but manager Aaron Boone trusted his defense and inserted him into the starting lineup. Verdugo, who had been 2-for-34 coming into the game, rewarded that faith both at the plate and in the field.
“I feel like I’m pretty real with myself,” Verdugo admitted after the game. “As in fans booing me, fans getting on me. I understand it. I was booing myself, too.”
With the Yankees trailing 3-2 in the fourth inning, Verdugo made a pivotal sliding catch on a Michael Massey fly ball near the left-field line, saving at least one run and keeping the game within reach.
“Thank goodness it popped over to the left hand, so it all worked out,” Verdugo said of the difficult grab, where the ball bounced off the heel of his glove before he corralled it with his bare hand.
The game saw five lead changes, the first postseason game in MLB history to feature such back-and-forth drama, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Gleyber Torres and MJ Melendez each hit two-run homers, contributing to the constantly shifting scoreboard.
Kansas City’s pitchers were uncharacteristically wild, issuing eight walks that proved costly. In the fifth inning, four seven-pitch walks, including bases-loaded passes from Angel Zerpa and John Schreiber, forced in two Yankees runs. Quatraro acknowledged that the free passes derailed his team’s chances.
“They looked at a lot of pitches. We were close, but not good enough pitches to make them count,” Zerpa said through a translator.
New York's bullpen was the difference-maker in the final innings. After Gerrit Cole gave up four runs - three earned - across five-plus innings, the Yankees’ relievers, including Clay Holmes and postseason debutant Luke Weaver, allowed only one unearned run over four innings. Weaver recorded the final four outs to seal the win.
Despite the loss, the Royals kept fighting. Pinch-hitter Garrett Hampson’s two-run single through a drawn-in infield in the sixth inning briefly gave Kansas City a 5-4 lead, but Austin Wells responded in the bottom half with a game-tying single off Michael Lorenzen, setting the stage for Verdugo’s heroics.
Both teams missed opportunities with runners in scoring position, but Verdugo’s breakthrough hit finally tipped the scales in the Yankees' favor. Jazz Chisholm Jr., playing third base after joining the Yankees via trade from Miami in July, showcased his defensive prowess, helping preserve the lead with three key plays at the hot corner.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone couldn’t hide his excitement after the game.
“What a game!” Boone said. “That’s playoff baseball. Guys stepped up when we needed them.”
Looking ahead, New York will send left-hander Carlos Rodón (16-9, 3.96 ERA) to the mound for Game 2 of the best-of-five series, while Kansas City will counter with Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.14 ERA). Both teams know the stakes are high as they prepare for another intense battle.
The Yankees now hold a 1-0 lead in the series, while the Royals will need to find a way to rebound and avoid falling into a daunting two-game hole. After a day off, the two teams will square off again on Monday night in Game 2.
Here are key quotes from Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro after the Game 1 loss to the Yankees:
On the eight walks issued by Royals pitchers:
“Yeah, that's really uncharacteristic for us. It's something you don't want to try to fight back from against a team like that. So that was uncharacteristic and unfortunate because that's not really who we are as a staff.”
On the decision to pull Michael Wacha after walking Gleyber Torres:
“That first inning was taxing. There's more going on there emotionally draining, just the atmosphere, all of that kind of stuff. I’m almost accounting for an extra inning there after that first inning... we trust Zerpa a lot with the lefties, and we thought we'd be able to get after him with Zerpa.”
On the controversial video review of Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s stolen base in the seventh:
“I got a really good look at it out there and afterwards, and I think we did have a really good argument that that should have been overturned.”
On Gerrit Cole's performance: