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Try it freeKANSAS CITY, Mo. — The league’s television network produces a show called “MLB Big Inning.”
The Yankees are apparently trying to commandeer it for their own use.
Continuing a season-long trend that has accentuated the depth of their lineup, the Yankees struck for five runs in the second inning Wednesday and rode that to a 6-3 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Clarke Schmidt made sure the one big inning was enough as he tossed six shutout innings while striking out seven to help clinch the series victory for the Yankees (41-25), who will go for the sweep on Thursday.
Aaron Judge added an insurance run with his 25th home run of the year, a 413-foot solo shot in the seventh inning.
He finished the night batting .394 with a 1.269 OPS.
The Royals (34-34) scored three runs off Mark Leiter Jr. in a sloppy bottom of the ninth, but Devin Williams came on to calm the waters and pick up his eighth save of the year.
Once again, though, the Yankees were left holding their breath after Jazz Chisholm Jr. left the game early for a second straight night, this time with groin tightness after running the bases in the top of the fifth inning.
The second-inning outburst marked the 17th time this season the Yankees have scored five or more runs in an inning after doing so in 15 innings all of last season.
Making this one more impressive was that it came against the starter who had been the best in the major leagues at preventing runs entering the night.
Royals lefty Kris Bubic came into the game with a 1.43 ERA on the season, having allowed just three earned runs over his past six starts spanning 39 ¹/₃ innings.
He had not allowed more than four runs in any of his first 12 starts, but then gave up five to the Yankees in that second inning alone.
This one happened in a hurry.
Cody Bellinger got it started, jumping on the first pitch of the inning and lining it to the gap for a triple.
Chisholm followed by working an eight-pitch walk before Anthony Volpe grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Bellinger for the 1-0 lead.
With two outs, after DJ LeMahieu drew a four-pitch walk, Austin Wells stayed hot by drilling an RBI double to make it 2-0.
The catcher had five RBIs in Tuesday’s 10-2 win and is batting .311 (14-for-45) with a .973 OPS over his past 13 games.
Wells’ 42 RBIs through 66 team games have him on pace for 103 over the full season, which would make him the first Yankees catcher to eclipse the century mark since Jorge Posada in 2003.
That flipped the order over for Paul Goldschmidt, who roped a two-run single to right before Ben Rice followed with an RBI single that extended the lead to 5-0.
win over the Royals. AP
That was plenty of run support for Schmidt, who scattered just two hits and three walks in a strong outing.
He kept hitters off balance for most of the night, especially with his knuckle-curveball and sweeper.
Schmidt also got some help from Trent Grisham, who made a terrific diving catch in right-center field to rob Drew Waters of a hit in the second inning.
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Grisham did it again in the eighth inning with a runner on second base, keeping the shutout intact at the time by laying out to snag a sinking liner from Bobby Witt Jr. Both plays were initially ruled hits before the Yankees challenged and the replay reviews overturned the call on the field.
The Royals finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth.
Vinnie Pasquantino led off with a pop-up that fell between Wells and Oswald Peraza before Salvadaor Perez made it hurt by crushing a two-run shot off Leiter.
Nick Loftin followed with an infield single to third base before John Rave hit a comebacker to the left of the mound that Leiter tried to reach back for only to deflect it, collect the ball and then make a wild throw to first base that allowed another run to score.