Yankees hope to get back on track vs. Royals

The New York Yankees stumbled immediately after two rousing victories over the Boston Red Sox, and the .500 mark will have to wait at least a few more days.

After being quieted offensively in the opener of a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, the Yankees will attempt to generate better results at the plate Friday night.

The Yankees dropped to 8-10 after matching a season low with four hits in Thursday's 6-1 loss. The quiet showing occurred after an 8-0 win Tuesday night and a 5-3 victory on Wednesday on Brett Gardner's grand slam in the seventh.

It is the only the sixth time since 1993 that the Yankees are under .500 through the first 18 games. Last season, they split their first 18 games before winning 17 of their next 18 games.

"Anytime we come and lose and get shut down, it's always disappointing," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "It's always frustrating.

"So I don't necessarily look at it as where we are as much as we're trying to get this thing rolling as best we can, and a lot of guys right now I feel like are contributing to the cause but tonight we just got shut down. So it's frustrating anytime that happens."

Kansas City will attempt to win three straight games for the second time this season. The Royals are 5-2 in their last seven games since a 10-game losing streak after Jorge Soler and Ryan O'Hearn homered in the series opener Thursday.

Kansas City has homered in nine straight games, the longest streak since a 10-game run from July 19-29, 2017. The Royals have hit 16 homers in their last nine games and also scored 35 runs in their last seven.

"Our hitters did a good jump of staying on the swing and putting good swings on the ball," Royals manager Ned Yost said after Thursday's win.

After Domingo German allowed three runs in six innings Thursday, New York's CC Sabathia will make his second start of the season Friday since returning from the injured list.

In his return from knee and cardiac surgery, Sabathia allowed one hit in five innings of a 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. He retired 15 of 16 hitters he faced and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, he's the first pitcher to throw at least five scoreless innings while allowing one hit or fewer and no walks in consecutive regular-season starts. His previous start was on Sept. 27 against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

The left-hander is 21-12 with a 3.16 ERA in 41 career starts against the Royals, including a 7-2 mark in 10 starts with the Yankees. He last faced the Royals on July 28 when he allowed two runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision in New York.

After Homer Bailey kept the Yankees off-balance in six innings Thursday, Jakob Junis will make his first appearance at Yankee Stadium since July 26, when his fastball fractured Aaron Judge's wrist in the first inning. Junis is 1-2 with a 6.32 ERA in three starts against the Yankees, with both losses in New York.

Junis is coming off a no-decision against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday, when he allowed five runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings in a game the Royals won 9-8. He also issued just one walk and it marked the ninth time in 11 starts dating to Aug. 22 that Junis issued one walk or less.

--Field Level Media