The 2024 MLB postseason continues Monday with Game 2s in the American League Division Series. The Detroit Tigers got a clutch home run from Kerry Carpenter and a dominant performance from Tarik Skubal to even their ALDS at 1-1. Can the Kansas City Royals follow suit on the road? They’ll try on Monday night against the New York Yankees in the Bronx.
Since divisional play began in 1995, the winner of Game 1 has won 84 of 116 best-of-five postseason series, or 72%. The stakes are high Monday night. The Royals can ill-afford to fall behind 0-2 to the Yankees, who finished with the AL’s best record during the regular season. Game 2 is not a literal must win for Kansas City, but it’s close.
Here’s where to watch on Monday night.
Where to watch Yankees vs. Royals Game 2
- Time: 7:38 p.m. ET | Date: Monday, Oct. 7
- TV channel: TBS, truTV | Live stream: Max
- Odds: NYY -155, KC +130 | O/U: 7.5
- Probable pitchers: LHP Cole Ragans (KC) vs. LHP Carlos Rodón (NYY)
Here now is one question for each team heading into Yankees vs. Royals Game 2.
Yankees: Will Judge get off the postseason schneid?
Aaron Judge, the likely AL MVP, went 0 for 4 with a walk and three strikeouts in Game 1, and in a way, that’s encouraging. Judge didn’t do anything at the plate and Gerrit Cole had a so-so start at best (four runs in five innings), yet the Yankees won anyway. Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto each reached base three times, Alex Verdugo had the game-winning hit, and demoted closer Clay Holmes got five important outs in the middle innings. The rest of the Yankees picked up their captain.
That said, the Yankees need Aaron Judge to be Aaron Judge to get to where they want to go, which is a parade down the Canyon of Heroes. Dating back to the regular season, Judge has struck out in eight of his last 10 plate appearances, but he also had a five-game home run streak immediately prior to that. After clinching the AL East, the Yankees rested Judge twice during the regular season’s final weekend, then they had the Wild Card Series bye. He’s played two games in the last 10 days.
In order to even the ALDS at one win apiece, the Royals will need a stellar performance from Ragans on the mound. They must also find a way to generate runs against Rodón. Overcoming their struggles against left-handed pitchers throughout the season will be crucial, and they must perform better against Rodón in Game 2 than they did against southpaws in September. It will be a challenging task, but the Royals have the talent and determination to pull off a victory in this crucial game.