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    • Live updates for ALDS Game 1
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    Live updates for ALDS Game 1

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    NEW YORK – Ahead of the start of his Game 1 AL Division Series Saturday night, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole could already feel the energy and passion at Yankee Stadium.

    “It’s hard not to think of all the great moments of the franchise,” Cole said before the best-of-five series against the Kansas City Royals. “And then it’s only 50,000 people, so it’s a different sound” that “fills you from the feet up.

    “It’s just a different sound. It’s great,” and it’s back in the Bronx, the soundtrack to the Yankees’ first postseason game since 2022.

    Here we go…

    Ruthless Royals answer back

    The Royals are 5-4 after shortstop Anthony Volpe’s throwing error led to two unearned runs, driven home by pinch-hitter Garrett Hampson’s two-run ground single off lefty reliever Tim Hill.

    Volpe made a great stop in the hole to snare Tommy Pham’s grounder, but in an attempt to hit the force play on second, Volpe threw wildly into shallow right field for the second of the sixth inning.

    Gerrit Cole finished after five-plus innings

    Longtime Houston Astros foe Yuli Gurriel (2 walks, single) led off the Royals at sixth by hitting a single off the left field wall, ending Cole’s night, a shaky performance from the ace.

    Enter lefty Tim Hill, the reliever signed in June after being released by the terrible White Sox, to protect a 4-3 lead.

    Questionable move by Matt Quatraro, Yanks regain lead

    Removing veteran Michael Wacha in the fifth and replacing him with 24-year-old lefty reliever Angel Zerpa was a questionable move by KC manager Matt Quatraro, to say the least.

    Wacha was just shy of 70 pitches when he walked Gleyber Torres to open the fifth. Instead of waiting for a left-left matchup against Austin Wells, Quatraro went with Zerpa to face Juan Soto.

    What happened: Soto singled, Aaron Judge (1-for-20 vs. Wacha) walked and Wells walked with the bases loaded, tying the score at 3-3.

    Quatraro called on John Schreiber, who got two quick outs before walking Anthony Volpe on a 3-2 pitch, forcing the go-ahead run, 4-3.

    The Yankees’ lead is gone, goodbye

    That was fast.

    In the latest sign that Cole isn’t having it tonight, MJ Melendez just launched a two-run homer for a 3-2 KC lead, and Tommy Pham followed with another sharp hit on Cole.

    Clay Holmes just started warming up in the bullpen, and we’re only in the fourth inning.

    Gleyber goes to the Garden, 2-1 Yanks

    Entering the fourth inning, Cole now has a lead to protect.

    After Alex Verdugo (booed by many during intros) singled, Gleyber Torres used the friendly dimensions of Yankee Stadium’s right field to loft a flyball homer to right for a 2–1 lead.

    Since being moved back to the top spot on August 16, Torres is hitting over .300 with an OPS over .800.

    Royals make a mistake in the second inning, but strike first

    This might not be Cole’s night.

    Cole’s first five batted balls were scorched at at least 100 mph, and the Yanks caught a break when KC third base coach Vance Wilson — an ex-Mets catcher — sent home the hulking Salvador Perez on a sharp single from MJ Melendez.

    Trying to score from second, Perez was correctly thrown out by Soto for the first out, and the Royals settled for a 1-0 lead on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Pham is a career .343 hitter vs. Cole in 353 ABs in the regular season.

    Aaron Judge vs. Michael Wacha

    It still favors Wacha, by a mile.

    After the Yanks opened their half of the first inning with runners on second and third and no one out, they came up empty.

    Wacha’s comeback started with a strikeout by Judge, leaving the Yankees captain 1-for-19 in his career against the veteran righty with 12 strikeouts.

    The Royals moved their infield in, and Austin Wells’ grounder resulted in an out at home and Giancarlo Stanton struck out.

    Wells, the lefty rookie catcher, was hitting .111 in September, but Aaron Boone didn’t hesitate to put him back in the mop-up spot.

    Interesting start

    Right now, Gerrit Cole might be writing a thank you note for Aaron Judge.

    After leadoff hitter Michael Massey went after Cole’s first pitch and nearly pinned Juan Soto to the right field wall on a long fly ball, Judge made a sensational, running catch in deep left-center field to save Bobby Witt Jr. of extra bases.

    The hard 1-2-3 inning ended with a lineout from Vinnie Pasquantino towards the middle.

    First pitch by Andy Pettitte

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    Andy Pettitte throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Yankees’ playoff opener

    Yankees great Andy Pettitte throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday’s Game 1 of the ALDS against the Royals.

    A good move by the Yankees to get some good karma going early, inviting Andy Pettitte to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before their playoff opener.

    Pettitte just had a second career pitching in October, and the last time the Yankees won it — in 2009 — the left-hander started and won all three of their postseason games.

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