Yankees edge Royals 4-3 in 11 innings on infield single by Jazz Chisholm Jr.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a game-ending infield single with one out in the 11th inning and the New York Yankees outlasted the Kansas City Royals for a 4-3 victory Wednesday night.

Juan Soto launched a go-ahead homer in the sixth for the Yankees, who increased their advantage in the AL East to 1 1/2 games over Baltimore. New York has held the lead since Aug. 21 but hasn't led by more than two games during that stretch.

Shortly before Chisholm came through, the Orioles lost 5-3 in 10 innings at Fenway Park when Tyler O’Neill hit a walk-off homer for Boston.

Chisholm came up with runners on first and third after Kris Bubic (0-1) intentionally walked Aaron Judge following a groundout by Soto that sent automatic runner Jon Berti from second base to third.

With the infield playing in, Judge advanced to second on defensive indifference and Chisolm slapped a 2-1 slider toward shortstop. Bobby Witt Jr. made a diving stop on his backhand, but an off-balance throw from his knees was wide of the plate. Berti, who was pinch running, scored easily with a headfirst slide.

“Honestly, I was looking for a pitch that I could get through a hole or get to the outfield to score anybody on third base,” Chisholm said. “I was willing to pass the baton if I didn’t get a pitch to hit.”

Chisholm batted cleanup for the second time since being acquired from the Miami Marlins on July 27. It was his first career walk-off hit and he was doused in water during the celebration while getting mobbed by teammates near second base.

Luke Weaver (5-3) struck out three in 1 2/3 hitless innings for the win.

New York took two of three in a series between playoff contenders. Kansas City fell 4 1/2 games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central but holds the league’s second wild card by 1 1/2 games over Minnesota.

“This is a big series win for us against a really good club over there that threw a lot of good pitching at us,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

The teams traded runs in the 10th. Royals pinch-runner Darion Blanco stole third base and scored on Jake Cousins’ wild pitch. In the bottom half, pinch-hitter Austin Wells tied it with a sacrifice fly.

“It was a tense game,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It was tight. It was well pitched on both sides.”

Soto hit a two-run homer off Cole Ragans to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead, two pitches after fouling a ball off his right ankle in the sixth. The slugger doubled over in pain, but stayed in the game after getting checked by head athletic trainer Tim Lentych. Soto fouled off another pitch off before sending a 402-foot drive to right field.

“You really get mad when you hit yourself,” Soto said. “It’s just the way it goes. I’m not mad at the pitcher or anything. Just mad at myself, but when you come through like that, it just feels a little relief.”

Soto said he felt the pain when he homered but was feeling better after the game.

“He’s got that theatric thing down pretty good here,” Boone said.

Salvador Perez hit a tying sacrifice fly off Clay Holmes in the seventh and started an impressive double play to end the bottom half.

With runners on first and second, Jose Trevino hit a high chopper to the first baseman and Perez reached to barely tag Trevino on the back of his jersey. Perez then pivoted quickly and made a strong throw to catcher Freddy Fermin, cutting down Anthony Volpe at the plate.

Kansas City challenged the safe call at first, which was overturned following a brief replay review.

Ragans allowed two runs and three hits in six innings. He struck out seven and moved ahead of Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal for the American League lead in strikeouts.

“I don’t think that they’re any better than us,” Ragans said. “We believe in ourselves. I think we’re a good team. We’re a playoff team. They’re a good team, they’re a playoff team. It’s a good matchup, it was a good three games.”

Yankees rookie Luis Gil permitted one run and five hits over five innings in his second start following a stint on the injured list due to a back injury.

Michael Massey homered in the fourth against Gil, who struck out MJ Melendez with two on to end the fifth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (strained left hamstring) will make his next minor league rehab start this weekend and could return to the rotation next week. Lorenzen threw 38 pitches over 1 2/3 shaky innings Tuesday night for Double-A Northwest Arkansas and felt fine afterward, Quatraro said.

UP NEXT

Royals: Had not announced a starter for the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Friday. RHP Luis Ortiz (6-5, 3.26 ERA) will pitch for the Pirates.

Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (9-10, 3.97 ERA) opposes Boston RHP Cooper Criswell (6-4, 4.11) in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel (28), left, celebrates with Freddy Fermin after scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Salvador Perez during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13), left, and New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino look after a sacrifice fly during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe reacts after being called out at home plate during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto, center, celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto hits a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr., center left, celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI single during the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' celebrate after Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning after the a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. celebrates after hitting a walk-off RBI single during the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina man accused of burying his 11-month-old son in a dog crate in a clump of scrubby pines was denied bond Thursday.

Michael Comer showed no remorse for attempting to kill his son, Koah, and tried to flee the state, Tyler Douglas, lead investigator for the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, told Magistrate Gary W. Reinhart. Reinhart approved a public defender for Comer and set a hearing for Dec. 10.

Comer, 25, has been charged with attempted murder, burglary and unlawfully placing a child at risk in connection with the disappearance and rescue of Koah, who survived and is expected to make a full recovery. Comer has been in custody in Lexington County since Monday, when his son was reported missing.

An attorney for Comer has not yet been appointed.

Koah, who rescuers found after about 24 hours, was released from a hospital Tuesday night, Sheriff Jay Koon said.

John Comer said he’d opened his home to his son and grandson on Monday after Michael Comer said they needed a place to stay. On Wednesday, he showed an Associated Press reporter the small hole on a neighbor's property where rescuers uncovered the child.

“I cannot imagine how somebody could come to the point that that would be the right thing to do, or the thing to do at all,” John Comer told the AP.

Authorities haven’t revealed anything about Comer’s motive. He was sentenced in October to probation after pleading guilty to domestic violence involving the boy’s mother.

Koah’s parents “have had some situations,” the sheriff said.

“Children,” he said, “sometimes get caught in the middle.”

In a 911 call released Thursday, Patricia Comer told a dispatcher that her son had “severe schizophrenia and bipolar and depression.” She said she had been “kindly worried” about leaving Koah with his father that morning. “He threatened to kill himself last night and asked me for some sleeping pills,” she told the dispatcher. “He kept making comments that he was going to take (unintelligible) to New York, which he cannot, because he’s on probation.”

Dozens of first responders scoured the countryside for the boy with reddish blond hair. After a full day of searching, authorities found freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from below, the sheriff said.

The boy likely survived because of cool temperatures and an air pocket created by a towel that was wrapped around the crate below ground, he said.

Koah was soon freed and “clinging to life,” the sheriff told reporters.

Breed reported from Wake Forest, North Carolina, and McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press writers Ed White in Detroit, Michael R. Sisak in New York and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed.

John Comer, the grandfather of 11-month-old Koah Sharp, shows the area where his grandson was found buried alive near his home in Leesville, S.C., Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)

Amber Hammond shows a video of her great-nephew, 11-month-old Koah Sharp, on the porch at her home in West Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)

Amber Hammond shows a photo of her great-nephew, 11-month-old Koah Sharp, and her nephew, Michael Comer, at her home in West Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)