McMahon comes off bench and busts out of slump with big homer for Yankees in 4-2 win over Royals

NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan McMahon came off the bench and broke out of his season-long slump with a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning as the New York Yankees beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Friday night.

Ben Rice also hit a two-run homer and the Yankees got another strong start from Cam Schlittler in winning their ninth consecutive game against Kansas City, including a playoff series two years ago.

New York is 15-3 versus the Royals since the start of 2024.

Vinnie Pasquantino launched a tying homer in the top of the eighth and drove in both runs for the Royals (7-13), who have dropped five straight and eight of 10. The first four losses during their skid were all by one run.

Michael Wacha tossed six solid innings for Kansas City in a matchup between two of baseball's most dominant pitchers early this year.

With the score tied 2-all, Rice singled off reliever Alex Lange (0-1) with two outs in the eighth. McMahon, who entered on defense at third base in the top of the inning, lofted a 2-1 changeup 372 feet the other way to left field, and the ball appeared to get a push from the wind as it cleared the fence.

It was the first extra-base hit this season for McMahon, who began the night batting .119 (5 for 42) with two RBIs. Even against a right-handed starter, he was left out of the starting lineup by manager Aaron Boone in favor of right-handed-hitter Amed Rosario.

David Bednar struck out two in a hitless ninth for his sixth save.

Pasquantino homered to the short porch in right field on a 97 mph sinker from winner Camilo Doval (1-0) with two outs in the eighth. The solo shot was Pasquantino's second homer this season — both in the past two days.

Cody Bellinger singled leading off the fourth and, one out later, Rice reached down and lined a 1-1 pitch 364 feet into the right-field stands.

Hitters had been 0 for 19 this season against Wacha's changeup before Rice connected for his sixth homer.

Royals LHP Noah Cameron (1-0, 3.94 ERA) faces RHP Will Warren (1-0, 2.45) in the middle game of the series Saturday afternoon.

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New York Yankees' Cam Schlittler (31) pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Friday, April 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Friday, April 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, right, celebrates with Ryan McMahon, center, and Austin Wells after a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Friday, April 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Ryan McMahon, right, celebrates with third base coach Luis Rojas as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Friday, April 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

DENVER (AP) — Play ball! And watch out for snowballs.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies were greeted by 3 inches of snow that surprisingly blanketed Coors Field as their four-game series got off to a frigid start Friday.

Dodgers pitcher Emmett Sheehan took advantage of the frosty mid-April day when he came out on the field in shorts to make a snowman about four hours before the game's scheduled first pitch.

The snow stopped about three hours before the game began and Colorado’s grounds crew, which placed a tarp over the infield to shield it from the snowfall, used a plow to clear snow from the outfield. By the first pitch, it was 36 degrees and sunny — with the only remnants of snow on the pine trees behind the wall in center field.

The bats were back out and the white stuff gave way to green grass after the shovels slugged at the snow, which came one day after the high temperature in Denver was 75 degrees.

The start of the game didn’t mark the end of the teams’ weather-related woes. The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for the Denver area that will be in effect from 8 p.m. locally Friday until 8 a.m. Saturday, with sub-freezing temperatures dropping down into the 18-to-24 degree range overnight.

The projected high is 57 on Saturday, according to the weather service, and 74 on Sunday before reaching 79 on Monday for the series finale.

The Dodgers come in from wrapping up a six-game homestand on Wednesday in Los Angeles, where the high was 73 on Friday.

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

Mark Razum, head groundskeeper at Coors Field, surveys the covering of snow on the field after a spring storm blanketed the intermountain West before the Colorado Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers in a baseball game Friday, April 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

A grounds crew member clears snow from the outfield of Coors Field after a spring storm blanketed the intermountain West before the Colorado Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday, April 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

As the grounds crew works around him, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Santiago Espinal tosses a snowball at a coach while warming up to face the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game after a spring storm blanketed the intermountain West with a light covering of snow Friday, April 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)