Gerrit Cole 7-0 shutout lifts Yankees over Royals

Gerrit Cole struck out 10 batters over nearly seven dominant innings in his second start since returning from elbow surgery, leading the New York Yankees to a 7-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night. The win extended the Yankees' winning streak against the Royals to 14 consecutive games.

The 35-year-old former Cy Young Award winner allowed just four hits and issued no walks over 6 2/3 innings, throwing 79 pitches. This performance followed his first major league start since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, where he pitched six scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees provided ample run support, completing their second series sweep of the Royals this season. New York has now won 22 of its last 23 series against Kansas City overall.

Offensively, Ben Rice drove in three runs, including an RBI triple in the fourth inning that opened the scoring. Aaron Judge followed with a sacrifice fly to bring Rice home. Ryan McMahon added a two-run homer in the eighth inning, while Paul Goldschmidt also contributed an RBI. The Yankees' offense, coming off a historic 15-1 win on Tuesday where every starter recorded at least two hits, needed far less production...