When is Yankees vs. Royals ALDS Game 4? Date, Time and Lineups

KANSAS CITY — The Royals brought postseason baseball back to Kauffman Stadium for the first time in nine years on Wednesday night, but they and their fans left disappointed after a 3-2 loss to the Yankees.

Suddenly, the Royals find themselves on the brink of elimination … and the Yankees are one win away from a spot in the American League Championship Series.

“All hands will be on deck,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You have to put everything out there to try to stave off elimination. But we have Wacha going, we have a ton of confidence in him, so we’re going to approach it like a regular game but understand what the gravity of the situation is.”

The Royals will be trying to force a Game 5 back in New York.

The Yankees, well, they know what’s at stake, too.

“Obviously, this was a big one to get,” said manager Aaron Boone. “I’m excited to give Gerrit the ball, and hopefully he can go out and get us off to a good start tomorrow night. We always love handing the ball to our ace. These games have been really, really tough, and that team is playing really well over there. But we always feel good when we give the ball to Gerrit.”

When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 3 of the ALDS will be played on Thursday at 8:08 p.m. ET. It can be seen on TBS, truTV and Max.

All games are available in the U.S. on MLB.TV (authentication to a participating Pay TV provider is required). Live games are also available in select countries outside the U.S. For full details, click here.

Who are the starting pitchers?

Yankees: Cole
Cole gets another crack at the Royals after he was touched for four runs (three earned) and seven hits across five-plus innings in the Yankees’ 6-5 Game 1 victory. The AL’s reigning Cy Young Award winner, Cole pitched to an 8-5 record and 3.41 ERA in 17 starts this season, not making his debut until June due to right elbow inflammation. Cole is 10-6 with a 3.05 ERA in 18 career postseason starts.

“I’m looking to sharpen up some of the things that kind of hurt us, and looking to continue just to be as efficient as possible and give our team the best chance to win,” Cole said.

Royals: Wacha
Wacha didn’t factor into the decision in Game 1, when he allowed three runs across four innings on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. He walked three and said after the game that his command was a little off. Quatraro ended up pulling Wacha after four innings and 70 pitches before he faced Juan Soto for a third time.

“I just want to go out there and win the ballgame,” Wacha said before Game 3. “Whether it’s a clinching game or it’s an elimination game, it’s a must-win in my mind either way. I want to go out there and give our guys a chance to win a ballgame just like any other start throughout the season. And this one is no different. Want to get out there, hopefully go deep, and give our guys a chance to win a ballgame.”

What are the starting lineups?

Yankees: Look for the Yankees to trot out the same lineup from their Game 1 victory over Wacha and the Royals, which they also used against right-hander Seth Lugo in Game 3.

Royals: The Royals swung the bat well against Cole the first time around, so it’s likely they run out the same lineup with Michael Massey as the lefty leadoff man and Maikel Garcia sparking things from the bottom of the lineup.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?

Yankees: There shouldn’t be any major issues in the bullpen, even as the clubs play consecutive games for the first time in this ALDS. Should the series extend to a Game 5, any relievers would have a day of rest — and if the Yankees win, they’d have even more before the ALCS is scheduled to begin on Oct. 14. In Game 3, Clay Holmes threw 16 pitches, Tommy Kahnle tossed 13, and closer Luke Weaver logged 20.

Royals: This is the first time this series the teams will be playing back-to-back games. That might change the way the bullpen shapes up, but not by much, as relievers can throw back-to-back days. The Royals did not need to use closer Lucas Erceg on Wednesday, so he should be ready to go for one-plus innings on Thursday. The only reliever who might be questionable is Kris Bubic, who took the loss in Game 3 and threw 26 pitches in the eighth inning.

Yankees: The Yanks made it through the first three games of the ALDS without incident. Anthony Rizzo (two fractured fingers on right hand) and left-hander Nestor Cortes (left elbow flexor strain) aren’t likely to be back until a potential ALCS at the earliest. Infielder DJ LeMahieu (right hip impingement) is also trying to be a playoff option.

Royals: No new injuries occurred for the Royals in Game 3, so they should be good to go for Game 4. Their injured relievers, Will Smith and Chris Stratton, were left off the postseason roster but are continuing their rehab programs with the team to stay ready in case they’re needed.

Who is hot and who is not?

Yankees: Bombers relievers haven’t allowed an earned run over 13 2/3 innings this postseason, including Weaver’s 11th consecutive appearance without an earned run dating back to the regular season. Stanton homered in a three-hit, two-RBI performance in Game 3 after going 1-for-8 in the first two games. Judge is 1-for-11 (.091) with three walks and five strikeouts through the first three ALDS games.

Royals: Witt Jr. finally got on the board with a hit in Game 3 after a quiet series so far, so we’ll see if that sparks him at all. The Royals could really use Pasquantino to follow suit, as the designated hitter is 0-for-12 with a walk. With the production they’re getting from the supporting cast, though, the offense could really get rolling if Witt and Pasquantino start hitting. The leadoff and No. 9 spots in the Royals’ order — some combination of Massey, Garcia, Isbel, and Garrett Hampson — are 12-for-24 this series.

Anything else fans might want to know?
• The Royals are no stranger to close games this postseason — all five of their playoff games this month have been decided by two runs or fewer, and four of them have been one-run games. They went 30-37 in games decided by two runs or fewer in the regular season, including 4-11 in their last 15 such games before the start of the postseason.

• Kansas City and New York played seven games this season, with the Yankees winning five. The Yanks won three of four at Kansas City from June 10-13, denied a sweep by Garcia’s two-run walk-off double off Holmes. The Yanks took two of three in the Bronx from Sept. 9-11, including Chisholm’s walk-off 11th-inning single in the series finale.

• Overall, the Yankees were 24-7 against the AL Central this season, a group that includes the three remaining AL playoff teams (Royals, Tigers, Guardians). The Yanks were a Major League-best 51-31 on the road this year (including the postseason).