Weathers Doesn’t Mind the Weather. NY 7 KC 0

April 20, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Aaron Judge hits HR #9 of the season -- a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 1st to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead.

The game began at 4:20 PM on a cool, Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx after an almost 3-hr rain delay.

Within minutes, the Yanks had a 2-0 lead on a HR by Aaron Judge in the bottom of the 1st, and within a few more minutes were up 3-0 on a couple of walks and a sac fly by Austin Wells.

It kept raining Yankee runs — a Ben Rice HR leading off the bottom of the 2nd off lefty starter Cole Ragans put NY up 4-0.

Meanwhile Yankee starter Ryan Weathers didn’t mind the wait or the weather at all — he threw down a gem: 7.1 innings of 5-hit, shutout ball, striking out 8 and walking only 1.

Trent Grisham hit a 3-run HR in the 5th to make it 7-0 Yankees as they waltzed to the win.

Angel Chivilli got the last 5 outs in the 8th and 9th for a feel-good win that lifted the Yanks back into 1st place in the AL East.

“This is probably the best place in the world to pitch at,” said Ryan Weathers afterwards. “I was 0-2 so those two losses, every time I pitch, I want to win for the New York Yankees. Today was a good team win.”

“He was filling up the strike zone with really good stuff,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Weathers. “I thought his sweeper was really good today. First inning, kind of feeling his way there — but then got into a really good groove with everything — but the biggest thing was just attacking the strike zone.”

NY sweeps the 3-game series and improves to 13-9, the best record in the American League — up by .5 over Tampa, which lost. KC drops to 7-15.

1. Judge Puts Yanks Up 2-0 with HR in 1st

Cole Ragans, the 28-yr-old, 6’4 lefty, was coming off a tremendous start against Detroit — 6 innings of 1-hit, shutout ball striking out 11 and walking 1 — and he had pitched a similar start against Minnesota earlier this April, with 6 shutout innings. So he was no gimmie.

And lefty Ben Rice — who is an early MVP candidate — had just last week not played against two lefties, a move which drew ire from the Yankee fan base as Rice has been Red Hot.

Rice was not only playing against the lefty Ragans, but leading off.

And Rice worked a walk leading off the bottom of the 1st, grinding out of a 1-2 count.

Next batter Aaron Judge hit a first-pitch, 80-MPH knuckle curve 425 feet over the centerfield wall for a 2-0 Yankee lead.

2. Wells Sac Fly Makes It 3-0

Ragans then walked Cody Bellinger, struck out Paul Goldschmidt, and walked Trent Grisham and Amed Rosario to load the bases.

Austin Wells hit a sac fly to left for a 3-0 Yankee lead.

3. Rice on an MVP Pace — Makes It 4-0 with HR

Ben Rice came up for the 2nd time against the lefty Ragans in the bottom of the 2nd, and this time RIPPED a 95-MPH four-seam fastball into the right field seats for a 4-0 Yankee lead.

4. Grisham 3-Run HR in 5th

Ragans settled down a bit, pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd, and working around 2 more walks (Austin Wells and Ben Rice again) for a shutout 4th.

But Cody Bellinger led off the 5th with a double past 3rd, Paul Goldschmidt walked, and Trent Grisham Ripped line drive 369 feet to right and into the upper deck for a 3-run HR and 7-0 Yankee lead, knocking out Ragans.

5. Weathers on Fire

Meanwhile Ryan Weathers was exceptional — mowing down the Royals with ease.

Weathers worked around a 1-out single in the 1st, and got a double play after a leadoff walk in the 2nd — then proceeded to retire 13 in a row, pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd through 5th innings.

In the 6th he got some help from his defense. Catcher Elias Diaz got on with a 1-out single, and Bobby Witt Jr. ripped a 2-out double to the gap in left center which looked like a sure RBI — but Trent Grisham threw in to Jose Caballero who made a perfect relay-throw strike home to nab Diaz for the out, Austin Wells applying the tag.

Weathers then struck out the first 2 batters of the 7th — before yielding consecutive singles — but getting Isaac Collins to line out to end the inning. Weathers pitched into the 8th — getting the first out of the inning before being relieved by Angel Chivilli.

Weather’s final line: 7.1 IP, 5 hits, 0 runs, 8 K’s, 1 walk. He wins to go 1-2 3.18.

6. Angel Good

Angel Chivilli allowed a double to the first batter he faced — Elias Diaz — before getting two groundouts (sandwiching a walk to Bobby Witt Jr. to end the 8th.

Chivilli is a 23-year-old, 6’2 righthander the Yanks picked up from Colorado for T.J. Rumsford this winter.

In the 9th, Chivilli — sporting a 98-MPH fastball and 89-MPH changeup — got popup, ground out, hit batter, and strike out for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401815004

 

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