Ryan Weathers pitched 7.1 shutout innings as the New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-0, completing a series sweep. The Yankees improved to 13-9 with a strong offensive performance, highlighted by Aaron Judge's fifth first-inning home run of the season.
Key points
Ryan Weathers pitched 7.1 shutout innings
Yankees defeated Royals 7-0
Aaron Judge hit a first-inning home run
Yankees' record improved to 13-9
Game was delayed over three hours
Mentioned in this story
Yankee StadiumBoston
New York YankeesKansas City RoyalsRyan WeathersAaron Judge
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 19: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 19: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The start of the game was delayed a little over three hours, but it didnât seem to affect either the Yankeesâ bats or arms. With a chance to sweep the Royals, the club did just that, flattening their onetime bitter rivals behind Ryan Weathersâ strong start and a big first inning for the lineup. The Yankees move to 13-9 with a dominant 7-0 victory on Sunday.
We got right to it once play was allowed, with leadoff hitter Ben Rice doing his job and walking, ahead of Aaron Judge:
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Thatâs Judgeâs fifth first-inning dinger of the season, more or less able to start his team with a lead before the game really starts. Itâs also Judgeâs ninth overall homer, second in baseball behind the currently-unconscious Yordan Alvarez, who cracked his 10th today. helped keep the pressure on in the first, bringing in with a sac fly after walked three of four batters to load the bases. If you stuck around the Stadium through the entire delay, you were certainly rewarded with that big first inning.
Ben Rice continued to burnish his case for abolishing the platoon, taking Ragans to right field for his eighth long ball of the year, and fourth straight game with one:
This looks like a porch job, but it turns out Statcast has it a homer in 21 of the 30 MLB parks. Benâs maturation as a hitter â and the two walks he took today â sure make him a good candidate to hit in front of Judge atop the lineup.
helped the club put the game out of reach in the fifth:
For all the fun of the offense though, the real story may have been Ryan Weathers. The Yankee lefty had a second excellent start in three outings, going 7.1 innings and shutting out the Royals, albeit with a little bit of help from the defense behind him:
Getting through the first without allowing three straight home runs â although did get a single in the frame â already meant we were off to a good start with Weathers, but more than one inning of work was the process. Weathers does not have a good four-seam fastball, and indeed those three home runs the Angels clocked were all center-cut heaters. Today, just 29 percent of his offerings were the #1, three points lower than that bad outing last Tuesday, and his slider/sweeper⊠thing was much more active, 28 percent of pitches thrown rather than 20.
Itâs becoming increasingly clear that Weathers pitches best when he pitches backwards, mixing more breaking and offspeed stuff in in place of his fastball. He was able to do that today, and posted his second-best start of the year. Perhaps more importantly, itâs a second excellent start sandwiched around that Angels game, which may be the start of some consistency for the southpaw.
For all the angst of the five-game losing streak, the Yankees went 5-2 on the week and took care of business to close out the homestand. Theyâll be off tomorrow before a long road trip starts in Tuesday night, with scheduled to get the start at Fenway. First pitch from the Hub comes at 6:45pm Eastern.
Q&A
How many innings did Ryan Weathers pitch in the Yankees' win?
Ryan Weathers pitched 7.1 shutout innings in the Yankees' 7-0 victory over the Royals.
What was the final score of the Yankees vs. Royals game on April 19, 2026?
The final score was 7-0 in favor of the New York Yankees against the Kansas City Royals.
Who hit the first-inning home run for the Yankees in this game?
Aaron Judge hit the first-inning home run for the Yankees, marking his fifth of the season.
What is the Yankees' record after their win against the Royals?
The Yankees improved their record to 13-9 following the win against the Royals.
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