The Yankees score in the ALCS and Gerrit Cole leads the team to a victory over the Royals in Game 4

The New York Yankees are headed to the ALCS after defeating the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in Game 4 of the ALDS on Thursday night.

This will be the Yankees' 19th appearance in the ALCS, the last one in 2022, which is the best result in MLB history. They are also the first AL team to clinch a spot in the league. The Cleveland Rangers and Detroit Tigers will play a fifth game to determine their banner opponent.

It took some time for the team to get on the board in Game 3, but the Yankees needed just two batters to do so in Game 4.

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Gleyber Torres took the first pitch of the game from Royals starter Michael Wacha to left center field and took the ball out on a counterattack to give the Bombers a run. Juan Soto then passed the ball through the hole in right field for an RBI to make it 1-0.

Meanwhile, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had perhaps his best start of the season at just the right time for his team, as he kept the Royals' offense at bay throughout the game.

He pitched seven innings in his 87 pitches, allowing six hits, scoring one run and striking out four.

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The Yankees added one more in the top of the fifth inning when Gleyber Torres hit a clutch single with two outs to the right field and scored Alex Verdugo. Jon Berti, who started at first base again after doing so in Game 2 of the ALDS, advanced Verdugo to third with a single to right field.

Then Giancarlo Stanton, who led the Yankees' offense in Game 3, once again contributed to an RBI single that scored Aaron Judge, who finally scored a postseason baseball. He hit two shots to left center field, which may have taken some weight off his shoulders.

There was a moment in this game when tempers ran high after Berti converted a double play, stepped on the bag at first base, and then gave the ball to shortstop Anthony Volpe, who threw out Maikel Garcia in the bottom of the sixth inning.

However, Garcia apparently disagreed with Volpe's high strike, while the defender's forearm also apparently hit him in the head and neck area. Volpe patted Garcia on the back to basically say everything was fine and it wasn't done on purpose.

However, things went from bad to worse when Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is already an enemy of Royals fans after his comments on social media and during post-game interviews, started defending Volpe with his words.

Then the benches cleared and Torres tried to push Garcia Make towards the dugout. Fortunately, nothing more physical came of it.

Kansas City tried to use this moment as fuel, but had yet to score before Cole. However, three straight hits followed the infield play, capped by Vinnie Pasquantino's RBI double and Bobby Witt Jr.'s run. from first base to give the Royals life in a 3-1 game.

But the atmosphere was removed from Kauffman Stadium when Kyle Isbel caught Cole on a fastball that sailed to right field. Everyone tried to play it because it would have tied the game, but Soto caught the ball at the base of the right field wall to end the inning.

Clay Holmes then had a quick eighth inning, relieving Cole, and Luke Weaver shut down the fight in the bottom of the ninth inning when the referee came in to center field in the final out.

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after hitting a pop fly in the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals during Game 4 of the ALDS of the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

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The Yankees will have some time to return home, regroup while watching Game 5 of the Guardians-Tigers series unfold and await their opponent in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday at Yankee Stadium.

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