Takeaways from Yankees-Royals Game 3: Giancarlo Stanton, another strong BP effort help N.Y. edge K.C.

The New York Yankees spoiled the Kansas City Royals’ return home and are now a victory away from reaching the American League Championship Series.

On Wednesday, the Yankees rode the hot bat of Giancarlo Stanton, who hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and a strong bullpen effort to take Game 3 of the American League Division Series, 3-2. Leading the series 2-1, New York will look to end Kansas City’s season with Gerrit Cole on the mound for Game 4 on Thursday.

Here are three takeaways from the action: 

Stanton plays hero, but Yankees bats stay quiet

Stanton put the Yankees lineup on his back in Game 3, tallying three of New York’s four hits. The 34-year-old isn’t the player he once was, but he turned back the clock on Wednesday, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBI, including a home run off Royals reliever Kris Bubic in the eighth inning, which broke a 2-2 tie.

While Stanton’s standout performance will grab the headlines, the bigger story is the continued struggles of slugger Aaron Judge. After finishing 0-for-4 in Game 3, the AL MVP favorite is 1-for-13 with five strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the Yankees offense as a whole has been lackluster at best. Against the Royals, New York has gone just 3-for-25 with runners in scoring position and left an astounding 30 runners on base.

The lack of consistency at the plate hasn’t burned the Yankees — yet — but they’re flirting with disaster. 

Yankees’ bullpen continues to come up big

With the Yankees nursing a one-run lead in the eighth inning, manager Aaron Boone asked Luke Weaver — who is not the second coming of Mariano Rivera — to produce a five-out save. In almost any other circumstance, the move would’ve backfired, but against the Royals, New York’s bullpen can do no wrong.

After pitching 5.1 innings of scoreless ball in Game 2, the Yankees bullpen came up clutch again on Wednesday. In relief of starter Clark Schmidt (4.2 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs), Clay Holmes (1.1 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs), Tommy Kahnle (1.1 innings, 0 hits, 0 R) and Weaver (1.2 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs) combined to hold the Royals off the scoreboard for 4.1 innings in Game 3.

Over three games, the Yankees pen has pitched 13 innings, scattering eight hits and only one run (unearned). It’s not hyperbole to say the unit is a big reason New York is a win away from the ALCS.

Royals desperately need middle of their lineup to produce

Kansas City’s best hitter, Bobby Witt Jr., finally tallied his first base hit in Game 2. But like the remaining heart of the Royals’ order, he failed to get much of anything going, finishing the night 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

Witt wasn’t alone as the hitters behind him in the three and four holes, Vinnie Pasquantino (0-for-3) and Salvador Perez (1-for-4), also struggled.

For the series, Witt, Pasquantino and Perez are a combined 4-for-37 and 0-of-6 with RISP. If the trio doesn’t come around soon, it’s hard to believe they’ll survive to force a decisive Game 5 at Yankees Stadium.