LIVE: Royals-Yankees AL Division Series Game 2 FAQ (TBS)

NEW YORK -- There was a moment late in Saturday’s see-saw American League Division Series opener when Yankees manager Aaron Boone felt a tap on his shoulder, glancing to find Anthony Rizzo by his side.

Unable to play due to a couple of fractured fingers on his right hand, the first baseman was simply an observer as his team battled the Royals on this evening, bouncing between roles as cheerleader and fan.

“Rizz came up to me in about the seventh or eighth, we connected, and he was like, ‘What a game,’” Boone said. “And I was like, ‘I was just saying that.’”

Yes, the opener between Kansas City and New York lived up to expectations, chock full of twists, turns and unexpected heroes. A sellout crowd in the Bronx lent to the atmosphere, though Royals manager Mike Quatraro said he didn’t believe it impacted his pitching staff, which issued an uncharacteristic eight walks.

“I don't think it was the stadium,” Quatraro said. “I think we've been here, we've played here, we've been in big environments. It's not the stadium. We just didn't execute pitches. When we did, they fouled them off.”

Don’t tell that to Gleyber Torres, though. The Yanks' second baseman said that the crowd was especially loud in Game 1, and the home team is hoping for that same environment to make a difference in Game 2.

“Everybody knows how it feels to play in New York, especially in the postseason,” Torres said. “We've got another game in a few days. We’ll be ready for Monday. I know all the fans are going to support us.”

When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 2 of the ALDS from Yankee Stadium will be played on Monday at 7:38 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?
Royals: Cole Ragans couldn’t have been more impressive in his postseason debut last Tuesday against the Orioles, when he went six scoreless innings before exiting early with left calf cramps. Ragans said at the time he didn’t want to push it when feeling the cramps because he wants to pitch long into October, and now he’ll get a second opportunity against the Yankees on Monday. Ragans made one start against New York this season and allowed two runs -- a two-run homer to Soto -- in six innings at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 11.

Yankees: Carlos Rodón (16-9, 3.96 ERA) enters the postseason having made a career-high 32 starts this year, rebounding from a dismal debut campaign in pinstripes. Rodón was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against the Royals this season. He has appeared in two previous playoff games (one start) with the White Sox in 2020 and ’21, when he permitted four runs in 2 2/3 innings.

What are the starting lineups?
Royals: Rodón will be the first lefty the Royals will face this October, so their lineup leans heavily right-handed. However, second baseman Michael Massey has taken such good at-bats and played such good defense this postseason that Quatraro still kept him in the lineup, batting him sixth instead of leadoff. Third baseman Maikel Garcia is slotted back in the leadoff spot, where he spent a majority of the first half of the regular season before his offensive struggles moved him down. Garcia is 2-for-10 this postseason with a walk and two stolen bases, and Quatraro noted Garcia’s value on the bases as a reason for moving him back into the leadoff spot. The hope is Garcia gets on base, creates some chaos there, and maybe that gets Bobby Witt Jr. a fastball or two to feast on.

1. Maikel Garcia, 3B
2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS
3. Vinnie Pasquantino, DH
4. Salvador Perez, C
5. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
6. Michael Massey, 2B
7. Tommy Pham, LF
8. Hunter Renfroe, RF
9. Garrett Hampson, CF

Yankees: Boone noted Ragans’ reverse splits (.723 OPS vs. lefties, .595 vs. righties) as a reason why the lineup would still contain a left-handed presence in Game 2. The batting order that Boone went with for Game 1 threatened, but was unable to break through for a big inning, despite putting up six runs. For Game 2, Alex Verdugo gets bumped up a spot to No. 8 after coming through with a go-ahead knock in the opener, while Jon Berti makes his first career start at first base.

1. Gleyber Torres, 2B
2. Juan Soto, RF
3. Aaron Judge, CF
4. Austin Wells, C
5. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B
7. Anthony Volpe, SS
8. Alex Verdugo, LF
9. Jon Berti, 1B

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Royals: Kansas City used a lot of relievers, nearly its entire ‘pen, in Game 1, but Sunday’s off-day should make them all available again on Monday. Lucas Erceg will continue with closer duties even after needing 28 pitches across 1 1/3 innings Saturday. Quatraro will continue to rely on lefties Sam Long and Kris Bubic in high-leverage innings, as well.

Yankees: The Bombers' ‘pen should be fully stocked thanks to Sunday’s off-day. In Game 1, Tim Hill threw 16 pitches, Clay Holmes tossed 13, Tommy Kahnle had 15 and Luke Weaver threw 24.

Any injuries of note?
Royals: No new injuries occurred for the Royals in Game 1, so they should be good to go for Game 2. 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.

Yankees: The Yanks made it through Game 1 without incident. 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 AL Championship Series at the earliest. Infielder DJ LeMahieu (right hip impingement) is also trying to be a playoff option, but he probably won’t be ready for the ALDS.

Who is hot and who is not?
Royals: The offense finally showed some life in Game 1 with good swings off Gerrit Cole, including MJ Melendez’s homer for the first Royals’ dinger of the postseason. That should give them some momentum heading into Game 2, although their stars -- Witt, Pasquantino and Perez were just 1-for-14 in Game 1. Kansas City’s pitching needs to get back on track after issuing eight walks on Saturday and allowing six runs. The Yankees present a challenge because of their lineup, but that doesn’t mean the Royals can’t be aggressive in the zone.

Yankees: Verdugo reached base three times in Game 1, including a deciding RBI single in the seventh inning. He has hit .333/.412/.467 (15-for-45) in 12 career postseason games. Austin Wells became the seventh Yankee all-time, and first since Judge in 2017, to reach base three times in his first career postseason game. Judge went 0-for-4 with a walk and is hitless in his last nine at-bats dating to the regular season.

Anything else fans might want to know?
• The Yankees have announced that Clarke Schmidt will start Game 3. Luis Gil will be available in relief and would return to the rotation for a potential ALCS.

• 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 Maikel Garcia’s two-run walk-off double off Holmes. The Yanks took two of three in the Bronx Sept. 9-11, including Jazz Chisholm Jr.’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).