KANSAS CITY -- Giancarlo Stanton has said he lives for the moments that the postseason can provide, savoring the brighter spotlight and an opportunity to chase the championship that he hungers to deliver. The Yankees' slugger did a lot of living at Game 3 of the American League Division Series.

Stanton launched a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, part of a do-it-all three-hit performance that also included a run-scoring double and his first stolen base in more than four years, powering the Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Royals on Wednesday evening at Kauffman Stadium.

Entering the 2024 Division Series, best-of-five postseason series that have been tied 1-1 have seen the team winning Game 3 go on to take the series 45 of 62 times (73%). Under the current 2-2-1 format, teams leading 2-1 and playing Game 4 on the road have taken the series 22 of 33 times (67%). Of those 22 series victories, 18 came on the road in Game 4.

Long before he connected for a Statcast-calculated 417-foot drive off left-hander Kris Bubic -- the first postseason go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later by a Yankee since Raul Ibanez in Game 3 of the 2012 ALDS -- Stanton was on the field early on Wednesday, taking extra batting practice off a high-velocity machine.

The additional reps paid dividends for Stanton, who had been 1-for-8 coming into Wednesday’s action.

"He's so good at locking in, in these big games, he's done it throughout his career with us," manager Aaron Boone said of Stanton. "That at-bat off Bubic was phenomenal. I think he went up there looking to damage, looking to do just that."

Stanton also scorched a run-scoring double in the fourth inning that opened scoring, then added a sixth-inning single that preceded his first stolen base since Aug. 3, 2020. Juan Soto lifted a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.

Making his first career postseason start, Clarke Schmidt blanked Kansas City through the first four frames and was one out shy of getting through the fifth without damage. Adam Frazier reached on a ground ball to shortstop Anthony Volpe, who overthrew first baseman Oswaldo Cabrera on what was scored an infield hit.

Kyle Isbel followed with a run-scoring double down the left-field line and Michael Massey tied the game with a line drive that sailed past a diving attempt by Soto in right field. That was all for Schmidt, who navigated 4 2/3 innings, permitting two runs and four hits.

Luke Weaver recorded the final five outs for the Yankees, notching his second save of the series.

"It's just about being calm, being comfortable," Weaver said to TBS of entering in the eighth inning to close out the game. "If anything, that was the calmest I've been all year, and I think that was huge to focus and execute pitches."

The Yanks were irked by a couple of close calls that did not go in their direction. In the third inning, Gleyber Torres flared a ball to right field that was ruled to stand as foul after review, though replay angles suggested the ball touched white grass.

Aaron Judge’s postseason struggles continued as he was rung up on a checked-swing third strike in the seventh inning by first-base umpire Mark Carlson, prompting howls from the Yankees' bench, including manager Aaron Boone. Judge finished the evening 0-for-4 with a walk.