NEW YORK
When Royals manager Ned Yost sent pinch-hitter Kendrys Morales to the plate in the top of the fifth inning on Saturday night, it seemed, at first glance, like a questionable allocation of resources. There was a lone runner at first base, two outs, and the Royals trailed by a run.
The Royals, in essence, were burning their best bat on the bench in a situation where a single would not score a run, and when Morales roped a single up the middle and Alex Gordon halted at second base, that exact scenario played out.