The series opener included five lead changes — the most in postseason history — but the Yankees secured the final momentum swing from a surprising place.

The player least popular among Yankees fans entering this postseason allowed that hard-to-please collective to party deep into Saturday night. And likely into Sunday morning. Alex Verdugo, the organization's choice to start in leftfield rather than uber-popular prospect Jasson Dominguez,

KC lost a 6-5 slugfest at Yankee Stadium. Alex Verdugo hit a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning as New York took a 1-0 series lead. That followed a controversial call at second base in which the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm, who scored the winning run, was called safe sliding into second and the play stood on a review.