James Paxton dominated the Royals in the Bronx, striking out 12 on Easter Sunday. The lefty was sharp from the start, setting the tone with a mix of high heat and a sharp slider. He made quick work of Kansas City’s lineup, running through hitters like Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler, and Lucas Duda with ease. Soler struck out twice, unable to handle Paxton’s breaking ball.
Billy Hamilton, known for his speed, couldn’t catch up to Paxton’s fastball. Whit Merrifield, one of the Royals’ better hitters, went down swinging on a perfectly placed slider. By the end of the game, Paxton had cycled through most of the lineup twice, recording strikeouts up and down the order. Even catcher Martin Maldonado couldn’t do much, going down twice. Paxton controlled the game from the mound and kept Kansas City off balance all afternoon. It was one of his most dominant outings in pinstripes.