As electric as it was in the first inning at a sold-out Yankee Stadium on Monday, the building slowly lost power over the course of the night.
The highs and lows of Carlos Rodon and a wasteful offense will do that.
Rodon fizzled out during a four-run fourth inning and the Yankees’ bats looked like they did during their summer swoon on the way to a 4-2 loss to the Royals in Game 2 of the ALDS.
The life came back into The Bronx in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. led off with a home run to the second deck off Royals closer Lucas Erceg.
But it was only temporary, as the Yankees brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in Gleyber Torres, who grounded out to end it.
There will be no sweep of an AL Central foe this time around, as the teams now head to Kansas City with the series tied 1-1 heading into Wednesday’s Game 3.
While Rodon was a buzzkill, giving up four runs across 3 ²/₃ innings after a dominant start, the Yankees bullpen kept the deficit at 4-1 and gave its offense a chance.
Except the Yankees could not do anything with it against lefty Cole Ragans and the Royals bullpen.
After going 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position in Saturday’s Game 1 win, the Yankees went 1-for-6 on Monday and 2-for-20 with runners on base.
That included another quiet night for likely AL MVP Aaron Judge, who went 1-for-3 with a walk and an infield single.
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The Yankees had trouble mounting much offense against Ragans, letting him off the hook early after he walked the first two batters of the game.
They made him throw 87 pitches to get 12 outs, as the Royals turned to their bullpen to start the fifth inning, but the Yankees could not figure out their four relievers either.
Through two games, the Yankees have scored in six innings.
Three times, including Monday night, the Royals have answered with at least one run in the next half inning.
Rodon came out firing and filling up the strike zone.
He struck out the side in a buzzing first inning, unleashing an emphatic, even slightly maniacal reaction after each punch-out, including sticking his tongue out after getting Vinnie Pasquantino chasing a slider to end the frame.
The Yankees wasted an opportunity to knock Ragans around early — just as they did against Michael Wacha in Game 1 — after he walked the first two batters in the bottom of the first.
Judge struck out again, as did Austin Wells before Giancarlo Stanton grounded out to end the threat.
They finally got to him in the third inning, though, which Torres led off with another walk.
Two outs later, Wells singled before Stanton lined a one-hopper to shortstop that ate up Bobby Witt Jr. and spilled into shallow left field.
Torres did not stop running around third and came around to score for the 1-0 lead.
But the Royals did not let that momentum last long, stealing it right back in the top of the fourth and knocking Rodon out of the game in the process.
Salvador Perez, who entered the night 12-for-26 with three home runs in his career against Rodon, crushed a fourth to lead off the inning.
The catcher, who may be bound for Cooperstown, got a 2-0 hanging slider and clobbered it for a solo shot to left field that tied the game.
The Royals’ next three hits also came on sliders as the pitch proved to be Rodon’s undoing.
Yuli Gurriel roped one to left field for a single and then took second base when Rodon spiked a slider past Wells.
One out later, Tommy Pham drilled a 1-2 slider into right field to put the Royals up 2-1.
Rodon whiffed Hunter Renfroe for the second out, but Pham stole second during the at-bat, setting him up to score when No. 9 hitter Garrett Hampson smoked a 3-2 slider through the left side to make it 3-1 and end Rodon’s night early.
Alex Verdugo fielded Hampson’s single and fired home, but third baseman Chisholm was late getting into position to cut off the throw, allowing Hampson to take second.
That came back to hurt when Ian Hamilton allowed a first-pitch single to Maikel Garcia that put the Royals ahead 4-1.