KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The ball screamed off the bat. New York Yankees star Aaron Judge had ripped into the field from Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo. The radar gun tracked the line drive at 110 mph — the fourth-hardest hit ball of this year’s playoffs, according to MLB’s Statcast.

As he zoomed through the infield, Bobby Witt Jr. reached out. – perhaps the best defensive shortstop in the American League – over his body and over his head and snapped him for the final out of the first inning. For Judge, bad luck had hit even harder than it had.

Still, it was a sign for the Yankees that Judge seemed as close to being the playoff hero they needed, even if he went hitless again as they won 3-2 in Game 3 of the American League Division. Series on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

The win gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. They will get a chance to close out the Royals’ season on Thursday night.

It would be a good time for Judge to emerge from his postseason slump – a slump that has continued throughout much of his illustrious career.

The righty didn’t want to pat himself on the back for going 0-for-4 with a walk — despite hitting several balls hard — and giving himself a .091 batting average (1-for-11) with three walks so far in the match. division series.

“I didn’t get a single hit,” he said. “So it doesn’t feel so good. “But no, we are exactly where we need to be.”

“We are exactly where we need to be.”

Aaron Judge talks about his at-bats, the impact of Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Weaver after the Game 3 ALDS win. pic.twitter.com/DIUnIzInhv

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Judge helped the Yankees during the regular season, leading the sport in home runs (58) and RBIs (144), while also hitting .322. He will likely be the overwhelming choice to win his second AL MVP award.

Hitting coach James Rowson said Judge’s swing looked better than it had in a while during pregame work and during the game.

“I thought his at-bats were great (Wednesday),” Rowson said. “I thought he showed up. Even in his (batting practice) earlier, you started seeing him hit the ball right away. You started to see the ball spin a little. It felt like his swings in the game were really good. Just missed a few balls today. I feel like he’s in a good place. With Judgey, we know it could be anytime, man. Because I think overall he’s not far. I think his swings are getting closer to what we’re used to seeing here.

Judge’s only strikeout Wednesday came on a questionable call. He tried to check his swing on a full-count slider from reliever Brady Singer that was low and outside with two outs in the seventh inning. The score was tied at 2-2 and Juan Soto was on first base.

But first base umpire and crew chief Mark Carlson determined that Judge had swung, even though Judge was so sure he hadn’t that he turned his bat toward the Yankees dugout as if assuming he had been walked .

“They missed that call,” Soto said.

On Wednesday, the Yankees’ other powerful slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, cheered them on with three hits, including a double and the go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning. He had entered the night in a slump, having just one hit in his first eight at-bats through the first two games of the series.

Stanton felt it was only a matter of time for Judge.

“He’s definitely going to do some damage,” Stanton said. “It’s only a matter of time. He’s had good at bats. So yes, it will come when we need it most.

“Honestly,” left fielder Alex Verdugo said, “I know he didn’t get any hits today, but his swings are much better. The quality of the contact. He literally just missed three balls, probably by a hair. Honestly, he’s in a good place. His last five (or) six at-bats have been really good and I expect him to do what he does.”

But Judge’s postseason resume is the only setback he faces as he makes his case for the Hall of Fame. In 47 games, he hit 13 home runs with a batting average of .203 and an OPS of .748.

“I don’t think I ever doubted that guy,” Soto said. ‘He’s been showing it all year. He proves he is one of the best. Why (should I) doubt him when a man can do all those things? We stand behind him and he will have his days. When he gets warm, it gets really fun.

Judge was asked if he thought Game 4 would finally be his night. The Yankees captain deflected.

“Every night is our night,” he said.

(Photo: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)