Yankees 5, Royals 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Left-hander C.C. Sabathia won his second straight start and third baseman Chase Headley belted a three-run homer as the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 Saturday night to snap a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez homered in the ninth, his 10th of the season and 664th of his career.
Sabathia (2-5), who snapped a career-high seven-game losing streak in beating Tampa Bay in his previous start, handcuffed the Royals on six hits, five of them singles, and permitted just one run over seven innings.
Sabathia, who was restricted to eight starts last year before needing knee surgery in July, has lowered his ERA from 5.45 to 4.67 in his past two starts.
After Sabathia was removed, Yankees relievers Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller continued their late inning dominance. Betances worked a spotless eighth and has not given up an earned run and only eight hits in 21 innings. He struck out first baseman Eric Hosmer to end the inning, fanning 21 of the past 42 batters he has faced.
Miller, who worked a hitless ninth, has not given up a run in 17 2/3 innings this season.
While Sabathia was efficient, throwing 64 strikes in 87 pitches, walking none and striking out five, Royals starter Danny Duffy (2-3) was anything but.
Headley hit a three-run homer in the fifth to put the Yankees ahead 4-1.
Left-hander Duffy retired the first two batters of the inning before yielding singles to first baseman Mark Teixeira and right fielder Carlos Beltran, and Headley brought them home by pounding a full-count pitch into the Royals' bullpen.
Duffy exited after five innings and 113 pitches. In his past three starts, he has allowed 14 runs on 15 hits and 10 walks in 8 2/3 innings.
He was replaced by right-hander Joe Blanton, who was brought up earlier in the day from the minors. It was Blanton's first appearance on a big-league mound since Sept. 3, 2013, with the Angels.
Duffy took another walk on the wild side in the third inning when he issued free passes to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, Rodriguez and Teixeira to load the bases with one out. With Duffy having thrown 30 strikes and 30 balls at that juncture, pitching coach Dave Eiland visited the mound.
Duffy, though, limited the damage to one run with Beltran's sacrifice fly scoring Ellsbury. Through three innings, Duffy had walked four but not allowed a hit.
The Royals opened their half of the third with singles by second baseman Omar Infante, right fielder Paulo Orlando (a bunt) and shortstop Alcides Escobar to load the bases off Sabathia. Third baseman Mike Moustakas, who had four hits Friday, got Infante home with a fly out to Beltran.
NOTES: Yankees RHP Mashiro Tanaka, who is on the disabled list, is scheduled for a bullpen session Monday. If all goes well, he could start a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday. ... The Royals purchased the contract of RHP Joe Blanton from Triple-A Omaha, where he was 3-2 with a 3.89 ERA in seven appearances, six of them starts. Blanton, 34, last pitched in the majors in 2013 with the Angels. ... In corresponding moves, the Royals recalled LHP Brian Flynn from Omaha and placed him on the 60-day DL with a latissimus dorsi tear. Rookie RHP Aaron Brooks was optioned to the Storm Chasers. ... The Yankees recalled RHP Bryan Mitchell from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and optioned RHP Jose Ramirez to the same club. ... Yankees LHP Chris Capuano, who missed the first 38 games with a strained right quadriceps, will be activated Sunday and start the series finale. The Royals will counter with RHP Edinson Volquez.