Cain homers three times but Royals fall to Yankees
NEW YORK -- Brett Gardner delivered the tiebreaking double with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning as the New York Yankees overcame three home runs by Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain in their 10-7 victory Tuesday night.
Ben Gamel began the winning rally when he reached on an error by shortstop Alcides Escobar, who could not handle the hop on the ground ball. Two pitches later, Gardner lined a 1-0 pitch from Kelvin Herrera (0-1) to center field and Escobar cut off the relay throw as Gamel slid in feet first while his helmet came off.
After Gardner's hit, Herrera hit Starlin Castro with a pitch and the Yankees took a 10-7 lead when McCann hit a two-run double off the center-field wall.
The Yankees (13-18) won for the fourth time in five games and needed Gardner's hit because Masahiro Tanaka and Andrew Miller (2-0) could not keep Cain in the ballpark.
Cain hit a solo home run in the third off Tanaka and added a three-run shot in the fifth. The second home run gave the Royals a 6-5 lead and they held it until Joakim Soria gave up two runs in the seventh.
The Yankees tied the game with one out in the seventh when Dustin Ackley singled to left. Ackley took second on the throw home and scored when Aaron Hicks doubled to left on a 1-2 fastball.
The lead was short-lived as Cain opened the eighth by driving Miller's 1-2 pitch over the right-center field wall.
Cain became the seventh Royal to hit three home runs, it was the ninth time a Royal had three home runs in team history and first instance since Kendry Morales on Sept. 20 at Detroit.
After Cain's third home run, the Royals had an insurance run in scoring position when Salvador Perez doubled but Miller struck out Omar Infante and picked up the win when the Yankees scored three times. Aroldis Chapman retired Cain for the final out and recorded his first save.
Before the dramatic eighth, Tanaka was in line for the win despite tying a career high with three home runs allowed. He allowed six runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Cheslor Cuthbert hit a two-run home run for Kansas City (15-17), which lost for the 11th time in 15 games. Didi Gregorius drove in three runs for the Yankees while Chase Headley and Ackley drove in the first two New York runs.
The Yankees loaded the bases on three straight one-out singles in the first and took a 1-0 lead on Dustin Ackley's sacrifice fly. The Royals took a 2-1 lead with two outs in the second when Cuthbert sent a 2-0 pitch into the left-field seats for his second career home run.
New York tied the game on Headley's single and put two on with two outs in the second but Brian McCann popped up. The Royals quickly regained the lead as Cain hit a 1-0 fastball over the right-field wall.
New York knocked out Medlen two batters into the fourth and took a 5-3 lead when Gregorius blooped a bases-loaded double to center field.
With one out in the fifth, Cain gave Kansas City a 6-5 lead when he sent a 1-0 pitch into the visiting bullpen beyond the left-center field wall.
NOTES: Kansas City RHP Chris Young will have an MRI Wednesday on his tight right forearm. He has been experiencing tightness since the end of spring training but did not say anything to the team until after Monday's start. ... New York 1B Mark Teixeira (neck spasms) missed Tuesday's game and may also miss Wednesday's contest. ... CF Jacoby Ellsbury (strained right hip) missed his fourth straight game. If he does not heal by Friday, he could be placed on the disabled list since it would be a week since the original injury. ... Royals RHP Dillon Gee will start Saturday against Atlanta in place of RHP Chris Young. ... Kansas City INF Raul Mondesi Jr. received a 50-game suspension when he tested positive for clenbuterol found in a cold medicine he took in the Dominican Republic. "It was a surprise to everyone but it just shows you, you can't take anything nowadays over the counter or anything without consulting the training staff first because things like this do happen," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said.