Perez, Royals jump out early in win vs. Yankees
NEW YORK -- Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run first inning Wednesday night by the Kansas City Royals, who went on to beat the New York Yankees 7-3 at Yankee Stadium.
The Royals (16-17) snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 2-4 on a road trip that ends Thursday. The Yankees (13-19) fell to 4-2 on a 10-game homestand.
Alex Gordon opened the scoring in the first with a sacrifice fly. Lorenzo Cain, who hit three homers Tuesday, laced a two-run single in the sixth and Kendrys Morales added a solo homer in the seventh.
Right-hander Yordano Ventura earned the win after allowing three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out one over six innings.
For the Yankees, Carlos Beltran homered in the second and missed a second homer -- which would have been the 400th of his career -- by about two feet on an eighth-inning double. Chase Headley had an RBI single in the second while Brian McCann added a run-scoring groundout in the fifth.
Aaron Hicks went 3-for-4 and is batting .444 (8-for-18) on the homestand.
Right-hander Michael Pineda took the loss after allowing six runs on six hits and four walks while striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings. He threw a career-high 114 pitches.
The Royals forced Pineda to throw 36 pitches during a four-run first inning.
Lorenzo Cain, who hit three homers Tuesday, was hit by a pitch with one out and went to third on a single by Hosmer. Kendrys Morales drew a walk to load the bases, after which Cain trotted home on a sacrifice fly to the center field warning track by Alex Gordon. Perez followed with a three-run blast into the left field seats.
The Yankees cut the lead in half but missed a chance to do more damage in the second. Beltran led off with his 399th career homer. One out later, Hicks singled, took second on a groundout by Didi Gregorius and scored on a bloop single by Headley.
Ventura then walked Ben Gamel and Brett Gardner to load the bases, but Starlin Castro hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
New York pulled within a run in the fifth, when Gardner drew a leadoff walk, went to third on a double by Castro and scored on a groundout to first by McCann.
NOTES: Yankees CF Jacoby Ellsbury (right hip strain) missed his fifth consecutive start. Manager Joe Girardi said he hopes Ellsbury can avoid the disabled list and play this weekend. ... Girardi also said he expected DH Alex Rodriguez (right hamstring strain) and LHP CC Sabathia (left groin strain) to return from the 15-day disabled list as soon as they are eligible. Rodriguez went on the disabled list May 4, while Sabathia's stint began May 5. ... Royals manager Ned Yost said RHP Kris Medlen, who has given up 13 runs in his past two starts, would likely remain in the rotation and start Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. ... Royals RHP Ian Kennedy, who was drafted by the Yankees in 2006, is scheduled to make his first start as a visiting player at Yankee Stadium in Thursday's series finale. He will oppose RHP Nathan Eovaldi.