Royals Roll Past Yankees 8-5 With Five-Run 7th

The surging Kansas City Royals clocked in three runs in the first inning and then rode the strong pitching of right-hander Dillon Gee in an 8-5 home victory over the New York Yankees Monday night.

Royals Roll Past Yankees 8-5 With Five-Run 7th

The defending World Series champions have now won 18 of 22, and improved to just two games behind the Orioles in the American League Wild Card standings. The Yankees remain 3 1/2 games behind Baltimore.

Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda had a very inconsistent outing, retiring 15 straight but also allowing three runs in the first inning and two more in the seventh to record his career-high 11th loss.

“It’s unusual,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “At times he’s really, really good. Then there are times when he leaves the ball up or doesn’t quite get it high enough or doesn’t quite get it low enough and they put it in play and they are base hits.”

Lorenzo Cain, Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon drove in runs off Pineda (6-11) during a five-hit burst in the first inning. Jarrod Dyson beat out an infield hit leading off, went to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on Cain’s single. Cain then stole second and scored on Morales’ single to left. Two straight singles from Salvador Perez and Gordon plated Morales, who raced home from second on Gordon’s hit to right.

Pineda then went on his blistering streak before getting in a two-on, no-outs jam in the seventh that led to Alcides Escobar’s three-run homer off reliever Blake Parker. 

“Even in the first inning, I was making a good pitch and they got a pretty good swing and got a base hit,” Pineda said. “It’s a really good lineup

In total, Pineda allowed five runs and seven hits in six-plus innings, striking out eight.

“You always try to jump out early and take advantage of situations and try to put some runs on the board early to give your starting pitcher a little breathing room,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “And we did that. Three in the first was a pretty nice little way to start the game off.”

Gee (6-7) gave up only four hits and a run in the latest impressive start by the Royals’ staff.

“Just did a great job of executing pitches,” Yost said. “Worked up in the strike zone, worked down. Worked side-to-side really effectively.”

Starlin Castro drove in two runs for New York, the second in a four-run eighth inning that forced Yost to call in closer Kelvin Herrera for the four-out save.

Herrera retired Mark Texeira to escape that jam, and then put runners on the corners in the ninth but finished by striking out Castro to earn his 11th save.

The Royals (69-62) were seven games below .500 on August 6, 11 games behind in the AL Central. However, their impressive run, which has been fueled by sharp pitching, timely hitting and a dominant back of the bullpen has thrown the team back into playoff contention.

They are now 5 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the division for third place, just two behind the second wild card.

The Yankees (67-63, 4th in AL East) were only a half-game behind Kansas City at the beginning of the night, but their second straight loss on the heels of a four-game winning streak proved costly against a fellow contender.

Girardi’s frustration was clear when he was ejected by plate umpire Brian O’Nora for arguing balls and strikes with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning.

Didi Gregorius then delivered a two-run double, and the Yankees added two more runs against the Royals bullpen before Herrera put an end to their rally.

“Two different strike zones. It’s unfortunate,” Girardi said of his ejection. “Even the broadcasters were talking about it in the eighth and ninth inning. I don’t know why. I’m frustrated by it. I don’t know if you give the catcher’s credit. I know the last inning and the inning before that I’m watching on TV and I see it. Oh-1 is a lot different than 1-and-oh a lot of times.”

The two teams will next face off for the middle game of their three-game series at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night. Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka has tossed 14 2/3 scoreless innings over his last two starts. He takes on Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez, who has won his last two decisions.

SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 12: Eric Hosmer #35 of the Kansas City Royals and the American League rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the National League in the 2nd inning of the 87th Annual MLB All-Star Game at PETCO Park on July 12, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)