Royals hold off Yanks with 2 HRs in DH opener

NEW YORK -- This was not Royals rookie right-hander Brad Keller at his best. Keller struggled finding the strike zone (92 pitches, 51 strikes) and was peppered for nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. Still, Keller left the game with a two-run lead.
The Royals, who led 6-0 at one point, held on for a 10-5 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Brian Goodwin, acquired from the Nationals last Sunday, ripped his first home run as a Royal, a three-run shot in the eighth.
Predictably, Goodwin was in a good mood afterward.
"Of course it felt good," said Goodwin, who is hitting .462 in four games with his new team. "Came in a big situation. The most important thing is the win."
Royals manager Ned Yost had watched his team nearly squander a 6-0 lead.
"That was huge," Yost said. "Opened it up for us and gave us some breathing room."
Keller, who was helped by three double plays, walked three, struck out one and gave up four runs. He admitted he struggled with command all game.
"Especially early in the count, I didn't get ahead of guys," Keller said. "I made some pitches later in the count when I needed to, but I would have liked to have been around the zone a little more."
The Royals' offense, meanwhile, had its way against Yankees starter Luis Severino.

Rosell Herrera hit a two-run double in third, giving the Royals a 2-0 lead. Herrera doubled again in the fifth, sending Adalberto Mondesi to third with one out. Salvador Perez followed with a two-run single to center.
Moments later, Lucas Duda chased Severino with a two-run home run to right, his ninth, and the Royals had a 6-0 lead.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Keller got out of a huge jam in the second inning. The Yankees loaded the bases on a walk, single and a hit-by-pitch. But Keller got a break when New York's Tyler Wade hit a dribbler right in front of home plate. Perez pounced on the ball from his catcher's position, stepped on the plate for a forceout, then tagged Wade for a rare catcher unassisted double play. Shane Robinson then flied out as Keller escaped major trouble.

HE SAID IT
"Awesome experience. It was indescribable. Wild." -- Keller, on pitching for the first time at Yankee Stadium
UP NEXT
Right-hander Heath Fillmyer (0-1, 2.82 ERA) will take the mound for the Royals in Game 2 of the doubleheader at 6:05 p.m. CT at Yankee Stadium. CC Sabathia (6-4, 3.51) will pitch for New York. Fillmyer is making his third start of the season. He gave up just one earned run over 6 2/3 innings on Monday against Detroit.