Cain, Moose power Royals past Yankees
KANSAS CITY -- Lorenzo Cain drove in a career-high five runs, Mike Moustakas had four hits and Chris Young turned in his third straight terrific start as the Royals buried the Yankees, 12-1, on Friday night in front of 34,584 fans at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals used a six-run sixth to chase Yankees starter Michael Pineda, who lost his first game this season after five wins. Pineda went 5 1/3 innings and gave up 10 hits and five runs.
"We just put good at-bats together," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "It took us a little while. He doesn't walk anyone and he comes right at you and we just put good at-bats together."
The loss extended the Yankees' losing streak to a season-high four games.
"It's tough," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's an ugly inning, it's unfortunate, but it's only one game and we've got to bounce back tomorrow."
Young made his third emergency start of the season and quieted the Yankees on four hits and one run through 5 2/3 innings. Young has given up just one earned run in three starts covering 16 2/3 innings.
Moustakas, needing a home run for the cycle in the seventh, hit a deep fly just fair down the left-field line that caromed off the wall a few feet shy of his fifth homer of the year. He settled for his second double of the night.
Cain said he was blowing air from the dugout trying to push the ball out.
"I was just happy it got down for a hit and happy it stayed fair," said Moustakas. "I hit it pretty well. Just happy we won. We beat a good team over there. We beat a great pitcher."
Video: NYY@KC: Moose goes 4-5, falls homer short of cycle
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
A night for Moose: Moustakas got things going with an opposite-field (what else?) double in the first and scored. He tripled to right and scored in the third. Moustakas then singled in the fifth. Moustakas would have become just the fifth Royal to hit for the cycle -- joining George Brett (who turned 62 Friday), Frank White, John Mayberry and Freddie Patek.
"He's just really doing a good job spraying the ball all over the field," Yost said. "Everyone in the dugout wanted him to get that cycle."
Video: NYY@KC: Infante triples in Gordon to extend the lead
Open Mike: Pineda set a high bar in his last start, registering 16 strikeouts vs. the Orioles, but he wasn't able to harness that same swing-and-miss stuff this time. Visited on the mound by Joe Girardi in the sixth, the Yankees were looking for a strikeout, but Omar Infante instead connected for a run-scoring triple that flew over Jacoby Ellsbury's head in center field. Paulo Orlando then added a sharp run-scoring single to drive home the Royals' fourth run.
"They have a really good lineup," Pineda said. "We go out there, try to do our best. These games, it happens sometimes. I'm keeping my head up, continue working and be ready for next time." More >
Video: NYY@KC: Cain runs a long way to rob McCann
Raising Cain: Cain doubled off the center-field wall in the first, scoring Moustakas, and then drove in Moustakas again with a sacrifice fly in the third. With two outs in the sixth, Cain put the game out of reach with a solid two-run single to right. Cain also made a terrific run-saving catch in the right-center alley when the score was still 2-1 in the top of the sixth.
"It's a huge play in the game, and I think we've gotten used to watching him do that," Girardi said. More >
Leaving the door open: With two runs already home in what would become the Royals' six-run sixth inning, right-hander David Carpenter entered and induced a ground ball on the only pitch he threw, to Alcides Escobar. Second baseman Stephen Drew flipped wildly to shortstop Didi Gregorius and no outs were recorded on what was scored as a fielder's choice. Seven more Royals then came to bat in the frame.
"The game got away from us in the sixth inning," Girardi said. "We gave them an extra out and that really cost us."
WHAT'S NEXT
Yankees: Left-hander CC Sabathia (1-5, 5.20 ERA) will try to make it two victories in a row on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET as he makes his eighth start of the season. Sabathia beat the Rays his last time out, giving up four runs (three earned) over seven innings. He has not faced the Royals since throwing a complete game against them on July 9, 2013.
Kansas City: Left-hander Danny Duffy (2-2, 5.67 ERA) aims to snap out of a bizarre slump Saturday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Duffy had his shortest non-injury start (one-plus innings against the Indians) two starts ago, then lasted just 3 2/3 innings Monday against Texas in an 8-2 loss. Facing the Rangers, Duffy gave up six runs, five hits and six walks.
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