Yankees 1 - 5 Royals
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Butler helps Royals upend Yanks

May 6, 2012 - 5:08 AM

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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Billy Butler smacked two doubles and drove in three runs as the Kansas City Royals downed the New York Yankees, 5-1, in the third test of a four-game set.

Alex Gordon added four hits, a pair of runs scored and an RBI for Kansas City, which has won three of its last four.

Fresh off the disabled list and making his first start of the season, Felipe Paulino (1-0) tossed six shutout innings and fanned six while allowing four hits and two walks.

Hiroki Kuroda (2-4) gave up three runs -- two earned -- on six hits and three walks for the Yankees, who went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

"It's definitely very frustrating," said Alex Rodriguez of his team's recent offensive struggles. "...It's time for us to pick it up and we've got to start driving in some big runs."

The Royals plated two quick runs in the first inning. Jarrod Dyson reached on Derek Jeter's fielding error and Gordon followed with a single to left. After a Kuroda wild pitch, Butler lined a double into the left-field corner to bring home Dyson and Gordon.

"If you could jump out to a lead on everyone, it would be nice. Tonight that was good that we got an opportunity in the first. I think it set the tone and (Felipe) and Paulino was great," Butler said.

The Yankees, who didn't register their first hit until the fifth inning, loaded the bases in the frame, but Jeter grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.

Kansas City tacked on another run in its half of the fifth and two more in the sixth.

Gordon began the fifth frame with a single and scored when Butler hammered a hanging slider into the left-center field gap for a double. Jeff Francoeur singled two batters later to put runners on the corners, putting an end to Kuroda's outing.

Clay Rapada came on to replace Kuroda and retired Mike Moustakas on a flyout to right field, which wasn't far enough to score Butler from third. Cody Eppley then relieved Rapada and escaped the jam when Humberto Quintero grounded out to second base.

In the sixth, Chris Getz walked and Alcides Escobar singled to begin the inning before Boone Logan replaced Eppley on the mound. After Escobar stole second, Dyson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, which brought home Getz. Gordon then lined a double over the head of Curtis Granderson in center field to plate Escobar, which made it 5-0.

Russell Martin finally got the Yankees on the board with a no-doubt solo shot over the left field wall to cut the deficit to 5-1 in the seventh.

Game Notes

Granderson, who had a pair of doubles in the game, has reached base safely in 26 straight games, a new career high...Escobar's steal was his seventh...Kansas City was 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.






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