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Royals blank Yankees

May 22, 2012 - 4:15 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Felipe Paulino pitched into the seventh inning while Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur each hit two-run home runs as the Kansas City Royals downed the New York Yankees, 6-0, in the opener of a three- game series.

Paulino (2-1) scattered six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings for Kansas City, which won for the second time in three games.

"We think that our rotation is starting to round out and he's a big part of the reason why," Royals manager Ned Yost said about Paulino.

Hiroki Kuroda (3-6) allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks through 5 1/3 innings for the Yankees, who dropped three straight games at Yankee Stadium for the first time since being swept by Boston in a three-game series from June 7-9, 2011.

Mark Teixeira returned to New York's starting lineup after being limited to one pinch-hit appearance during the weekend series against Cincinnati because of bronchial issues and went 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts.

The Royals jumped on Kuroda in the first inning when Moustakas followed Billy Butler's two-out single with a blast high off the right-field foul pole for a quick two-run advantage.

After New York stranded a runner on third in the bottom of the first, Kansas City added to its lead in the third when Jarrod Dyson led off the frame with a walk, stole second and came home on Eric Hosmer's double off the base of the wall in left field.

The Royals would later load the bases with two outs on a pair of walks by Moustakas and Alex Gordon, but Alcides Escobar grounded out to third to end the inning and keep it a 3-0 game.

The Yankees then threatened to break through in the home third after loading the bases with no outs on back-to-back singles by Russell Martin and Derek Jeter and a walk by Curtis Granderson.

But Paulino struck out Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez before Gordon made a running catch near the left-center field wall to rob Raul Ibanez of an extra- base hit.

New York failed to push a run across with a runner on third in both the fourth and sixth innings before Kansas City extended its lead in the seventh when Francoeur hammered a two-run shot over the left-center field wall off Freddy Garcia for a 5-0 cushion.

Irving Falu doubled, moved to third on a Dyson groundout and came home on a wild pitch by Garcia in the eighth inning to finalize the scoring as New York left a man on second in the seventh and ninth innings to end the game hitting 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

"That's just the kind of the way it's going right now. You have got to find a way to get through it. It's going end and tomorrow's a good day for it to end, but it's frustrating as we're going through it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said about his team's hitting woes.

Game Notes

Rodriguez recorded the 500th double of his career in the sixth inning...Royals second baseman Chris Getz left the game in the fifth inning after he aggravated a bruised rib...The Yankees fell to 1-16 when scoring three-or- fewer runs in a game...Kansas City went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11...New York left 10 men on base.