Royals 4 - 3 Yankees
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Yankees try to hand Royals another road defeat

May 11, 2011 - 2:34 PM

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(Sports Network) - The New York Yankees go after a third straight win this evening when they continue their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees added to the Royals' road woes in Tuesday's opener, as Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run single to put New York ahead for good in a 3-1 victory. Derek Jeter had two hits and knocked in the other run for the Yankees, who have won three of their last four.

"When things are going well, the results are there," said Jeter, who has raised his average to .283 over the course of a seven-game hitting streak.

Freddy Garcia (2-2) pitched into the seventh inning for the win and the Yankees bullpen took care of the rest, with Mariano Rivera working around a single in the ninth for his league-leading 13th save.

"Pitching is so important, and we're getting it," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Former Yankee Melky Cabrera belted a solo homer for the Royals, who have lost seven straight on the road and own the league's worst mark away from home at 3-9.

Royals starter Kyle Davies (1-5) took the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits in five-plus innings.

"Every lineup in the American League is pretty tough. It's not like you can take a game off. But they have experienced hitters and they know how to work a pitcher," Davies said of the Yankees.

Heading to the hill for the Yankees this evening will be righty A.J. Burnett, who has lost two of his last three starts after opening the year with three straight wins. Burnett was charged with the loss on Thursday in Detroit, as he allowed five runs (two earned) and three hits in seven innings, dropping him to 4-2 to go along with a 3.71 ERA.

Burnett has faced the Royals eight times and is 3-3 with a 2.68 ERA.

Kansas City, meanwhile, will counter with righty Vin Mazzaro, who makes his Royals debut tonight in place of the injured Bruce Chen. He had been 1-0 with a 4.97 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Omaha.

Mazzaro, who grew up in Hackensack, N.J., is 0-2 against the Yankees and has pitched to a 9.69 ERA in those three outings.

Not all the news was great for the Yankees on Tuesday, though, as it was learned that reliever Rafael Soriano would undergo a precautionary MRI on Wednesday after showing up to the ballpark with a sore right elbow, one that has already endured two surgeries.

"We're going to do the MRI," Soriano said. "I want to make sure everything's fine. I told them, maybe [in] one or two days, I'll be back."

The Yankees won five of their eight matchups with the Royals last season, including three of the four meetings in the Bronx.






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