NEW YORK (AP) — Danny Duffy noticed a flaw in his delivery a few weeks ago: His front hip was opening too soon and he was yanking pitches.

“Obviously, it takes more than 30 pitches in a side session,” he said. “Repetition is everything.”

Duffy’s mechanics seemed fixed.

Duffy defeated the New York Yankees for the second time in a six-day span and rookie Jorge Bonifacio capped a three-run, seventh-inning rally with a go-ahead, two-run homer that led the Kansas City Royals to a 6-2 victory Tuesday night.

All scoring came on home runs. Lorenzo Cain , Whit Merrifield and Mike Moustakas also connected for the Royals, who went deep four times in a span of nine batters in the seventh and eighth.

“You don’t have to manufacture runs when you can put some swings like that on the board,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

New York rookie Jordan Montgomery took a one-hit shutout and 2-0 lead into the seventh before a solo homer by Cain, who had been hitless in 14 at-bats.

On the 22nd anniversary of Mariano Rivera’s major league debut, the Yankees’ usually reliable bullpen flopped: Adam Warren (1-1), Jonathan Holder and Chasen Shreve all allowed long balls.

Home runs by Aaron Hicks in the fourth and Chris Carter in the fifth staked New York to a 2-0 lead against Duffy (4-3). The 28-year-old left-hander struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings to beat Montgomery in Kansas City last week, and Duffy got a key out in the fifth Tuesday when Starlin Castro stranded the bases loaded with an inning-ending flyout.

Duffy gave up two runs and six hits, struck out seven and walked two, his fastball ticking up to 96 mph — about 2 mph above his average this year. Kansas City’s opening-day starter, he had been 0-3 in his previous five outings before reviving against the Yankees.

New York put two on against Joakim Soria in the eighth, and first baseman Eric Hosmer leaped to snag Chase Headley’s two-out liner. Jacoby Ellsbury bounced into a game-ending double play when umpire Roberto Ortiz ruled Carter ran out of the baseline to avoid Merrifield’s tag before the second baseman threw to first.

“It’s just a poor call. I don’t know how he calls that,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, maintaining Carter remained on the dirt near the infield grass

In the best of his eight big-league starts, Montgomery began 17 of 22 batters with strikes and walked none for the first time, although he did get four warning-track flyouts.

“I was moving in and out, throwing a two-seamer and fastballs up, and going off of that offspeed,” Montgomery said. “I haven’t really wavered on confidence. I know what I can do.”

Warren relieved with two outs in the seventh, and Salvador Perez singled to right, just over the outstretched glove of a leaping Castro.

“We just felt I don’t want someone tired facing Salvador Perez,” Girardi said.

Bonifacio hit an opposite-field drive into the right-field seats on the next pitch.

“I just left a fastball up in the zone a little bit and he put a good swing on it,” Warren said. “Monty threw great, so you hate to kind of take that away from him.”

Bonifacio has six homers, including four in his last five games. He made his big league debut April 21.

“The kid’s been here for 10 years if he’s been here for a month,” Duffy said.

Merrifield connected off Holder leading off the eighth, and Moustakas greeted Shreve later in the inning with his 11th homer, a two-run drive down the right-field line.

“It kind of came back fair, almost. It was pretty weird,” Moustakas said. “I wish I could do it with a 7-iron.”

HEADED BACK

Royals OF Alex Gordon was due back in New York late Tuesday following the birth of daughter Joey Lynn, and Yost said Gordon will be available to play Wednesday.

MOVIN’ ON UP

Gleyber Torres started at third base for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and the 20-year-old went 1 for 3 with a single, walk and strikeout against Columbus in his Triple-A debut. “I know sometimes it feels like you’re a long ways away, but things can happen really quickly in this game,” Girardi said.

GOING DOWN

Kansas City sent RHP Al Alburquerque outright to Triple-A Omaha.

STREAKING

Yankees backup C Austin Romine was 0 for 3 and is hitless in 19 at-bats.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: 1B Greg Bird, who hasn’t played since May 1 because of a bone bruise in his right ankle, took grounders Tuesday for the first time since going on the DL. He expects to head to Tampa, Florida, on Sunday for extended spring training and then a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment. Bird, who missed 2016 following shoulder surgery, was just 6 for 60 with one homer and three RBI before going on the DL.

UP NEXT

RHP Luis Severino (2-2) starts Wednesday for the Yankees and RHP Jason Hammel (1-5) for the Royals.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK (AP) — At this rate, the New York Yankees might want to build a rooting space for Brett Gardner, too.

Gardner kept up his power surge from the leadoff spot, and Didi Gregorius and Chris Carter also homered Monday night as the Yankees beat Jason Vargas again in a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Before the game, the Yankees debuted a new fan section for rookie slugger Aaron Judge — The Judge’s Chambers, with 18 people wearing black judicial robes with his No. 99 in a faux jury box behind his spot in right field.

While Judge went 0 for 3, Gardner hit his ninth home run in the last 21 games, lining a solo drive in the third inning. The leadoff man didn’t have an RBI in the Yankees’ first 18 games.

“Just been consistent at the plate,” he said.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi smiled at the prospect of a place set aside for Gardner.

“He’s had a big cheering section for a long time,” he said. “Would you make them `Gardeners?”

Judge said it wasn’t such a far-fetched idea.

“It might be coming next, you don’t know,” he said, smiling.

A reversed call in the seventh kept the Yankees ahead and enabled Michael Pineda (5-2) to top Vargas for the second time in a week. The Royals, with the worst record in the AL, have lost five of seven.

Vargas (5-3) began the day with a 2.03 ERA, tied for second-best in the majors. But the lefty fell to 0-7 lifetime against the Yankees when he was tagged by Gardner and Gregorius, the only left-handed hitters in New York’s lineup.

Last week, Vargas lost to Pineda and the Yankees 11-7 in Kansas City.

“I definitely felt like I was able to make pitches tonight and I wasn’t wasting pitches, like I did last time out,” Vargas said.

“But, when you come off the field and you’re losing the ballgame, you didn’t do your job.”

The Royals trailed 3-2 in the seventh and had a runner on second with two outs. Alcides Escobar hit a grounder that second baseman Starlin Castro fielded behind the bag before making a one-hop throw to Carter at first.

Umpire Marvin Hudson ruled safe and when Carter briefly turned around to look at him, Jorge Soler kept running and slid home ahead of a late throw. The Yankees challenged the call and were right, taking the apparent tying run off the board.

Carter quickly made up for his near-miscue, hitting a solo homer in the bottom half.

Pineda gave up two runs in 6 1/3 innings. Dellin Betances worked the ninth for his third save.

Gregorius got his sixth straight hit, a two-run drive into the second deck for a 3-2 lead in the fourth.

Jorge Bonifacio hit a leadoff homer in the third and the Royals added another run that inning on an RBI double by Escobar.

CLEANUP MAN

Girardi was in the dugout while coaches were exchanging the lineup cards when he suddenly was summoned by umpire crew chief Jerry Layne. Moments later, Girardi was wiping dirt off the dish.

Girardi was ejected last weekend at Tampa Bay during an animated argument that included him covering the plate with dirt. This time, Layne — who’s known the skipper since the days when he was a big league catcher — playfully told Girardi that he’d “set a bad example” for kids and “that I should clean the plate.”

SKIDDING

The Royals went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and are 1 for 30 in those situations during their four-game road trip.

HAVING HOPE

The Yankees began their ninth annual HOPE Week, when every player on the team takes part in events that honor people and groups who serve their community. The Yankees happen to be 29-10 during HOPE Weeks, and have won 17 of the last 19.

MOVING UP

Prized Yankees prospect Gleyber Torres has moved up to Triple-A. The 20-year-old infielder hit .273 with five homers in 32 games at Double-A. “We have a lot of belief in him,” Girardi said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals LF Alex Gordon and wife Jamie welcomed their third child, daughter Joey Lynn. Gordon missed his third game while on the paternity list.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (3-3, 2.97 ERA) beat the Yankees with seven scoreless innings last Thursday in Kansas City, striking out 10.

Yankees: LHP Jordan Montgomery (2-3, 4.81) gave up five runs over five innings in the loss to Duffy.

— Associated Press —

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Adalberto Mejia made the most of his brief stint back in the majors with the Minnesota Twins by getting his first big-league win.

Robbie Grossman, Max Kepler and Chris Gimenez all homered to help Mejia and the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 in the second game Sunday to salvage a split of a doubleheader.

Mejia (1-1) was the Twins’ 26th active player for the second game and allowed three runs in seven innings, on two home runs by Salvador Perez — who also went deep in the first game.

Mejia’s reward for his first win? A trip back to Triple-A Rochester.

“I’m going to go down there and work on the things they told me work on,” Mejia said through interpreter Carlos Font. “Then it will be up to them to see when I get back.”

Grossman and Kepler each hit two-run homers in the first inning, and Brian Dozier had an RBI double in the second off Ian Kennedy (0-4) in his first game back from the disabled list.

Brandon Moss hit two of Kansas City’s four home runs in the opener of the doubleheader, and Perez and Jorge Bonifacio each hit two-run homers to lead the Royals to a 6-4 win earlier in the day.

With the split, the Twins are now 7-1 on the year against the Royals. Kansas City’s win in the first game snapped a seven-game losing streak against Minnesota.

Kennedy, who returned after missing time with a hamstring strain, said he felt fine physically. He walked three batters and gave up a pair of two-run homers in just two innings Sunday.

“He was way out of whack,” manager Ned Yost said. “His leg was fine. He felt normal, felt good. Just timing was off, rhythm was off.”

MINOR’S WIN

Mike Minor’s road back to the majors was not an easy one. Shoulder surgery kept him out of the majors for two years and resulted in a move to the bullpen.

Minor got his first victory since 2014 with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in the first game Sunday. He relieved Jake Junis with a 5-2 lead in the fifth, two outs and two on. The 29-year-old left-hander walked Max Kepler, then retired Kennys Vargas on a popup. Minor retired the side in order in the sixth.

Minor had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder in May 13, 2015, and did not appear in the major leagues in 2015 and 2016. Minor, who signed a $7.25 million, two-year contract with the Royals in February 2016, got his first major league victory since Aug. 28, 2014, for Atlanta.

JUNIS’ FIRST START

Kansas City’s Jake Junis, a 24-year-old right-hander, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and made his first big league start after a pair of relief appearances. He allowed two runs, five hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings, leaving after RBI singles from Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano.

Junis found out Saturday that he would be making his first career start. He didn’t pitch deep enough to get the win, but impressed manager Ned Yost before the Royals optioned Junis back to Omaha after the game.

“I thought he did a nice job,” Yost said. “We tried to get him through that fifth inning, but we needed to win this game.”

ROYALS MOVES

Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon missed the second game to join his wife, who is due to give birth on Monday. Infielder Raul Mondesi replacing Gordon on the roster but was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after the game. That means LHP Miguel Almonte, initially the Royals’ 26th active player Sunday, remains on the 25-man roster. … RHP Al Alburquerque was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Junis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Nate Karns had his pitching arm evaluated after Friday’s start against Minnesota. Manager Ned Yost said fluid was found in the elbow area but Karns does not have a strain. Karns exited his start Friday after five innings and threw just 72 pitches due to stiffness in his arm.

Twins: RHP Phil Hughes was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with shoulder discomfort. Hughes took the loss in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Right-hander Kyle Gibson will take Hughes’ place on the roster.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas (5-2, 2.03 ERA) starts Monday’s series opener at the New York Yankees.

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (0-4, 8.20 ERA) will be recalled from Triple-A Rochester to start Monday against Baltimore.

— Associated Press —