NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia played stopper again for the Yankees in earning his first win of the season and Brett Gardner hit a two-run homer to help New York beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Friday night.

Mike Tauchman also went deep and the Yankees got four solid innings from their bullpen to bounce back from a listless performance against the last-place Royals in the series opener. Held without an extra-base hit Thursday for the first time since Aug. 5, New York quickly rebounded and improved to 4-3 on its nine-game homestand.

Sabathia (1-0) did not allow an earned run over five innings, moving to 15-1 in the regular season following a Yankees loss since 2017. He gave up three hits, overcame four walks and finished with five strikeouts to leave him six shy of 3,000 for his career.

The 38-year-old lefty, who has 247 major league wins, was pulled after 86 pitches in his second start of the year following offseason operations on his heart and right knee.

Luis Cessa permitted a run on back-to-back doubles by Hunter Dozier and Alex Gordon to begin the sixth, but pinned a runner at third base with consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle and Zack Britton closed with hitless relief in an intermittent rain.

Gardner gave New York a 2-1 lead in the third with his drive off Jakob Junis (1-2), making his first appearance at Yankee Stadium since July 26, when his fastball broke Aaron Judge’s wrist. The right-hander dropped to 0-3 in the Bronx.

Right fielder Clint Frazier threw out a runner at the plate to aid Sabathia, and Tauchman launched his second big league homer leading off the fifth.

Judge doubled to start the sixth and scored when center fielder Billy Hamilton made a diving catch of DJ LeMahieu’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly. Luke Voit, who has reached base safely in 30 straight games dating to last season, scored on a passed ball.

Kyle Higashioka hit a leadoff double in the seventh and scored when Dozier made a throwing error from third base on Tyler Wade’s bunt single.

Adalberto Mondesi had an RBI single in the third when the Royals took advantage of two Yankees errors — one by Sabathia. He retired Alex Gordon on a tapper in front of home plate with the bases loaded to end the inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (shoulder impingement syndrome) is scheduled to make a rehab start Saturday night for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Duffy has been on the 10-day injured list all season.

Yankees: For the first time since his injury, 3B Miguel Andujar (labrum tear in right shoulder) made throws from third to first base at about 50% effort before the game and said he felt good. Andujar and the Yankees remain optimistic he’ll be able to avoid season-ending surgery. … C Gary Sanchez (strained left calf) caught J.A. Happ’s bullpen and was hoping to be cleared by the doctor to begin a rehab assignment. Sanchez is likely to need a game or two in the minors and could rejoin the Yankees on their West Coast swing, which begins Monday. He is eligible to come off the injured list Sunday. … OF-DH Giancarlo Stanton (left biceps strain) also might be able to return at some point on the nine-game road trip, manager Aaron Boone said.

UP NEXT

Royals right-hander Heath Fillmyer (0-0, 9.00 ERA) makes his third start of the season Saturday afternoon against RHP Masahiro Tanaka (1-1, 3.22). Fillmyer, who grew up in nearby New Jersey, took a no-decision at Yankee Stadium last July. Tanaka conceded only one earned run in each of his first three starts this year before giving up five runs and seven hits over four-plus innings Sunday in a 5-2 loss to the White Sox.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK (AP) — Homer Bailey won consecutive starts for the first time since July 2017, holding the New York Yankees to three hits over six innings and leading the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 victory Thursday night.

Jorge Soler and Ryan O’Hearn hit solo home runs off Domingo German (3-1), and the Royals won their second straight after starting the season 5-12, including 0-5 on the road.

Bailey (2-1), a right-hander who turns 33 next month, has been among baseball’s biggest busts since signing a $100 million, six-year contract with Cincinnati before the 2014 season. He went 18-32 for the Reds after the big deal, missing more than 14 months following Tommy John surgery in May 2015. He was 1-14 last season, then was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in December and released with $28 million still due. He signed a minor league contract with the Royals, made the team and after opening with a no decision and a loss, allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings to beat Cleveland last Saturday for his first win since May 12.

He allowed a tying run to the Yankees on Gleyber Torres’ first-inning sacrifice fly following singles by Aaron Judge and Luke Voit, then gave up just one more hit. Bailey, who struck out six and walked one, had not won back-to-back starts since July 4, 2017, at Colorado and five days later at Arizona.

Richard Lovelady got five outs, and former Yankee Ian Kennedy finished. New York was limited to four singles, including a pair by Clint Frazier in the fourth and ninth innings.

Playing on the 96th anniversary of the opening of the original Yankee Stadium across the street, New York stumbled following its two-game sweep of Boston and dropped back to 8-10.

German gave up three runs and six hits in six innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. He fell behind on consecutive doubles in the first by Adalberto Mondesi — who had been 0 for 20 on the road this year — and Alex Gordon, then fell behind 3-1 on leadoff homers by Soler in the second and O’Hearn in the fourth.

Whit Merrifield hit an RBI double in the seventh off Jonathan Holder. Mondesi hit sacrifice flies against Zack Britton in the seventh and Joseph Harvey in the ninth.

BUILT FORD TOUGH

Mike Ford made his major league debut for the Yankees after playing 561 games over seven minor league seasons and went 0 for 3 with a flyout, two strikeouts and a walk as parents Barb and Bob watched from the stands. The 26-year-old from New Jersey is the seventh Princeton product to reach the big leagues after playing for Tigers coach Scott Bradley, a former catcher for the Yankees and Seattle. He was brought up earlier this week but did not get into a game against Boston, though he was prepared to pinch hit in the seventh inning Wednesday.

“I had to settle myself down there,” he said. “I started to notice my hands shaking a little bit. I was like, calm down. It’s the same game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: 3B Miguel Andujar (labrum tear in right shoulder) took batting and fielding practice and is increasing the intensity of his workouts. Boone said it was too early to consider whether Andujar could return in a DH role if his arm is limited. … SS Troy Tulowitzki (left calf strain) took batting practice and ran on the field. He plans to travel with the Yankees on their trip that starts Monday night at the Los Angeles Angels.

UP NEXT

LHP CC Sabathia (0-0) makes his second start for the Yankees on Friday after pitching five scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Chicago White Sox. Sabathia needs 11 strikeouts to reach 3,000. RHP Jakob Junis (1-1), who starts for the Royals, is 0-2 at Yankee Stadium.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Tim Anderson says he isn’t sure what he did to rile up the opposing pitcher or get ejected from the game.

But he’s certain of this much: He’s not changing his ways.

And if flipping a bat to celebrate a towering home run offends the other team, so be it.

“It’s all confusing,” he said. “I’m the one that ended up in the locker room, and I was the one that got hit by a pitch.”

The fiercely energetic Anderson spiked his bat following a home run and Kansas City’s Brad Keller responded by drilling him with a fastball in his next at-bat, setting off a benches-clearing fracas in the Royals’ 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Anderson tossed his bat toward the White Sox dugout following his two-run drive in the fourth inning. Keller hit him in the buttocks with his first pitch leading off the sixth.

Anderson, the AL’s leading hitter, was restrained by Royals catcher Martin Maldonado but kept jawing with Keller on the way to first base. The dugouts and bullpens emptied, though no punches appeared to be thrown. White Sox manager Rick Renteria and Royals bench coach Dale Sveum shoved each other, and the usually mild-mannered Renteria was particularly animated.

There were four ejections — Anderson, Keller, Renteria and Sveum.

Though Keller insisted he wasn’t trying to hit anyone, Kansas City’s Hunter Dozier said Anderson should have expected retaliation.

“And once you get hit, just deal with it and go to first. That’s my take on it,” said Dozier, who hit a tiebreaking homer in the 10th.

Anderson has often talked about encouraging players to express themselves, something Major League Baseball has tried to embrace with its “Let the Kids Play” marketing campaign. But not everybody in the game sees it the same way.

“I’m going to continue to be me and keep having fun,” Anderson said. “Our fans, they pay their hard earned money to come to the ballpark to see a show so why don’t I give them one.”

The 25-year-old Anderson and the Royals have mixed it up before.

In April 2018, Anderson shouted after a home run against Kansas City. Later in the game, he was playing shortstop when Royals star catcher Salvador Perez reached second base. Words were exchanged and the benches cleared.

When the tempers cooled, Perez and Anderson shook hands. Perez said Anderson had hollered a few weeks earlier when he homered twice on opening day.

Anderson also has a history with crew chief Joe West, who he called “terrible” after getting tossed from a game against the crosstown Cubs in September.

West had little to say Wednesday, telling a White Sox spokesman: “Because of the language that was used on the field, the umpires declined comment.”

Renteria insisted Anderson “clearly” wasn’t showing up the Royals.

“Get him out. You want him to not do that? Get him out,” Renteria said.

He also called his flare-up with Sveum a “misunderstanding” in the heat of the moment with players and coaches slow to clear the field.

“He just got excited and said, `Get your team back, get your team in the dugout,” Sveum said.

That angered Royals manager Ned Yost, who said, “We’ve got no issues but I’m not going to allow anybody to yell at my team.”

DOZIER GOES DEEP

Dozier connected leading off the 10th against Nate Jones (0-1). His drive to left on a 2-0 fastball made a winner of Wily Peralta (2-1), who worked two innings.

Scott Barlow pitched in the 10th for his first career save, getting Daniel Palka on a game-ending grounder after walking Leury Garcia. Keller gave up two runs and four hits. And the Royals picked up their first win in six road games this season.

Palka singled batting for Yoan Moncada in the seventh to break an 0-for-32 skid to start the season and got optioned to Triple-A after the game.

White Sox starter Lucas Giolito left with two out in the third because of tightness in his left groin.

Giolito — 4-0 in eight starts against Kansas City — seemed to feel discomfort throwing a 1-1 pitch to Alex Gordon. He stretched his leg and took a few warmup tosses before heading to the dugout and was to be re-evaluated.

Giolito did not allow a run or hit in 2 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out five, walked one and hit a batter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Maldonado was in the lineup after being scratched Tuesday because of an illness.

White Sox: Moncada had a headache but no concussion after being lifted for precautionary reasons in the seventh. He was shaken up stealing second in the fifth inning, when Maldonado’s throw hit his helmet as he was diving. … The White Sox have no timetable for OF Jon Jay (strained right hip) going on a rehab assignment. Renteria said he is “just scratching the surface now of increasing some of his activities” after being placed on the 10-day injured list during spring training.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Homer Bailey (1-1, 5.29) tries to win his second straight start when the Royals open a four-game series at the New York Yankees. RHP Domingo German (3-0, 1.38) pitches for the Yankees.

White Sox: RHP Ivan Nova (0-2, 5.28) tries for his first win with the White Sox as Chicago opens a four-game series at Detroit. The veteran took the loss at New York on Saturday despite holding the Yankees to one run over six-plus innings. RHP Tyson Ross (1-2, 3.50) starts for the Tigers.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Yoan Moncada hit a pair of solo shots for his first multihomer game and Leury Garcia added a two-run drive to power the Chicago White Sox past the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Yonder Alonso also homered and went 4 for 4 as the White Sox won for the fourth time in five games.

Reynaldo Lopez (1-2) allowed one run and five hits in six innings to rebound from a poor start to his season. The 25-year-old right-hander had permitted 18 earned runs in 13 1/3 innings over his first three games and gave up eight runs on 10 hits in his last outing against Tampa Bay.

Four relievers worked the final three innings for Chicago. Alex Colome pitched the ninth in a non-save situation.

Daniel Palka, who led the White Sox with 27 homers as a rookie last season, went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and is hitless in 32 at-bats this year. He is 0 for 34 dating to last season, the longest current skid for a major league position player.

Lucas Duda homered for the Royals.

Kansas City starter Jorge Lopez (0-2) had a career-high 10 strikeouts but gave up three homers and allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings.

Duda’s homer leading off the second gave the Royals a 1-0 lead. Moncada tied it with a two-out shot in the third.

Jorge Lopez escaped a jam in the fourth by getting Tim Anderson — who began the day leading the majors with a .453 batting average — to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, but the right-hander wasn’t as fortunate in the fifth.

Garcia broke the tie with a two-run homer to right-center and Moncada followed with his second solo shot to make it 4-1. Moncada has five homers this season.

Alonso capped the scoring with a solo drive in the eighth off reliever Jake Newberry. Alonso entered batting .152 and raised his average to .220.

SEEING DOUBLE

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time in the majors both starting pitchers had the last name of Lopez. The previous matchup of starters with the same last name was on Aug. 12, 2017, when JC Ramirez and the Angels faced Erasmo Ramirez and the Mariners.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Martin Maldonado was scratched from the original lineup because of illness. “He was going to take it easy and try to play, but no sense pushing it,” manager Ned Yost said. “I was going to give him tomorrow off, but he’ll probably play tomorrow.”

UP NEXT

Kansas City RHP Brad Keller (2-1, 2.45 ERA) and Chicago RHP Lucas Giolito (2-1, 6.19) are scheduled to start the finale of the three-game series Wednesday afternoon. Keller had a career-high 10 strikeouts in his last outing against Cleveland, while Giolito is 4-0 with a 2.40 ERA in seven career starts vs. the Royals.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Terrance Gore has carved out a most unusual big league career, one that’s had him on base more often than in the batter’s box.

In an era marked by big swingers and advanced analytics, Gore showed Sunday that a speed specialist can have plenty of value in the late innings.

The pinch-running extraordinaire stole a base and then scored on Hunter Dozier’s single in the ninth, lifting the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Indians 9-8 to complete a three-game sweep of the AL Central favorites.

Ryan O’Hearn led off the ninth with a walk against Brad Hand (0-1) and was replaced by Gore. He swiped second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Roberto Perez, and Dozier then singled to left for Kansas City’s first walk-off win of the season.

“I looked at (Hand) before I went out there and saw his pickoff move,” Gore said with a wide smile. “I found the key to go on. I found a good pitch to go on. I saw the ball trickle out to center, and me being aggressive. I went for third.”

The Royals were questioned in spring training about using a roster spot for an almost one-dimensional player, but manager Ned Yost said Sunday is good evidence for Gore’s value.

“My whole mindset was `Find a way on.’ If you get on, I felt like we were going to win,” Yost said. “We had Gore ready to pinch-run as early as the seventh.

“I don’t know which was more crucial, Dozier’s hit or O’Hearn’s walk,” Yost added. “Probably O’Hearn’s walk, because without that, Dozier’s hit was just a single.”

Gore has 31 stolen bases and taken just 25 at-bats in six major league seasons.

“That’s why they have Gore sitting over there,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

The Indians had not been swept in a road series of at least three games since May 4-6, 2018, at Yankee Stadium.

The Royals roughed up two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, who allowed 11 of his 18 batters to reach base safely. He gave up six runs, six hits and a career-most five walks in just 2 2/3 innings. The five walks doubled Kluber’s season total — he didn’t walk more than three batters in any game in 2018.

“He started getting under some pitches,” Francona said. “I know he knew it, but he had a hard time self-correcting. He just hasn’t gotten to the point yet where he’s a consistent Kluber. He will, and we’ll all be thrilled. It’s still a work in progress. Even when your last name’s Kluber, sometimes it’s still a work in progress.”

Royals starter Jakob Junis gave up five runs and eight hits through 6 1/3 innings.

Lucas Duda, Whit Merrifield and Jorge Soler homered for Kansas City. Duda had two hits and four RBI.

Leonys Martin hit his second leadoff homer in five days for Cleveland during a three-run first inning. Martin had three hits, and Jake Bauers had two hits, including a tying two-run single to cap a three-run rally in the seventh.

Wily Peralta (1-1) pitched the top of the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: SS Francisco Lindor left to join Triple-A Columbus in Louisville for a rehab assignment. Francona said before Sunday’s game that Cleveland wanted to “give him one more day of back-to-back-to-back.” Lindor has not played this season, due to a right calf strain and a left ankle sprain.

Royals: CF Billy Hamilton was not in the starting lineup, but manager Ned Yost said he “absolutely would be available” to play defense if necessary, but probably not to pinch run. He has a mild MCL sprain and a bone bruise on his left knee suffered when he crashed into the wall Thursday. Hamilton did not play.

ROSTER NEWS

The Indians selected the contract of OF Carlos Gonzalez from Triple-A Columbus. He batted third and went 1 for 5.

In a corresponding move, RHP Jefry Rodriguez was optioned to Columbus. Indians IF Brad Miller said he was designated for assignment, but the club did not announce it officially, or mention a corresponding move.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Trevor Bauer (1-1, 2.29 ERA) will face Seattle’s Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 4.15 ERA) when the Indians open a three-game series.

Royals RHP Heath Fillmyer (0-0, 15.00 ERA) will pitch as the Royals open a three-game series against the White Sox in Chicago. Former Royal Ervin Santana (0-1, 17.18 ERA) will take the mound for the White Sox.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Homer Bailey pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Indians 3-0 Saturday night for their second straight win after a 10-game skid.

Ian Kennedy pitched a perfect eighth and Willy Peralta followed in the ninth for his first save to complete the two-hitter.

Ryan O’Hearn homered, and Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi each had an RBI single for the Royals.

Bailey (1-1), who allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks in five innings against Seattle on Monday, gave up only a pair of hits to eighth-place hitter Brad Miller. Bailey had won only one of his last 22 home starts, dating to 2016. He went 1-14 with a 7.49 ERA over that span.

Jefry Rodriguez (0-1) gave up two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings in his first start with Cleveland. He was acquired in the offseason from Washington in the trade that sent catcher Yan Gomes to the Nationals.

Bailey had not won in an American League ballpark since May 19, 2012, when he won in Yankee Stadium while with Cincinnati.

He suffered a series of injuries beginning near the end of 2014 after pitching a no-hitter in each of the previous two years — Sept. 28, 2012, at Pittsburgh, and July 2, 2013, against San Francisco.

The Royals got on the board in the bottom of the third. Martin Maldonado led off the inning with a double to left center, snapping an 0-for-17 stretch. He moved to third on a flyout to left and scored on Mondesi’s two-out single.

The Royals added another run in the fourth when O’Hearn hit his second homer of the season, 429 feet to right field.

Merrifield had his second hit of the night, a two-out single in the seventh that drove in Hunter Dozier to give the Royals a 3-0 lead.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: SS Francisco Lindor is likely headed to a minor-league rehab assignment as early as Monday. Lindor had a workout on Saturday, running the bases for the second day in a row. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said he’ll go to Louisville to join Triple-A Columbus, if there are “no ill effects, no repercussions of a second-day workout.” Lindor has not played this season due to a right calf strain and a left ankle sprain.

Royals: CF Billy Hamilton was kept out of the lineup for a second straight game with a mild MCL sprain and a bone bruise on his left knee suffered when he crashed into the wall Thursday. Royals manager Ned Yost says he’s about ready. “He seemed a little stiff yesterday but definitely could have played in an emergency,” Yost said. “He feels better today. Let’s see how he feels tomorrow, and we’ll determine where we’re at on the road.”

ROSTER NEWS

Indians RHP Cody Anderson and RHP Rodriguez were recalled Triple-A Columbus. Rodriguez made his first start with the Indians, while Anderson was added to the bullpen. RHP Jon Edwards and OF Jordan Luplow were optioned to Columbus to make room after the bullpen had to throw 7 1/3 innings on Friday.

“Sometimes somebody is a casualty of a game like that,” Francona said. “And I told (Luplow) that. I do think that it’ll be good for him to get at-bats, because he’s young and needs to play. Sometimes there are casualties when a pitcher goes less than one inning. That’s just the way the game is. Sometimes it’s unfair.”

The Indians also are expected to recall OF Carlos Gonzalez from Columbus before Sunday’s game. Gonzalez hit .348 with a home run and three RBI in six games at Columbus.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (1-2, 3.86 ERA) picked up his first win of the season on April 9 in Detroit, when he gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits, eight strikeouts and a walk in six innings.

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (1-1, 5.74 ERA) will go in the finale of the seven-game homestand.

— Associated Press —