After enduring the embarrassment of failing to go deep in the Home Run Derby, and the near-constant jeering from fans of the Kansas City Royals, Robinson Cano finally hit one into the seats at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.

It proved to be important, too.

The two-run shot by the Yankees second baseman gave his team the lead in the third inning, and that was just about all the offense Hiroki Kuroda needed on the mound. He pitched into the eighth inning as New York beat Kansas City 4-2 to finish off a three-game sweep.

”This ballpark is big,” Cano said. ”I mean, this is a tough place to hit home runs.”

Cano, of course, was captain of the AL squad for last year’s derby in Kansas City, and had said he would choose the Royals’ Billy Butler for his team. But he went back on his word, and was booed lustily by the home crowd while failing to hit a single home run himself.

The jeers continued during the All-Star game, and didn’t let up when the Yankees returned to town for their only visit this season – at least, until Cano finally went deep.

”He’s just a really good hitter,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ”That’s probably the best way to say it. He’s just a really good hitter.”

Lest he need any advice on going deep in Kansas City, he might try asking Vernon Wells.

The Yankees outfielder homered for the second straight game on Sunday, helping to pace a New York offense that scored just enough for Kuroda (5-2) to win for the fifth time in six decisions.

He allowed only a sacrifice fly by the Royals’ Alex Gordon and an RBI groundout by Alcides Escobar over 7 2-3 innings. The right-hander at one point went 15 batters without allowing a hit, and was so fired up that he argued with plate umpire Laz Diaz over a call in the eighth inning.

”I guess it was the heat of the moment,” Kuroda said through a translator, without relaying exactly what he said to Diaz. ”I was fired up. It’s not something I would normally do.”

David Robertson retired Billy Butler to end the Royals’ eighth-inning rally, and Mariano Rivera worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to remain perfect in 15 save opportunities.

Rivera has converted his last 29 chances against the Royals dating to Aug. 18, 1998, his longest active streak against any team. His only other blown save against them happened in 1996.

”It’s amazing. He just continues to do it,” Girardi said. ”Anyone who wants to argue he’s not the greatest closer of all time, I don’t know who it is.”

Ervin Santana (3-2) gave up Cano’s two-run shot in the third inning, Wells’ solo homer two pitches later and an RBI single by Wells in the fifth. He departed with one out in the sixth and with the Royals well on their way to their sixth loss in their last seven games.

”I didn’t have my best stuff today, but I just tried to keep my team in the ballgame,” he said. ”Just a couple of pitches. That’s how it is against the Yankees.”

Santana, who hadn’t lost since his season debut April 3 at the White Sox, began his career 5-1 against the boys in pinstripes. He’s now 0-6 in his last nine starts against them.

The Royals struck first when Jarrod Dyson doubled leading off the game. He advanced to third on a bunt by Escobar and then scored on Gordon’s sacrifice fly.

That was all they’d get off Kuroda until the eighth inning.

New York pulled ahead in the third when Chris Stewart singled and Cano pounded the first pitch he saw over the bullpen in right field. It was his sixth career homer off Santana, two more than the All-Star second baseman has had against any other pitcher.

It was especially gratifying given his history at the K.

Cano was the captain of the AL squad for last year’s Home Run Derby in Kansas City, and had said he would choose Butler for his team. But he went back on his word, and was booed lustily by the Royals’ home crowd while failing to hit a single home run himself.

The jeers continued during the All-Star game, and didn’t let up when the Yankees returned to town for their only visit this season – at least, until Cano finally went deep.

Wells, who hit the go-ahead two-run homer on Saturday, followed with a solo shot, and then drove in Brett Gardner with a single down the third-base line in the fifth inning.

That was enough to ensure the Royals would be swept for the first time this season.

”I don’t know the reasoning behind it,” Royals manager Ned Yost said, ”but you’re just one hit away from opening up the flood gates. Sometimes that one hit in a crucial situation just relaxes everybody and all of a sudden you go on an offensive tear for a weak or 10 days. So we just wait for that to happen.”

— Associated Press —

Andy Pettitte finally stopped beating himself up long enough to look at video of his past couple of outings, subpar efforts by any stretch and certainly his own lofty standards.

It turned out that all the 40-year-old left-hander needed to do was a make a couple of minor adjustments – alter his arm angle ever so slightly, for one thing – to get back on track.

Pettitte pitched seven stellar innings Saturday night, and Vernon Wells hit a go-ahead two-run homer before making a long running catch for the final out, giving the New York Yankees a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Pettitte (4-2) allowed seven runs against Houston and only lasted five innings his last time out against Oakland. But he looked more like he did early in the season against the Royals, with a piercing cutter and pinpoint control that kept Kansas City at bay all night.

”Whenever you get knocked around, it’s not a good feeling. You never want that doubt to creep in that you’re not able to get it done,” Pettitte said. ”Hopefully I can continue to get sharper and sharper.”

Pettitte allowed only a run-scoring groundout by Lorenzo Cain and a solo homer by Billy Butler while improving to 15-3 in his career against the Royals. Kansas City hasn’t beaten him in 14 starts dating to Sept. 4, 2000.

”I really don’t think he’s forgotten how to pitch, forgotten how to throw a cutter or any of that,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ”I always say, when you’re old or overweight – and you don’t want to be both – and you’re struggling, people are always going to be saying, ‘Is something wrong? Is something wrong?’ It’s baseball. Everyone struggles.”

Everyone except Mariano Rivera, it seems.

After David Robertson struck out the side in the eighth, Rivera worked around a two-out double by Salvador Perez for his 14th save. But it wasn’t without some tension: Mike Moustakas hit a liner to right that landed just foul, and then scorched a pitch into the left-center field gap that Wells tracked down on the run to end the game.

It was Rivera’s 14th save to start the season, and his 28th straight against the Royals. It came just over a year after he tore the ACL in his right knee while shagging balls in the Kauffman Stadium outfield during batting practice.

”I think Mo said it best, as an athlete, you can get hurt anywhere,” Girardi said. ”It just happened to be here. … I’m sure it was good for him to get out there.”

James Shields (2-3) was hurt by a throwing error on Moustakas at third base in the second inning that resulted in the Yankees’ first run. He also gave up Wells’ two-run shot in the fifth, moments after Butler’s home run had staked Kansas City to 2-1 lead.

Shields wound up going eight innings for the third time in his last four outings, and each of those times he’s failed to pick up the win. He dropped to 7-15 in his career against New York.

”You’ve got to pitch better,” Shields said. ”That’s it.”

It was the Royals’ fifth loss in six games.

”Andy Pettitte threw the ball great,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”Kept the ball down. Changes speeds. Hit his spots really well. We never mounted much of an attack.”

The bounces certainly seemed to be going the Yankees’ way most of the night.

Travis Hafner hit a slow grounder toward first base in the fourth inning, and Shields and first baseman Eric Hosmer had trouble deciding who should grab it. Neither of them did until it was too late, and Hafner coasted across the bag for an infield single.

Lyle Overbay hit another grounder in the sixth inning that Elliot Johnson fielded at second base, but only after shortstop Alcides Escobar bumped into him. The slight hiccup allowed Jayson Nix to reach second safely and Overbay to be safe at first.

Meanwhile, a hard-hit ball by Moustakas leading off the seventh inning caromed off Pettitte’s glove and right to Robinson Cano. The Yankees’ second baseman made the soft toss to first, turning a potential base hit into an easy groundout.

Cano had another rough night in Kansas City, though.

The Yankees’ All-Star was booed mercilessly for the second straight night by Royals fans who no doubt still remember his decision to snub Butler for the AL squad during last year’s home run derby, which was hosted by the Royals as part of All-Star festivities.

Cano went 0 for 4 and struck out looking in the seventh, arguing with plate umpire Mark Wegner over the third strike. First base coach Mick Kelleher got between them and Girardi also ran onto the field to make sure Cano wouldn’t be tossed from the game.

— Associated Press —

Lyle Overbay hit a two-run homer and finished with five RBIs, Ichiro Suzuki also hit a two-run shot and the New York Yankees opened their only series in Kansas City with an 11-6 rout of the Royals on Friday night.

Overbay finished with a career-high four hits, Suzuki had three hits and Chris Nelson drove in a pair of runs for the Yankees, who gave manager Joe Girardi his 500th win in pinstripes.

Girardi reached the milestone in his 844th game, one fewer than Billy Martin. The only Yankees managers to reach the mark faster were Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy, Joe Torre and Miller Huggins.

Phil Hughes (2-2) allowed six runs in 5 2-3 innings but still earned the victory, thanks to a slumbering offense that awoke against Royals starter Wade Davis and reliever Bruce Chen

Davis (2-3) allowed seven runs in five-plus innings.

— Associated Press —

Jeremy Guthrie’s incentive to win had nothing to do with beating his former team.

The right-hander was far more interested in helping the Kansas City Royals maintain the momentum they generated during the first five weeks of the season, and in that regard, his outing against the Baltimore Orioles was a success.

Guthrie allowed one earned run in six innings, and the Royals hit a season-high three homers in a 6-2 victory Thursday night.

Facing the Orioles for the first time since they traded him to Colorado in February 2012, Guthrie (5-0) gave up seven hits and three walks while lowering his ERA to 2.28.

During his five seasons with Baltimore, Guthrie won 47 games and started three times on opening day. In his return to Camden Yards, his focus was entirely on helping the Royals end a three-game skid.

”I was just trying to win the game,” Guthrie said. ”We had a nice April and we’re trying to stay consistent here and compete against good teams.”

And pitching against Baltimore?

”I think someone else put it this way: We’ve turned the page,” Guthrie said.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said exactly that.

”I didn’t pay much attention to that part of it,” Showalter said. ”We’ve kind of turned the page.”

After going 3-9 with Colorado, Guthrie has been a star for the Royals since his arrival last July. He’s 10-0 since Aug. 8 and has gone a franchise-record 18 straight starts without a loss. This outing was more of the same.

”I executed a few pitches, made a couple mistakes,” he said. ”But our offense did what we’ve been doing all year when I’ve been out there – score big runs, tack on a couple of extra ones.”

Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer both connected against Freddy Garcia (0-1) with a runner on in the fourth inning to put Kansas City up 4-0. It was Gordon’s third home run in three games and Hosmer’s first in 145 at-bats dating to last year.

Mike Moustakas homered in the seventh to make it 5-2. The Royals came in with an AL-low 19 home runs, so the three long balls served as a rare power surge.

”We broke out and hit some homers,” manager Ned Yost said. ”(Hosmer) got on the board with a homer. Alex is swinging the bat really well. And Moose did a great job, left-on-left, hitting a slider. Good to see that.”

Chris Davis homered for the Orioles, whose season-high run of four straight wins ended. It was the fourth time this year that Baltimore missed a sweep by losing the final game of a series.

Making his second start with the Orioles, Garcia gave up four runs, five hits and a walk in six innings.

”I felt pretty good,” the right-hander said. ”One bad inning, two bad pitches. I was behind in the count to both hitters and I gave up two home runs, five runs. I was trying to do my best and tried to keep the guys in the game. That’s all I can do.”

Baltimore got an unearned run in the second inning, courtesy of shortstop Alcides Escobar’s third error in two games. After Escobar’s poor throw enabled Adam Jones to reach first, Matt Wieters singled and J.J. Hardy drove in a run with a bloop single to center.

It was the first time in three starts that Guthrie gave up a run. He was coming off his first career shutout, a four-hitter against the White Sox

Garcia retired the first 10 batters he faced, a streak that ended when Lorenzo Cain got an infield single with one out in the fourth. Gordon followed with a shot over the right-field scoreboard, and after Billy Butler singled, Hosmer hit an opposite-field drive into the left-field seats – his first homer since Sept. 11.

”It was definitely a sigh of relief,” Hosmer said. ”I knew it was a pretty long time. I wasn’t too worried about it. I just wanted to stay with my approach and try to stay through the middle and not miss good pitches.”

Davis got the Orioles to 4-2 in the bottom half with his 10th home run.

Moustakas greeted rookie reliever T.J. McFarland with a leadoff homer in the seventh. Moustakas also homered on Wednesday night.

— Associated Press —

The Baltimore Orioles boldly ran the bases without fear of being caught, and Kansas City couldn’t do a thing about it.

A comedy of errors ensued, and the Orioles escaped with a 5-3 victory Thursday night despite allowing two home runs and getting only five hits.

J.J. Hardy homered and Manny Machado scored a run and hit an RBI single for the Orioles, whose season-high fourth consecutive win moved them eight games over .500 (21-13) for the first time this year.

”We’re playing good baseball right now,” said Hardy, whose two-run drive in the second inning put Baltimore ahead for good.

But the game was decided in the fifth, when the Orioles went up 5-1 with a three-run uprising fueled by three Kansas City errors and a wild pitch.

After Chris Dickerson hit a leadoff double, shortstop Alcides Escobar grabbed Nate McLouth’s sharp grounder and tried to get Dickerson at third, but the throw hit Dickerson to put runners at the corners.

McLouth promptly stole second, and Machado followed with a single to bring home Dickerson. Machado then stole second, and McLouth came home after Escobar couldn’t handle the poor throw from catcher George Kottaras. Escobar’s throw home was also off target, allowing Machado to take third, and he scored when starter Luis Mendoza uncorked a wild pitch.

”When we can pick up on errors like that, it’s huge,” Machado said. ”That brings up the momentum for us and brings it down for them. That’s baseball.”

The way Royals manager Ned Yost saw it, the first bad throw laid the groundwork for the miscues that followed.

”The key to that inning was if Escy just takes the out at first, they only get one run,” Yost said. ”He tried to make a play, tried to keep it close to him by going to third. He just threw low and hit him in the back of the spike and that got a rally going. Now you got (runners at) first and third instead of just a runner at third. Then they start taking off and everything falls apart.”

Escobar lamented both his poor throws, saying, ”I can’t believe that I made stupid errors like that.”

Baltimore has been outhit in each of its past three games, including 7-5 in this one. The Orioles are 3-6 when outhit by their opponent.

”You know, at the end of the day, it’s whoever scores the most runs, so we made key hits today,” Machado said. ”We had key hits from J.J. on that home run. Myself driving in that run. . Our goal is to get on base and get deep into counts and bring in those runs when they get on.”

Chris Tillman (3-1) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings to win his third straight start. The right-hander came in 0-2 with a 10.93 ERA in three career starts against the Royals.

Troy Patton pitched the seventh, Darren O’Day and Brian Matusz worked the eighth and Jim Johnson got three outs for his 13th save.

Johnson has converted 34 straight save opportunities, tying the club record set by Randy Myers in 1997.

”It’s good, obviously, but that’s a secondary goal of mine,” Johnson said. ”Obviously winning the game is always the first objective.”

Alex Gordon hit his second home run in two games and Mike Moustakas went 3 for 4 with a homer for Kansas City.

Mendoza (0-2) gave up five runs, three earned, and five hits in six innings.

Baltimore took a 2-0 lead in the second when Matt Wieters led off with a single and Hardy followed with a drive just inside the left-field foul pole. It was his sixth home run of the season, the third in four games.

Mendoza didn’t allow another base runner until Hardy drew a two-out walk in the fourth.

Tillman blanked the Royals on two hits through four innings, then retired the first two batters in the fifth before Gordon homered to right. That ended Tillman’s run of consecutive scoreless innings at 15, a streak that began on April 27 in Oakland.

— Associated Press —