KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis both gave up runs for the first time in nearly three months as the Kansas City Royals’ dominant bullpen was touched up Tuesday night in a 7-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Davis replaced Herrera with two on in the seventh inning and walked Jose Abreu to load the bases for Conor Gillaspie, who cleared them with a triple to right-center on a 2-2 pitch to give Chicago a 7-5 lead.

That ended Herrera’s scoreless streak at 30 2/3 innings, dating to June 24. Also snapped was Davis’ shutout streak of 31 2/3 innings, a club record for a reliever, with the first run charged to him since June 25.

The rare bullpen failure prevented Kansas City from gaining ground on AL Central leader Detroit, which lost at Minnesota. The Royals remained 1 1/2 games behind the Tigers, but still lead Seattle for the second wild-card spot.

Kansas City used nine pitchers, a club record for a nine-inning game, in a contest that lasted 4 hours, 16 minutes — the longest nine-inning game in Royals history.

Nori Aoki had his second straight four-hit game, including a sixth-inning single that put the Royals up 5-4, but this time the bullpen couldn’t hold it.

Adam Eaton had four hits, matching his career high, and scored two runs for Chicago.

Royals manager Ned Yost went to his bullpen early when starter Liam Hendriks was pulled after three-plus innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits and a walk.

In his past three outings, Hendriks has allowed 11 runs and 18 hits in 9 1/3 innings.

White Sox rookie right-hander Chris Bassitt also failed to make it out of the fourth. He threw 94 pitches in 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks.

Eric Surkamp (2-0) got the win, and Zach Putnam worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: DH-1B Paul Konerko, who has not played since breaking his left hand on Sept. 2, took extended batting practice. “When he’s fit to play he’ll get some time,” manager Robin Ventura said. “I don’t necessarily want him going out there not having swung a bat in two weeks. He’ll get an at-bat here or there to acclimate him.”

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy, who skipped two starts because of a sore shoulder, threw a four-inning simulated game. “There’s nothing wrong,” Duffy said. “I felt stronger than I did for about the past month.” He is slated to start Monday in Cleveland.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP Chris Sale, an AL Cy Young Award contender, starts the series finale. He has trouble with Royals DH Billy Butler, who has a .359 career average against him with three home runs, two doubles and 10 RBIs in 39 at-bats.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura has nine made consecutive quality starts, a club record for rookies.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jarrod Dyson loves to boast about what speedy base runners can do.

Dyson and Terrance Gore used their speed to score as pinch runners in the ninth inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Monday night.

“He knows he’s got the ability to steal the tough base,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Mike Moustakas doubled with one out in the ninth. Dyson ran for him and stole third and came around to score as Jake Petricka (1-5) threw a wild pitch.

After Nori Aoki doubled with two outs — for his fourth hit of the game — Gore, who was called up from the minors on Sept. 1 to primarily be a pinch runner, ran for him and scored from second on Lorenzo Cain’s infield single.

“I was definitely going to be safe,” Cain said. “I just put it in play and ran. They ended up bobbling the ball and Gore scored. I was definitely thinking he’d field it and hold on. (Cain is) fast. It’s a huge win for the boys.”

It was a bizarre ending to a game that the White Sox led 3-0 going into the seventh.

“It was strange,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “When you see a play like that you think that’s OK, you can give it to them and try to get the next guy, but then they get another one. That kid (Gore) is fast. Speed can do a lot of things.”

Wade Davis (9-2) worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the victory, extending his scoreless streak to 31 2/3 innings.

White Sox starter John Danks pitched six scoreless innings and allowed just two singles, both by Aoki, before departing after 103 pitches. He struck out six and walked four. Danks, who has a 1.73 ERA at Kauffman Stadium, has never lost to the Royals in 15 career starts.

The Royals scored all their runs off three White Sox relievers.

Royals right-hander James Shields, who had his career best 18 1/3 scoreless innings streak ended in the first, gave up three runs and 10 hits, while striking out six and walking none in seven innings.

“We had a lot of opportunities, but he came through,” Ventura said. “We never got the big hit to put it out of reach. He was tough.”

Avisail Garcia’s two-out single in the first scored Adam Eaton. Eaton, who had three hits, led off the White Sox third with a double and scored on a Shields’ wild pitch. Conor Gillaspie singled home Alexei Ramirez with the second run of the inning.

Eric Hosmer hit a double into shallow left off Javy Guerra to open the seventh and scored on Omar Infante’s single for the first Kansas City run.

Aoki led off the eighth with an infield single, advanced to second on Gillaspie’s throwing error, took third on a Zach Putnam’s wild pitch and scored on Alex Gordon’s single.

AOKI’S BIG NIGHT

Aoki’s four hits, two that did not leave the infield, matched his career high, last accomplished on Sept. 20, 2013, against St. Louis. He also walked, reaching base five times. Aoki, who swings left-handed, is hitting .360 against left-handed pitching. It was his fourth multi-hit game in his past eight games.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Chris Bassitt will make his fourth career appearance and third big league start Tuesday. Bassitt has allowed 14 hits, walked seven and hit two batters in 13 1/3 innings.

Royals: RHP Liam Hendriks, who retired only seven of the 15 batters he faced in a loss Thursday to Boston, will make another spot start Tuesday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: DH-1B Paul Konerko (fractured left hand) took batting practice and could return to the lineup this week.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (sore shoulder) will miss another start. He is scheduled to throw a 50-pitch four-inning simulated game Tuesday. If he has no problems, he will start Monday at Cleveland. . DH-OF Josh Willingham (groin strain) said he is available to pinch hit. He has trouble running, but not swinging.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Boston slugger David Ortiz left the ballpark early due to what Red Sox manager John Farrell called a family emergency.

“He’s fine. He got called away from this game,” Farrell said. “There was a family emergency that he had to attend to and he jumped on a flight late this afternoon. He should catch up with us in Pittsburgh.”

Even without him, Boston was able to rally past Kansas City for an 8-4 victory on Sunday as Daniel Nava hit a grand slam and Xander Bogaerts added a three-run shot.

The loss continued the Royals slide. When asked if his club could afford to lose three of four to a last-place club, Kansas City manager Ned Yost succinctly replied, “No, no, no.”

Yost also abruptly ended his post-game media session with that answer.

The Royals, who blew a four-lead lead, fell 1 1-2 games behind Detroit, which beat Cleveland, in the AL Central. Kansas City is in the thick of the wild-card race.

The Red Sox chased Jason Vargas (11-9) with one out in the sixth after Mookie Betts and Bogaerts singled. Reliever Aaron Crow walked Yoenis Cespedes to load the bases and struck out Allen Craig.

Nava hit Crow’s next pitch into the Red Sox bullpen for his second career grand slam and a 7-4 lead.

“Do I think this is going to cause us to fade? No,” Vargas said. “But we need to play better ball that’s for sure because we’re running out of games.”

Bogaerts homered in the third and got three hits. He also had a sacrifice fly and drove in four runs, giving him 11 RBIs in his past 15 games.

Joe Kelly (3-2) gave up five consecutive hits and four runs in the second, but nothing else in six innings. The Royals loaded the bases in the ninth off Edward Mujica, but Lorenzo Cain struck out looking to end the game.

Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the second, and Omar Infante’s grounder scored another run in the inning.

“You never expect to lose three out of four especially this late in the season when time is winding down,” Hosmer said. “It’s nothing this team hasn’t been through before. We can bounce back from this. There’s still time left.”

TRIPLE-A CHAMPS

Omaha, the Royals ‘Triple-A affiliate, won the Pacific Coast League championship Sunday with Aaron Brooks throwing a two-hit shutout against Reno. Pawtucket, the Red Sox ‘Triple-A farm club, beat Durham in a best-of-five series to take the International League championship. The two will meet Tuesday in Charlotte for the Triple-A championship.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: INF-OF Brock Holt (concussion) remains sidelined and is having vision problems.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (sore shoulder) made 20 throws with no discomfort in a bullpen session. Manager Ned Yost said they would check on how Duffy feels Monday and make a decision on whether he will start Tuesday against the White Sox. … DH Josh Willingham (groin strain) has not played since Thursday.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: After an off-day Monday, the 10-game trip continues Tuesday with the first of three games at Pittsburgh, another playoff-contending club. Rookie right-hander Anthony Ranaudo will start the series opener.

Royals: Staff ace James Shields, who has a career-high 18 1/3 inning scoreless streak, will start the series opener against the visiting White Sox. Shields hasn’t done well against Chicago SS Alexei Ramirez, who has a .412 batting average with two home runs in 51 at-bats against him.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — One season after winning the World Series, the Boston Red Sox are playing spoiler — and doing all they can to extend a playoff drought in Kansas City that’s lasted nearly three decades.

Allen Webster pitched six solid innings and Jemile Weeks stroked a pair of doubles and scored two runs as the Red Sox defeated the sputtering Royals 4-2 on Friday night.

Kansas City lost for the fourth time in five games and fell out of first place in the AL Central for the first time since Aug. 10. The Royals, who are 0-5 against the last-place Red Sox, dropped a half-game behind Detroit, which beat Cleveland 7-2.

“Any time you can spoil it for another team is big,” Weeks said.

Webster (4-3), who had allowed 15 runs on 16 hits and seven walks in 13 2/3 innings over his previous three starts, limited the Royals to four hits — including Eric Hosmer’s two-run homer in the fourth.

“I just tried to forget about it and attack hitters,” Webster said. “Attack them and let the defense work behind me.”

Weeks, who had a two-run double in the ninth inning Thursday, doubled in the third and fifth. Mookie Betts singled home Weeks in a three-run third. He scored again on Daniel Nava’s two-out single in the fifth.

“They’re in the hunt,” Betts said. “Since we’re not in it, we might as well put everybody else out of it that we can, but mostly we’re just having fun playing the game.”

The Royals, who have not reached the postseason since winning the 1985 World Series, are having anything but fun.

“I think everyone is trying a little bit too hard,” Alex Gordon said. “It’s just not coming together right now. There’s a lot going on just because we’re in the middle of a pennant race and we’re not swinging well. We’ve got to move on.

“I think it’s just frustration. I don’t think pressing as (much as) it is frustrating. The pitching is doing the job. We just need to step up and forget about what we did tonight.”

The Royals aided the Red Sox in the third, with Betts scoring on third baseman Mike Moustakas’ throwing error and Nava scoring on Yordano Ventura’s wild pitch.

“We definitely could have played better,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Ventura (12-10), who had won his previous three starts, gave up four runs — three earned — and seven hits in seven innings. He also hit two batters with pitches.

Red Sox relievers Tommy Layne, Burke Badenhop, Koji Uehara and Edward Mujica held the Royals hitless for the final three innings. Mujica earned his sixth save.

GOT YOUR NUMBER

Red Sox pitchers are 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA this season against the Royals, holding them to a .206 batting average and nine extra-base hits.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: DH David Ortiz (bruised right foot) and 1B Mike Napoli (sore toe and dislocated finger) did not play. … INF Brock Holt is out with concussion-like symptoms after being examined by a specialist in Pittsburgh.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy, who missed his turn Thursday with a tender shoulder, made about 30 throws at 75 feet on flat ground. He said his goal is to make his next start, which would be Tuesday against the White Sox. … DH Josh Willingham injured his groin in his final at-bat Thursday and will be out for at least a couple of games.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Rubby De La Rosa, who is 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA in his past five starts, will pitch the third game of the series. De La Rosa has allowed 37 hits and walked 11 in 24 2/3 innings over those five starts.

Royals: Jeremy Guthrie will make his 23rd appearance and 21st start against Boston on Saturday. He is 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA against the Red Sox and has not defeated them since 2011.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The last-place Boston Red Sox took advantage of three critical errors by the first-place Kansas City Royals, pulling away late in a 6-3 victory Thursday night that ended a four-game losing streak.

Clay Buchholz (8-8) allowed three runs, two earned, over 6 1/3 innings for the Red Sox. He turned a one-run lead over to the Boston bullpen, and it preserved his sixth straight win against the Royals. Edward Mujica handled a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

Kansas City’s advantage in the AL Central dropped to a half-game over idle Detroit.

Liam Hendriks (1-2) failed to last three innings while making a spot start for left-hander Danny Duffy, who is shelved with shoulder soreness. The Royals’ defense didn’t do Hendriks any favors, making all three errors in the first four frames.

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — James Shields allowed two hits over seven innings in another terrific performance, and the Kansas City Royals edged Detroit 3-0 on Wednesday night to take a one-game lead over the Tigers atop the AL Central.

Shields (14-7) gave up a single to Ian Kinsler leading off the first. Then he picked off Kinsler — and retired every other batter he faced until another Detroit single in the seventh. The Tigers put two on that inning, but Shields worked out of the jam.

Kelvin Herrera pitched the eighth and Wade Davis finished for his third save.

Rick Porcello (15-11) pitched well for the Tigers, but Kansas City pushed across two runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Salvador Perez and Lorenzo Cain.

Alcides Escobar added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Detroit won the first two games of the series to pull into a virtual tie for first in the division, but the Royals avoided a sweep. The teams have a three-game series in Kansas City that starts Sept. 19.

Shields was acquired in December 2012 in a trade that sent top prospect Wil Myers to Tampa Bay. Myers won Rookie of the Year honors last season, but now Shields has helped put the Royals in contention for their first postseason appearance since 1985.

He came within two outs of a shutout in New York on Friday in a 1-0 win over the Yankees, and the Tigers didn’t fare any better against the 32-year-old right-hander. Shields struck out eight and walked one on Wednesday, throwing 98 pitches. Torii Hunter’s comebacker hit Shields in the back of his right leg in the first, but the Kansas City starter was able to continue.

In the seventh, Hunter managed a single and Miguel Cabrera walked, but Davis retired Victor Martinez on a deep fly and struck out J.D. Martinez.

Porcello allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings, striking out seven without a walk. He allowed consecutive singles to Josh Willingham, Eric Hosmer and Perez with one out in the fourth, and Cain’s two-out single made it 2-0.

The game was delayed 42 minutes by rain at the start, and in the fourth it was raining hard enough to send fans toward the concourse, but there were no more delays.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: All-Star closer Greg Holland sat out again, despite the tight score in the late innings. He hasn’t pitched since Sept. 3 because of a triceps issue.

Tigers: RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) was activated from the disabled list before the game. He allowed a run in the ninth. … Left-handed reliever Phil Coke left in the eighth with an apparent injury after being unable to field Hosmer’s bunt.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Liam Hendriks (1-1) starts in Boston against Clay Buchholz (7-8) on Thursday night. Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy is missing that turn in the rotation because of a sore shoulder.

Tigers: Detroit has an off day Thursday, followed by a home series against Cleveland. Tigers LHP David Price (13-11) starts against Cleveland RHP Carlos Carrasco (7-4) on Friday night.

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — Max Scherzer figured he had squandered another lead when Alex Gordon’s fifth-inning drive sailed down the line in right field.

“When that came off the bat, I was sure that thing was gone, and I was stunned when I turned around and realized it had gone foul,” Scherzer said.

After that reprieve, Scherzer walked Gordon and retired the next two batters to escape a bases-loaded jam, and the Detroit Tigers went on to beat Kansas City 4-2 on Tuesday night to pull within percentage points of the Royals atop the AL Central.

Rajai Davis and J.D. Martinez homered for the Tigers, who can sweep the three-game series with a win Wednesday night.

Scherzer (16-5) allowed a run and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Kansas City was down 3-1 in the fifth when Gordon’s deep fly to right went just foul with two on. Gordon walked to load the bases with one out, but Salvador Perez lined out and Eric Hosmer struck out.

Joe Nathan worked out of another jam in the ninth to earn his 30th save in 36 chances. He allowed two infield singles to start the inning before closing out the game with two strikeouts sandwiched around a picked-off runner.

Pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson was the man who was picked off second.

“The hardest part about that play was not getting too fired up and throwing the ball away,” Nathan said. “We so clearly had him that the only way it was going to get messed up was if I didn’t get the ball to (second baseman Ian Kinsler). As it turned out, I didn’t even need to make a great throw, but I made a pretty good one anyway.”

Kansas City’s Jason Vargas (11-8) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

Scherzer had allowed 14 earned runs over his previous four starts — not terrible, but below his standards as the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. He’s had a hard time protecting leads lately.

On Tuesday, the Tigers led 3-0 in the fifth when Omar Infante hit an RBI single for the Royals — but Scherzer avoided the big inning.

Martinez opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first, and Davis’ two-run homer in the second made it 3-0.

Martinez’s 20th homer of the season gave Detroit a 4-1 lead in the fifth.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Tigers are trying for their fourth straight AL Central title, and the hallmark of this run has been their ability to beat their closest competitors in the division head to head. Last year, Detroit went 15-4 against Cleveland and finished one game ahead of the Indians.

The Tigers are 11-4 against the Royals this year, and the race is now in a virtual tie. Detroit has one more win and one more loss than Kansas City — and the Royals still have to finish a suspended game in which they trail Cleveland 4-2 in the 10th.

“You have to be conscious of the standings at this time of the year, but being tied for first doesn’t mean a thing when we step on the field (Wednesday),” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

TOO MANY MISTAKES

The normally sure-handed Royals made two errors Tuesday after making two in the series opener. Then there was Dyson’s mistake in the ninth, which eliminated a crucial baserunner.

The Royals had men on first and second for the dangerous Gordon, but he struck out. Then Dyson was picked off second. Manager Ned Yost said he was hoping Dyson and fellow pinch-runner Terrance Gore could pull off a double steal.

“Dyson’s the lead runner, Dyson’s going to find a spot when he can get a jump and go,” Yost said. “Gore’s the tail runner. He’s going to be right behind him.”

The Tigers aren’t known for their impressive fielding, but Kinsler made a crucial diving stop to his left on Josh Willingham’s grounder in the eighth. The Royals ended up scoring a run that inning, but that was it.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Yost said he would not have used star closer Greg Holland on Tuesday, but he is close to returning from a triceps injury. … RHP Liam Hendriks (1-1) is listed as Thursday night’s starter against Boston — LHP Danny Duffy is missing that turn in the rotation because of a sore shoulder.

Tigers: Detroit expects RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) to be activated from the disabled list Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Kansas City’s James Shields (13-7) faces Detroit’s Rick Porcello (15-10) on Wednesday, although the possibility of rain puts that game in some doubt. Shields is coming off a 1-0 win over the Yankees in New York on Friday.

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — Jeremy Guthrie couldn’t find a way out of trouble.

Torii Hunter had two of his three hits in a six-run third inning, and the Detroit Tigers beat Kansas City 9-5 Monday to close within a game of the AL Central-leading Royals.

“They just kept putting the ball in play,” Guthrie said.

Detroit won its 9,000th game, tying a season high with eight hits in the third and opening an 8-2 lead. Guthrie (10-11) allowed eight runs — six earned — and 10 hits in 2 2-3 innings. He has given up 14 earned runs in his last 6 2-3 innings against the Tigers.

Seven of Detroit’s first eight batters got hits in the third, which began with Hunter’s infield single. Victor Martinez’s infield hit drove in the first run, glancing off the glove of first baseman Eric Hosmer toward the dirt behind second. Don Kelly’s double made it 4-2, Nick Castellanos hit a two-run double and RBI singles by Al Avila and Hunter boosted the lead to 8-2.

“He was one pitch away from getting out of that third inning but it just kept snowballing and he couldn’t make that pitch,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Kansas City closed in the seventh when Hosmer tripled, Billy Butler hit an RBI groundout and Lorenzo Cain hit an inside-the-park homer off Justin Verlander (13-12), a ball that Hunter ran down in right-center only to have Kelly collide with him and knock off Hunter’s glove.

Hosmer’s RBI single in the eighth against Joba Chamberlain made it 8-5, but Billy Butler hit an inning-ending groundout with runners at the corners.

“We battled all the way, tried to chip away. Just couldn’t chip away enough,” Hosmer said.

Verlander (13-12) allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings for his third win in four starts.

“It was pretty good,” he said. “They put up a couple runs in a couple innings, but even after they got those two early runs, I went back and watched the video and those were all good pitches. They’ve just got a good lineup.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LHP left-hander Danny Duffy will miss his next turn in the rotation because of a sore shoulder. “He’s in Kansas City going through three or four rounds of treatment every day,” Yost said. “We’ll evaluate him when we get back.” … Closer Greg Holland, who hasn’t pitched since Wednesday because of a strained right triceps, is getting closer to returning. Yost said Holland threw on the side Monday and could be available Tuesday.

Tigers: RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) threw 27 pitches in a simulated game and felt good. “Big step today. Hopefully, it feels good tomorrow,” Soria said. Manager Brad Ausmus said Soria threw all of his pitches and looked strong. If Soria feels good on Tuesday, he will likely be activated the following day.

UP NEXT

Jason Vargas (11-7, 3.14) is slated to start Tuesday for the Royals and Max Scherzer (15-5, 3.25) for the Tigers. Scherzer is 9-5 against Kansas City.

SIGNALS CROSSED

Hunter was down for a couple of minutes after the collision with Kelly, was checked by Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand and stayed in the game.

DON’T LET ME CATCH YOU

Cain was second and Mike Moustakas was on third with one out in the third when Nori Aoki lofted a single to shallow center. Moustakas thought Kelly might catch the ball and held up, but Cain read the play correctly and was two steps behind Moustakas as they crossed the plate.

BUSY DAY

Across the street later in the day, the Detroit Lions hosted the New York Giants at Ford Field. The start of the baseball game was moved up three hours to accommodate.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas City players tipped their caps to Derek Jeter when the retiring New York Yankees captain walked up to the plate in the first inning. Then the Royals went back to work trying to make some history of their own.

Yordano Ventura pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning, and the AL Central leaders beat the Yankees 2-0 Sunday on a pair of unearned runs for their second shutout in the three-game series.

Trying for its first playoff berth since winning the 1985 World Series, Kansas City maintained a two-game lead in the AL Central over the second-place Tigers, who defeated San Francisco 6-1 on Sunday night. The Royals headed to Detroit for a three-game series that starts Monday.

“We’re playing great baseball,” manager Ned Yost said. “We’re pitching, and we’re playing defense and scoring runs and winning ballgames, and that’s all I can ask.”

Kansas City scored due to errors by pitcher Shane Greene in the second inning and right fielder Carlos Beltran in the third. The Royals won 1-0 Friday night on an unearned run following third baseman Chase Headley’s error and went 4-3 against the Yankees this year to take the season series for the first time since 1999.

And they won on Derek Jeter Day, when many Yankees stars of the past returned for a 45-minute ceremony that also included NBA great Michael Jordan and baseball ironman Cal Ripken Jr. Video messages from athletes, celebrities and even astronauts in space were shown throughout the day.

“Oh, man! That was, honestly, one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas said. “Any time anyone came on that board or anyone they announced, I got chills.”

Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie suggested to his teammates that they tip their caps.

“He was my favorite player growing up,” Guthrie said. “I was there for the final game at (the original) Yankee Stadium. I was there when he recorded his 2,723rd hit that broke the hits record for the Yankees. … And now to be here for this — I’ve seen quite a few really cool moments.”

Kansas City, which hasn’t been in first place this late in a season since 1989, hopes to give its fans a reason to celebrate this fall.

Ventura (12-9) won his third straight start, leaving after a leadoff walk in the seventh — his fourth of the game.

“When I was able to throw the curve for a strike, it really helped all of the other pitches and made for quick innings,” he said through a translator. “When the curveball wasn’t getting over for a strike, that could have been the difference in the walks.”

With closer Greg Holland sidelined by a strained right triceps, Aaron Crow, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis combined for one-hit relief.

Kansas City went ahead in the second when Josh Willingham reached on an infield single near the mound, advanced on Moustakas’ single and scored with two outs when Nori Aoki hit a slow roller that Greene (4-3) threw wildly past first base.

Beltran dropped Alex Gordon’s easy fly leading off the third, and Gordon stole second before scoring on a single by Eric Hosmer, his first RBI since July 29.

“Any way you can score runs is a good way,” Moustakas said. “It doesn’t matter how they get across as long as you’re scoring.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy headed back to Kansas City for an MRI of his sore left shoulder. Yost said Holland played catch, “felt much, much better today” and will have his status re-examined Monday.

Yankees: OF Brett Gardner missed his second straight game because of a lower abdominal strain.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (10-10) is slated to pitch Monday, with Justin Verlander (12-12) on the mound for the Tigers.

Yankees: RHP Hiroki Kuroda (10-8) starts Tuesday’s series opener against Tampa Bay RHP Chris Archer (8-8).

BIRTHDAY BOY

Pitching on his 29th birthday, Davis got his second save of the series — and his big league career. After Beltran singled over first leading off the ninth, Davis struck out Brian McCann on a 3-2 pitch, retired Mark Teixeira on a soft grounder to third and fanned Stephen Drew on another full-count pitch. Davis has 94 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings this season and has allowed one run in 53 innings dating to late April. That run scored when he hit the Los Angeles Dodgers’ A.J. Ellis with a bases-loaded pitch on June 25.

ROAD WARRIORS

Kansas City is 6-0-1 in its last seven road series.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK (AP) — Obtained by the Yankees from Arizona in separate July trades, Brandon McCarthy and Martin Prado are doing their best to keep alive New York’s slim playoff hopes.

McCarthy won for the second time in six starts and Prado had three hits as the Yankees feasted on Kansas City’s bullpen in a 6-2 win Saturday after Royals starter Danny Duffy left because of an injury following his first pitch.

McCarthy, dealt on July 6, allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and a walk. He is 6-4 with a 2.87 ERA for the Yankees after going 3-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 18 starts for the Diamondbacks.

“It’s nice just to contribute,” he said. “I spent the first half of the season being a hindrance on an organization, and that’s something that doesn’t sit well. So to come somewhere where there’s a playoff race going on, and you’re a positive influence on something that’s helping the team win, that’s really all you can ask for.”

Prado, acquired on July 31, played for the first time since straining his left hamstring Tuesday and had three hits, raising his average to .309 with the Yankees. He hit .270 with the Diamondbacks.

Prado’s 10th multihit effort in his last 16 games fueled a rare offensive outburst by the weak-hitting Yankees, who scored as many as six runs for the first time since Aug. 29. A night earlier, a 1-0 loss in the series opener dropped them 4 1/2 games back for the AL’s second wild card.

“Hitting is contagious, I believe,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “It just picks your club up It’s uplifting. The last 20 games, he’s been unbelievable.”

The Yankees scored all their runs in the first five innings off Liam Hendriks and Casey Coleman, called on because of Duffy’s sore left shoulder.

Prado doubled off Hendriks (1-1) with two outs in the first and gave his hamstring a test when he came around on Mark Teixeira’s single.

“I was like, please, just let me get to home plate,” Prado said.

Prado said he is playing at less than 100 percent but wants to be in the lineup as the Yankees try to avoid missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1992 and `93.

“I’m trying to be smart,” Prado said. “I want to be in there for my teammates.”

After Alex Gordon’s RBI bloop single tied the score in the third, the Yankees went ahead for good in the bottom half on Jacoby Ellsbury’s run-scoring triple and Derek Jeter’s sacrifice fly.

Chase Headley make it 4-1 in the fourth when he scored from third after Perez overthrew third base for an error on a pickoff attempt. Carlos Beltran doubled in a run in the fifth and scored on a single by pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki.

Mike Moustakas had a sacrifice fly in the seventh, ending McCarthy’s day, but Shawn Kelley, Dellin Betances and David Robertson combined for hitless relief. New York relievers have thrown 11 innings of scoreless, three-hit relief in their last four games with 14 strikeouts and no walks.

“Just a good team game,” McCarthy said.

Kansas City (78-62) remained two games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central, but the Royals were far more concerned with the state of Duffy’s left shoulder. Duffy, who returned in August 2013 following elbow ligament-replacement surgery, entered the day with a 2.44 ERA, third-best in the AL.

“We will send him home tomorrow and get an MRI to see what we are dealing with,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Kansas City scored four runs or fewer for the eighth straight game — including a suspended game against Cleveland on Aug. 31 that will resume on Sept. 22. But the Royals are 4-3 in that span thanks to their pitching.

“We will get a hit here and there, but not really consistent all-around,” Gordon said. “We just need to get more consistent and have some big innings.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Greg Holland was missed his second straight game due to a tight right triceps. “Hopefully a day or two or three recovery and be ready to go,” Yost said. … DH Josh Willingham returned Saturday after missing six games because of a sore back and went 1 for 4.

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka threw a 34-pitch bullpen session. Girardi said the club needs to see Tanaka pitch in a game this season to know whether he can pitch without surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. … C Francisco Cervelli missed the game because of a migraine. … OF Brett Gardner didn’t play after aggravating an abdominal injury Friday. Girardi said he was questionable at best for Sunday.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Shane Greene (4-2) opposes Royals RHP Yordano Ventura (11-9) in the series finale after a pregame ceremony on Derek Jeter Day.

BETANCES MOVING ON UP: Betances threw a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout, his 125th of the season. That’s the second-most in team history for a reliever, three strikeouts ahead of Rich Gossage in 1978 and five shy of Mariano Rivera in 1996.

“Look at the names — one Hall of Famer and one just waiting four more years,” Girardi said. “That’s how dominant he has been this year, and how good he has been.”

THE M&M BOYS: McCarthy credited catcher John Ryan Murphy — whom he’d never thrown to before Saturday — for helping him labor through a 105-pitch effort on a humid 89-degree afternoon.

“Wasn’t really sharp, but I felt like Murphy did a good job getting me through it and making sure we could kind of keep going deeper into the game and make those runs that they gave me early hold up,” McCarthy said. “Just kind of one of those days where you’re working for everything you get. Nothing really comes easy.”

ELLSBURY DOES IT ALL: Ellsbury went 1 for 4 and is hitting .359 with 13 RBIs in his last 18 games.

Ellsbury also saved at least two hits in center: He ran down a potential RBI extra-base hit by Josh Willingham in the gap in the fourth and caught Gordon’s sinking liner in the eighth.

“He’s a tremendous center fielder,” Girardi said. “As good as it gets.”

— Associated Press —