Danny Duffy beat the Yankees for the second time in a week and rookie Jorge Bonifacio capped a three-run, seventh-inning rally with a go-ahead, two-run homer that led the Kansas City Royals over New York 6-2 on Tuesday night.
Lorenzo Cain, Whit Merrifield and Mike Moustakas also homered late for the Royals, who went deep four times in a span of nine batters.
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 wasn't as sharp as he was in Kansas City last Thursday, when he struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings to beat Montgomery, but Duffy got a key out in the fifth 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. 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 - at first it wasn't clear the game was over, but umpires ruled Merrifield tagged Carter running from first to second before the second baseman threw to first.
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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. He allowed five runs over five innings in last week's loss to Duffy.
Warren relieved Montgomery with two outs in the seventh, and Salvador Perez singled to right, just over the outstretched glove of a leaping Castro.
Bonifacio, who made his big league debut April 21, sent the next pitch into the right-field seats for his fourth home run in five games and sixth overall. Merrifield connected off Holder leading off the eighth, and Moustakas greeted Shreve later in the inning with his 11th homer, a two-run drive.
HEADED BACK
Royals OF Alex Gordon was due back in New York late Tuesday following the birth of daughter Joey Lynn, and manager Ned 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," Yankees manager Joe 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 extending 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 RBIs before going on the DL. "It's like a reset button," Girardi said.
UP NEXT
RHP Luis Severino (2-2) starts Wednesday for the Yankees and RHP Jason Hammel (1-5) for the Royals. Masahiro Tanaka (5-3), who has allowed 14 runs and seven homers over 4 2/3 innings in his last two starts, goes for New York in Thursday's series finale. Miguel Almonte is likely to make his first big league start for the Royals, who also could bring back Ian Kennedy on short rest.
