Make it 2-0 for Buddy Bell. The Royals topped the Yankees for the second straight night with a 3-1 win at Kauffman Stadium Wednesday.
D.J. Carrasco was given a 2-0 lead with two outs in the first inning when Emil Brown blasted a two-run homer off Randy Johnson. Angel Berroa led off the inning with a double and scored on Brown’s sixth long-ball of the season.
In the third inning, Kansas City took a 3-0 lead on Johnson, when David DeJesus laced a single to center field, scoring Berroa who had just hit his second double of the day.
It was up to the pitching staff to hold off the Yankees and they did just that. Carrasco lasted six innings and allowed no runs off four hits and two walks. He retired the final eight batters he faced and earned his first win of the season.
Rookie reliever Scott Stemle made the third appearance of his big league career and held the Yankees. He allowed a hit and a walk, but didn’t give up any runs. In 7 1/3 innings of relief, Stemle has yet to give up a run.
Mike MacDougal earned chalked up his fourth save of the season and it looked like the road to get it would be smooth, but it proved to be anything but. Jason Giambi and Ruben Sierra went down in order to start the inning. Bernie Williams was up next and drilled a home run to right to cut the Royals’ lead to 3-1. Shortstop Robinson Cano followed up with a double. Derek Jeter represented the tying run at the plate, but MacDougal was able to strike him out swinging and the game was over.
28,033 fans made their way to see the game. The crowd will probably be bigger than that tonight, as Kansas City tries to make the Yankees their first victim of a sweep since 2003 tonight.
