NEW YORK — Salvador Perez’s three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning turned a one-run deficit into a two-run lead for the Kansas City Royals.
With one game-changing swing, Perez put the Royals on the path to an 8-6 win over the New York Yankees in front of an announced 45,341 in the finale of a four-game set at Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Royals (40-62) and kept them from being swept in the series.
Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke allowed three runs on five hits, including one home run, and two walks in five innings. All three runs came in the fifth inning, but Greinke departed with the Royals clinging to a one-run edge, 4-3.
Then the Yankees scored three runs in the seventh inning to take the lead on an Anthony Rizzo three-run home run. Reliever Jose Cuas sandwiched a pair of walks around one out before Royals manager Mike Matheny called on Dylan Coleman out of the bullpen. Coleman gave up Rizzo’s three-run homer and the Royals trailed 6-4.
The Royals got it back to 6-5 on Hunter Dozier’s solo homer in the eighth before Perez’s homer swung the pendulum back in the Royals’ favor for good.
Reliever Taylor Clarke didn’t allow a run in the eighth or ninth innings to earn the win.
