KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Gleyber Torres had the worst day of his not-yet-month-old career in the majors Friday night, misplaying two balls, and it proved costly in the Yankees' loss to the Royals.
The rookie more than redeemed himself a night later.
The 21-year-old, already with his share of significant hits as a big-leaguer, crushed a tiebreaking three-run homer in the fourth inning on Saturday night. It was one of five homers, two by Gary Sanchez, hit by the Yankees in an 8-3 victory over the Royals in front of 33,684 at Kauffman Stadium.
"One of the things we love about him is his makeup," Aaron Boone said of Torres. "He has a tough night, he doesn't flinch. Nice bounce-back."
The win was the Yankees' 20th in 24 games, boosting their MLB-best record to 29-13.
Sanchez had four hits, including the two homers that gave him a team-high 12, and three RBIs, and Aaron Hicks added two hits, including his second inside-the-park homer of the season (he also had one April 13 in Detroit). Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Austin also had two hits for the Yankees, who finished with 14.
Sanchez's solo shot off Burch Smith in the seventh gave the Yankees a 6-3 lead, and Giancarlo Stanton and Sanchez went back-to-back off righty Blaine Boyer in the ninth to make it 8-3. Moments after Stanton tied Sanchez and Aaron Judge with his 11th homer, a 432-foot shot, Sanchez hit his second of the game and reclaimed the team lead.
Ace Luis Severino didn't have his best stuff for a second straight start but still pitched well enough to win, allowing three runs, eight hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out six.
After Torres' three-run rocket to left field, which came on a 1-and-2 slider from Danny Duffy and gave the Yankees a 5-2 lead, the Royals got within 5-3 on Mike Moustakas' two-out RBI single in the fifth. Salvador Perez then hit a long double to left-center, but left fielder Stanton got the ball to shortstop Torreyes, whose relay throw to the plate barely nipped Moustakas. He made a headfirst dive, but a terrific sweep tag by Sanchez clipped him just before his hand brushed the plate. The call was upheld after a review.
The Yankees gave Severino a lead before he threw a pitch. Hicks, coming off a three-hit game Friday, led off the first inning with a single and reached second on Stanton's one-out fly ball to the track in center field. Sanchez then hammered a hanging 2-and-2 slider to left-center for an RBI double.
Severino walked Perez to start the second, then struck out Whit Merrifield, Alex Gordon and Hunter Dozier swinging at sliders to end the inning.
Hicks, batting right-handed, led off the third by punching a 3-and-1 fastball off the top of the right-field wall. Jorge Soler hit the wall and crashed to the ground as the ball skittered toward center field, with Hicks well on his way to third. Even though he didn't run hard out of the box, he scored standing up.
Hicks, who became the first Yankee to record multiple inside-the-park homers in a season since Mickey Mantle had three in 1958, crossed the plate with a wide smile as he high-fived Aaron Judge, the on-deck hitter.
The Royals tied it in the bottom half of the third. Alcides Escobar reached on an infield single and Ryan Goins roped a slider down the left-field line for an RBI double that made it 2-1. One out later, Soler's line-drive single to center made it 2-2.
It did not stay tied for long. Clint Frazier, making his 2018 debut, walked for the second time in the game and Torreyes followed with a single. Up stepped Torres, who fell behind before delivering the homer that put the Yankees ahead to stay.
