German roughed up as Yankees fall in 10
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Royals have been waiting to catch a few breaks. They got one Sunday.
Whit Merrifield got a fortunate hop on an RBI single in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 8-7 despite blowing a six-run lead.
“I was saying better lucky than good,” Merrifield said. “It just worked out for us today. The hop went our way.”
Merrifield hit a sharp, two-out grounder toward third baseman Gio Urshela with speedster Billy Hamilton at second. The ball skipped over the head of Urshela — considered a strong defender at the hot corner — giving Hamilton time to race home.
“I just pounded it right in the ground. It was a pretty poor swing, but I’ll take it,” Merrifield said.
Hamilton had walked against Jonathan Holder (3-2) and stolen second to set up the play.
Hunter Dozier and Jorge Soler homered on back-to-back pitches in the fifth inning, and Martin Maldonado and Ryan O’Hearn also went long as Kansas City hit four home runs in a game for the first time this season. All four had multihit games, with Dozier matching a career high with four hits.
New York’s Aaron Hicks tied it in the ninth with a two-run single off Ian Kennedy as the Yankees scored three runs, all with two outs, to make it 7-7.
Kevin McCarthy (2-1) pitched a scoreless 10th to earn the win.
Kansas City once again hit around Domingo German, who leads the majors with nine wins. German gave up a career-high seven runs on nine hits in five innings.
“This is definitely a bad day for me today,” German said through an interpreter. “I couldn’t command my pitches today. I missed on location and that’s what happens when you miss on location.”
In 11 innings against Kansas City this season, German has given up 10 runs and six homers, taking losses in both games. The 26-year-old has allowed 16 runs and three homers in 49 1/3 innings in his 10 other appearances, nine starts.
Danny Duffy pitched six innings, allowing four runs, one earned, and five hits.