Stanton, Trevino and Verdugo homer as Yankees beat Royals 11-5 for 12th win in 15 games

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jose Trevino capped a six-run first inning with a three-run homer, Gleyber Torres added a three-run drive in the seventh and the New York Yankees romped over the Kansas City Royals 11-5 Wednesday night for their third straight win in the four-game series.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a 449-foot, two-run homer into shrubbery next to a waterfall beyond left-center, a night after hitting a 446-foot home run over three fences beyond center field.

Stanton has five home runs at Kauffman, two to left field and two to center.

“We got to get right field now, so I got one more game to do it,” Stanton said.

The major league-best Yankees (49-21) have won 12 of their last 15 games and have outscored the Royals 25-8 in the series.

New York has scored 10 runs in the first inning of the three games and leads the major leagues with 57 first-inning runs. The Yankees are 25-3 when scoring in first with a .296 batting average, 20 homers and a .971 OPS.

“A lot of good things, obviously, happened in that first inning,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Everyone putting together really good at-bats and capped off by a no-doubter by Trevvy. … That’s a good offense, and they’re playing well, getting some contributions from everyone.”

New York has won 17 of its first 22 series, moved a season-best 28 games over .500 and improved to 17-1 against the AL Central, winning 15 in a row.

Alex Verdugo put the Yankees ahead with a two-run single and Anthony Rizzo had a sacrifice fly in the first for his first RBI since May 25. In a 1-for-36 slide this month, Rizzo singled in the seventh for his first hit since June 5.

Stanton’s home run was his 17th, and Trevino and Torres have six each.

“Big innings are tough to come back from regardless,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We’ve done it, and we worked hard to try to get back in it tonight as well. We just couldn’t come through with a big hit a couple of times.”

Juan Soto was in right field for the second straight night after missing three games with left forearm inflammation and went 1 for 2 with a pair of walks, raising his batting average to .317.

Backed by an 8-0 lead, Cody Poteet (3-0) allowed two runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings.

“It’s just exciting, fun to watch,” Poteet said. “When you see that, you just want to go out there and pound the strike zone because (when) they’re scoring like that early on, you just want to have a shut-down inning.”

AL batting leader Bobby Witt. Jr. doubled in Kansas City’s first run in the sixth, had three hits and lifted his average .326. The Royals have lost four in a row for the first time this season and 11 of 16 following an eight-game winning streak. Kansas City has allowed 19 runs in the first inning over its last six games.

Royals opener Dan Altavilla (0-1) gave up five runs, three hits and one walk while getting one out, raising his ERA to 33.75.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Kansas City said OF Hunter Renfroe’s left big toe is not fractured as originally thought. Renfroe fouled two balls off his foot three pitches apart Monday. He is projected to miss two-to-three weeks, down from six-to-eight weeks.

UP NEXT

LHP Nestor Cortes (3-5, 3.68 ERA) starts Thursday’s series finale for the Yankees and RHP Alec Marsh (5-3, 4.05 ERA) for the Royals.