Ninth Inning: Joakim Soria pitching for KC. Colin Curtis grounds out to first and pinch hitter Juan Miranda strikes out looking. Jeter doubles to right and Granderson walks to bring the tying run to the plate. Teixeira grounds out  to end the game. KANSAS CITY WINS, 7-4.

Eighth Inning: Both sides go down in order. Robinson Tejada came in to pitch for KC. Nick Swisher, who was scratched from the lineup because of pain in his left Achilles, pinch hit for Marcus Thames and stayed in to play right. Swisher stroked a well-hit ball to left-center, but Ankiel's diving grab saved a double to end the inning. KANSAS CITY LEADS, 7-4.

Seventh Inning: Moseley sets down the side in order in the top half of the inning. Jeter singles to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but Curtis Granderson flies out, Tex strikes out swinging and, in what may be his last at-bat of the game, A-Rod grounds into the 6-4 fielder's choice. KANSAS CITY LEADS, 7-4.

Sixth Inning: Both teams go down relatively quietly. Posednik singled with two outs but Jason Kendall flied out to left to end the half. At the Yankees' end of the frame, Jorge Posada walked with one out to knock out Kyle Davies (the pitching line: 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 HR, 3 BB, 3 Ks). There go dreams of A-Rod hitting No. 600 off the pitcher that dealt him No. 500. Kyle Farnsworth came in to pitch <insert Bronx cheer from crowd> and walked one and struck out two to end the threat.

Fifth Inning: Tex is doing a good job of taking attention away from that other home run hitter. He rocketed a 2-run shot to right and drove in Curtis Granderson, who reached on a walk. KANSAS CITY LEADS, 7-4. It's his third multi-home run game this season and his 28th on the year. A-Rod grounds out for the final out of the inning.

Fourth Inning: Jose Guillien hits a solo home run to left and knocks out Mitre. The pitching line - 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP. He threw 72 pitches, 44 for strikes. Dustin Moseley in to pitch. KANSAS CITY LEADS, 7-2.

Tex and Posada Go Yard: Mark Teixeira homered to right-center to lead off the fourth and Jorge Posada drove a Kyle Davies offering to right, but the Yankees trail 6-2 going into the fifth. The Royals struck early, with two first inning runs. Billy Butler hit into a fielder's choice with runners on second and third, but Jorge Posada dropped the throw to score Scott Posednick. Jose Guillien's sac-fly made it 2-0. Both runs were unearned.

A-Bomb Watch: A-Rod flied out to shallow centerfield (way to deflate a crowd that's cheering at anything in the air) in his first at-bat and reached on an infield single in the fourth.

Life Without Andy: Sergio Mitre got the start in place of Andy Pettitte (groin), about a week after coming off the disabled list today. Mitre allowed only four runs in 15,2 innings pitched before the June 15 strain to his left side. But, as the saying goes: That was then, this is now.

Mitre allowed two unearned runs in the first an the Royals tacked on an earned run in the third and three more in the fourth. Rick Ankiel's RBI double scored Alex Gordon and Wilson Betemit

 

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