John Buck went 3-for-4 with a homer and drove in three runs, as the Kansas City Royals scored three times in the eighth inning to edge the New York Yankees, 6-4, to salvage the rain-soaked finale of a three-game set from Kauffman Stadium.
Alberto Callaspo went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs for the Royals, who moved to 3-3 on the young season. Brayan Pena knocked in the other run for Kansas City.
Gil Meche lasted seven innings and gave up four runs on six hits, while fanning six in the no-decision. Juan Cruz (1-0) got the win after throwing a perfect eighth and Joakim Soria earned his third save of the season by striking out the side in the ninth.
Xavier Nady and Robinson Cano drove in the runs for the Yankees, who saw their three-game winning streak halted.
Joba Chamberlain lasted six frames in his season debut and was touched for three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and only one walk. Phil Coke (0-1) blew the save opportunity and took the loss after giving up two runs on three hits while getting the last out in the eighth.
"The one or two pitches I did make they still hit," said Coke. "I don't have any excuses and I wouldn't make one for myself. I'm really disappointed because I felt I stunk it up pretty bad."
The visitors made some noise in the seventh, scoring three times to go in front. Nick Swisher hit a leadoff single to begin the stanza and Hideki Matsui followed suit with a base hit. Nady kept it going with an RBI double down the left field line and Cano hit a grounder that first baseman Mike Jacobs misplayed, as Matsui scored. Melky Cabrera then hit into a 6-4-3 double play, but it allowed Nady to score as the Yanks took the lead, 4-3.
The home team got those runs back and more the next inning. Jose Veras came on in relief of Damaso Marte with two out and nobody on base, but he walked pinch-hitter Billy Butler. Coke was then summoned from the bullpen and he gave up an RBI double to Pena. Callaspo followed with an RBI single and Buck stroked a run-scoring double to left. Willie Bloomquist struck out to end the inning, but the Royals held a 6-4 lead.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before the guys put it together," Buck said of the rally.
Soria was on the hill for the Royals in the ninth trying to close it out and got Matsui looking for the first out. Nady went down swinging for the second out and Cano followed suit to end the game.
The Yankees got on the board in the first inning. Brett Gardner led off the game with a single, stole second as Derek Jeter went down swinging, moved to third on Swisher's groundout and came home as Meche unleashed a wild pitch to Matsui, who eventually walked. Nady, though, popped up to end the rally.
Buck got Kansas City's first hit with one out in the third inning -- a homer to left-center that tied the game.
The home team put up more runs as the rain began to pick up in the fourth. David DeJesus led off with a walk and Mark Teahen was then hit by a pitch. Jacobs and Tony Pena were both retired, but Callaspo hit a slow roller towards the first-base side that Swisher and Cano both missed, which allowed DeJesus to score and left runners on the corners. Buck followed with an RBI single to make it 3-1 before Bloomquist grounded out to end the inning.
