NEW YORK — — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer off All-Star closer Clay Holmes in the ninth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 8-6 Sunday to avoid being swept in the season series.
New York overcame a 4-0 deficit and took a 6-4 lead when Anthony Rizzo hit a three-run homer into the right field second deck in the seventh off Dylan Coleman, Rizzo’s 25th home run this season.
Hunter Dozier homered against Ron Marinaccio leading off the eighth, ending Marinaccio’s 19-inning scoreless streak and run of 56 consecutive batters without allowing a hit.
Holmes (5-2) blew a save for the third time in 20 chances.
Whit Merrifield walked with one out — Holmes’ eighth walk in his last eight games and five in his first 35.
Bobby Witt Jr. was hit on a hand with a pitch, forcing him from the game.
Perez, who struck out twice and popped out to the catcher in his first three at-bats, drove a 1-2 sinker 441 feet into Monument Park behind the center-field wall. It was the first home run allowed this year by Holmes, who was facing his 181st batter.
Taylor Clarke (2-1) threw a perfect eighth, then gave up DJ LeMahieu‘s single with one out in the ninth. Aaron Judge flied out, Rizzo walked and Gleyber Torres hit a game-ending lineout to center.
Kansas City went 1-6 against the AL leading-Yankees, who last swept a season series of seven games are more by going 7-0 against Minnesotain 2009.
Judge went 0 for 3 with two walks and ended July with a major league-leading 42 homers and 91 RBI.
Royals starter Zack Greinke allowed three runs, five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over five innings.
Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery gave up four runs, four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in four-plus innings.
Kansas City took a 4-0 lead in the fifth on Nick Pratto‘s two-run single, Maikel García’s RBI double and Merrifield’s run-scoring groundout.
Kyle Higashioka had an RBI single in the botttom half, and LeMahieu hit a two-run homer into the right-field short porch.