Road Trip, Game 3

2:10PM HST

TOP 1: Jensen the starter for KC -- Jeter flies out to center, one away -- Jensen gets ahead of Womack 0-2, Womack battles back to full ...the payoff is ball 4, he draws a walk -- Sheffield hits the 2-2 down the third baseline for a double, the lead runner to third on the play

Runners second and third for Matsui, he hits the first pitch, a sacfly to right, both runners tag, one run scores, two away -- the Yankees lead 1-0

Runner at third for ARod, he goes down looking, uno dos adios, to end the rally

BOT 1: Pavano starts for NY, one start after his Bosox debacle -- Berroa goes down swinging, one gone -- DeJesus pops foul to short on the first pitch, two gone -- Sweeney flies out to right to end the inning

2:25PM HST

TOP 2: Tino pops the first pitch foul to third, one down -- Posada goes down on a checkswing, two away -- Bernie grounds the first pitch to first to retire the side

BOT 2: Stairs grounds to second, one away -- Long also grounds to second, two down -- Teahen grounds to second to end the inning ... a busy inning for Cano, an economical one for Pavano

2:35PM HST

TOP 3: Cano flies out to center, one gone -- Jeter lines a single to left -- full count to Womack, he pops foul to third, two down -- Sheffield pops up to short to retire the side

BOT 3: Costa grounds to first, one down -- Buck grounds to first, two away -- Gotay grounds one through the right side for a two out single ... what other kind of hit is there, I ask?

Berroa smacks a double to left over Womack's head, one run scores, the game is tied at 1-1 ... like I was saying what other kind of hit do the Yankees give up

DeJesus grounds to second to end the two-out rally

2:53PM HST

TOP 4: Matsui flies to center, one away -- ARod goes down swinging, two down -- Tino down swinging, the ball is dropped and the out is made at first to retire the side

BOT 4: Sweeney lines a leadoff single to center -- Stairs down swinging, one away -- Long lines a double to left center, Womack bobbles, the lead runner to third, and Long in with a double

Runners second and third, one down for Teahen, he grounds one up the middle, Cano makes the stop, the throw to first is too late, one run scores, the Royals now lead 2-1

Runners at the corners, Costa grounds to second, Cano with a great play, gets the force at second, return by Jeter is late, another run scores, the score is now 3-1

Runner at first, two down for Buck, he pops to short to end the rally

3:14PM HST

TOP 5: Posada goes the opposite way and hits a leadoff single to left -- Bernie hits a slow chopper to first, the feed to the covering pitcher is ... dropped, all hands safe

Runners now first and second, Cano flies out to center, the runners tag, the lead runner in at third, Bernie is cut down at second, two down .... and the brainlessly aggressive PRESSING play continues

Runner at third, two down for Jeter, he lines a two out single to the gap, one run scores, the Royals lead cut to 3-2

Womack grounds to first to end the two out rally

BOT 5: Gotay pops foul to third, one down -- Berroa flies out to right, two down -- DeJesus absolutely crushes one to deep right, ... it lands at the base of the wall??? sheesh, this park is BIG, a two out double -- Stottlemyre in to confer with Pavano

Runner at second, two down for Sweeney, he pops out to first to end the inning

3:33PM HST

TOP 6: Wood in for Royals to pitch to Sheffield -- full count to Sheffield, he grounds to third, one down -- Matsui grounds to second, two gone -- ARod hits the first pitch out to right field, a flyout that retires the side

BOT 6: Stairs jacks one the opposite way, a solo shot to left, the Royals lead 4-2

Long hits it REAL HARD to right, back to back jacks, the score is now 5-2 -- Stottlemyre out to stall, Sturtze and Stanton warm for the Yankees

Teahen flies out to left, one down -- Costa lines a single to right -- Torre out with the hook for Pavano

Sturtze in to pitch for NY -- he gets Buck to ground to short into an inning ending 643 double play

3:54PM HST

TOP 7: Tino goes down swinging, one down -- Posada lines a single to right -- Sisco and Nunez warming for Royals, during the mound visit

Bernie grounds to first into a 363 double play to retire the side

Seventh Inning Stench, Royals lead 5-2

BOT 7: Gotay pops the first pitch to short, one down -- Berroa also grounds to short, two away -- busy inning for Jeter, DeJesus also grounds to short to end the inning

4:04PM HST

TOP 8: The very hard throwing Sisco in for Royals -- Russ Johnson PH for Cano, he goes down swinging, very overmatched, one down -- Jeter flies to right, two away -- Womack lines a two out single to right

Runner at first, two down for Sheffield -- Hansen out to pull Sisco, Nunez will face Sheffield R-R

Sheffield grounds a ball up the middle, the second baseman fields and puts him out at first to retire the side

BOT 8: Gordon in to pitch for Yankees -- Sweeney grounds to short, one away -- Stairs goes down swinging on a foul tip to Posada, two gone -- Burgos warms for KC -- Long goes down swinging to end the inning

TOP 9: Burgos in to pitch for the Royals -- Matsui bloops a leadoff single to left -- ARod goes down swinging, one away -- Tino goes down on a checkswing, two down -- Posada is plunked on the left shin, runners now first and second with two down

Burgos works it full to Bernie, the payoff ... outside, ball four, the bases are now loaded for Sierra -- Hansen out to the mound

Stemle warming during the mound visit -- two down, bases loaded for Sierra, he grounds a ball up the middle, taken by Berroa, he throws to first to end the game

The Royals finally sweep a series ... and the frustration/pressing times of the early season are back again

FINAL: Royals win, 5-2

Yankees off to Minnesota for a three game series tomorrow

27UP 26DOWN ... 5 straight in the L column