KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Zack Greinke tried to give Royals manager Matt Quatraro the ball when they met on the mound Sunday, just as the six-time All-Star had done so many times over the years, when he was departing for a reliever amid one of his 541 starts.
Quatraro gave the ball right back to him.
The famously reserved Greinke stuck it in his back pocket as he walked off the field, quite possibly for the final time in his big league career. And with help from a trio of home runs, and a Kansas City bullpen that held the New York Yankees in check the rest of the way, Greinke was able to enjoy a 5-2 victory and his 225th career win.