NEW YORK — Brett Gardner, Brian McCann and Chase Headley homered during an eight-run first inning, and the Yankees quickly erased the memory of a lost weekend, romping past the American League Central-leading Kansas City Royals, 14-1, Monday to end a six-game skid.
Stephen Drew added another three-run homer off a favorite foil of the Yankees, Jeremy Guthrie (4-3), before the Yankees made an out in the second.
Slade Heathcott hit his first major league homer in the seventh as the Yankees bounced back from a sweep by Texas. They won for the second time in 12 games, beating the team that began the day with the best record in the majors.