Gordon, Paulino lead Royals to commanding 5-1 win over Yankees

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - When Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira go a combined 1-for-15, the New York Yankees are not going to win many games.

That was the case in a Saturday night loss to the Kansas City Royals. While Alex Gordon went 4-for-5 and Billy Butler drove in three runs, Felipe Paulino pitched six scoreless innings as the Royals defeated the Yankees 5-1.

Gordon's four hits matched his career high, accomplished seven other times. Butler stroked a two-run double in the first and doubled home Gordon in the fifth. Gordon's double in the two-run sixth scored Alcides Escobar.

Jeter can be excused for his off-night - grounding out four times - but he's still hitting .390. Teixeira's average, however, tumbled to .229, while Cano is hitting .255 with only four RBIs in 110 at-bats. Rodriguez has only six extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in 100 at-bats.

"They've got to go out and do it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "These are our players. You can try shaking up the lineup, but they're still going to have to hit and be productive. I believe in these guys. I didn't really have a track record like that, so I don't know what that feels like. I do know what it's like to struggle.

"It's very seldom when you have three guys with the track records they have and they are all in it together, but it's happening. These guys have fought through it before. They've went through struggles before and gotten out of them."

Paulino (1-0), who was making his first start of the season after being on the disabled list, gave up four hits, walked two and struck out six to earn the victory. He retired the first 11 batters he faced and didn't permit a hit until the fifth inning.

The Yankees, who have lost four of five, avoided being shut out for the fourth time thus far this season when Russell Martin homered off Jose Mijares in the seventh. Martin had three of the Yankees hits.

"We're not where we want to be, but we have a long, long way to go," Girardi said. "Our destiny is in front of us. Obviously you don't want to dig yourself a hole and we do need to start playing better."

Paulino's no-hitter ended with one out in the fifth when Raul Ibanez and Martin hit back-to-back singles. Eduardo Nunez drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Jeter, who grounded out.

"Getting Paulino back was huge for us," Gordon said. "He went out in his rehab assignment and was great in the minor leagues and just brought it right up here. Even before the game - just seeing him - he had a lot of confidence, ready to go, fired up. He was great tonight. It's early in the year still and we're starting to swing the bats better."

The Royals took advantage of a Jeter error to score two runs in the first inning. Jarrod Dyson reached first to lead off the inning when Jeter fumbled his grounder. Dyson advanced to third on Gordon's single. Butler, who leads all major leaguers with 148 doubles since the start of the 2009 season, slapped a two-bagger down the left-field line to score both.

Losing Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda has given up nine of his 18 runs in the first inning.

"I try not to think about it too much about the first inning," Kuroda said through an interpreter. "Even if I give up runs in the first inning I can still keep the game close and have our team get a chance to win the game. My goal is to keep the game close and go as deep as possible in the game."

Kuroda (2-4) was pulled after 4 1/3 innings, matching his shortest outing of the season. He was charged with three runs on six hits and three walks.

"We made Kuroda work," Jeff Francoeur said. "We made him throw a lot of pitches and that was our gameplan coming in. Gordo set the tone for us swinging; Billy had a couple of big hits."

Humberto Quintero stranded seven Royals' runners in the first five innings. He struck out to end the first with two runners on, flied out to center to leave the bases loaded in the third and grounded out to end the fifth with two runners on first and third.

NOTES: Yankees OF Nick Swisher, who has not played in six games because of a left hamstring strain, did everything in pre-game drills, including running the bases, and will likely return to the lineup Sunday. ... OF Brett Gardner, who is on the Yankees' disabled list with a strained right elbow, took batting practice. He is scheduled to hit again Sunday. If all goes well, he'll begin a minor league rehab assignment Monday. ... The Royals optioned RHP Louis Coleman to Class AAA Omaha to make roster room for Paulino. ... Royals RHP Greg Holland threw 28 pitches in batting practice with no problems. Holland, who is on the disabled list with a rib injury, is scheduled to play catch Monday and report Tuesday to Class AA Northwest Arkansas for a minor league rehab assignment. ... Kansas football coach Charlie Weis, who is a Yankee fan, attended the game and watched batting practice. He gave a Jayhawks jersey to Granderson, who is a big KU basketball fan.