Yankees 6, Royals 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira hit two-run homers and C.C. Sabathia won his fourth straight start as the New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-2 Friday night.

Jeter, who is hitting .575 against left-handed pitchers and .404 overall, homered with Chris Stewart aboard on a 2-2 Bruce Chen pitch. The Yankees batted around in a four-run seventh, which included a run-producing Eduardo Nunez triple and a Stewart RBI-single. All the runs scored after two out.

Sabathia (4-0) allowed two runs on three hits in the first, but blanked the Royals the next seven innings. Sabathia, who improved to 18-10 against the Royals, allowed seven hits in eight innings, while striking out five and walking none. Sabathia, who departed after 108 pitches, retired 12 in a row after Alcides Escobar's two-out second inning triple.

Chen (0-4) matched Sabathia until the fatal seventh. He was pulled after Jeter's homer, giving up six runs on nine hits and a walk, while striking out four, in 6 2/3 innings. Chen, the Royals' Opening Day starter, has not won since Sept. 23 and the club is winless in his six starts this season.

David Robertson, who has not allowed a run in 12 appearances this season, struck out the side in the ninth.

The Royals stranded three runners at third base and one at second.

Teixeira, who was in a 5-for-38 slide and had not homered in 40 at-bats, hit the Chen pitch over the Royals left-field bullpen in the first with Jeter aboard. Jeter, who had four hits Thursday, opened the game with a single on Chen's first offering.

The Royals tied the score in the bottom of the inning, which Jarrod Dyson led off with an infield single and scored on Alex Gordon's double. Jeff Francoeur two-out double to right-center brought home George.

The Yankees threatened in the fourth, which began with Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez singles. Chen, however, got a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play. He struck out Robinson Cano and Teixeira was thrown out by Brayan Pena trying to steal third on the pitch.

Notes: The Yankees made five roster moves Friday. They recalled RHP Cody Eppley from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, who was with the Yankees earlier this season, allowing one earned run in 5 1/3 innings. They purchased the contract of OF Dwayne Wise from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he was hitting .333 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 20 games. Wise has played in the majors with Toronto, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Chicago White Sox and Florida. He has a .202 average in 69 games in the big leagues. The Yankees optioned RHP D.J. Mitchell to their International League farm club, placed RHP Mariano Rivera on the 15-day disabled list and transferred RHP Michael Pineda to the 60-day DL. ... Royals RHP Greg Holland is scheduled to throw batting practice Saturday. If he has no setbacks, he will play catch Monday and be sent out Tuesday for a minor league rehab assignment. Holland is on the disabled list with a left rib stress reaction. ... The Royals will activate RHP Felipe Paulino on Saturday and start him against the Yankees. He went on the disabled list at the end of spring training with a right forearm strain. The Royals will likely send a pitcher to the minors to make room for Paulino. ... Yankees OF Nick Swisher, who has missed five games with a strained left hamstring, took batting practice and ran in the outfield Friday. He is scheduled to run the bases Saturday and is close to returning.