NEW YORK (AP) – James Shields took a two-hitter into the ninth inning and Nori Aoki lined a run-scoring single in the third following Chase Headley’s two-base error, leading the Kansas City Royals over the New York Yankees 1-0 Friday night.
Two starts after losing to the Yankees 8-1 in one of his worst outings this season, Shields (13-7) retired his first 11 batters before Brett Gardner’s double in the fourth. Headley singled in the fifth, and Gardner flied out to the right-field warning track in the sixth.
Shields retired 11 straight before Derek Jeter singled softly with one out in the ninth. Wade Davis relieved, and pinch-runner Antoan Richardson stole second before Gardner struck out swinging on a 3-2 fastball.
Carlos Beltran took a called third strike, giving Davis his first big league save. Davis has fanned 92 batters in 62 1-3 innings this season.
A night after Mark Teixeira and Headley had ninth-inning homers for a 5-4 win over Boston, the Yankees rarely hit the ball hard against Shields, who induced 12 groundouts. He allowed three hits in 8 1-3 innings, struck out five, walked none and hit a batter with a pitch.