Royals beat the Yankees in first game under new skipper

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals got the Buddy Bell era off to a good start with a rare victory.

Hours after hiring Bell as their new manager, the Royals snapped a six-game losing streak and beat the New York Yankees for just the second time in 10 tries with a 5-3 win Tuesday night. Zack Greinke also went five innings for his first win in 15 starts.

''I feel great right now,'' the 53-year-old Bell said. ''I forgot how much you have to pay attention. I loved it, man. Right now, I feel whatever it feels like to run a marathon ... I probably feel close to it.''

Bell's arrival was greeted with enthusiasm by the Royals, who had become undisciplined and sloppy under Tony Pena, who resigned on May 10. The Royals lost a franchise-record 104 games a year ago.

''Just talking to some guys around the team, he was the person they had some really good things to say about,'' Greinke said. ''People who have played for him or just knew him somehow said he's going to be perfect for us. I don't know if that's what the fans' main guy was. But just about everybody I've talked to, that was the guy they wanted.''

Bell, who had been working as Cleveland's bench coach, discovered he missed managing more than he'd realized.

''I think so. It was the first time in a while I didn't have to do something to get my heart started,'' he said. ''It did it on its own. I'm sure I'll get a good night's sleep tonight.''

Still, Bell faces a daunting rebuilding project with a team that could be headed for record losses -- the Royals are just 14-37. Yet, he was given a contract only through 2007.

''I really don't think the length of the contract has anything to do with the situation here,'' said Dan Glass, president of the Royals and son of owner David Glass. ''If he performs well and we all perform well and give him the ammunition he needs from the front office standpoint, we'll all be in good shape. Two and a half years in today's baseball world is a long time.''

Yankees manager Joe Torre agreed, however, that a relatively short contract could be a problem if you have a team with selfish and undisciplined players.

''I don't think managers are as concerned about the length of the contract as much as how players perceive it,'' Torre said. ''A lot of times if you have some things you're trying to get across and the players sense they're going to outlast you, then it could become a problem,'' Torre said. ''But of course, if you have those type of players on your club, you may not be successful anyway.''

Bell met David Glass' demand that the new manager have previous major league managerial experience. The last time the Royals hired a manager with major league experience was in 1987 when Billy Gardner replaced the ailing Dick Howser.

Bell, a five-time All-Star third baseman, last managed at Colorado in April 2002.

''We're very excited about this,'' general manager Allard Baird said. ''If you look at his career -- 18 years in the big leagues -- he's a teacher, a communicator. He's been there and has experienced it as a player and as a teacher. He has patience but is extremely demanding.''

Matt Stairs and Emil Brown each collected two hits against the Yankees, who have lost three in a row. They were under the direction of bench coach Joe Girardi while Torre served a one-game suspension.

The Yankees have totaled just six runs during their losing streak.

''We hit some balls hard early and they made some pretty good defensive plays,'' Girardi said. ''We gave them a couple of runs and we kind of took one away from ourselves and that was the difference in the game.''

The Yankees, who had won six straight series openers, got the first two batters on base in the seventh. But Tony Womack's grounder forced Derek Jeter at second and Mike Wood picked Womack off first. Reliever Andrew Sisco then retired pinch-hitter Gary Sheffield on a deep fly to center.

''You want to say it's never going to happen, but it happens at times,'' Girardi said off Womack getting picked off by a right-hander. ''The guy has a good move. That was difficult.''

Kevin Brown (4-5) lost for the first time in five decisions as the major league-worst Royals won a series opener for just the fourth time in 18 tries.

Greinke, winless since beating Detroit last Sept. 9, was removed after the fifth inning with a 5-3 lead. The right-hander, who had averaged only one run of support in his 10 starts, gave up three hits, including Hideki Matsui's two-run homer. He walked three and struck out two.

Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his third save in five opportunities.

Matsui snapped a career-worst span of 180 homerless at-bats when he hit Greinke's pitch 416 feet over the fence in right, putting the Yankees ahead 2-0 in the second.

The Royals got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Ruben Gotay's RBI single, then took a 3-2 lead in the third on Brown's RBI double and Terrence Long's fielder's choice grounder.

The Yankees' other hits off Greinke came in the fourth, when Bernie Williams hit the first of his two doubles and scored on Jason Giambi's RBI single.

Gotay walked with one out in the fourth and eventually scored on a throwing error by second baseman Robinson Cano for a 4-3 lead.

Stairs doubled leading off the fifth and Long's sacrifice fly made it 5-3.

Notes: The Yankees are beginning a 12-game road trip, their longest in two years, going to Kansas City, Minnesota, Milwaukee and St. Louis ... The Royals purchased the contract of outfielder Shane Costa on Tuesday and designated outfielder Eli Marrero for assignment ... Williams drew his 1,000th career walk in the second inning.