Recap: NY Yankees vs. Kansas City

Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Felipe Paulino pitched into the seventh inning while Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur each hit two-run home runs as the Kansas City Royals downed the New York Yankees, 6-0, in the opener of a three- game series.

Paulino (2-1) scattered six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings for Kansas City, which won for the second time in three games.

"We think that our rotation is starting to round out and he's a big part of the reason why," Royals manager Ned Yost said about Paulino.

Hiroki Kuroda (3-6) allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks through 5 1/3 innings for the Yankees, who dropped three straight games at Yankee Stadium for the first time since being swept by Boston in a three-game series from June 7-9, 2011.

Mark Teixeira returned to New York's starting lineup after being limited to one pinch-hit appearance during the weekend series against Cincinnati because of bronchial issues and went 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts.

The Royals jumped on Kuroda in the first inning when Moustakas followed Billy Butler's two-out single with a blast high off the right-field foul pole for a quick two-run advantage.

After New York stranded a runner on third in the bottom of the first, Kansas City added to its lead in the third when Jarrod Dyson led off the frame with a walk, stole second and came home on Eric Hosmer's double off the base of the wall in left field.

The Royals would later load the bases with two outs on a pair of walks by Moustakas and Alex Gordon, but Alcides Escobar grounded out to third to end the inning and keep it a 3-0 game.

The Yankees then threatened to break through in the home third after loading the bases with no outs on back-to-back singles by Russell Martin and Derek Jeter and a walk by Curtis Granderson.

But Paulino struck out Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez before Gordon made a running catch near the left-center field wall to rob Raul Ibanez of an extra- base hit.

New York failed to push a run across with a runner on third in both the fourth and sixth innings before Kansas City extended its lead in the seventh when Francoeur hammered a two-run shot over the left-center field wall off Freddy Garcia for a 5-0 cushion.

Irving Falu doubled, moved to third on a Dyson groundout and came home on a wild pitch by Garcia in the eighth inning to finalize the scoring as New York left a man on second in the seventh and ninth innings to end the game hitting 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

"That's just the kind of the way it's going right now. You have got to find a way to get through it. It's going end and tomorrow's a good day for it to end, but it's frustrating as we're going through it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said about his team's hitting woes.