KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Maikel Garcia hit a game-ending two run double off Yankees closer Clay Holmes, and the Kansas City Royals recovered after squandering a brilliant start by Alec Marsh to beat New York 4-3 on Thursday and avoid a four-game sweep.
Marsh took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning against the major league-best Yankees (49-22), who had outscored the Royals 25-8 in the first three games of the series. He allowed Juan Soto's leadoff single in that frame and then retired the next three batters to conclude his 96-pitch outing.
New York immediately went to work in the eighth against reliever John Schreiber. Anthony Rizzo homered to get the Yankees within 2-1. An error by second baseman Garrett Hampson set up Anthony Volpe's RBI grounder. Angel Zerpa came in and gave up Soto's go-ahead RBI single.
With one out in the ninth against Holmes (1-2), Drew Waters hit a grounder that went for an infield hit after Holmes and first baseman Rizzo were confused about who would field the ball. After a fielder's-grounder, Kyle Isbel singled to bring up Garcia, who hit a liner down the left-field line to score MJ Melendez from third and Isbel from first.
It was the fourth blown save in 23 chances for Holmes.
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James McArthur (3-3) worked a scoreless ninth for Kansas City, which snapped a four-game skid. The Royals finished 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
Nestor Cortes gave up two runs in seven innings for New York to lower his road ERA to 5.57 from 6.17. The left-hander's ERA at Yankee Stadium is 1.77.
Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games with a fourth-inning single and came in to score on Vinnie Pasquantino's two-run double off the wall in left-center. That gave the Royals their first lead in the series.
The Royals threatened again in the sixth. Witt led off with a single, but was caught stealing on a pickoff throw by Cortes. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro was ejected after arguing that Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres blocked Witt's path to the bag.
TRANSACTIONS
The Royals recalled LHP Anthony Veneziano from Triple-A Omaha and optioned LHP Daniel Lynch to Omaha.
UP NEXT
The Yankees travel to Boston Friday to begin a three-game series against the Red Sox. RHP Luis Gil (8-1, 2.04 ERA) will face RHP Brayan Bello (6-3, 4.78 ERA).
The Royals head to Los Angeles for a three-game series against the Dodgers. LHP Cole Ragans (4-4, 3.08 ERA) will get the start for Kansas City against RHP Gavin Stone (7-2, 2.93 ERA).
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