with four runs in the eighth inning, but the hole dug by Pineda and his bullpen proved much too deep.Its unusual, Yankees manager Joe Girardi sai

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda retired 15 straight against perhaps baseballs hottest team.He also gave up three runs in the first inning and two more in the seventh.The wildly inconsistent outing by the wildly mercurial right-hander doomed New York in an 8-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. New York tried to rally with four runs in the eighth inning, but the hole dug by Pineda and his bullpen proved much too deep.Its unusual, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. At times hes really, really good. Then there are times when he leaves the ball up or doesnt quite get it high enough or doesnt quite get it low enough and they put it in play and they are base hits.Lorenzo Cain, Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon drove in runs off Pineda (6-11) during a five-hit salvo in the first inning. Pineda then went on his blistering streak before getting in a two-on, no-outs jam in the seventh that led to Alcides Escobars three-run homer off reliever Blake Parker.Pineda was charged with five runs and seven hits in six-plus innings, striking out eight.Even in the first inning, I was making a good pitch and they got a pretty good swing and got a base hit, Pineda said. Its a really good lineup.Dillon Gee (6-7) allowed only four hits and a run in the latest impressive start by the Royals staff, helping the reigning World Series champions win for the 18th time in 22 games.Just did a great job of executing pitches, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Worked up in the strike zone, worked down. Worked side-to-side really effectively.Starlin Castro drove in two runs for the Yankees, the second in a four-run eighth inning that forced Yost to summon fill-in closer Kelvin Herrera for the four-out save.He retired Mark Teixeira to get out of that jam. Herrera then put runners on the corners in the ninth but calmly struck out Castro to wrap up his 11th save.The Royals (69-62) were seven games below .500 on Aug. 6, nearly left for dead 11 games back in the AL Central. But their impressive run fueled by sharp pitching, timely hitting and a dominant back of the bullpen has thrust the scrappy bunch back into the playoff chase.They are 5 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the division and just two behind the second wild card.It was a frustrating night for the Yankees, who had elbowed their own way back in the playoff chase. They were a half-game behind Kansas City at the start of the night, but their second straight loss on the heels of a four-game winning streak was costly against a fellow contender.Girardis frustration was evident when he was tossed by plate umpire Brian ONora for arguing balls and strikes with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning.Didi Gregorius proceeded to deliver a two-run double, and the Yankees tacked on two more runs against the Kansas City bullpen before Herrera put a stop to their rally.Two different strike zones. Its unfortunate, Girardi said of his ejection. Even the broadcasters were talking about it in the eighth and ninth inning. I dont know why. Im frustrated by it. I dont know if you give the catchers credit. I know the last inning and the inning before that Im watching on TV and I see it. Oh-1 is a lot different than 1-and-oh a lot of times.STATS AND STREAKSThe Royals have cut 7 1/2 games from their wild-card deficit in 22 games. ... Pineda lost for the first time since July 31 at Tampa Bay, snapping a four-start win streak. ... Yankees CF Jacoby Ellsbury reached base on catchers interference for the 11th time this season, extending his major league record.AWARD WINNERSYankees C Gary Sanchez won his second straight AL player of the week award. He hit .522 with three doubles, five homers and nine RBI while walking five times in six games. ... Royals 1B Eric Hosmer and Yankees SS Gregorius were chosen from their teams for the Heart and Hustle Award from the Major League Baseball Players Association.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals RHP Luke Hochevar said he experienced instant relief after surgery for symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. The reliever will begin rehab soon. The swelling, the coldness is gone, he said. I havent had any of that happen since surgery.UP NEXTYankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka has tossed 14 2/3 scoreless innings over his last two starts. He takes on Royals RHP Edinson Volquez, who has won his last two decisions. Cheap Wholesale Adidas Nmd . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Cheap Adidas Shoes Wholesale . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. http://www.stansmithdiscount.com/discount-nmd-shoes.html . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Cheap Stan Smith Wholesale . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Adidas Clearance Sale . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. NEW YORK -- A former New York Islanders co-owner who received a 10-year prison term for a fraud conviction had his sentence cut in half Wednesday by a judge who cited his good deeds and cooperation with prosecutors.U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska in Manhattan said Paul Greenwood, 69, deserved a reduction to five years. She noted that he regularly did charitable acts long before he became embroiled in an over half-billion-dollar financial fraud that spanned a dozen years.The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ordered the resentencing this year, saying another judge wrongly based the 10-year sentence in part on a finding that Greenwood had left some individuals financially devastated.Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Masella said 98 to 99 percent of investors money had been recovered, and the government sent the judge a letter citing the role Greenwoods substantial cooperation had played in the prosecution of another defendant, Stephen Walsh.Walsh eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.Greenwood and Walsh owned a controlling interest in the Islanders hockey team from 1992 to 1996.Greenwood pleaded guilty in 2010 to securities fraud, admittting cheating charities, schools and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars.dddddddddddd He used a portion of the money to buy collectible teddy bears and to invest in $100,000 horses.According to a 2008 magazine article, Greenwoods collection of teddy bears included more than 1,350 Steiff toys. Among them were 74 bears, plus birds, cats, insects, dinosaurs, kangaroos, seals and squirrels.Prosecutors said Walsh and Greenwood carried out the fraud from 1996 through February 2009, cheating institutional investors in particular.During those years, the men operated a securities business while Greenwood lived in North Salem, Connecticut. The businesses included WG Trading Co. LP, based in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Westridge Capital Management Inc., in Santa Barbara, California.Five years ago, Greenwood moved to Southern Pines, North Carolina, where his lawyer said he regularly tutored veterans and performed other charity work.Speaking by phone from prison Wednesday, Greenwood again apologized.I cannot express deeply enough how sorry I am, he said. ' ' '