NEW YORK, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Chuck Knoblauch singled twice and scored a run in his return to the Bronx as the Kansas City Royals snapped a seven-game losing streak to the New York Yankees Tuesday night with a 6-2 victory.
Knoblauch went 2-for-5 to raise his batting average to .199. He was greeted by mostly cheers in his return to Yankee Stadium, where he played the previous four seasons, helping New York to three World Series titles.
Raul Ibanez and Michael Tucker combined for seven hits and four RBI for the Royals, who totaled 17 hits in the first meeting between the teams this season. Kansas City still has lost 50 of the past 68 games between baseball's ultimate small- and large-market clubs.
The Royals teed off on Mike Mussina (13-6), who allowed five runs and a career-high 14 hits over seven innings. He was 12-5 with a 3.01 ERA in 25 appearances against the Royals.
Rookie Runelvys Hernandez (2-1) was the beneficiary of Kansas City's offensive outburst, picking up the win after yielding two runs and four hits in six innings. He combined with three relievers on a four-hitter.
Raul Mondesi hit a two-run homer for the Yankees, who returned home from a 7-5 road trip. They still have the best record in the American League at 69-42 and remained four games ahead of second-place Boston in the Eastern Division.
The Royals won for just the third time in 15 games and moved within 22 1/2 games of first-place Minnesota in the Central Division.
