KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brian Bannister and the Kansas City Royals got the best of Alex Rodriguez.

A-Rod struck out four times in a game for only the fourth time in his major league career, and the Royals won their home opener 5-2 over the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

In a matchup of top young pitchers, Bannister (2-0) bested Phil Hughes (0-1) as the Yankees opened a stretch that has them playing 18 of 20 games on the road – returning home only for two meetings with the World Series champion Boston Red Sox on April 16-17.

With captain Derek Jeter sidelined for the three-game series by a strained left quadriceps, the Yankees (4-4) wasted a 2-1 second-inning lead against a team it took nine of 10 from last season. New York struck out 11 times in all, three by Jeter’s replacement at shortstop, Wilson Betemit.

Ross Gload drove in two runs for the Royals, who at 5-2 under new manager Trey Hillman are off to their best start since opening 2003 with nine straight wins. The running Royals stole five bases off Jorge Posada – three by Joey Gathright – were caught only once and beat New York for only the fourth time in their last 23 meetings.

Pitching on a cold and overcast afternoon, Bannister (2-0) allowed two runs, five hits and four walks in five innings, striking out six. Joakim Soria pitched the ninth for his fourth save in four opportunities.

Hughes gave up three runs, six hits and four walks, throwing 87 pitches in just three-plus innings.

Orioles 8, Rangers 1

ARLINGTON, Texas – The surprising Baltimore Orioles can win on the road too.

Scott Moore and Luke Scott hit early home runs and Baltimore ruined the Texas Rangers’ home opener with an 8-1 victory Tuesday. The Orioles (6-1) have the American League’s best record and a six-game winning streak, already matching their longest of last season. Moore led off the second with a homer, and Scott followed an inning later with a two-run shot that made it 4-0 off Jason Jennings (0-2). Aubrey Huff matched a career high with four hits, and drove in four runs.

Brian Burres (1-0) allowed only one run pitching into the seventh, when he gave up a leadoff single that turned into the only Texas run. Burres struck out three and allowed seven hits, six of them singles.

Jennings, who joined Hall of Famer and new team president Nolan Ryan as the only Texas natives to start a Rangers home opener, struggled with his command. The homers came after Jennings threw 16 of his first 25 pitches for balls and walked the bases loaded in the first before an inning-ending grounder on which he covered first base – then, in frustration, hurled the ball deep into the stands.

Athletics 9, Blue Jays 8

TORONTO – Ryan Sweeney hit a tiebreaking triple in the ninth inning, and the Oakland Athletics ended the Toronto Blue Jays’ three-game winning streak with a 9-8 victory.

Kurt Suzuki singled up the middle off right-hander Jeremy Accardo (0-1) with two outs in the ninth. Sweeney then hit a triple to right. He finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Alan Embree (1-1) got the win despite allowing a game-tying two-run homer to Frank Thomas in the eighth. The homer was Thomas’ third of the season and third in three games.

Mariners 6, Rays 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Moving from Baltimore to Seattle hasn’t changed Erik Bedard’s mastery of Tampa Bay.

The left-hander, acquired in an offseason trade, struggled through six innings but got enough support from the Mariners’ sputtering offense to ruin the Rays’ home opener with a 6-5 win on Tuesday night.