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NEW YORK -- Obtained by the Yankees from Arizona in separate July trades, Brandon McCarthy and Martin Prado are doing their best to keep alive New Yorks slim playoff hopes. McCarthy won for the second time in six starts and Prado had three hits as the Yankees feasted on Kansas Citys bullpen in a 6-2 win Saturday after Royals starter Danny Duffy left because of an injury following his first pitch. McCarthy, dealt on July 6, allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings with four strikeouts and a walk. He is 6-4 with a 2.87 ERA for the Yankees after going 3-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 18 starts for the Diamondbacks. "Its nice just to contribute," he said. "I spent the first half of the season being a hindrance on an organization, and thats something that doesnt sit well. So to come somewhere where theres a playoff race going on, and youre a positive influence on something thats helping the team win, thats really all you can ask for." Prado, acquired on July 31, played for the first time since straining his left hamstring Tuesday and had three hits, raising his average to .309 with the Yankees. He hit .270 with the Diamondbacks. Prados 10th multihit effort in his last 16 games fueled a rare offensive outburst by the weak-hitting Yankees, who scored as many as six runs for the first time since Aug. 29. A night earlier, a 1-0 loss in the series opener dropped them 4 1/2 games back for the ALs second wild card. "Hitting is contagious, I believe," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It just picks your club up Its uplifting. The last 20 games, hes been unbelievable." The Yankees scored all their runs in the first five innings off Liam Hendriks and Casey Coleman, called on because of Duffys sore left shoulder. Prado doubled off Hendriks (1-1) with two outs in the first and gave his hamstring a test when he came around on Mark Teixeiras single. "I was like, please, just let me get to home plate," Prado said. Prado said he is playing at less than 100 per cent but wants to be in the lineup as the Yankees try to avoid missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1992 and 93. "Im trying to be smart," Prado said. "I want to be in there for my teammates." After Alex Gordons RBI bloop single tied the score in the third, the Yankees went ahead for good in the bottom half on Jacoby Ellsburys run-scoring triple and Derek Jeters sacrifice fly. Chase Headley make it 4-1 in the fourth when he scored from third after Perez overthrew third base for an error on a pickoff attempt. Carlos Beltran doubled in a run in the fifth and scored on a single by pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki. Mike Moustakas had a sacrifice fly in the seventh, ending McCarthys day, but Shawn Kelley, Dellin Betances and David Robertson combined for hitless relief. New York relievers have thrown 11 innings of scoreless, three-hit relief in their last four games with 14 strikeouts and no walks. "Just a good team game," McCarthy said. Kansas City (78-62) remained two games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central, but the Royals were far more concerned with the state of Duffys left shoulder. Duffy, who returned in August 2013 following elbow ligament-replacement surgery, entered the day with a 2.44 ERA, third-best in the AL. "We will send him home tomorrow and get an MRI to see what we are dealing with," Royals manager Ned Yost said. Kansas City scored four runs or fewer for the eighth straight game -- including a suspended game against Cleveland on Aug. 31 that will resume on Sept. 22. But the Royals are 4-3 in that span thanks to their pitching. "We will get a hit here and there, but not really consistent all-around," Gordon said. "We just need to get more consistent and have some big innings." TRAINERS ROOM Royals: RHP Greg Holland was missed his second straight game due to a tight right triceps. "Hopefully a day or two or three recovery and be ready to go," Yost said. ... DH Josh Willingham returned Saturday after missing six games because of a sore back and went 1 for 4. Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka threw a 34-pitch bullpen session. Girardi said the club needs to see Tanaka pitch in a game this season to know whether he can pitch without surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. ... C Francisco Cervelli missed the game because of a migraine. ... OF Brett Gardner didnt play after aggravating an abdominal injury Friday. Girardi said he was questionable at best for Sunday. UP NEXT Yankees RHP Shane Greene (4-2) opposes Royals RHP Yordano Ventura (11-9) in the series finale after a pregame ceremony on Derek Jeter Day. BETANCES MOVING ON UP: Betances threw a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout, his 125th of the season. Thats the second-most in team history for a reliever, three strikeouts ahead of Rich Gossage in 1978 and five shy of Mariano Rivera in 1996. "Look at the names -- one Hall of Famer and one just waiting four more years," Girardi said. "Thats how dominant he has been this year, and how good he has been." THE M&M BOYS: McCarthy credited catcher John Ryan Murphy -- whom hed never thrown to before Saturday -- for helping him labour through a 105-pitch effort on a humid 89-degree afternoon. "Wasnt really sharp, but I felt like Murphy did a good job getting me through it and making sure we could kind of keep going deeper into the game and make those runs that they gave me early hold up," McCarthy said. "Just kind of one of those days where youre working for everything you get. Nothing really comes easy." ELLSBURY DOES IT ALL: Ellsbury went 1 for 4 and is hitting .359 with 13 RBIs in his last 18 games. Ellsbury also saved at least two hits in centre: He ran down a potential RBI extra-base hit by Josh Willingham in the gap in the fourth and caught Gordons sinking liner in the eighth. "Hes a tremendous centre fielder," Girardi said. "As good as it gets." Robin Yount Jersey . Perhaps as important, shes sending a message to 17-year-old gold medal favourite Sara Takanashi of Japan. Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday. Tyler Austin Brewers Jersey . A judge had summoned Clemens and Brian McNamee to federal court in Brooklyn for settlement talks aimed at heading off a trial in the defamation case. McNamees lawyer emerged saying an agreement wasnt likely. "I think this is a case where the lines are deeply drawn in the sand," said attorney Richard Emery. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/ . The Italian side scored twice in a four-minute span in the second half to defeat former stars from S. Chase Anderson Jersey . Vargas (8-3) allowed four singles and two walks while striking out five, allowing only two runners from a diluted Twins lineup to reach second base. Mike Moustakas and Jarrod Dyson hit RBI singles in the second inning against Kevin Correia (4-10), and that was all Vargas needed. Tyrone Taylor Brewers Jersey . HEROES P.K. Subban – Scored the overtime winner and assisted on Montreal’s earlier goal, both on the power play, in a 2-1 win over Nashville.MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Bucks centre Larry Sanders will be out until at least the All-Star break this weekend with a fractured bone near his eye. Coach Larry Drew announced before the teams game Monday night against the Boston Celtics that he was told earlier in the day that Sanders was injured when he was elbowed in the right eye by Houstons James Harden as the two went for a rebound early in Saturday nights game.ddddddddddddDrew believes the fracture is in the orbital bone, and adds that Sanders is experiencing double vision in the eye. Sanders missed nearly two months early this season after tearing a thumb ligament in a fight at a Milwaukee night club. Zaza Pachulia was scheduled to start in Sanders absence against Boston. ' ' '