KANSAS CITY — The Yankees feasted on home runs in the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium over the last week. Friday, they packed up that power up and brought it on the road.  Anthony Rizzo hit his major league-leading ninth home run of the season as the Bombers hit four homers total as they routed the Royals 12-2 at Kauffman Stadium in a rain-shortened, eight-inning game.

It was the season-high seventh straight win for the Yankees (14-6), who jumped into the lead in the majors with 29 homers.

Rizzo hit his major league-leading ninth home run of the season in the first inning. The two-run shot to left center tied the most homers that the 32-year old slugger has hit in a month — with one day to go. He also hit nine in May 2019.

Friday night, it was followed by a monster shot from Giancarlo Stanton. The 429-foot homer hit the front of the overhang above the visitors’ bullpen in left field. It was Stanton’s fourth home run of the season and his second in the last three games.

Aaron Judge hammered his sixth of the season off Collin Snider in the seventh, a three-run shot that gave the Yankees a cushion. The 389-foot shot to right-center field was his third in four games and the first time this season he has homered in back-to-back games.

Gleyber Torres tacked on with his second home run of the season, a 383-foot shot into the visitors bullpen in left field.

The power has been crucial for the Yankees in this stretch. They have hit 18 homers in their last seven games, which included the sweep of the six-game homestand the Bombers just completed.

“Obviously when we’ve been at our best we did well in our place and kind of know how to use that place to our advantage. But I also think it’s a lot of, eventually guys get just a little settled into the season and start to hit it, collectively swinging a little bit better,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think they are starting to get rewarded. There were a handful of games in there in the first week or two where we probably weren’t rewarded like I thought we would be for some good at bats or some well hit balls. Hopefully the weather starts heating up here a little bit so that our guys heat  up a little bit more.”

The first two weeks of the season, it was the pitchers — particularly Cortes — who were carrying the Yankees.

Friday night, Cortes just survived on his run support and not giving away too much.

He gave one back in the bottom of the inning on doubles by Whit Merrifield and Salvador Perez. The Yankees caught a break in the second when Bobby Witt, Jr. was picked off in a bizarre play at third base. Gleyber Torres chased him down and both dove, Witt sliding over the bag. Third base umpire Manny Gonzalez called him out, but replays showed that Torres’ hand to the back may have helped Witt off the base. Royals manager Mike Matheny came out to argue, but was ejected and the call was held up. After that, Edward Olivaries singled, took second on a passed ball and scored on Michael A. Taylor’s  line drive single to left.

Cortes was not as sharp as he has been to start the season.

He gave up two runs, just one earned, on seven hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out three. Cortes had just five swings and misses and was not getting the movement on his pitches that he has in the past.

Still, he fought through five innings, holding on. That is what has endeared him to his teammates and his manager.

“Competitive. I just love the way he competes,” Boone said. ” He  really likes playing the game. There’s a fearlessness to the way he plays the game. There’s a joy to the way he plays the game and wants the ball. There have been a couple times where we’ve been down. No, no more extra players on the bench at the end of the game and here he comes with his spikes on….It’s like he’s saying “I’m the one who’s going in,” and that  kind of stuff.

“He’s a lot of fun to manage,” Boone added. “It’s great to see him pitching the way he is.”

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