Bronx, NY (Betting Express) - Jorge Posada hit a two-run homer and Karim Garcia added a three-run shot, as the New York Yankees opened a 10-game homestand with an 11-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Posada finished with three runs batted in and Nick Johnson added three hits and an RBI for New York, which has won five in a row and extended its lead in the AL East to 5 1/2 games over idle Boston. Alfonso Soriano knocked in two runs and Hideki Matsui chipped in an RBI with three runs scored.

Carlos Beltran went 3-for-4 with a homer and three runs batted in for the Royals, who took two of three from the Yankees last week at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City's lead in the AL Central was trimmed to two games over Chicago, as the White Sox beat Anaheim on Monday.

Kansas City starter Jose Lima was activated off the 15-day disabled list before the game and took the loss for the first time in 10 starts this season. Lima (7-1) had been sidelined since August 2 with a groin strain and the Yankees roughed him up for six runs on seven hits in just four innings.

Jeff Weaver (7-9) picked up the win for New York. He gave up four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. The righthander was tagged for nine runs and 13 hits against the Royals in his last outing last Wednesday.

The Yankees erased a 1-0 deficit with two runs in the bottom of the second. Three walks loaded the bases with two outs for Soriano, who delivered a single through the left side of the infield to score two runners.

New York tacked on four in the third. Derek Jeter led off with a triple to right-center and scored on a single by Jason Giambi. Bernie Williams then singled and Matsui followed with a double into the right field corner. Giambi scored easily, but Williams was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first. Posada then drilled his 22nd homer of the season into the right field seats to cap the uprising and give the Yankees a 6-1 cushion.

The Royals got one back in the fourth on an RBI single by Beltran, but a double play quickly ended the threat.

A three-run homer by Garcia off Paul Abbott made it 9-2 in the fifth. Williams led off with a single and Matsui drew a walk. After two fly balls, Garcia connected for his 10th homer of the season and second in as many games with a drive over the wall in right.

The Royals tried to make a game of it with two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

In the sixth, Beltran tripled in a run with two outs and scored on a single by Raul Ibanez to make it 9-4 and chase Weaver. Antonio Osuna got the last out of the sixth, but gave up back-to-back doubles to Ken Harvey and Brent Mayne to start the seventh, pulling Kansas City within 9-5. Mayne advanced to third on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch by Jeff Nelson to make it a three-run game.

The Yankees answered with a run in the home seventh for a 10-6 edge. A pair of walks, a sacrifice and an intentional walk loaded the bases. Jason Grimsley, who got himself into trouble, got Soriano to pop up into short right field, but Johnson grounded a single into right field to score one run. Posada was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second for the final out of the inning.

An RBI single by Posada in the eighth accounted for the final margin.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the second when Beltran led off with his 21st home run of the season.

Beltran finished a double shy of the cycle and is 10-for-16 with four homers and 11 RBI in his last five games.

The Yankees improved to 16-5 against the AL Central, including 8-0 at home.

The Royals are just 2-11 at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2000 season. Lima fell to 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA in eight lifetime appearances against the Yankees.