Pettitte gets first win as Yankees end skid

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte gained his first win of the season to help his side to a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.

Kansas City (6-3) won the series 2-1.

Pettitte, who was rocked for eight hits and five runs over five innings in last week's 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay, was more effective in Kansas City after a rough first inning.

The 35-year-old left hander gave up a run-scoring single to Jose Guillen in the first, then kept Kansas City scoreless into the seventh, when he was replaced by Joba Chamberlain.

"I didn't have much at all in the first couple of innings, and I was extremely fortunate to get through that," Pettitte told reporters. "I really just felt terrible and the ball was coming out of my hand awfully bad but I was able to get through it."

A rain delay of 22 minutes in the fourth inning may have helped Pettitte, his manager said.

"I thought his stuff got sharper," Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters about the effect the delay had on Pettitte's pitching. "Sometimes that happens. It was not a long delay, but he did get sharper.

Pettitte walked two and struck out one while scattering five hits and a revamped Yankees lineup provided plenty of support, pounding out 12 hits.

Melky Cabrera hit a solo home run in the third inning before he drove in another run in the fifth.

Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada also homered for the Yankees, hitting back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning.

Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu did not play with Hideki Matsui playing right field for the first time since 2005 to give Abreu a rest. Derek Jeter also missed the game due to injury.

John Bale (0-2) worked six innings, giving up eight hits and four runs for the loss.

The Yankees head to Boston for their first meeting of the season with the World Series champion Red Sox on Friday. Both teams are 5-5.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)