KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- C.C. Sabathia is pitching like an ace again, making the New York Yankees hopeful the 34-year-old left-hander can turn back the clock to when he was a big winner and throwing 200-plus innings every season.

Sabathia won his second straight start and third baseman Chase Headley belted a three-run homer as the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 Saturday night to snap a season-worst four-game losing streak.

Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez homered in the ninth, his 10th of the season and 664th of his career.

Sabathia (2-5), who snapped a career-high seven-game losing streak in beating Tampa Bay in his previous start, handcuffed the Royals on six hits, five of them singles, and permitted just one run over seven innings.

"It felt good," Sabathia said. "That's what I'm out there to do. We've been playing so well and we haven't had many bad streaks. To get this win felt good. To be able to come in and shut them down, it feels good. It's a good team."

Sabathia, who was restricted to eight starts last year before knee surgery in July, has lowered his ERA from 5.45 to 4.67 in his past two starts.

"He was tremendous and we didn't play flawless defense behind him," Headley said. "But he picked us up and did a great job. We had a lot of confidence in him even when things weren't going his way."

After Sabathia was removed, Yankees relievers Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller continued their late inning dominance. Betances worked a spotless eighth and has not given up an earned run and only eight hits in 21 innings. He struck out first baseman Eric Hosmer to end the inning, fanning 21 of the past 42 batters he has faced.

Miller, who worked a hitless ninth, has not given up a run in 17 2/3 innings this season.

While Sabathia was efficient, throwing 64 strikes in 87 pitches, walking none and striking out five, Royals starter Danny Duffy (2-3) was anything but.

Headley hit a three-run homer in the fifth to put the Yankees ahead 4-1.

"Obviously, we've been grinding a little bit to score runs," Headley said. "I got down in the count and was able to fight my way back into it."

Said Sabathia, "For him to hit a 3-2 changeup, just a great at-bat. Everybody was excited."

Left-hander Duffy retired the first two batters of the inning before yielding singles to first baseman Mark Teixeira and right fielder Carlos Beltran, and Headley brought them home by pounding a full-count changeup into the Royals' bullpen.

"You never want to throw a changeup up," Duffy said. "He's been around a long time. He's probably sitting on it."

Duffy exited after five innings and 113 pitches. In his past three starts, he has allowed 14 runs on 15 hits and 10 walks in 8 2/3 innings.

"I can't recall a stretch like this in the last three or four years for me, but you have to stay even keel," Duffy said. "I feel great, strong as ever. I didn't locate a changeup and lost my fastball command in that one inning. It was one bad inning (third) and one bad pitch. It's frustrating. I know I'm better than these results."

Royals manager Ned Yost, however, dodged a question on whether Duffy would remain in the rotation.

"We just got through with the ballgame, so any decision we're going to make about anything ain't going to be made tonight," Yost replied.

It appears the Royals' patience may be stretching with the talented, but erratic 26-year-old.

"When you throw 113 pitches in five innings, you've got an issue somewhere," Yost said. "If you're looking on the bright side, it was a little bit better. His feel and touch was better. He was staying within himself better, but the results still weren't there."

NOTES: Yankees RHP Mashiro Tanaka, who is on the disabled list, is scheduled for a bullpen session Monday. If all goes well, he could start a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday. ... The Royals purchased the Blanton's contract from Triple-A Omaha, where he was 3-2 with a 3.89 ERA in seven appearances, six of them starts. Blanton, 34, last pitched in the majors in 2013 with the Angels. ... In corresponding moves, the Royals recalled LHP Brian Flynn from Omaha and placed him on the 60-day DL with a latissimus dorsi tear. Rookie RHP Aaron Brooks was optioned to the Storm Chasers. ... The Yankees recalled RHP Bryan Mitchell from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and optioned RHP Jose Ramirez to the same club. ... Yankees LHP Chris Capuano, who missed the first 38 games with a strained right quadriceps, will be activated Sunday and start the series finale. The Royals will counter with RHP Edinson Volquez.