Elvis Andrus hit a winning single in the ninth inning after making pair of fielding gaffes, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Friday night.
With the score 3-3, Matt Chapman doubled over leaping third baseman Hanser Alberto with one out and Seth Brown was intentionally walked by Scott Barlow (2-2).
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Elvis Andrus hit a winning single in the ninth inning after making pair of fielding gaffes, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Friday night.
Andrus made a two-out fielding error on Michael Taylor’s grounder to shortstop that led to an unearned run in the eighth. Andrus then was slow on his throw to second baseman Jed Lowrie on Hanser Alberto’s grounder, extending the inning.
Kansas City has lost six of seven.
Brown snapped a 1 for 30 funk with his two-run homer off Brady Singer in the fourth.
FOR STARTERS
GLOVE WORK
Royals: Manager Mike Matheny was pleased with how well LHP Danny Duffy threw Thursday but said how Duffy responds a day after is more important. Duffy has been on the injured list since May 17 with a left forearm flexor strain.
Andrus, whose .213 average coming in was 140th among 143 qualified batters, followed with a sharp liner to right, and Chapman scored with a headfirst slide ahead of Jarrod Dyson's throw.
Oakland Athletics' Elvis Andrus, top right, is congratulated by teammates after hitting a single to score Matt Chapman during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 11, 2021. (AP PhotoJeff Chiu)
Andrus made a two-out fielding error on Michael Taylor’s grounder to shortstop that led to an unearned run in the eighth. Andrus then was slow on his throw to second baseman Jed Lowrie on Hanser Alberto’s grounder, extending the inning.
Seth Brown homered to snap a long funk for the A’s. Chapman had three hits including an RBI double.
Salvador Pérez hit solo homers in the seventh against Cole Irvin and the eighth against former teammate Jake Diekman, becoming the first Kansas City player to homer twice from the seventh inning on since Mike Moustakas at Baltimore on Sept. 12, 2015. He joined Bo Jackson in 1987 as the only Royals with three multihomer games by the end of June.
Oakland Athletics' Elvis Andrus, top, is congratulated by Seth Brown after hitting a single to score Matt Chapman during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 11, 2021. (AP PhotoJeff Chiu)
Kansas City has lost six of seven.
Lou Trivino (3-2) retired four batters.
The A’s are 7-2 in June, tied with the Angels and Brewers for the best in the majors.
Pérez hit his 15th home run of the season leading off the seventh, then connected for a tying shot in the eighth for his ninth career multihomer game.
Oakland Athletics' Seth Brown, center, celebrates after hitting a two-run home run that also scored Matt Chapman (26) during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 11, 2021. Royals catcher Salvador Perez, right, looks on. (AP PhotoJeff Chiu)
Brown snapped a 1 for 30 funk with his two-run homer off Brady Singer in the fourth.
PLAY AT THE PLATE
The Royals bungled a chance to add on in the eighth when Andrew Benintendi was thrown out trying to score from first on Hunter Dozier’s bloop to center. Benintendi appeared to hesitate briefly after rounding third, and A’s first baseman Matt Olson made a perfect relay throw to catcher Aramis Garcia who tagged Benintendi as he slid headfirst,.
Oakland Athletics' Seth Brown cannot catch a single by Kansas City Royals' Jorge Soler during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 11, 2021. (AP PhotoJeff Chiu)
FOR STARTERS
Irvin allowed two runs — one earned — and six hits in six-plus inning. Singer had seven strikeouts in six innings. He allowed three runs, five hits and walked one.
SHORT HOPS
Diekman has three blown saves this season. ... Whit Merrifield played in his 369th consecutive game, the longest active streak in the majors. ... Nearly two weeks after a foul ball by Juan Lagares of the Angels broke a pane of glass above the second deck at the Coliseum, the window has yet to be replaced.
Kansas City Royals' Andrew Benintendi, left, looks for the call after being tagged out at home by Oakland Athletics catcher Aramis Garcia during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 11, 2021. (AP PhotoJeff Chiu)
GLOVE WORK
Chapman made a nifty running catch to track down Andrew Benintendi’s foul ball in the second inning before stumbling over the bullpen mound near the stands behind third base.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Kansas City Royals' Whit Merrifield breaks his bat while lining out against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 11, 2021. (AP PhotoJeff Chiu)
Royals: Manager Mike Matheny was pleased with how well LHP Danny Duffy threw Thursday but said how Duffy responds a day after is more important. Duffy has been on the injured list since May 17 with a left forearm flexor strain.
Athletics: CF Ramón Laureano (strained right hip) ran sprints, threw to bases and took batting practice before the game. Laureano also stood in the box during LHP J.B. Wendelken’s bullpen session. Wendelken (strained left oblique) will throw to hitters again Monday before heading out on a rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
Oakland Athletics' Seth Brown hits a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 11, 2021. (AP PhotoJeff Chiu)
A’s rookie RHP James Kaprielian (2-1, 3.08 ERA) faces the Royals for the first time Saturday as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery in 2017. Kaprielian has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his five starts. RHP Jackson Kowar (0-1, 54.00) starts for Kansas City after allowing four runs and retiring two batters in his major league debut against the Angels on Monday.
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