The Sports Xchange
Aug 16, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Matt Joyce hit a solo home run in the first inning and a three-run double during a six-run rally in the eighth inning, leading the Oakland Athletics to wild 10-8 victory against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum.
Khris Davis hit his 33rd home run for the A's, a two-run shot in the third inning, while Matt Olson had a solo blast in the second.
Kansas City's Drew Butera and Eric Hosmer hit two-run homers and Mike Moustakas a solo shot, all in the top of the eighth inning, when the Royals overcame a 4-3 deficit to build an 8-4 lead.
Alex Gordon led off with a walk in the eighth, and Butera hit a tiebreaking blast off reliever Santiago Casilla down the left field line.
Lorenzo Cain singled with one out off Casilla, and Hosmer greeted Blake Treinen with a two-run blast, his 20th of the season, to make it 7-4. Then with two outs, Moustakas sent Treinen's 2-0 pitch into the right field seats for his 35th home run of the season.
The A's sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the eighth to regain the lead. Jed Lowrie led off with a double to right off reliever Joakim Soria, moved to third on Davis' single and scored on Ryon Healy's single. Olson followed with an RBI single.
Soria struck out Matt Chapman, and left-hander Mike Minor (5-5) fanned pinch hitter Chad Pinder for the second out. But after Minor fell behind 2-0, the Royals intentionally walked pinch hitter Rajai Davis to load the bases.
Joyce launched a three-double off the left field fence, giving Oakland a 9-8 lead, and Marcus Semien hit an RBI single, making it 10-8.
Treinen (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for his first win as a member of the Athletics.
A's right-hander Chris Smith allowed three runs -- all in the first inning -- on three hits over 5 1/3 innings for a no-decision. He struck out three, walked one and left the game with a 4-3 lead. Smith trailed 3-0 after facing four batters, but after that he retired 15 of the final 16 Royals he faced.
Until the A's bullpen imploded in the eighth, Smith, 36, was in line for his first major league victory as a starter and first win since June 4, 2008, with Boston against Arizona.
Royals right-hander Jason Hammel allowed four runs on eight hits, including a season-high three home runs, over six innings for a no-decision. He struck out six, walked one and pitched at least five innings for the 14th straight start.
The Royals jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Whit Merrifield led off with a walk and moved to second when Smith hit Cain with a pitch. Hosmer lined a two-run double down the right field line, then scored on Melky Cabrera's single to left-center.
Oakland answered with a run in the bottom of the first when Joyce launched a leadoff homer into the right field seats, his 17th blast of the year. The leadoff home run was his fourth of the season and eighth of his career.
Olson made it 3-2 with a leadoff home run to right in the second inning, his eighth home run in just 26 games. Olson has hit one home run in four of his past five games.
The A's moved ahead 4-3 in the third when Lowrie singled and Davis crushed Hammel's 2-1 slider over the left-center-field wall.
NOTES: Royals RHP Jake Junis will remain in the rotation but will have his turn skipped on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series against Cleveland at Kauffman Stadium, manager Ned Yost said Tuesday. The Royals have an off-day Thursday, and RHP Jason Hammel will start Sunday's game on his regular four days' rest. ... RHP Chris Hatcher was acquired by Oakland from the Dodgers on Tuesday in exchange for $500,000 in international slot money. Hatcher is 8-14 with a 4.72 ERA in 193 career major league relief appearances. He has missed much of this season with thoracic inflammation but was reinstated from the disabled list Sunday. ... Royals C Salvador Perez (right intercostal strain) threw to second base but did not swing the bat as he continued his rehabilitation program. He took pain-free swings off the batting tee at 30-40 percent effort on Monday. "He's throwing 100 percent," Yost said.