Bobby Witt Jr. hits 3-run homer in 10th to lift Royals over Athletics 4-1 for 4th straight win

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning, Salvador Perez had a solo shot and the Kansas City Royals beat the Athletics 4-1 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Witt drove a 1-0 pitch from Justin Sterner (1-3) to right-center with automatic runner Nick Loftin on second base and Kyle Isbel on first after he beat out a popped-up bunt that failed to advance the runner. Witt extended his hitting streak to nine games with his second home run, after Perez homered for the fifth time to tie it 1-all in the sixth.

Advertisement

The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th, but Lucas Erceg retired Darell Hernaiz on a liner to second for his seventh save in nine opportunities.

Kris Bubic allowed a run on four hits and four walks in five innings for Kansas City. Nick Mears (2-1) struck out two in the ninth for the win.

Zack Gelof reached on an infield single leading off the second before scoring on a two-out single by Jacob Wilson for the Athletics.

A’s starter Aaron Civale gave up five hits and a walk in five innings. He left with a 1-0 lead.

Perez’s home run came off Hogan Harris in the sixth. It was the 308th of his career.

Advertisement

Nick Kurtz went 0 for 4 but drew a walk in the first inning, extending his Athletics record to 17 straight games with a free pass. Barry Bonds was the previous major leaguer to walk in 17 consecutive games, in 2007 with the Giants. The Tigers’ Roy Cullenbine set the record at 22 games in 1947.

Tyler Soderstrom exited with an undisclosed injury for the A’s after diving for a ball in the fifth, and the Royals’ Vinnie Pasquantino did the same after grounding out to begin the sixth.

The A’s called up infielder Brett Harris from Triple-A Las Vegas before the game after placing third baseman Max Muncy on the 10-day injured list.

Up next

Royals RHP Michael Wacha (2-1, 2.51 ERA) starts Wednesday opposite Athletics RHP Luis Severino (1-2, 5.17).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb