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. 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. 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.