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 Jon Lester (13-7) beat the Royals for the third time since July
20, striking out nine and yielding three runs over six innings to
win his third straight start since he was traded to the Athletics.
Brandon Moss collected four hits and two RBIs, Eric Sogard also
drove in a pair and Sam Fuld and Josh Reddick added three hits each
to keep Oakland 3 1/2 games in front of the Angels atop the American
League West.
Nori Aoki had two hits and an RBI and Salvador Perez chipped in a
run-scoring double for Kansas City, which maintained its half-game
lead over Detroit in the AL Central. Jeremy Guthrie (8-10) was
knocked around for six runs - four earned - on 11 hits over 4 2/3
innings to bring his three-start win streak to a crashing halt.
 Ten of the 11 hits off Guthrie were singles, with the exception of
Moss' RBI double to center field in the first inning. Donaldson and
Moss had run-scoring singles in the third and Donaldson and Stephen
Vogt each drove in runs in the fifth for a 6-0 edge.
Lester, who moved to 9-3 lifetime against the Royals, ran into
trouble in the bottom of the inning, yielding a sacrifice fly to
Alcides Escobar, Aoki's RBI infield single and Perez's double to cut
the deficit in half. Donaldson, though, homered in both the seventh
and eighth innings as the Athletics pulled away.
[to top of second column] |
GAME NOTEBOOK: Moss is 5-for-7 with four RBIs in the past two games after
going 3-for-32 without driving in a run in his previous nine games. ...
Royals OF Josh Willingham, acquired in a trade with Minnesota on Monday,
received a standing ovation when he doubled in his first at-bat. ...
Athletics RHP Ryan Cook worked a perfect seventh for his 20th
consecutive scoreless inning - the longest active scoreless string in
the majors.
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