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 The A's and Royals met for the first time since their emotional
three-game series April 17-19 at Kauffman Stadium that featured hard
slides, cleared benches, beanballs, message pitches, ejections and a
suspension.
Going into Friday night's game, A's manager Bob Melvin and Royals
manager Ned Yost said they expected no repeat of the fireworks from
the first series, and they were proven correct, at least until the
bottom of the ninth, when Royals left-hander Franklin Morales
drilled A's catcher Stephen Vogt in the right forearm with a pitch.
Vogt had to come out of the game.
The Royals (42-28) moved 14 games over .500 for the first time since
May 23, matching their season high, and increased their lead over
Minnesota in the American League Central to 4 1/2 games.
Kansas City had double-digit hits for the ninth time in its past 11
games, collecting 11 against Oakland. Every Royal in the starting
lineup had at least one hit. Gordon went 3-for-3 and walked once.
Volquez (8-4) allowed one run on three hits. He walked one and had
three strikeouts, including the 1,000th of his career in the sixth
inning when he fanned A's third baseman Brett Lawrie. Volquez, who
spent the previous seven seasons in the National League, faced the
A's for the first time since Sept. 7, 2007, when he pitched six
shutout innings for the Texas Rangers in a 5-3 victory.
A's right-hander Jesse Hahn (5-6) gave up five runs (three earned)
on nine hits over six innings as his three-game winning streak came
to an end. He struck out five and walked one. Hahn had allowed only
three home runs over 84 2/3 innings coming into the game but gave up
home runs to Morales in the second inning and Gordon in the sixth, a
monster shot to right-center field that made it 5-1.
Center fielder Sam Fuld had an RBI double for the A's in the third,
and left fielder Ben Zobrist doubled home pinch runner Josh Phegley
in the ninth.
Royals closer Greg Holland got the final two outs for his 15th save.
The Royals took a 1-0 lead on Morales' one-out home run, his ninth
blast of the year. Morales hit Hahn's 1-0 pitch down the left-field
line for an opposite-field home run.
Kansas City extended its lead to 4-0 in the top of the third,
scoring three runs but just one of them earned. The Royals took
advantage of a passed ball by Vogt and a throwing error on first
baseman Ike Davis, the A's major-league high 73rd error.
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Kansas City also had singles in the inning from right fielder Alex
Rios, shortstop Alcides Escobar, center fielder Lorenzo Cain and
first baseman Eric Hosmer.
Oakland answered with a run in the bottom of the third. After Davis
led off with a single, shortstop Marcus Semien hit into a fielder's
choice and scored on center fielder Sam Fuld's double to left
center.
NOTES: Oakland CF Billy Burns' streak of starts ended at 34 games
Friday night when he was out of the lineup against Kansas City.
"Everybody needs a day off every now and then," A's manager Bob
Melvin said of Burns, who has a career-long 15-game hitting streak.
"He's a little banged up." Melvin hopes Burns is able to start on
Saturday against the Royals. ... Royals CF Lorenzo Cain returned to
the starting lineup after missing the series finale against Seattle
on Wednesday with a mild hamstring injury. The Royals had a day off
Thursday. "He's good -- good to go," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
"It was more precautionary than anything. He could have played the
other day in Seattle, but with the off day coming up I wanted to
give him two days with the benefit of only missing one (game)." ...
A's switch pitcher Pat Venditte (strained right shoulder) will play
catch Saturday for the first time since going on the disabled list,
retroactive to June 11. ... Royals RHP Yordano Ventura (irritation
of right ulnar nerve) made a rehab start Friday night for Triple-A
Omaha, pitching four innings against Round Rock. He gave up three
runs and three hits, struck out five and walked three. He threw 70
pitches, 42 for strikes.
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