Michael Wacha threw six scoreless innings to help the visiting Kansas City Royals to a 4-2 win against the Athletics on Saturday night in Sacramento, Calif.
Wacha (10-13) had lost his last two starts and four of five, but limited the A’s to two hits while striking out five and walking three.
Mike Yastrzemski had two hits and scored twice, Bobby Witt Jr. delivered two hits and an RBI and Vinnie Pasquantino contributed one hit and two RBIs for the Royals (81-80), who will try to win their third straight series and finish the season over .500 on Sunday.
A’s starter Luis Morales (4-3) surrendered three runs (two earned) and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked two.
Shea Langeliers had three hits and an RBI for the A’s (76-85), who won the series opener 4-3 on Friday night and 10 of 14 overall entering Saturday.
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Yastrzemski doubled to start the game and he took third on an infield single by Witt. On Witt’s steal of second base, a throwing error by Langeliers behind the plate allowed Yastrzemski to score for a 1-0 lead.
Michael Massey led off the fifth with a single to center for Kansas City. John Rave struck out swinging, but Yastrzemski delivered another base hit to center, bringing up Pasquantino, who doubled in both base runners to extend the lead to 3-0.
John Schreiber started the seventh for Kansas City and surrendered a two-out single to Darell Hernaiz before Carlos Cortes doubled into the right-center-field gap to cut the lead to 3-1.
Angel Zerpa entered and got the final out of the inning. He then came back out for the eighth and gave up a leadoff single to Nick Kurtz and an RBI double down the right field line by Langeliers to cut the lead to 3-2.
Langeliers was thrown out at third on a grounder to short for the first out of the inning, and Jonathan Bowlan then came in and got an inning-ending double play.
The Royals tacked on an insurance run in the ninth on an RBI single by Witt to make it 4-2.
Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth for his MLB-leading 42nd save.
–Field Level Media
