Final
Royals rally to win testy series with A's
Apr 20, 2015 - 12:44 AM Kansas City, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Kendrys Morales hit a tiebreaking two- run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 4-2 win over the Oakland Athletics in the rubber match of a heated three- game series.The animosity between the teams stemmed from Oakland's Brett Lawrie sliding hard into Alcides Escobar at second base in Friday's opener, which left Escobar with a knee injury.
It appeared the score was settled when Royals hurler Yordano Ventura plunked Lawrie on Saturday.
However, tempers flared again Sunday, with hard-throwing Kelvin Herrera whizzing a 100-mph pitch behind Lawrie in the top of the eighth. Herrera was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Greg Gibson.
Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu was also ejected.
Oakland starter Scott Kazmir had hit Lorenzo Cain in the first inning, leading to warnings being issued.
Royals manager Ned Yost came out to argue and was banished by Gibson, along with pitching coach Dave Eiland.
"The umpires did the right things," said A's manager Bob Melvin.
Cain got his revenge in the eighth by tying the game at 2-2 with an RBI double.
Kazmir walked Paulo Orlando to begin the eighth and was relieved by Eric O'Flaherty (0-1) after Mike Moustakas grounded out. Cain greeted O'Flaherty with a double to the gap in left-center field. After Cain stole third base and Eric Hosmer drew a walk, Morales drove an O'Flaherty pitch high off the center-field wall.
Wade Davis tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his second save.
"I'm very proud of the way they rallied," said Yost. "There was a lot of stuff that happened today."
Franklin Morales (1-0) got the win after retiring Lawrie on a popup to end the top of the eighth.
Second baseman Ben Zobrist hit RBI singles in the third and fifth innings off Kansas City starter Danny Duffy before leaving with left knee soreness.
Zobrist exited the game in the bottom of the fifth after Christian Colon beat out an infield single. Royals second baseman Omar Infante left the game right before Zobrist did with a strained left groin. Infante led off with a double and was injured retreating to second base on Colon's hit.
Orlando Calixte made his major league debut running for Infante and advanced to third base on a Kazmir wild pitch before scoring on a Jarrod Dyson groundout.
Game Notes
Former Royal Billy Butler went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks, ending his season-opening hitting streak at 12 games. The streak was the longest in Oakland history by a player to begin their tenure with the A's ... Kazmir gave up two runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings ... Duffy pitched the first five innings, allowing two runs on four hits while walking five and striking out five.
- OAKLAND: 2
KANSAS CITY: 4
Final
Apr 19 5:21 PM - K.Morales doubled to center, Cain scored, Hosmer scored.
Athletics 2, Royals 4 Bot 8, 1 OutApr 19 5:09 PM - Kendrys Morales doubles to deep center field. Eric Hosmer scores. Lorenzo Cain scores.
Athletics 2, Royals 4 Bot 8, 1 OutApr 19 5:09 PM - Lorenzo Cain doubles to deep left center field. Paulo Orlando scores.
Athletics 2, Royals 2 Bot 8, 1 OutApr 19 5:02 PM - Jarrod Dyson grounds out to shortstop, Marcus Semien to Mark Canha. Christian Colon to third. Orlando Calixte scores.
Athletics 2, Royals 1 Bot 5, 1 OutApr 19 3:56 PM - J.Dyson grounded out, shortstop Semien to first baseman Canha, Calixte scored, C.Colon to third.
Athletics 2, Royals 1 Bot 5, 2 OutsApr 19 3:55 PM - Ben Zobrist singles to center field. Mark Canha scores.
Athletics 2, Royals 0 Top 5, 1 OutApr 19 3:41 PM - Zobrist singled to right, Semien scored, Canha to third.
Athletics 1, Royals 0 Top 3, 1 OutApr 19 3:03 PM - Ben Zobrist singles to right field, tagged out at second, Erik Kratz to Paulo Orlando to Christian Colon. Mark Canha to third. Marcus Semien scores.
Athletics 1, Royals 0 Top 3, 1 OutApr 19 3:02 PM
Apr 19 2:14 PM- OAKLAND: 0
KANSAS CITY: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Apr 19 2:13 PM
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