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Big ninth leads Royals over A's

Sep 6, 2011 - 2:34 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Billy Butler finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI, and Kansas City used a five-run ninth inning to best Oakland, 11-6, in the first of three between the clubs.

Eric Hosmer contributed three hits and two RBI with two runs scored for the Royals, who won for the third time in five outings. Jeff Francoeur and Mike Moustakas added two RBI each.

"Since this unit's been intact it's been good," Butler said of Kansas City's offense. "We're all feeding off each other and driving balls, putting up runs."

Greg Holland (4-1) worked a scoreless eighth for the win. Felipe Paulino started, but was pulled after 4 1/3 innings after allowing four hits and six runs with four walks.

Scott Sizemore clubbed a three-run homer for the Athletics, who saw their four-game win streak halted.

Andrew Bailey (0-4) recorded just one out in the ninth, charged in the loss for three runs on three hits. Rich Harden yielded four runs on eight hits but fanned 10 over his five-inning performance.

Bailey got in trouble immediately as Salvador Perez singled, then after a fly out, Alex Gordon bounced a double off the wall in right to score pinch-runner Chris Getz to put the Royals on top, 7-6. Melky Cabrera laced a single to left and Gordon came in for a two-run margin.

Neil Wagner then walked Butler and served up an RBI double from Hosmer to make it 9-6, and after Francoeur fanned, Moustakas drove in two more with a base hit but ended the inninggetting thrown out trying to reach second.

Joakim Soria struck out the side in the ninth to lock up the victory.

The Royals dented Harden for three runs in the opening frame thanks to Hosmer's RBI double and a two-run single by Francoeur.

"It was an odd first inning," Harden commented. "It's not usually what happens to me."

Oakland countered with four in the second on Kurt Suzuki's RBI single and a three-run blast from Sizemore that bounced over the wall in center.

KC tied it up in the third when Butler launched a solo shot to left, but the A's took a 6-4 lead in the fifth on a Josh Willingham RBI single and David DeJesus' sacrifice fly.

Alcides Escobar singled to start the Royals seventh, then Craig Breslow came in for Harden. Escobar swiped second and third and Cabrera struck out before Butler's two-run homer tied the game 6-6.

Game Notes

It was the second time in five September games that Kansas City cracked double digits, after the Royals hadn't scored more than 10 in a game since July 29...Oakland hadn't surrendered 10 or more runs in a contest since a 22-9 drubbing against the Yankees on August 25...Butler posted his second multi- homer game this season, after going deep twice on July 29 at Cleveland.