Athletics 5 - 0 Royals
Final
  for this game

A's pitch another shutout, blank Royals behind Hahn

Apr 19, 2015 - 5:29 AM Kansas City, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Josh Reddick poked a three-run home run during a five-run fourth inning to help the Oakland Athletics to a 5-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Billy Butler, who went 1-for-4 in his return to Kauffman Stadium in the series-opening loss on Friday, had a pair of hits with an RBI and run scored. Stephen Vogt also added two hits with an RBI and run scored for Oakland, which snapped its two-game losing streak.

The Athletics' pitching staff has recorded five shutouts out of the team's six wins.

Jesse Hahn (1-1) was cruising along until he made a play to first base in the sixth and had to leave the game due to a blister on his throwing hand. Hahn scattered three hits and allowed a walk in 5 1/3 frames.

"I owe a lot of credit to Stephen Vogt because he keeps me in a good rhythm," Hahn said.

Kansas City threatened to put the first run across in the third inning, but Hahn worked out of the minor jam. Omar Infante split the gap in left center where Sam Fuld gloved the ball and launched it off his back foot into shallow right center, allowing Infante to advance to third on the error. With the infield in, Christian Colon and Friday's hero Paulo Orlando each grounded out prior to Mike Moustakas lining out to deep right.

The game got eventful in the fourth.

Fuld drew a walk off Kansas City starter Yordano Ventura (2-1) to begin the inning and raced home on Vogt's double to left. Vogt reached third on a wild pitch by Ventura, then Butler knocked him in with a single past the drawn in infield. Ike Davis followed with a single and Reddick blasted his first homer of the season a batter later to make it 5-0.

"He really just kind of lost command," Royals manager Ned Yost said of Ventura. "He was kind of all over the place."

In stepped Brett Lawrie, who was in the forefront of controversy in Friday night's game due to his hard slide on Alcides Escobar. The Royals were without their shortstop on Saturday because of the slide that caused a mild sprain of the left knee, and Ventura got some revenge with an 0-1 fastball off Lawrie's elbow. Home plate umpire Jim Joyce immediately tossed Ventura from the contest, then the benches and bullpens briefly cleared soon after.

"I don't know if (Ventura) gets run if it happens in a different circumstance. After a home run and he gets drilled," Yost added.

Ventura was roughed up for five runs on four hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Yohan Pino did adequate work for Ventura in his Royals debut, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings following the ejection of Kansas City's ace.

Jesse Chavez allowed four hits over 3 2/3 innings in relief of Hahn to grab his first save of the season and second of his career.

"Just coming in and picking up where (Hahn) left off. Chavez said. "My job is to pick him up as much as I can and get the team back in the dugout. That's all I wanted to do."

Game Notes

Kansas City placed closer Greg Holland on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday due to a right pectoral strain. Pino was called up from Triple-A Omaha to replace him on the active roster ... Chavez had six strikeouts in relief ... Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer each had two hits in the setback ... Butler celebrated his 29th birthday on Saturday ... Ventura had given up three runs over his previous two starts this season, receiving 19 runs of support in the two wins ... Royals starter Danny Duffy (1-0) will oppose Oakland's Scott Kazmir (2-0) in the rubber match on Sunday.






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