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Escobar, Royals top A's

Jun 15, 2011 - 7:05 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Alcides Escobar finished 3-for-5 with two RBI as Kansas City topped Oakland, 7-4, in the opener of a three-game series.

Billy Butler also drove in two runs for the Royals, who have won four of their last five.

Danny Duffy (1-2) worked six innings for his first major-league win, yielding two runs on four hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts.

"[Duffy] pitched a good ballgame. He was on the attack with his fastball and got us through six innings with the lead," Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Joakim Soria turned in a scoreless ninth to notch his 10th save.

Hideki Matsui homered and scored twice for the Athletics, losers in three straight and 13 of their last 14. Scott Sizemore added two hits and an RBI.

Trevor Cahill (6-5) was pulled after just 4 1/3 frames, charged in defeat with four runs and four hits while issuing a career-high seven bases on balls.

"Sometimes he's trying to do a little too much," Athletics manager Bob Melvin said of Cahill. "He's muscling it a little bit and the ball has to work for him naturally."

Escobar's fourth-inning groundout plated Mike Moustakas and gave the Royals a 2-0 edge.

Though Matsui's one-out solo shot halved Oakland's deficit, KC tallied twice more in the fifth on Butler's double that brought in Eric Hosmer and Jeff Francoeur. The Royals failed to tack on more despite having the bases loaded and one out and chasing Cahill from the mound.

Jemile Weeks' one-out triple in the home half became the A's second run when Coco Crisp followed with a base hit, but a Hosmer RBI single and sacrifice fly from Francoeur in the eighth provided the visitors with more breathing room at 6-2.

Back came the Athletics in the home portion, when Sizemore singled home Matsui and an Escobar error plated Suzuki for a 6-4 contest.

In the ninth, Moustakas singled and was sacrificed to second before a walk to Chris Getz. Escobar followed with an RBI double to give the Royals a three-run edge.

Soria issued a one-out walk but retired the next two batters to lock down the victory.

Francoeur began the second frame with a walk and swiped second. After a Butler walk, both runners advanced on a Moustakas sac bunt, and Matt Treanor's groundout made it 1-0 for Kansas City.

Game Notes

Duffy had gone winless in his first five starts and managed to lower his ERA from 5.55 to 5.04...Moustakas and Francoeur both scored two runs...Treanor walked twice...Five Oakland pitchers combined to issue nine walks...Cahill's previous high for walks in one outing was six, in a 3-1 win over the Angels last September 4.