A’s beat Royals, win back-to-back 1st time this season

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Oakland Athletics won consecutive games for the first time this season as Ryan Noda had a triple and double, reaching base four times in a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Noda wass 5 for 7 with three doubles, a triple, four runs and four RBIs in the first two games of the series between teams tied for the worst record in the major leagues at 8-26.

Ken Waldichuk (1-2) allowed four runs, six hits and six walks in five innings with six strikeouts. Zach Jackson retired Bobby Witt Jr. on a game-ending groundout with two on for his first save this season.

Brady Singer (2-4) gave up five runs and six hits in four innings.

Kansas City honored Lorenzo Cain in a pregame ceremony. A member of the 2015 World Series champions, Cain signed a one-day contract to retire with the Royals. The team drew 29,549, its highest home crowd since opening day.

Maikel Garcia hit a two-out RBI double in the first, but Esteury Ruiz’s two-run single in the second and JJ Bleday’s homer in the third built a 3-1 lead. Ryan Noda hit an RBI triple in the fourth and scored on Brent Rooker’s double.

Freddy Fermin’s solo homer and Witt’s two-run drive, a 434-foot drive for his sixth homer this season, cut the deficit to one run in the bottom half.

UP NEXT

RHP Mason Miller (0-1, 3.52 ERA) starts Sunday for Oakland and LHP Ryan Yarbrough (0-4, 7.40 ERA) for the Royals.