OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — James Shields pitched quite a gem for Kansas City. It certainly helped that Oakland abandoned its usual patient approach at the plate.

Shields pitched eight sharp innings for his first win in nearly a month, and the Royals beat the Athletics 4-2 on Sunday.

“This team was a free-hacking team today, which is not really their game,” Shields said. “They have a bunch of hitters over there that were being aggressive and I was able to execute my pitches early in the count.”

Shields retired his first 15 batters before Josh Reddick hit a leadoff homer in the sixth. Alberto Callaspo then had a one-out single before Sam Fuld lined into a double play.

The 32-year-old Shields (10-6) allowed two runs and four hits. He walked none for the fifth time this season.

“You watch the way that he’s pitching, it’s like, `OK boys, let’s just give him a couple runs and he’ll take it from there,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “A good indicator for him was he was managing his pitch count.”

Shields threw 102 pitches while helping the Royals to their ninth win in 12 games.

“As far as I’m concerned we can match up with anyone, any team, any starting rotation,” Shields said. “As long as we go toe to toe with those guys we’re going to be in every game.”

Reddick homered twice, getting to Shields again in the eighth.

The A’s have the best record in baseball at 67-43, but have sputtered offensively since trading cleanup hitter Yoenis Cespedes to Boston on Thursday in a deal for ace Jon Lester. They lead the stacked AL West by one game over the Los Angeles Angels, who beat Tampa Bay 7-5 on Sunday.

Oakland was without injured leadoff hitter Coco Crisp, though it hardly mattered the way Shields was pitching.

Shields allowed only three balls out of the infield through the first five innings. One of them was a deep fly to center by Josh Donaldson in the first, the closest Oakland came to getting a man on base before Reddick’s home run.

“We just haven’t been our best offensively here,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Shields was using all his pitches, going to the change, to the cutter, and he had good command.”

Shields got his first win since he beat his former team, Tampa Bay, on July 7. Greg Holland pitched the ninth for his AL-leading 31st save.

Nori Aoki’s RBI single in the fifth gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead. Omar Infante followed with a two-run double and later scored on a single by Salvador Perez.

All the runs came against Scott Kazmir (12-4).

Reddick has four home runs since coming off the disabled list July 22. It’s the sixth multihomer game of his career and second this season.

— Associated Press —

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jon Lester won his Oakland debut while pitching into the seventh inning and Jonny Gomes got two hits during an eight-run burst in his return to the Athletics as they beat the Kansas City Royals 8-3 Saturday.

Two days after being traded from the sagging World Series champion Boston Red Sox, Lester and Gomes teamed up to boost the club with the best record in baseball.

The 6-foot-4 Lester (11-7) instantly became an imposing presence on the mound in the pitcher-friendly Coliseum. Fans in the crowd of 30,097 cheered the lefty as he went through his warmup routine in left field, then Lester tipped his cap to a roaring ovation when he left after throwing 6 2/3 innings.

Back with the AL West-leading A’s, Gomes delivered in an eight-run fifth inning. He singled and scored off Jason Vargas (8-5), then hit a hit a two-run single off Aaron Crow.

Lester gave up three runs and nine hits, walking one and striking out three.

Pitching on seven days’ rest after being scratched Wednesday ahead of the trade deadline, Lester improved to 8-3 with a 2.20 ERA in 12 career starts against the Royals. He hasn’t lost in nine starts overall since June 7 at Detroit.

The A’s went ahead with their planned promotion, passing out 10,000 Yoenis Cespedes T-shirts reading “La Potencia” — it pays tribute to his power. The two-time Home Run Derby champ was traded to Boston in the big deal.

Vargas came off the disabled list to make his first start since undergoing an appendectomy July 9. After the first 12 A’s batters were retired in order, the next 12 produced eight hits and eight runs.

Oakland lost second baseman Nick Punto when he strained his right hamstring. He rounded third on Jed Lowrie’s RBI single in the fifth, but slid toward the coach’s box and grabbed the back of his leg before hobbling back to the bag.

An inning earlier, the umpires went to replay to determine whether A’s catcher Derek Norris improperly blocked the plate when he tagged a sliding Alex Gordon. The out call was confirmed, with newly acquired center fielder Sam Fuld’s throw resulting in a sensational double play.

— Associated Press —