Jeremy Guthrie pitched seven strong innings, and David Lough hit a two-run homer to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night.

One day after being eliminated from the postseason, the Royals earned their 84th win, their most since 1993.

The Royals’ 6-0 loss to Seattle on Wednesday, combined with victories from all three teams ahead of them in the AL wild-card standings, officially eliminated them from playoff contention.

Guthrie (15-12) became the Royals’ third 15-game winner since 1997. He gave up two runs and four hits, striking out four and allowing one walk. Guthrie already surpassed his career best win total when he won his 12th on Aug. 5 against the Twins.

Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn hit solo homers for the White Sox, who have lost 21 of their 27. The White Sox are 35 games under .500 (62-97) for the first time since ending the 1970 season 56-106 and must win once in this series to avoid finishing with 100 losses, which would be the fourth-most in franchise history.

White Sox starter Andre Rienzo (2-3) pitched six-plus innings and allowed three runs, two earned, and four hits.

Royals closer Greg Holland pitched a scoreless ninth for his 46th save in 49 chances as the Royals ended a two-game losing streak. Holland set a franchise record in saves, surpassing Dan Quisenberry (1983) and Jeff Montgomery (1993).

Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, Lough hit a two-run homer, snapping a streak of 21 scoreless innings for the Royals. The last time the Royals scored was in the 12th inning of a 6-5 victory at Seattle on Monday.

Dunn tied the game in the sixth with a long home run to right. It was his 33rd of the season and it was measured at 442 feet.

In the seventh inning, Justin Maxwell led off with a single and advanced to second on Lough’s bunt, then he came around to score after catcher Bryan Anderson fielded George Kottaras’ sacrifice bunt and threw it down the right-field line to give the Royals a 3-2 lead.

Konerko, who missed Wednesday’s game at Cleveland after fouling a pitch off his knee on Tuesday, homered in the first inning. It was his 12th of the season. Konerko is possibly playing his last series with the White Sox. He is a free agent after the season and has been a member of the club for the last 15 seasons.

— Associated Press —

Needing wins in Seattle to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, the Kansas City Royals’ offense went into a slump.

Hisashi Iwakuma pitched eight scoreless innings in Seattle’s 6-0 win against Kansas City on Wednesday, eliminating the Royals from the playoff hunt.

It was the second straight night the Mariners shut out Kansas City as the teams ahead of the Royals in the wild-card race – Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Texas – won. The Royals haven’t scored since the 12th inning of Monday’s 6-5 win.

”Back-to-back shutouts, you’re not going to win any games scoring zero runs,” Alex Gordon said. ”It’s kind of a tough way to go out.”

Mariners catcher Mike Zunino homered twice, Michael Saunders also homered and Kyle Seager hit a two-run double for Seattle, which has won three of four.

Zunino and Saunders hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the eighth inning, the 14th time this season Mariners have hit consecutive home runs.

The Royals entered Wednesday four games behind Cleveland for the second wild-card berth with five games to play and needed a victory.

Iwakuma made sure they didn’t get one.

”We put ourselves in the situation to maybe find a way to sneak in, but we just came up a little short,” Gordon said. ”It’s unfortunate, but we’ve got four more games and we’re going to try to finish the season strong.”

Iwakuma (14-6) finished his season without allowing a run in three straight starts, a streak of 23 scoreless innings.

Against the Royals, he gave up four hits and never allowed more than one base runner in an inning. He didn’t walk anyone until the eighth. He had nine strikeouts, the 13th time in 33 starts he struck out at least seven.

”He handcuffed us, we couldn’t do anything,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Iwakuma’s 2.66 ERA is third-best in the American League, and he finishes the season 4-0 in his final eight starts.

”It sort of caps off the year he had,” Zunino said. ”He just keeps getting stronger. Every start is getting better and better.”

Ervin Santana (9-10) matched Iwakuma and kept the Mariners scoreless for the first four innings before Seattle broke through. Santana went six innings, allowing four runs and five hits with two strikeouts and four walks.

Zunino broke the scoreless tie leading off the fifth inning, taking Santana’s first pitch deep to left field.

The blast sparked more scoring for the Mariners. With one out, Brad Miller doubled and Nick Franklin walked. With Seager at the plate, Santana’s pickoff attempt to second ended up in center field, putting runners on second and third. Seager then laced a double down the right field line to give Seattle a 3-0 lead.

The Mariners added a run in the seventh. Dustin Ackley led off the inning with a double, and Yost walked out to the mound to signal Santana’s night was done.

”I just told him, ‘You know Erv, you had a great year. Real proud of you.’ That was it,” Yost said.

Miller pushed a bunt up the first base line and reliever Will Smith’s throw to first baseman Eric Hosmer was wide, allowing Ackley to score.

The Royals’ best offensive chance came in the fifth, when Mike Moustakas doubled with one out and took off running when Jarrod Dyson hit a line drive which looked as if it might reach the outfield.

Instead, Miller at shortstop timed his jump and snared the ball, then jogged to second to double off Moustakas and end the inning.

The Royals, who were six games below .500 at the All-Star break, head to Chicago to finish up the season with a four-game series against the White Sox.

Even without a shot at the playoffs, Kansas City (83-75) is assured of its first winning season in a decade, and one more win will give them their best record since they finished 84-78 in 1993.

”We’ve had a real good second half,” Billy Butler said. ”We have one more series and we get to build on this for next year. We had a good run, and the guys in here played hard.”

Yost said he’ll have a chance to give some young players an opportunity over the final four games, but doesn’t expect any letdown despite no longer having a shot at the postseason.

”I think we’ve made a lot of progress as an organization,” Yost said. ”It was a giant step forward for us, and it was a step we definitely needed to take this year.”

— Associated Press —

Justin Smoak hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat Kansas City 4-0 on Tuesday night, putting the Royals’ postseason hopes in serious jeopardy.

Mariners rookie left-hander James Paxton (3-0), making just his fourth major league start, worked a career-high seven innings, allowing four hits, walking none and striking out a career-high 10.

The playoff picture looks as bleak as it can be for the Royals (83-74). They are four games behind Cleveland for the second wild-card berth with five games to play.

The Royals’ three competitors for the two wild-card spots – Tampa Bay, Texas and Cleveland – all won Tuesday. The Royals need to win every game and have both the Indians and Rangers completely collapse.

It was the 13th shutout for the Mariners and the ninth time the Royals have been shut out.

Seattle touched Bruce Chen (8-4) for a run in the first when Brad Miller reached on an infield single followed by Abraham Almonte’s single to center. Almonte has reached base in all his 18 games to start his career, 16 with a hit.

With one out, Kendrys Morales singled to left, driving in Miller.

Chen worked five innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. He walked three and struck out five.

The Royals could not respond against Paxton. They put together two singles in the first inning but a double play eased him out of trouble. He didn’t allow more than one baserunner in any inning after that and at one point he retired 12 straight.

The Mariners blew the game open in the fifth with three runs – all with two outs. Morales, who had three hits, doubled to deep center. Franklin Gutierrez walked and Smoak hit a 0-2 fastball over the wall in left field.

Smoak has 19 home runs but it was just his second right-handed. The other was Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels.

— Associated Press —

Greg Holland got the save. Alex Gordon deserved one, too.

Gordon threw out a runner at the plate in extra innings and scored on Salvador Perez’s two-out double in the 12th to lift the Kansas City Royals over the Seattle Mariners 6-5 on Monday night.

Kansas City moved within three games of idle Cleveland for the second AL wild card with six remaining – all on the road. Texas is a game behind the Indians.

Gordon saved the Royals in the 10th inning, when his one-hop throw to Perez from left field cut down Kyle Seager for an inning-ending double play.

”Alex Gordon’s golden arm, and great tag play by Salvy,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Holland walked the first two batters in the 12th, then retired three straight to end it.

”I’d like to tell you we did that on purpose,” he said, ”but we didn’t. This team has been resilient all year and people are starting to see that now. It’s one great defensive play after another. It’s clutch hits. When we’re not hitting early, the pitching keeps us in games.”

Gordon drew a leadoff walk from Lucas Luetge (1-3) in the top of the 12th and Emilio Bonifacio sacrificed. Eric Hosmer popped out before Johnny Giavotella walked.

Perez, who had three hits, sent the next pitch into the left-field corner. Gordon scored and Giavotella was thrown out at the plate.

Wade Davis (8-11) pitched two hitless innings for the win. Holland earned his 45th save in 48 chances to tie Dan Quisenberry (1983) and Jeff Montgomery (1993) for the club record.

Holland said that achievement ”maybe will sink in later sitting at home during the offseason. But right now I’m just thinking of helping us win.”

Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Saunders hit consecutive homers in the eighth for Seattle off Luke Hochevar to tie it at 5.

”They did a good job of picking me up tonight,” Hochevar said. ”You want to be a little smoother. We could have done without the back-to-back home runs, but at this point of year winning is the bottom line.”

Seager opened the 10th with a double off Francisley Bueno and went to third when right fielder Justin Maxwell bobbled the ball for an error. Kendrys Morales was intentionally walked before Davis took over and struck out Gutierrez.

Saunders was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Pinch-hitter Endy Chavez lifted a fly ball to left and Seager tagged up, but Gordon’s throw to the plate was barely in time.

”Gordon took a couple steps back and I went for it and it didn’t go our way, I guess,” Seager said. ”I thought we had done enough to win, but they battled back.”

Perez said his first priority was to catch the ball.

”He put down a pretty good slide,” Perez said. ”I just put my glove on home plate and he touched my glove. The umpire was in a good position.”

With their 21st extra-inning game, the Mariners matched the 1982 team record. They have lost 15, three more than the previous mark of 12 set in 1982. Seattle has dropped eight straight in extra innings, equaling last year’s club.

The Royals opened the scoring with two runs in the fourth off Brandon Maurer. Billy Butler had an RBI single and Hosmer scored when right fielder Abraham Almonte’s throw to third sailed into the stands for an error.

Yordano Ventura, making his second big league start for the Royals, allowed one run and two hits in 5 2-3 innings. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out six, but three walks hastened his departure.

Kansas City rallied for three in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead.

Bonifacio tied it with an RBI single, and Gordon scored when Hosmer grounded into a fielder’s choice. Seattle tried to turn an inning-ending double play, but a throwing error by second baseman Nick Franklin allowed Hosmer to reach second. Perez added an RBI single.

”Every game from now to the last game of the season is important to us,” Perez said. ”We can’t think about the other teams, what happened. We just need a win. We can’t control other teams. The only thing we can control is our game.”

— Associated Press —

If this was the last swing of the season at Kauffman Stadium, it was one to savor.

Justin Maxwell ended the Kansas City Royals’ home season with a two-out grand slam in the 10th inning Sunday for a 4-0 win over the Texas Rangers in a matchup of AL playoff contenders.

”I kind of blacked out after I looked at Gordo (Alex Gordon) over there going crazy,” Maxwell said. ”I just saw the excitement in all my teammates’ eyes. I couldn’t wait to get around the bases and to home plate.”

The Oakland Athletics clinched the AL West with the Rangers’ loss.

Texas dropped 1 1/2 games behind Cleveland for the second wild-card spot. Kansas City is 3 1/2 back.

Maxwell connected off former Royals All-Star closer Joakim Soria.

”I’ve never faced him before,” Maxwell said. ”With a 3-2 count, bases loaded, two out, I was just looking for a fastball strike and I got one. I didn’t try to do really do too much. Paralysis by analysis. I try to dumb it down and try to hit the ball hard.”

Soria knew he couldn’t afford to throw a borderline pitch and have the winning run score on a walk.

”I had to throw a strike in that situation, and it couldn’t be close,” Soria said.

Royals starter James Shields gave up six hits in eight innings, walking one and striking out two.

Texas starter Alexi Ogando pitched two-hit ball for seven innings, striking out five and walking one.

Eric Hosmer led off the Royals 10th by punching a double with two strikes down the left-field line off Neal Cotts (5-3). Soria relieved and intentionally walked Billy Butler, and an infield single by Salvador Perez loaded the bases.

Mike Moustakas popped up and pinch-hitter George Kottaras grounded into a force play at the plate before Maxwell’s grand slam.

Tim Collins (3-6) worked a perfect 10th to pick up the victory.

Ogando, who had three stints on the disabled list this season, excelled in just his eighth start since May 15. He left after 77 pitches.

”I thought overall it went very well,” Ogando said through a translator. ”I was really able to locate my pitches and able to

throw them for strikes. You know what’s going to happen if you can throw strikes where you want and be able to be aggressive with your pitches.”

Maxwell hit a leadoff single in the third and moved up on a sacrifice, making him the lone Royals runner to get past first base off Ogando.

Shields, who was 4-1 in his previous five starts, lowered his ERA to 3.21. He was struck in the right elbow by David Murphy’s liner in the second, but remained in the game after making some warmup tosses as manager Ned Yost watched from the mound.

”You can probably see the big bump in my elbow,” Shields said. ”I had a hard time feeling the baseball the whole rest of the game. It’s just one of those games, one of those moments where I wasn’t coming out of the game. I told Skip I wasn’t hurting. I wasn’t necessarily feeling good, but I felt fine to go back out. It was kind of tightening up between every inning.

”Ogando pitched his heart out and it was just fortunate we got the win. The fans were unbelievable. It was electric in the stadium as I’ve ever seen it. They were into every single pitch,” he said.

Shields allowed two-out singles to Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus before getting out of the inning.

Royals closer Greg Holland took over in the ninth. Alex Rios made it to first when he struck out on a wild pitch to lead off the inning and stole second. But Rios was thrown out trying to take third on Adrian Beltre’s fly to left, with Gordon getting his AL-leading 16th outfield assist.

”Rios was trying to make something happen, which you can’t blame him,” Gordon said. ”I was just trying to make the play, keep the score zero-zero and help Greg out. Alex Rios is a long strider, very fast, so I had to make a good throw. That’s what I planned to do. I didn’t do much all day, but that was key.”

Perez helped out Shields by throwing would-be basestealers Andrus at third base in the first and Leonys Martin at second in the fifth.

”Stealing third is easier than stealing second for me,” Andrus said. ”He throws well. I took my chances. That kid Perez is amazing. It’s pretty tough the way they play defense. You have to tip your cap.”

— Associated Press —

Matt Garza decided it was time to stop thinking and start doing.

Garza pitched eight impressive innings for his first victory in six starts and the Texas Rangers kept close in the playoff race, beating the Kansas City Royals 3-1 Saturday night.

The Rangers won for only the fifth time in 19 September games to remain a half-game behind Cleveland for the second AL wild-card berth.

The Royals, out of the playoffs since winning the 1985 World Series, dropped 3 1/2 games in back of the Indians.

Adrian Beltre got two hits and drove in a run for Texas.

Garza (10-6) was 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in his first three September starts. He pitched four-hit ball before giving up Eric Hosmer’s leadoff home run in the ninth and getting pulled.

”You’re the only one who can do it,” Garza said. ”You’re the one who has to wake up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror. I wasn’t happy with what I saw. I just got back to being comfortable, back to being who was I was. It’s a lot funnier this way. I can enjoy it a little more.”

The plan Garza and catcher A.J. Pierzynski had was to keep it unsophisticated.

”He tried to keep it simpler,” Pierzynski said after Garza gave up nine runs on 13 hits and six walks in 8 1-3 innings in his previous two starts. ”He talked about an overload of information. We do a great job here of scouting reports. Matt is a simple guy. He wants to know the basics. I think sometimes when you give him too much, I think he overthinks himself.

”I think he tried to keep it simple today and be as aggressive as he can. We talked between starts and he executed to perfection except for obviously that home run.”

The simple method worked for Garza.

”I was trying to do too much,” Garza said. ”I’ve just got to keep it simple. That’s kind of been my whole thing and it’s kind of who I am. I just went out there with a game-plan of attack, trust my stuff and let’s go. It’s no time to work on anything anymore. Let’s go and it felt good.”

Garza struck out five and walked one. He is 4-5 in 12 starts since the Rangers acquired him on July 22 in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

”We were a little more than off-balance,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”He was really good. He was really pounding the strike zone. He threw, I think, 70 strikes and 27 balls. He had a good fastball, a really good slider and a good chase pitch. He was ahead all night. He pitched a really good game.”

After Hosmer’s 17th homer, Joe Nathan relieved. The Texas closer struck out two for his 40th save in 43 chances. Nathan posted his 41st career save against the Royals.

Jeremy Guthrie (14-12) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. He has permitted six runs and 20 hits in 14 innings in losing his past two starts.

Beltre’s .374 career batting average at Kauffman Stadium is the highest for an opposing batter with at least 150 plate appearances.

Guthrie gave up a triple to Ian Kinsler to lead off the game. Kinsler scored on Elvis Andrus’ groundout.

In the third, Guthrie’s control betrayed him when he walked Andrus and Alex Rios on eight pitches, and both scored.

Beltre bounced an RBI single up the middle and Pierzynski had a sacrifice fly.

”If I get that ball (Beltre’s single) maybe we get that double play and we’re still playing,” Royals second baseman Emilio Bonifacio said.

The Royals had only one batter get past second base before Hosmer’s homer. Jarrod Dyson tripled with two out in the fifth, but was stranded when Alcides Escobar looked at a called third strike.

— Associated Press —