OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals could have headed home with another squandered late-inning lead and far less momentum as they prepare for an important weekend series against first-place Cleveland.

This time, the Royals gave it up again before rallying once more.

Alex Gordon hit a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth after Oakland tied it in the bottom of the eighth, and Kansas City beat the Oakland Athletics 7-6 on Wednesday.

Alcides Escobar doubled to start the ninth against Blake Treinen (1-1), matching his season high with three hits. Then Gordon delivered his second run-scoring single of the series finale as Kansas City won its fourth in five following a five-game skid.

“Today was a step in the right direction for us,” Royals starter Danny Duffy said. “It’s huge. We had a pretty decent roadie.”

Oakland’s Matt Chapman hit a tying two-run homer in the eighth against Brandon Maurer (1-1), who wound up the winner.

Lorenzo Cain hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Duffy struck out eight over five innings, but the Royals needed clutch hitting in the ninth a day after giving up a four-run lead in a 10-8 defeat.

“This was a big win for us today, especially after last night,” manager Ned Yost said. “Games like last night can cease your momentum, so to come back and show the heart and the ability to grind a tough game out like our guys did today was very satisfying.”

Cain added a key RBI single in the eighth for the Royals, who began the day tied with Minnesota six games behind the AL Central-leading Indians.

Kelvin Herrera finished for his 26th save in 29 chances after allowing Ryon Healy’s two-out infield single.

Duffy’s winless stretch reached four outings since a victory at Detroit on July 25. The left-hander earned his first major league win at Oakland on June 14, 2011, and has never lost to the A’s — 3-0 in seven career appearances and six starts — but hasn’t beaten them since April 10, 2012.

Marcus Semien hit a two-run homer in the third and Oakland got back in it on Jed Lowrie’s two-run single in the fifth.

“It just was an ugly game all the way around,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “There was no pace to the game, and it just seemed like one of those games that was just blah.”

Kansas City’s Melky Cabrera fouled a ball off his leg in the third and went down writhing in pain before recovering to hit a single on the very next pitch to load the bases with no outs. But Blackburn struck out Mike Moustakas and induced an inning-ending double play from Brandon Moss to escape unscathed.

A’s starter Paul Blackburn was tagged for eight hits and four runs in four innings of his first career start against Kansas City, striking out two and walking three.

MINOR LEAGUE TRADE

The A’s acquired lefty Sam Moll from Colorado for a player to be named later or cash then optioned him to Triple-A Nashville. Oakland added right-hander Chris Hatcher to the 25-man roster and he made his A’s debut in the sixth inning, a day after coming to Oakland in a trade from the Dodgers. The A’s optioned righty Josh Smith to Nashville and designated righty Zach Neal for assignment to clear 40-man roster space to add Moll.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Joakim Soria — who allowed four straight hits in the eighth inning Tuesday night — is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday after stiffness in his lat and ribcage area to determine when he can pitch again. The reliever showed up to the Coliseum with discomfort. “He’s been battling with it for two weeks, he’s been pitching through it, he’s been pitching very effectively through it,” Yost said. “But after last night he showed up more so than usual.”

Athletics: Josh Phegley (strained left oblique) was slated to catch five or six innings in a rehab game for Triple-A Nashville at Tacoma. … OF Jake Smolinski, on the disabled list since March 30 recovering from right shoulder surgery, isn’t expected to be able to play in the outfield until “well into September,” Melvin said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (4-8, 4.80 ERA) starts Friday at home against the first-place Indians trying to snap a 14-start winless stretch at Kaufmann Stadium since a victory vs. Minnesota on Aug. 20 last year.

Athletics: Following Thursday’s day off, LHP Sean Manaea (8-7, 4.59) starts at Houston on Friday looking to end a five-start winless stretch in which he’s 0-2 since beating Cleveland on July 16.

— Associated Press —

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Cam Gallagher hit a grand slam for his first career home run and second big league hit, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics 6-2 on Monday night.

Gallagher’s shot into the left-field seats in the sixth inning marked the first grand slam by a Royals rookie since Paulo Orlando connected in the first game of a doubleheader against Tampa Bay on July 7, 2015.

Jake Junis (5-2), recalled for his seventh stint with Kansas City this season, allowed two runs and four hits in six innings with two strikeouts and no walks.

The Royals moved into a second-place tie with the idle Twins, five games back of AL Central-leading Cleveland.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Whit Merrifield had a chance to hit for the cycle. He settled for a really fun day.

Merrifield hit a three-run homer and drove in a career-high five runs, and the Kansas City Royals pounded the Chicago White Sox 14-6 on Sunday.

Drew Butera had four of Kansas City’s 16 hits, helping the Royals climb back over .500 at 59-58. Jorge Bonifacio hit his 15th homer, and Lorenzo Cain had two hits and two RBI.

Merrifield needed a double for the cycle when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the eighth inning. But he popped out on a shallow foul ball to right fielder Avisail Garcia.

“With the game like it was, it (the cycle) was on my mind,” Merrifield said. “Hit a ball in the gap. I made a pretty poor swing, on a slider.”

Merrifield still finished with three hits. The 28-year-old second baseman is batting .296 with 14 homers and 56 RBI.

“He’s worked himself into a very nice major league player,” manager Ned Yost said. “He has a little power and plays solid defense.”

Jason Vargas (14-6) worked six innings to match his career high for wins set in 2012 with Seattle. The left-hander allowed three runs and six hits, struck out seven and walked two.

The Royals won the last two games of the weekend set after dropping five in a row and 10 of 12. They remain in the mix for the second AL wild card.

“We were kind of spinning our wheels for while trying to gain some momentum,” Yost said. “It’s hard to get, but easy to stop.”

Tim Anderson hit a two-run homer for AL-worst Chicago, and Garcia added a two-run double.

White Sox left-hander Derek Holland (6-12) lasted just two-plus innings in his shortest start of the year. He was charged with seven runs and seven hits.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” Holland said. “Today was just, in my eyes, embarrassing.”

Kansas City grabbed control with four runs in the second and four more in the third. Bonifacio led off the third with a drive to left and Merrifield made it 8-0 when he went deep against Mike Pelfrey.

“It does seem to come in bunches at times,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.

Merrifield added a two-run triple in the sixth, making it 12-3.

BY THE DOZEN

White Sox rookie Nicky Delmonico reached in his 12th straight game to begin his career, extending his team record. He also has a 10-game hitting streak.

He was hit by a pitch in the second and walked in the fourth. He also doubled home a run in the seventh and was robbed of a potential home run by a leaping grab by Alex Gordon in center for the final out of the game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: INF Mike Moustakas (left knee soreness) was the designated hitter for the second time in the three-game series at Chicago, but Yost said he hoped to have the slugger back at third base Monday in Oakland.

White Sox: INF/DH Matt Davidson said he is recovering from a bruised right wrist more slowly than expected and is still not able to swing a bat. Davidson had hoped to return this week against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. “We’re going to re-evaluate in the next couple of days and go from there,” he said. Davidson has been on the DL since being hit by a pitch by Toronto’s Marcus Stroman on Aug. 1.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jake Junis (4-2, 4.70 ERA) will be recalled from Triple-A Omaha for his eighth start Monday against Oakland. Jharel Cotton (5-9, 5.72 ERA) pitches for the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series.

White Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (6-10, 4.85 ERA) faces Dodgers LHP Alex Wood (14-1, 2.37 ERA) on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Wood has won three straight since his only loss this season.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Melky Cabrera showed the Chicago White Sox what they are missing.

Cabrera hit a go-ahead, two-run homer against his former team in the eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the White Sox 5-4 Saturday night to stop a five-game losing streak.

Cabrera, acquired from the White Sox on July 30, homered with one out off Aaron Bummer (1-3) and drove in Lorenzo Cain, who led off the inning with a walk against Chris Beck. Cabrera has an eight-game hitting streak.

“These kind of wins are wins that help you stop the bleeding,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I was sitting there thinking about this group. What do you tell them? They’re not pressing. They’re competing their tails off. All you can tell them is, `Hang in there, keep battling, it is going to get better.’ And a win like this does a lot for their spirits.”

Cabrera fell behind 1-2 in the count and homered on the ninth pitch, his third home run since the trade and 16th this season. He extended his hitting streak to eight games.

“I am grateful to Ned for playing me every day,” Cabrera said through a translator.

Scott Alexander (3-3) won after allowing a two-run, two-out single in the seventh to Leury Garcia that put Chicago ahead 4-3.

Joakim Soria pitched a perfect eighth, and Kelvin Herrera worked around a walk in a hitless-but-eventful ninth for his 25th save in 28 chances.

After pinch-runner Tyler Saladino stole second, third baseman Mike Moustakas made a diving stop on Adam Engel’s grounder and threw to first for the final out, ending Chicago’s four-game winning streak.

“I was trying to keep in the infield to make sure a run doesn’t score but I got a pretty good read on the hop so I was able to make a play on it,” Moustakas said. “We know how good we can be and we know we weren’t playing good baseball.”

White Sox starter James Shields struck out a season-high eight in six innings, allowing three runs and seven hits.

Jose Abreu hit a pair of solo home runs against Ian Kennedy, who gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. Abreu became the first White Sox player to reach 20 homers in each of his first four seasons.

“Good pitches, bad pitches, he hits them,” Kennedy said.

STREAKING

Nicky Delmonico singled in the second, becoming the first player to reach base in his first 11 games with the White Sox. He is batting .366 (15 for 41) and has a nine-game hitting streak.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez (strained right intercostal muscle) threw from 120 feet for about 10 minutes before the game and could hit off a tee next week. The Royals have lost six of seven since he got hurt and are 4-12 when he doesn’t start.

White Sox: 3B Matt Davidson (bruised wrist) may not be ready to be activated from the 10-day DL when he becomes eligible Tuesday, according to manager Rick Renteria said.

UP NEXT

Jason Vargas (13-6) starts for the Royals on Sunday against fellow left-hander Derek Holland (6-11) in the finale of the three-game series. Vargas is 1/3 with a 6.94 ERA since the All-Star break. Holland survived seven walks against Houston on Tuesday for his first win since June 13.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Tim Anderson hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run, seventh-inning rally, Reynaldo Lopez pitched six strong innings in his White Sox debut and Chicago won its fourth straight, 6-3 over the sliding Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Mike Moustakas belted a pair of deep solo shots to give him 34 homers, but the Royals lost their fifth straight and 10th in 12.

Adam Engel’s second triple of the game drove in the tiebreaking run in the seventh. Yolmer Sanchez had two RBI and Kevan Smith doubled in a run as the AL-worst White Sox kept rolling following a three-game sweep of league-leading Houston.

Aaron Bummer (1-2) pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth to earn his first major league win. Kansas City starter Danny Duffy (7-8) allowed five runs and seven hits in his second straight loss.

Tyler Clippard got the final two outs for third save in eight chances as Kansas City scored its third run on wild pitch.

Lopez allowed two runs — both on Moustakas’ homers. The 23-year-old right-hander, one of rebuilding Chicago’s prized prospects, permitted four hits and struck out six after being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day.

The 23-year-old Lopez was acquired by Chicago from Washington in December 2016 with right-handers Lucas Giolito and Dane Dunning for outfielder Adam Eaton.

Moustakas’ first homer, with one out in the fourth, was the first hit off Lopez.

The White Sox jumped out 1-0 in the first when Smith lined a double to the left-center gap and drove in Anderson. Engel tripled off the right-center wall, then scored on Sanchez’s grounder in the second to make it 2-0.

After Moustakas cut it to 2-1 with one out in the fourth, Cheslor Cuthbert and Alcides Escobar followed with sharp singles. But following a mound conference with pitching coach Don Cooper, Lopez settled down and got the next two outs.

Moustakas’ second homer tied it at 2-all in the sixth.

DOUBLE-TRIPLE

Engel became the first White Sox player to triple twice in a game since Alejandro De Aza did it in August 2011.

MINOR MOVES

To make room for Lopez, the White Sox assigned LHP David Holmberg to Charlotte. . Chicago acquired minor league RHP Ryan Burr from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday for international signing bonus pool money.

STREAKING

Chicago INF/OF Nicky Delmonico beat out an infield hit in the fifth and has reached base safely in his first 10 games since being called up from Charlotte on Aug. 1. Delmonico, who has an eight-game hitting streak, is the first White Sox player to reach base in his first 10 games since Larry Rosenthal in 1936.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Trevor Cahill, placed on the 10-day on Thursday with right shoulder soreness, said he was relieved to learn there was no structural damage, but did not know how long he would be sidelined. Cahill was unable to throw for 10 days after the same injury last season. . Royals CF Lorenzo Cain hit the wall awkwardly tracking Engel’s triple in the second. Cain sprawled on the warning track for a few moments, but stayed in the game.

White Sox: OF Avisail Garcia got the day off to “give his legs a break” according to manager Rick Renteria. Garcia, the White Sox’s lone 2017 All-Star, had played three straight games after missing 12 with a strained ligament in his right thumb.

UP NEXT

A pair of struggling right-handers meet when the Royals’ Ian Kennedy (4-8, 4.83) faces Chicago’s James Shields (2-4, 6.03) on Saturday night. Shields is 0-3 with a 8.13 ERA in six starts since his last win, on June 29. Kennedy has lost his last two starts, allowing 10 runs in 10 innings.

— Associated Press —