KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Athletics managed to snap their lengthy 14-game road losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night, extending the Royals’ losing streak to four games. Austin Wynns and Luis Urías were instrumental in the win, each hitting a home run to support Luis Severino’s strong pitching performance. Severino, now with a 2-6 record, pitched 7 2/3 solid innings, giving up six hits and allowing an early run following an RBI double by Salvador Perez. He had struggled in previous outings, with 17 hits and 13 earned runs allowed over just 11 1/3 innings.
Wynns, who hit his fourth homer of the season, tied the game with a solo home run in the second inning off Royals starter Michael Wacha, making it 1-1. Urías followed suit in the fourth inning, hitting Wacha’s second pitch for his seventh home run, giving the Athletics a 3-1 lead. Nick Kurtz contributed to the offense by driving in another run with a two-out single in the third inning.
The Athletics capitalized further when Michael Wacha left the game in the sixth inning with two runners on base. Reliever Steven Cruz stepped in but struggled, allowing a base-loading single to Jacob Wilson and a bases-loaded walk to Tyler Soderstrom, which brought in an additional run. Max Muncy then delivered a crucial two-run single, nudging the Athletics’ lead to 6-1. Cruz managed to strike out Kurtz to conclude the inning after 22 pitches. Jacob Wilson ended the game going 2 for 5 and crossing home plate twice.
As the game progressed, Nick Loftin tried to rally the Royals with a two-run triple during a three-run ninth inning, but the Athletics maintained their lead and secured their fifth win in the last 29 games. Michael Wacha, bearing a 3-6 record, allowed five runs on nine hits in his 5 1/3 innings on the mound, while Taylor Clarke managed two scoreless innings after Cruz’s appearance.
A pivotal moment of the game was Muncy’s sixth-inning two-out, two-run single after Soderstrom’s walk, which proved to shift the momentum permanently in favor of the Athletics. Despite the victory, the Athletics continue to battle their pitching woes, entering the day with an American League-worst ERA of 5.63 and having allowed the most home runs at 104.
Looking ahead, the Athletics have yet to announce their starting pitcher for Saturday’s matchup, where they’ll face Royals’ right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who holds a 4-6 record with a 4.94 ERA.