KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Nick Kurtz delivered a dramatic solo home run in the top of the ninth inning on Sunday, propelling the Athletics to a 3-2 victory and a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The blast marked the Athletics’ first sweep in Kansas City since September 2016.
With the game tied 2-2 in the final frame, Kurtz launched Carlos Estévez’s (2-2) fastball 411 feet to right-center for his sixth home run of the season, silencing the home crowd and securing the win for the Athletics.
T.J. Ferguson (2-2) earned the win for the Athletics, retiring all four batters he faced and striking out two. Mason Miller closed out the game with two strikeouts to notch his 14th save.
For the Royals, the loss extended their longest losing streak of the season to six games, culminating in a winless six-game homestand. Kansas City has now dropped six consecutive home series.
The Royals initially took the lead in the third inning. After Kyle Isbel doubled, Bobby Witt Jr. broke out of an 0-for-16 slump with an RBI double. He then advanced to third on a balk by Jeffrey Springs and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s single, giving Kansas City a 2-0 advantage.
Royals starter Noah Cameron was strong through five scoreless innings, striking out seven Athletics batters.
The Athletics got on the board in the sixth when Austin Wynns, acquired recently from the Cincinnati Reds, blasted a two-run homer to left-center off reliever John Schreiber, tying the game at 2-2. It was Wynns’ fifth home run and second in just five games with his new team.
The Athletics had a chance to score in the fifth when Lawrence Butler hit a two-out double, but he was caught stealing third to end the inning. The call was initially ruled safe by third base umpire Adrian Johnson before being quickly overturned, prompting an unsuccessful argument from A’s manager Mark Kotsay.
The Royals’ struggles in the sixth inning continued, as they have now been outscored 44-15 in that frame this season.
Looking ahead, the Royals will open a road series against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. Right-hander Seth Lugo (3-5, 3.18 ERA) is slated to start for Kansas City, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Superstar 102.5 FM & 1530 AM KQNK.
