Athletics end 14-game road losing streak, beat Royals 6-4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Austin Wynns and Luis Urías hit home runs, Luis Severino pitched 7 2/3 strong innings, and the Athletics beat Kansas City 6-4 on Friday night to end a 14-game road losing streak and hand the Royals their fourth straight loss.

Severino (2-6) allowed six hits and a first-inning run on an RBI double by Salvador Perez. He surrendered 17 hits and 13 earned runs in his two previous starts covering 11 1/3 innings.

Wynns hit his fourth home run — a solo shot with two outs in the second off Royals starter Michael Wacha (3-6) — to tie it 1-1. Urías hit Wacha’s second pitch in the fourth out to left for his seventh homer and a 3-1 lead. Nick Kurtz drove in the second run for the A’s with a two-out single in the third.

The Athletics pulled away after Wacha left with two on and one out in the sixth.

Jacob Wilson greeted reliever Steven Cruz with a single to load the bases. Cruz fanned Brent Rooker on three pitches but walked Tyler Soderstrom to force in a run. Max Muncy followed with a two-run single for a 6-1 advantage. Cruz fanned Kurtz with his 22nd pitch to end the inning. Wilson went 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Nick Loftin had a two-run triple in a three-run ninth as the Athletics held on for their fifth victory in their last 29 games.

Wacha gave up five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Taylor Clarke pitched two scoreless innings after Cruz got two outs.

Key moment

Muncy’s two-out, two-run single in the sixth following the bases-loaded walk to Soderstrom proved to be the difference.

Key stat

The Athletics began the day with the worst ERA in the AL at 5.63 while allowing the most home runs — 104.

Up next

The Athletics haven’t announced Saturday’s starter opposite Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-6, 4.94 ERA).

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