Royals stage late comeback to beat A’s, 6-4

It’s been a weird week for Kansas City baseball. The team got handed its most lopsided loss in quite awhile. Rumors about the club being sold emerged. Brad Keller got shut down. Alex Gordon pitched.

All that aside, the Royals managed to put together a nice win on Wednesday night, defeating the Oakland A’s 6-4.

The A’s led off the night with a homer, and they added a second run in the first frame to immediately put the Royals in a 2-0 hole. In the home half of the third, Hunter Dozier tattooed a two-run homer to pull Kansas City even. ESPN says that the ball went 415 feet, but it felt like way more than that. He hit it over the bullpen and darn near the Hall of Fame in left field.

Following a two-run homer by Oakland to restore a two-run lead, the Royals clawed back once again. Jorge Soler hit a run-scoring double off the left-field fence for his 93rd RBI of the year. In the sixth, Ryan O’Hearn cranked a solo homer to right, bringing the score even once again. 4-4.

The bottom of the seventh had a vintage, 2015-y feel. Nicky Lopez reached on an infield single that had to be overturned by replay. Whit Merrifield hit a single through the opposite-field hole. Jorge Soler worked a walk. Hunter Dozier hit a first-pitch RBI single to put the Royals up 5-4. Everything came together. Another run was added on an Alex Gordon double play. 6-4.

Tim Hill put together a dazzling eighth inning. I can’t believe I’m typing those words! It was his best outing of the year. And in the ninth, Ian Kennedy worked around a leadoff walk to earn his 23rd save.

The Royals are 47-87. They go for a series split tomorrow at 12:15 pm.