Ventura ejected for hitting Lawrie as Hahn, A's blank Royals
KANSAS CITY -- Josh Reddick belted a three-run homer and right-hander Jesse Hahn tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings before leaving with a blister on his throwing hand, as the A's toppled the Royals, 5-0, on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Reddick's blast preceded Brett Lawrie being hit by a pitch by Royals starter Yordano Ventura in the fourth inning in what likely was retaliation for Lawrie's hard slide into Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar on Friday night. More >
Ventura, who was immediately ejected, went 3 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and five runs.
"He really just lost command most of the night," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He was all over the place."
Hahn gave up just three hits and worked his way out of a runner-on-third-no-out situation in the third inning.
Video: OAK@KC: Hahn works out of 3rd-inning jam
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The retaliation: Ventura got through the first three innings without giving up a hit, although he fell behind numerous hitters. That lack of command caught up to him in the fourth when he gave up a leadoff walk and then an RBI double to Stephen Vogt. Four hitters later, Reddick slammed his three-run homer to right. Ventura's second pitch to Lawrie plunked him in the right elbow, and home-plate umpire Jim Joyce wasted no time in ejecting Ventura. More >
"[Ventura] drilled him right after a home run," Joyce said. "This also pertains to what happened [Friday] night, but also for drilling someone right after a home run. The situation deemed it necessary."
Ventura, through interpreter Jeremy Guthrie, refused to comment on the hit-by-pitch.
Jesse and Jesse: Before Hahn departed with a blister in the sixth inning, the right-hander totaled 11 ground-ball outs, two of which resulted in double plays. The right-hander limited the Royals to just three hits over 5 1/3 innings, walking one in earning his first win as an Athletic, and reliever Jesse Chavez proceeded to compile a 3 2/3-innings save, striking out six. More >
Video: OAK@KC: Hahn exits game with apparent hand injury
"Jesse plural was very good tonight," joked Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt. "They both used their movement, both sides of the plate. Just really made pitches."
Video: OAK@KC: Chavez fans six, earns the save
Fourth-inning frenzy: The A's collected all of their runs in one inning, tallying five in the fourth for a large lead. Sam Fuld drew a leadoff walk and quickly came around to score on Vogt's ensuing double. One out later, Billy Butler and Ike Davis combined for back-to-back singles, and Reddick brought them both home by launching a three-run home run -- his first of the season -- into the right-field stands. Butler, who also singled in the eighth, has a 12-game hitting streak.
Video: OAK@KC: A's score five runs in the 4th inning
"That's one of those guys, you try to get his pitch count up and you look up and he's got more balls than strikes at times, you know we've got some guys on base and the big blow by Reddick was huge at the time," said A's manager Bob Melvin. "That inning was nice to get."
Going long: Royals right-hander Yohan Pino was brought in as a replacement for Greg Holland, who was put on the disabled list. Pino did his job coming in for Ventura, throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
Video: OAK@KC: Pino whiffs Lawrie to end the 6th
"We brought him in here for length," Yost said. "We felt we needed someone with length if it rained and we had a long delay. He did a great job."
QUOTABLE
"No war between us. Everything's settled. Clean slate for everyone." -- Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain, on a possible war brewing between the Royals and A's
SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE
The A's successfully challenged an out call in the eighth on the back end of a potential double-play ball by Ben Zobrist. The call was overturned, and Zobrist was ruled safe at first.
Video: OAK@KC: Out call at first overturned in the 8th
WHAT'S NEXT
Athletics: Left-hander Scott Kazmir gets the ball for Sunday's matinee at 11:10 a.m. PT, as the A's look to take this three-game series from the Royals. He is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in his first two starts this season.
Royals: The Royals will send out left-hander Danny Duffy for the series finale Sunday at 1:10 p.m. CT. Duffy is 3-0 career against Oakland with a 2.45 ERA, though he hasn't faced them since 2012, before his Tommy John surgery..
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