Shields sharp as Royals top A's 4-2
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) James Shields pitched quite a gem for Kansas City. It certainly helped that Oakland abandoned its usual patient approach at the plate.
Shields pitched eight sharp innings for his first win in nearly a month, and the Royals beat the Athletics 4-2 on Sunday.
''This team was a free-hacking team today, which is not really their game,'' Shields said. ''They have a bunch of hitters over there that were being aggressive and I was able to execute my pitches early in the count.''
Shields retired his first 15 batters before Josh Reddick hit a leadoff homer in the sixth. Alberto Callaspo then had a one-out single before Sam Fuld lined into a double play.
The 32-year-old Shields (10-6) allowed two runs and four hits. He walked none for the fifth time this season.
''You watch the way that he's pitching, it's like, `OK boys, let's just give him a couple runs and he'll take it from there,''' Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. ''A good indicator for him was he was managing his pitch count.''
Shields threw 102 pitches while helping the Royals to their ninth win in 12 games.
''As far as I'm concerned we can match up with anyone, any team, any starting rotation,'' Shields said. ''As long as we go toe to toe with those guys we're going to be in every game.''
Reddick homered twice, getting to Shields again in the eighth.
The A's have the best record in baseball at 67-43, but have sputtered offensively since trading cleanup hitter Yoenis Cespedes to Boston on Thursday in a deal for ace Jon Lester. They lead the stacked AL West by one game over the Los Angeles Angels, who beat Tampa Bay 7-5 on Sunday.
Oakland was without injured leadoff hitter Coco Crisp, though it hardly mattered the way Shields was pitching.
Shields allowed only three balls out of the infield through the first five innings. One of them was a deep fly to center by Josh Donaldson in the first, the closest Oakland came to getting a man on base before Reddick's home run.
''We just haven't been our best offensively here,'' A's manager Bob Melvin said. ''Shields was using all his pitches, going to the change, to the cutter, and he had good command.''
Shields got his first win since he beat his former team, Tampa Bay, on July 7. Greg Holland pitched the ninth for his AL-leading 31st save.
Nori Aoki's RBI single in the fifth gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead. Omar Infante followed with a two-run double and later scored on a single by Salvador Perez.
All the runs came against Scott Kazmir (12-4).
Reddick has four home runs since coming off the disabled list July 22. It's the sixth multihomer game of his career and second this season.
KAZMIR'S STREAK AT HOME ENDS
Kazmir lost at the Oakland Coliseum for just the second time this season. It's also the first time since June 24 that the left-hander allowed more than two earned runs.
CLOSING IN ON 800
It was Yost's 798th win as a manager, moving him one ahead of Melvin for 76th on the career list.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: Infielder Nick Punto was placed on the 15-day disabled list after he strained a hamstring rounding third base on Saturday. ... Crisp (neck) took swings in the batting cage but there is still no timetable for his return. Crisp has not played since July 26.
ON DECK
Royals: Left-hander Danny Duffy (5-10) pitches the series opener in Arizona on Tuesday. Duffy's 2.42 ERA is the fourth-lowest in the AL among pitchers with at least 100 innings.
Athletics: Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (2-1), who has allowed at least one home run in each of his previous four outings, starts against Tampa Bay on Monday.
