Royals Fall Short in 7-5 Loss to Athletics Despite Late-Inning Rally

Despite a comeback attempt, the Royals fell to the Oakland Athletics in a hard-fought Tuesday night matchup.

Jun 18, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Kansas City Royals third base Maikel Garcia (11) is unable to make a play on the ball during the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / © Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday night, the Kansas City Royals (41-32) squared off against the Oakland Athletics (26-48) at the Oakland Coliseum. The Royals battled hard but ultimately fell short, losing 7-5 to the Athletics.

Hogan Harris (1-0) notched his first win of the season, pitching five uneven innings. Despite allowing three runs (one earned) and four hits, Harris managed to secure the victory. The Athletics, eager to end their recent 0-7 road skid, started the game out strong.

In the first inning, the Athletics jumped to an early lead. Max Schuemann walked and scored on JJ Bleday's RBI double. Brent Rooker's sacrifice fly brought Bleday home, giving Oakland a 2-0 lead.

The Royals tied the game in the second inning when Nick Loftin smashed his first career home run, a two-run shot, after Freddy Fermin reached on an error.

Oakland regained the lead in the third inning. Zack Gelof singled and later scored on JJ Bleday's RBI double. Miguel Andujar added an RBI single, extending the Athletics' lead to 4-2.

Oakland widened their lead in the fourth inning when Zack Gelof hit a three-run homer, making it 7-2. The Royals answered back in the fifth inning when Kyle Isbel tripled and scored on Maikel Garcia's groundout.

Kansas City made their comeback effort in the eighth inning. Vinnie Pasquantino singled and scored on Freddy Fermin's groundout. Salvador Perez singled and scored on Nick Loftin's groundout. MJ Melendez walked, advanced on Fermin's groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Despite the effort, the Royals couldn't close the gap.

The Royals' next game will feature left-hander Cole Ragans (4-4, 3.14 ERA), who previously delivered seven scoreless innings against Oakland on May 17. The Athletics will counter with right-hander Luis Medina (0-2, 5.87 ERA), who is looking to break his five-game losing streak dating back to last July. First pitch is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. CT.

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