By Matthew Harrington

Perhaps Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin wishes his team saved some runs after a Tuesday night 11-3 romping of the Kansas City Royals. Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium, yesterday’s assembly of green and gold world beaters managed to advance only one batter beyond second base against the American League Central Leaders, with the Royals (65-54)blanking the A’s 3-0 to win game three of a four-game set.

The Oakland Athletics offense, one day removed from a double-digit hit barrage, fell silent against Royals starter Jason Vargas. The left-hander (9-5, 3.27 ERA) pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out four A’s while walking none. He only yielded three hits, a pair in the first and a single in the second, over his nine innings of work before retiring the last 23 A’s batters in order.

Oakland southpaw Scott Kazmir (13-5, 2.78) did his best to match Vargas, firing off eight innings of seven-hit, three-run ball. A two-run homer, his sixth of the season, by Royals second basemen Omar Infante proved the biggest blow of the game in the third inning off Kazmir. 2014 AL All-Star catcher Salvador Perez also knocked in a run in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly.

Oakland (73-47) takes on Kansas City one more time Thursday afternoon before traveling south to wrap up a seven-game road trip in Atlanta. Jeff Samardzija takes the mound Thursday to try to even up the series for the AL West leaders while James Shields will take the hill for Kansas City seeking to close out a series win.