Kansas City Royals’ Cam Gallagher (36) is congratulated by Melky Cabrera, left, after hitting a grand slam off Oakland Athletics’ Jharel Cotton in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot

by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Kansas City Royals, who are in a nine-team race for the Wild Card slots in the American League. The Royals defeated the A’s Monday 6-2 behind an outstanding performance by pitcher Jake Kunis. Jumis went six innings and allowed just four hits and two runs to win his fifth game of the year. A’s starter Jharel Cotton did well for five innings, but he ran into trouble in the sixth and gave up four runs with the key hit being a grand slam off the bat of Royals’ catcher Cam Gallagher

The Royals tallied a run in the top of the first. Royals’ second baseman, Whit Merrifield, led off with a single to center field. Merrifield stole second and went to third on a ground out and scored on a single by Eric Hosmer. Cotton got out of the inning when he Melky Cabrera hit into a 5-4-3 double play. The A’s tied the game in their half of the inning. With one out, Marcus Semien just missed hitting a home run. The ball bounced off the top of the fence near the Rickey Henderson Field sign in left-center. Semien motored into third with a triple and scored on a fielder’s choice.

The Royals regained the lead in the second. With no out, singles by Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon put men on at first and third. Cotton, with a 3-2 count on catcher Cam Gallagher, uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Escobar to cross the plate with the Royals second run.

The Royals put four runs on the board in the sixth. The Royals loaded the bases on a walk to Melky Cabrera and singles to Moustakas and Escobar. Cam Gallagher, who had just one hit in eight trips to the plate this season, again worked the count to 3-2. This time, however, he did not walk, Hh took Cotton’s pitch and sent it over the fence in left field for his first homer in the big leagues. Not only was it his first dinger, but it was also a grand slam. He will be telling his grandkids about this moment in the future. The A’s scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Rookie center fielder, Boog Powell, singled. Matt Joyce also singled to put men on at first and third with no out. Junis retired Marcus Semien for the first out. Junis then hit Ryon Healy with a pitch to load the bases and then hit Khris Davis with a pitch that forced in the A’s second run. After six innings of play, the Royals are ahead 6-2.

There was no more scoring in the game. The Royals bullpen held the A’s justb to one hit in the last three innings of the game. The A’s bullpen also did the job as they allowed the Royals just two hits and kept them off the board the last three innings, too.

Game Notes- The A’s are now fifteen games under the .500 mark with a record of 52-67. The Royals, with the win, are just one-half game behind the Los Angeles Angels for the second Wild Card spot. The Royals are now 60-58 for the season.

The A’s and Royals go at it again Tuesday night at the Coliseum. The A’s will send Chris Smith (0-2, ERA 5.29) to the hill and Kansas City will counter with former Athletic, Jason Hammel. Hammel’s record is 5-9, and his ERA is 4.68. Time of game will be at 7:05 pm.

Time of game was two hours and forty minutes and the second smallest crowd of 9848 were in attendance.