Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Athletics in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.Colin E. Braley/AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

By Mauricio Segura

Every time the Sacramento Athletics found ways to put runners on base, Kansas City kept finding ways to make those runners disappear. The Royals Bobby Witt Jr. supplied the early jolt, Isaac Collins delivered the biggest hit with men aboard, and the Royals finished a four-game sweep with a 6-2 win that sent the A’s to 49-79 and extended their losing streak to four.

Sacramento had an opening immediately. Henry Bolte singled to begin the game, but Jeff McNeil followed with a double play. Zack Gelof then drew a walk and Lawrence Butler singled, only for Max Muncy to strike out. Kansas City needed far less traffic. Witt turned the first pitch he saw from Gage Jump into a solo homer to left-center, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead. Maikel Garcia followed with a double, but Darell Hernaiz recovered from a fielding error on Salvador Perez’s grounder and helped cut Garcia down at home.

The A’s missed an even bigger chance in the second. Carlos Cortes singled, Donovan Walton drew a walk and Hernaiz added an infield single to load the bases with one out. Randy Dobnak escaped when Bolte struck out and McNeil grounded out. Sacramento put two more aboard in the third after a Muncy walk and Cortes’ second hit, but Brian Serven struck out. Dobnak worked four scoreless innings despite allowing six hits and four walks.

Kansas City made its chances count. Witt singled in the third, Perez followed with another hit and Vinnie Pasquantino drew a walk to load the bases. Collins then lined a two-run single to left for a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, Michael Massey singled and Nick Loftin tripled him home. Jump intentionally put Witt on, then retired John Rave on a fielder’s choice that erased Loftin at the plate. Perez followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

Jump entered the game with 85 strikeouts through his first 15 career starts, the third-highest total in Athletics history over that span, behind only Tim Hudson and Sonny Gray. Kansas City still reached him for five runs in four innings, ending his afternoon before the A’s finally mounted their only scoring push.

The response began in the fifth against Carlos Duran. Butler drew a walk, Muncy and Cortes followed with walks of their own, and Serven singled home Butler with the bases loaded. Connor Thomas replaced Duran and Walton brought Muncy home on a groundout, trimming the deficit to 5-2. Hernaiz lined out to end the threat.

Taylor Rashi then made his A’s debut after being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. He allowed a run in the fifth when Collins reached and Massey doubled him home, but Rashi prevented further damage and worked a scoreless sixth. His appearance made him the 58th player used by the Athletics this season.

The Green and Gold never generated another rally. Butler singled to open the seventh, but Craig Kimbrel entered and retired Muncy and Cortes before Butler was caught stealing. The A’s did not put another runner on base. John Schreiber handled the eighth and Nate Pearson retired Bolte, McNeil and Gelof in order in the ninth.

Butler finished with two hits and a walk, while Cortes had two hits and a walk of his own. Walton doubled and drove in a run, and Serven supplied the other RBI. The lack of road offense has been a season-long problem for Sacramento, which entered the game with the second-fewest road runs in the majors and a .224 batting average away from home.

The next stop is Houston, where Sacramento starter J.T. Ginn (8-7, 3.53 ERA, 114 K) is set to face Houston starter Hayden Wesneski (2-1, 5.16 ERA, 18 K), with first pitch scheduled for 5:10 p.m. Pacific.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

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Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.