Kouzmanoff has 3 RBIs as A's beat Royals 6-5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kevin Kouzmanoff had three RBIs and Adam Rosales drove in the tiebreaking run against Joakim Soria in the ninth inning with his third single, leading the Oakland Athletics past Kansas City 6-5 on Saturday night.

Kurt Suzuki doubled with one out in the ninth against Soria (0-2), who started the ninth. With two outs, Rosales delivered the winner up the middle.

Kevin Kouzmanoff had three RBIs for the A's, who won their fourth in a row. Craig Breslow (4-2) pitched one inning for the victory and Andrew Bailey worked the ninth for his 19th save in 22 opportunities, striking out Jason Kendall with the potential tying run on third.

Kansas City's Yuniesky Betancourt hit a grand slam in the second off Trevor Cahill for a 5-3 lead.

Cahill, making his first start since being named to the AL All-Star team, breezed through the first inning but ran into immediate trouble in the second, loading the bases on two singles and a walk before Betancourt, the No. 9 hitter, knocked a 2-1 pitch 366 feet over the fence in left. It was his third career grand slam and second this year.

Scott Podsednik tripled on Cahill's next pitch and put the Royals on top 5-3 on Kendall's sacrifice fly to Coco Crisp in shallow center. Cahill, 8-1 in his 11 previous starts, retired the next 15 in a row and was relieved by Jerry Blevins with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh.

In a lefty-vs.-lefty matchup against David DeJesus, Blevins ended the threat with a popup. Cahill went 6 2-3 innings and gave up five runs on five hits, with for walks and three strikeouts.

Cliff Pennington had an RBI single in the sixth, chasing Royals starter Bruce Chen, and then the A's tied it in the seventh when Daric Barton hit his second double and scored on Kouzmanoff's RBI single off Blake Wood.

Chen gave up five hits and three runs in a shaky first inning, including a two-run double by Kouzmanoff, who has five RBIs in the past two nights against the Royals.

Kouzmanoff scored on an RBI by Rosales. But after a visit to the mound by pitching coach Bob McClure, Chen retired all but two of the next 15 batters until Rosales singled leading off the sixth and eventually scored on Pennington's RBI single. Chen allowed four runs on nine hits in 5 2-3 innings, with one walk and four strikeouts.

NOTES: A's manager Bob Geren said he still hadn't decided whether Dallas Braden would start on Tuesday against Boston. Braden's been on the DL since June 23 with left elbow stiffness. ... Eric Hosmer, KC's first-round pick in 2008, homered Saturday night in his first Double-A at-bat. ... The defensive play of the night belonged to A's first baseman Barton, who dived to his left to stop Alberto Callaspo's smash down the line to end the third. ... Royals RHP Gil Meche may make a rehab start at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Wednesday. Meche has been on the DL and not pitched since May 25 with bursitis of the right shoulder.