Sep 17, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics Mark Canha (left) hugs Khris Davis (2) as he scores on an RBI double by Seth Brown (not pictured) during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
September 18, 2019
Mark Canha stroked a two-out, two-strike RBI double in the 11th inning Wednesday afternoon, giving the host Oakland Athletics a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Royals in a game that featured a 28-minute rain delay and a brilliant pitchers’ duel.
A’s right-hander Homer Bailey and Royals lefty Danny Duffy authored one of the season’s best scoreless stalemates, combining to allow just five hits and two walks while striking out 17 in seven innings apiece.
After the Royals stranded the bases loaded against J.B. Wendelken (3-1) in the top of the 11th, Jesse Hahn (0-1) walked Jurickson Profar to open the bottom of the inning.
After Profar stole second, Hahn got two strikeouts before intentionally walking Matt Olson, setting the stage for Canha’s clutch hit and just Oakland’s sixth win in 15 extra-inning affairs this season.
Former Royals teammates Bailey and Duffy dominated the first seven innings.
Only one runner got as far as third base in the first nine innings. That came in the bottom of the fourth, when Marcus Semien led off with a double and took third on Olson’s one-out fly to right.
Bailey struck out Canha to end the threat.
Duffy, who remained unbeaten (4-0) in his career against the A’s, allowed just three other baserunners in his seventh innings — one apiece on an error, a walk and a Semien single in the sixth inning. Two of the three were erased on double plays.
Duffy struck out six, allowing two hits and one walk.
The Royals got their only runner into scoring position against Bailey in the seventh when Jorge Soler smacked a one-out double. Bailey got a second out before walking Alex Gordon intentionally.
Left fielder Chad Pinder then preserved the scoreless tie with a diving catch on a liner by Ryan O’Hearn to end the inning.
Bailey, the winning pitcher in a 19-4 game at Kansas City last month, struck out 11 on Wednesday while walking one and allowing three hits.
Gordon (two singles), Canha (double and a single) and Semien (double and a single) combined for six of the game’s nine hits.
With an eighth win in their past nine games overall, the A’s won the season series 5-2.
–Field Level Media
