Yonder Alonso and Marcus Semien hit two-run doubles as the Oakland Athletics beat Kansas City 8-0 for the third straight game on Wednesday night to further ruin the Royals’ postseason chances.
The 2015 World Series champion Royals are five games out in the American League wild card with 17 games left and would have to climb over five teams.
A’s rookie left-hander Sean Manaea (5-9) picked up his first career road victory, retiring 13 of the final 14 batters he faced in five scoreless innings, striking out five and walking one. Manaea, who had not pitched since Aug. 29 when he left in the fourth inning with a strained left rhomboid, was removed after 67 pitches. The A’s acquired Manaea from the Royals in July 2015 as part of the Ben Zobrist trade.
Alonso’s broken-bat double in the first scored Danny Valencia and Stephen Vogt.
