KANSAS CITY, Mo. — — Salvador Perez tied Johnny Bench’s record for homers in a season by a catcher with his 45th, but Chad Pinder’s two-run single spurred a third-inning rally and the Oakland Athletics held off the Kansas City Royals 7-2 Thursday.
Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, matching Bench’s total from 1970 for the most by a player who played at least 75% of his team’s games at catcher. Perez is tied with Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the major league lead in homers and also leads the bigs with 112 RBI.
Pinder delivered a two-out hit during a four-run third inning in which Oakland had seven runners reach base — with just two hits. The A’s also scored three runs in the ninth on just one hit.
The Royals had the tying runs on base with less than two outs in the sixth and eighth innings but couldn’t score.
Daniel Lynch (4-5) took the loss. He left the game in the third inning with left calf tightness with the bases loaded and a full count on Matt Olson. He gave up three runs (one earned) on two hits in two-plus innings. He also walked one and hit two batters.
Royals RHP Brady Singer (4-10, 4.85) faces Seattle to start a home series Friday at 7:10.