Kansas City Royals at Athletics

WEST SACRAMENTO – It was late in Kansas City, but Bobby Witt Jr. might have awakened everyone from out here on the West Coast. A three-run, opposite-field home run in the top of the 10th inning powered the Royals to a 4-1 series-opening win over the A’s at Sutter Health Park on Tuesday, Kansas City’s fourth consecutive win. It was Witt’s second homer in as many games after entering Sunday with zero home runs this season. It was also the Royals’ first road win since April 6 in Cleveland, snapping a streak of eight consecutive losses on the road. There was no better time to snap it than Tuesday as they kicked off a six-game road trip through Sacramento and Seattle. “We’re going out there knowing what our goal is each and every day,” Witt said. “We’re going to show up to the field expecting to win.” It wasn’t easy Tuesday, with the Royals needing to come back from a one-run deficit in the second inning. But Salvador Perez, playing through a left hamstring cramp that occurred while running out a long single in the fourth inning, did what he does best and crushed a pitch out to center field for a game-tying homer. It was Perez’s fifth home run of the season and puts him just nine away from matching George Brett’s franchise record of 317. Perez didn’t have to worry about hustling around the bases on his Statcast-projected 425-foot homer, and he caught the rest of the game despite the cramp. “I think tomorrow,” Perez said, “I’m going to be fine.” Perez got the Royals back in the game, but they had a hard time putting anything else together until the 10th. Twice the Royals made the third out of an inning at third base. They left seven on base overall.