KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jorge Soler hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals bounced back after wasting a four-run lead to defeat the Oakland Athletics 5-4 on Saturday for their third win in four games.

 

Tim Hill (1-1), a 28-year-old rookie left-hander, allowed Chad Pinder’s tying single in the eighth and got his first major league win.

Soler hit his ninth home run on a curveball from Yusmeiro Petit (2-2) with an 0-2 count.

Kelvin Herrera pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances.

Kansas City built a 4-0 lead on Salvador Perez’s two-run double in the first and a two-run second helped by a replay reversal. Ryan Goins was called out at first by Cory Blaser when he tried to bunt for a single, then was ruled safe on a video review. Alcides Escobar tripled on the next pitch and scored on Jon Jay’s double.

Oakland closed on RBI singles by Jed Lowrie in the third and Bruce Maxwell in the fourth, and Maxwell led off the seventh with his first home run since Sept. 2. That drive chased Jason Hammel, who allowed three runs and seven hits. Hammel had won his previous two outings after going 0-5 in his first nine starts.

Oakland starter Trevor Cahill, who pitched for the Royals last season, gave up four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He has not won since beating the Chicago White Sox on April 17 in his first appearance this season.