Royals picking up steam ahead of rematch vs. Athletics

Winners of three straight games and four of their past five, the Kansas City Royals will look to continue their good fortune on Wednesday when they host the Athletics in third contest of a four-game series.

The Royals will have a chance to take the series after turning a three-run deficit into a 4-3 walk-off win on Tuesday.

With his team trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Tyler Tolbert forged a tie with a two-run single. Bobby Witt Jr. delivered the win with a single to left field that drove in Carter Jensen.

"It's just one of those games where you never know when that hit's going to happen," Witt said. "You're just waiting and waiting and waiting, and then it happens. So that's just baseball. We got the opportunities. We got them at the end of the game and came through."

A nearly healthy lineup has helped the Royals find their groove of late, with first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and third baseman Maikel Garcia each returning from an injury in the team's 9-5 series-opening victory on Monday.

With the pair back among the starting nine, the lineup resembles what it was expected to be all season.

"We want to keep everybody healthy, but there's no question we're trying to play well down the stretch here," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said Monday. "We're trying to continue to build on the progress that some of the guys have made individually and doing that as a team -- to have those back -- we think that gives us a good chance."

Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (5-7, 4.59 ERA) is expected to be on the mound on Wednesday. The veteran is 2-0 with a 4.66 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Athletics.

The A's did not announce a starting pitcher for Wednesday's game.

Opener Brady Basso held up in his 2 1/3 innings on Tuesday before being relieved by Jack Perkins, who continued on that path for 3 2/3 innings. But the rest of the bullpen couldn't hold on over the final three innings.

Drew Rom gave up a pair of doubles in the seventh inning that allowed the Royals to get on the board. He was replaced in the same frame by Luis Medina, who issued a pair of walks in the eighth. Hogan Harris then took over, and a ground-out from Jac Caglianone was overturned after Kansas City challenged, loading the bases, but the hosts couldn't capitalize.

Harris still was on the mound for the ninth when the Royals again loaded the bases, and this time didn't squander their opportunity.

"The eighth really led to [problems in] the ninth," Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. "At the end of the night, we beat ourselves in this game."

The A's own the worst bullpen numbers in the majors, with the team's relievers at a combined 5.68 ERA, surrendering a league-high 341 runs.

"We're a young team and we continue to learn," Perkins said. "If we can get better from it, then it's worth it."