KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mike Aviles’ sacrifice fly scored Jarrod Dyson from third base Saturday night, lifting Kansas City past Oakland 4-3, the Royals’ sixth walkoff win this season.
Billy Butler singled leading off the ninth against Brandon McCarthy (1-3), who experienced his second complete-game loss of the year.
Dyson, a pinch-runner, sped to third when Jeff Francoeur singled. Rookie Eric Hosmer, who earlier singled for his first major league hit, was walked intentionally, bringing Aviles to the plate.
Joakim Soria (2-0) worked the ninth and got the victory.
McCarthy, who retired the first 14 batters, went eight innings plus four batters, gave up seven hits and four runs, with two walks and three strikeouts. He lost a complete game 1-0 decision to Seattle on April 21.
Luke Hochevar, trying to beat Oakland for the first time in five decisions, was locked in a scoreless duel with McCarthy until the fifth when Butler’s sacrifice fly capped a 3-run inning
After Andy LaRoche singled leading off the Oakland eighth, just the fourth hit off Hochevar, rookie Aaron Crow came out of the bullpen with a streak of 15 1-3 scoreless innings to start his career.
The right-hander had retired the first 13 batters he faced. But Kevin Kouzmanoff snapped that with a single. Cliff Pennington, the next batter, slammed Crow’s 2-1 pitch into the visitor’s bullpen, tying it 3-all with the first runs Crow had allowed as a major leaguer.
Hochevar came in with an 0-5 record and a 9.00 ERA against the A’s but retired the first 11 batters while McCarthy was setting down the first 14 Royals.
Hochevar finally yielded a baserunner when David DeJesus, his former Royal teammate, tripled with two outs in the fourth.
McCarthy did not allow a baserunner until Hosmer singled into right with two outs in the fifth for his first major league hit. McCarthy had not even gone 2-0 on a batter until Francoeur lined out to first baseman Daric Barton just before Hosmer came to the plate.
The Royals finally broke through against McCarthy when Matt Treanor and Alcides Escobar, the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, singled leading off the sixth. After a sacrifice bunt, Melky Cabrera and Alex Gordon stroked RBI singles for a 2-0 lead before Butler’s sacrifice fly put the Royals on top 3-0.
Hideki Matsui doubled leading off the fifth, went to third on an infield out and tried to score on LaRoche’s grounder to shortstop Escobar. But Escobar’s strong throw to the plate resulted in a 6-2-5 putout.

NOTES — The A’s have not been shut out by Kansas City since Aug. 7, 1996, a span of 139 consecutive games. ... Hosmer and RF Francoeur almost ran into each other chasing Josh Willingham’s pop fly in the seventh. At the last second, the rookie pulled back and Francoeur made the catch. ... A’s LF Willingham was tossed by home plate umpire Bill Miller for arguing a called third strike ending the eighth.