Royals 7, Athletics 3: Nori Aoki ripped a go-ahead two-run triple to highlight a five-run rally in the seventh inning as host Kansas City claimed three victories in the four-game series.

Billy Butler added a two-run single and Jarrod Dyson also drove in two runs for the Royals, who have won 18 of their last 22 to remain a half-game ahead of second-place Detroit in the American League Central. Rookie Christian Colon had three hits and scored a run and Mike Moustakas added an RBI single in the victory.

Former Royal Alberto Callaspo drove in a pair of runs for the Athletics, who have dropped five of the seven meetings with Kansas City and saw their lead over the second-place Los Angeles Angels dip to two games in the AL West. Stephen Vogt collected three hits and Josh Reddick had an RBI triple.

After losing a ball in the sun to allow Oakland to forge a 2-2 tie in the sixth, Dyson made amends by knotting the contest at 3-3 with a single off Ryan Cook, who relieved Jeff Samardzija (5-9). Aoki followed by sending a first-pitch fastball into right field to plate Colon and Dyson, with the latter accounting for the first run charged to Cook in 22 appearances.

Butler extended the lopsided inning with two-out single to right off Luke Gregerson, scoring Aoki and Alcides Escobar to give Kansas City a 7-3 lead. The uprising allowed reliever Aaron Crow (6-1) to pick up the win after he struck out the lone batter he faced in the seventh, and Greg Holland escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for his 36th save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Oakland 3B Josh Donaldson went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts to see his 10-game hitting streak come to an end. ... Athletics SS Jed Lowrie was placed on the disabled list after the game with a hairline fracture of his right index finger. ... Samardzija permitted four runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss for Oakland, which opens a three-game set versus Atlanta on Friday. Kansas City opens a nine-game road trip when it visits Minnesota to begin a four-game series on Friday.