OAKLAND, CALIF. ? Mark Kotsay preserved a tie with a highlight-reel catch in center field, and then immediately broke it with a home run.

It was hard to determine which play was bigger in the Oakland Athletics’ 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, but Kotsay had no hesitation when answering which he enjoyed more.

“The catch definitely,” he said. “That saved a run and took some momentum from their club, and we fed off it as a ballclub as well.”

Kotsay had plenty of help as the A’s snapped a three-game losing streak. Damian Miller went 3-for-3 with a three-run double, Rich Harden (7-5) won his fourth straight decision, and first-place Oakland received three perfect innings of relief.

Harden allowed one run and five hits in six innings to remain unbeaten in seven starts since the All-Star break. After the A’s lost games started by aces Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder the previous two days, Harden put them back on the winning track.

Harden received a big boost from his defense in the sixth inning. With Aaron Guiel on second and one out, Ruben Mateo blooped a ball into shallow center field.

“If anyone was going to get to that it was him,” A’s manager Ken Macha said. “He’s made a bunch of those plays for us this year.

Kotsay charged and made a sliding catch and threw to second for the double play. Guiel ran on contact and thought he had scored when he reached home plate, only to be told Kotsay had robbed the Royals of a run.

“I had a good beat on it,” Kotsay said. “I knew it would be close. Fortunately I got to it.”

Kotsay then led off the bottom half against Brian Anderson (2-10) with a drive into the seats in left-center for his 11th homer this season, giving the A’s a 2-1 lead.

Eric Byrnes then blooped a hustle double into center field. One out later, Jermaine Dye reached on an error by third baseman Joe Randa, and Anderson was replaced after walking Scott Hatteberg to load the bases.

Miller hit Scott Sullivan’s first pitch off the center-field wall to clear the bases and make it a 5-1 game. Miller is 7-for-14 with 15 RBIs with the bases loaded this season and has a career high 50 RBIs overall.

“I just try to put the ball in play and have good at-bats,” Miller said. “So far this year it’s worked out well for me.”