Oakland, Calif. ? With his team nearing its 43rd win of the season to tie Houston for the most in the AL, Kansas City manager Ned Yost finally relaxed and allowed himself to enjoy the moment.

The Royals are rolling again and the normally stoic Yost broke character to take it in.

Chris Young bounced back from his worst start of the year to pitch six innings and Kansas City beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2 Saturday to move a season-high 15 games over .500.

“I was sitting there thinking about that in the ninth inning, this would be a chance to get our high-water mark to 15 over,” Yost said following the Royals’ third consecutive win. “If I would say I’m not excited about being 15 over, I’d be lying. It’s great, but we want to continue to keep going, keep going, keep going.”

Kendrys Morales hit a two-run single in the sixth off Scott Kazmir (4-5) that erased a 2-1 deficit. The Royals won for the fourth time in five games on their road trip.

Young (7-3) allowed four hits and two runs. He walked one and struck out four.

That was in stark contrast to Young’s previous start against Boston when he was tagged for seven runs in 42/3 innings.

“He did a great job of changing eye level,” Yost said. “He’d get them looking up then pitch down. He’d get them looking down, then he’d pitch up. He moved the ball in and he’d move the ball out. He just did a great job of executing pitches.”

Ryan Madson and Wade Davis pitched one inning apiece, and Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 16th save.

Sam Fuld doubled for the A’s, who were wearing throwback uniforms from 1965 when the franchise was in Kansas City. Oakland has lost two straight after a season-high, five-game winning streak.

Oakland had two on with no outs in the eighth but failed to score. Stephen Vogt struck out looking against Davis after getting ahead in the count 3-0, and Ben Zobrist hit into a 1-6-3 double play.

“Once they get to the seventh, they feel like they have a good chance with the lead,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of the Royals. “We had an opportunity. We just didn’t get a big hit there.”

For the second consecutive game these two bitter rivals played without incident. When they played in Kansas City in April, all three games were marred by bench-clearing dustups.

The Royals trailed 2-1 in the sixth before stringing together a walk and two hits. Lorenzo Cain and Hosmer also pulled off a double steal before Morales singled.

Young, who made a throwing error that led to Oakland’s first run, won for the third time in four starts.

Fuld doubled leading off the first, alertly stole third against the Royals shifted defense and scored when Young’s throw to third sailed wildly into foul territory.

Omar Infante doubled in the third, moved up on a balk by Kazmir and scored on a sacrifice fly by Moustakas.

A two-out throwing error by shortstop Alcides Escobar in the fifth led to an unearned run for the A’s in the fifth.

Kazmir owned the lowest home ERA in the majors going into the game, but gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Trainer’s room

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura allowed three runs in four innings during his first rehab start for Triple-A Omaha. He has been out since June 13 with ulnar neuritis.

Athletics: OF Billy Burns (hip flexor) rested for a second straight day, but should be available for the series finale. … Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte (strained right shoulder) played catch with his right arm before the game and reported no pain. … Stephen Vogt was Oakland’s DH a day after getting hit in the right wrist by a pitch from Franklin Morales.

Up next

Royals: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (5-5) needs two strikeouts to reach 1,000 for his career. Teammate Edinson Volquez reached the milestone Friday.

Athletics: RHP Jesse Chavez (4-6) seeks his third consecutive win. He has never won more than two in a row.