KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A day after the Royals scored nine runs against the Athletics, the Kansas City offense took a minute to crank into full gear on Tuesday.

The Royals finished with eight hits, saving their best effort for the final innings. They trailed by two runs in the ninth, victimized by some unlucky breaks — including Vinnie Pasquantino coming up just short of sending a solo home run over the right-field wall at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals pinch-hitter Tyler Tolbert came through in the clutch, however. He hit a two-run single to tie the game 3-3 with one-out.

His efforts set up Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. to win it 4-3 on a walk-off RBI single with two away.

The Royals improved to 53-74 this season. It was the sixth walk-off win of the year and third straight victory overall.

Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s game:

A tough pair of A’s

The Athletics relied primarily on the pitching duo of Brady Basso and Jack Perkins in a de facto bullpen game Tuesday.

Basso faced nine batters and allowed two hits. He navigated his first trip through the Royals’ lineup well enough and had some defensive help. KC catcher Carter Jensen was caught stealing in the third inning.

From there, Perkins pitched multiple scoreless innings. The Royals had a few chances, but a pair of double plays negated any real scoring threat.

The Royals were 4 for 10 with runners in scoring position. And those silent bats didn’t help left-handed starter Daniel Lynch IV.

Lynch made his third start since returning to the starting rotation. He allowed one run across four innings, walking two with a strikeout.

Prior to the game, Lynch was limited to 45-50 pitches. He was efficient within those restrictions as he continues to build up.

The Athletics tagged him for a first-inning run behind Tommy White’s RBI single. But he settled down and retired the last 10 batters he faced before departing.

It remained a tight game into the middle innings. In the sixth, Royals reliever Mason Black allowed two runs to score. Athletics veteran Jeff McNeil hit an RBI single and Black walked designated hitter Max Muncy with the bases loaded.

The three-run deficit almost proved too much to overcome, but the Royals were not deterred.

Pasquantino puts Royals on the board

In the seventh, Pasquantino drove in the Royals’ first run with a double. It was his first RBI since July 21 against the San Francisco Giants.

He was left stranded, however, as Salvador Perez and Michael Massey were retired in order.

KC had another chance in the eighth, but Maikel Garcia flew out with the bases loaded.

Then Tolbert pulled through in the ninth inning, and Witt put the game away to send an announced crowd of 12,009 home happy.

The Royals improved to 31-30 this season inside the friendly confines of Kauffman Stadium.

What’s next?

Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (5-7, 4.59 ERA) will start Wednesday’s game against the Athletics. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. Central Time.

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