Lawrence Butler hit a three-run home run, Luis Severino gave up one run and struck out eight in seven innings, and the Athletics beat Kansas City 5-2 on Wednesday night to snap the Royals' four-game win streak. Nick Kurtz hit an RBI double and walked, his 18th consecutive game with a walk, extending his franchise record and tying him with Barry Bonds for the longest such single-season streak in nearly 80 years. Bonds walked in each of his final 18 games in 2002.

Lawrence Butler had been making hard contact all season without the results to show for it. His three-run homer in the fourth sent the A's to a 5-2 win

The results haven't been there for Lawrence Butler so far this season, but they could be around the corner.

The advanced metrics say that A's outfielder Lawrence Butler is due.

Lawrence Butler hit a three-run homer and an RBI single, Max Muncy followed Butler's fourth-inning drive with a solo shot after his earlier two-run double, and the Athletics pounded the Houston Astros 11-4 on Friday night for a victorious home opener. The A's added a run in their decisive six-run fourth on Tyler Soderstrom's shallow popup that catcher Yainer Diaz couldn't corral some 10 feet up the first-base line as three other players converged. Jacob Wilson singled home a run two batters later before Butler and Muncy connected back-to-back.

The Athletics' offense broke out of an early-season slump with an explosive outburst against the Houston Astros on Friday night at Sutter Health Park.

It probably isn't who you think it is.

On one hand, he was a 20-20 player last year for the A’s. On the other, his average slid 30 points and his slugging percentage suffered. The public comments from A’s manager Mark Kotsay are encouraging at least.