WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — Mike Yastrzemski launched two solo home runs and the Kansas City Royals’ offense erupted for 15 hits in a 9-2 victory over the Athletics on Sunday evening at Sutter Health Park, securing a series win and clinching a winning season.

The Royals improved to 82-80, ensuring they will finish above .500 for the first time in several seasons. The Athletics fell to 76-86 in front of a crowd of 8,754.

Kansas City methodically built its lead, scoring single runs in the second and fifth innings and two runs in the fourth. The game was broken open in the seventh when Yastrzemski and catcher Carter Jensen hit back-to-back home runs. Bobby Witt Jr. later added a two-run double in the same inning. Yastrzemski capped the Royals’ scoring with his second homer of the game in the eighth inning.

The Athletics avoided a shutout in the bottom of the eighth when Nick Kurtz hit a two-run homer, scoring Colby Thomas.

The win went to Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV, who improved to 6-2 after pitching 2 1/3 perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts. Athletics starter Brady Basso took the loss, falling to 1-1.

While Lynch earned the decision, starter Cole Ragans was dominant, striking out eight batters while allowing just two hits over 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Michael Massey led the Royals’ 15-hit attack, going 4 for 5 with an RBI. Maikel Garcia drove in two runs, and Jensen, who went 3 for 5, joined Yastrzemski in homering during the decisive seventh inning.

The game, which lasted 2 hours and 44 minutes, concluded a three-game set in which the Royals took two of three. The victory defied the projections of Interstat’s game simulator, which had predicted a narrow 7-6 Kansas City win, while the combined 11 runs fell under the pregame over/under line of 9.5.