PITTSBURGH (AP) —n a pressure situation for the Pirates.The 30-year-old fourth-string catcher was playing his 142nd career game Yasmany Tomas Jersey , spread out over seven seasons with five teams, and spent most of 2018 with Triple-A Indianapolis.In his second major league at-bat of the season, Lavarnway drove in the winning run with a pinch-hit single in the 11th inning, giving Pittsburgh a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals.Jameson Taillon had a career-high 11 strikeouts and Colin Moran homered for Pittsburgh.It was the second straight night a backup catcher came through for the Pirates. Jacob Stallings had a game-ending single on Monday night.Stallings and Lavarnway split catching duties all season in Indianapolis before being called up for depth in September. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said at the time he wanted to honor the work Lavarnway had done this season.“This organization has been so great to me,” Lavarnway said. “I’m just so grateful for everything about them, really. I really feel like myself as a person and as a player here.”Starling Marte led off the 11th with an infield single off Burch Smith (1-6). Josh Bell walked and Burch struck out Francisco Cervelli before Adam Frazier was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting up Lavarnway’s walk-off hit to shallow center.“I was just trying to not to do much,” Lavarnway said. “I think it would be human nature to try to go up there and hit it into the river.”Taillon pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk. His previous career high in strikeouts was 10, set on July 12.“I worked the top of the strike zone a little bit more than usual, I would say http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-shelby-miller-jersey , and then my curveball was the best it’s been the second half,” Taillon said.It looked like the Royals might get to Taillon in the top of the seventh. With runners on second and third, Brian Goodwin hit a flyball to right fielder Pablo Reyes, who threw out Ryan O’Hearn at the plate.It was the first outfield assist for Reyes, a rookie playing his second game in right field.“A great way to end the outing,” Taillon said. “It’s a good feeling.”Pinch-hitter Hunter Dozier tied the game in the ninth with a double off Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez that scored Jorge Bonifacio. Left fielder Corey Dickerson threw to shortstop Jordy Mercer, who relayed home to throw out Salvador Perez and preserve the tie.Vazquez had not blown a save since May 31, a string of 24 consecutive opportunities converted.Kyle Crick (3-2) retired the side on 10 pitches in the 11th to earn the win.Moran had a pinch-hit home run with two outs in the seventh, his 10th homer this season.Eric Skoglund allowed three hits and struck out two in six innings, his first start this season in which he did not allow a run. It was his second start since returning from an ankle injury Sept. 7“He threw the ball great,” manager Ned Yost said. “Six strong innings. Did a really nice job. Got to 67 (pitches) last time out and was starting to get a little tired. Was in the mid-80s this time and felt great. So he’s getting back on track.”The Pirates improved to 14-5 in interleague play Chris Owings Jersey , the second-best record in the majors behind the Boston Red Sox.TRAINER’S ROOMPirates: Frazier did not start but said he was “fine” after fouling a ball off his right knee and leaving Monday’s game with discomfort. He grounded into a fielder’s choice in the ninth and remained in the game in left field. … C Elias Diaz (hamstring) made his first appearance since Aug. 31. He walked as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.Royals: Perez was a late scratch with a recurrence of a nagging left thumb injury. He singled in the ninth. … RHP Jorge Lopez (bruised rib) has still not thrown a between-starts bullpen session. His next turn in the rotation is Thursday against Detroit. The team has not announced a probable pitcher.UP NEXTRoyals: Heath Fillmyer (3-1, 4.76 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday. The rookie allowed 10 runs over his previous two starts.Pirates: Chris Archer (4-8, 4.66 ERA) has lost three straight decisions and is 1-4 with a 5.19 ERA since returning from an abdominal injury in early July. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — James Paxton knows he will be pitching in plenty of meaningful games during the stretch run, and now that he is healthy and back on the mound it provides a big boost for Seattle’s playoff chances.Paxton returned from the disabled list to strike out 10 batters over five innings, Ben Gamel hit a two-run double, and the Mariners held off the Oakland Athletics 8-7 on Saturday night in a matchup of contenders with a knack for comebacks.“You always want to be part of this kind of thing,” Paxton said. “We’re in the race. We’ve played some good games here against these guys and hopefully we can come out and get the series win tomorrow.”Jean Segura had a two-run single in the fifth, an inning after he was hit by a pitch. He finished with three hits, helping Seattle pull within 4 1/2 games of Oakland for the second AL wild card.Khris Davis hit his majors-leading 40th home run to start the eighth for Oakland, giving him three straight 40-homer seasons . He joined Jimmie Foxx from 1932-34 as the only players in A’s history to accomplish that feat.“It’s just miraculous numbers that he puts up Archie Bradley Jersey ,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We’ve had a long history of power hitters here, and to be with Jimmie Foxx and that kind of company, and we’re still looking at close to a month left, he’s been as consistent a power hitter as anybody who’s been in Oakland.”Marcus Semien added a two-run double in the eighth and left fielder Denard Span’s blunder trying to scoop up the ball allowed a third run to score to make it 8-7.Edwin Diaz walked Jed Lowrie to begin the ninth and put the tying run aboard, and then recovered to strike out the side for his club-record 51st save in 55 opportunities.With an ailing rotation, the A’s made a day-of change to start September call-up reliever Liam Hendriks (0-1) — a philosophy Tampa Bay employed this season — and then manager Bob Melvin eventually went to regularly scheduled starter Daniel Mengden after two other relievers.After Gamel’s double in the second got the Mariners going, Seattle scored two of its three runs in the third on errors.Mark Canha hit two-run homer in the fifth for the A’s, who struck out 18 times.Paxton (11-5) pitched for the first time since getting hit on his left forearm by a line drive Aug. 14 at Oakland. He allowed three runs on two hits and walked four, and while he felt rusty he knows he will likely be sharper the next time out as he works on a more consistent release point.“A game we needed to have tonight,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We got out offensively really good. I thought our at-bats were outstanding against a number of different pitchers.”The lefty clapped his hand into his glove after retiring Davis on a strikeout to end the fifth following consecutive two-out walks to Matt Chapman and Lowrie.Ryon Healy had a pair of hits against his old club as the Mariners won for just the second time in six games.Seattle’s Mitch Haniger doubled leading off the fourth to match his career high with a 13-game hitting streak.Mengden wound up working the third and fourth innings as the A’s used nine pitchers. That matched the most for any game in Oakland history and was the highest number used in a nine-inning game.MAXWELL DEPARTSAs Oakland made September call-ups, the A’s designated catcher Bruce Maxwell for assignment Curt Schilling Jersey , possibly ending his tenure with the club.In July, Maxwell was sentenced to two years of probation on a disorderly conduct charge, nearly three months after he pleaded guilty to the charge in a gun-related incident. Police said Maxwell had pointed a handgun at a woman who delivered food to his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, in October.“I don’t think it was a distraction for us,” Melvin said of Maxwell’s legal issues.The A’s made it a priority to promote catcher Beau Taylor, one of eight players added Saturday, and he caught the ninth to make his major league debut.TRAINER’S ROOMMariners: LHP Marco Gonzales, on the DL retroactive to Aug. 24 with a strained neck muscle, has been throwing in recent days and is getting closer to throwing a bullpen session, Servais said.Athletics: OF Matt Joyce came off the 10-day DL as expected when rosters expanded. He had been out since July 5 with a strained lower back.UP NEXTRight-hander Felix Hernandez (8-12 Luis Gonzalez Jersey , 5.49 ERA), long the bane of Oakland batters, starts the series finale for Seattle opposite A’s righty Edwin Jackson (4-3, 3.03). Hernandez seeks his first victory in nine outings since beating the Royals on June 30, a span during which he’s 0-6.