Final
Greinke wins for first time in a month
Sep 15, 2010 - 4:09 AMVideo
Wilson Betemit homered and drove in four runs to help Kansas City beat the Oakland Athletics 11-3 on Tuesday night.
Kansas City scored all its runs with two outs and in the first three innings. That's the most runs the Royals have scored in a game since beating Houston 15-7 on June 15.
"After the third inning, it was pretty hard to lose that game, so just try to do your thing and whatever," Greinke said. "The offense really carried that game. It really wasn't anything I did."
Kila Ka'aihue also homered and drove in three runs while Mike Aviles hit a three-run shot. He had three hits and scored three runs and has homered in back-to-back games after going 316 at-bats without a home run.
Betemit, who had three hits, delivered run-producing singles in the first and second and hit a two-run homer in the third.
Ka'aihue homered in the first with Betemit aboard. His single in the second scored Billy Butler.
"It's unlike Gio," Ka'aihue said. "He's usually all over the place and effectively wild. Tonight, he was throwing quality strikes. He had been pitching really good and fortunately we got him early. I hit that one pretty good. As a whole on the night, the four swings I took before the strikeout were probably the best quality four swings I've taken in a single game up to this point for sure."
Greinke (9-12), the 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner, claimed his first victory since Aug. 17. He pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the first by getting Mark Ellis to ground into an inning ending double play.
"The whole thing started when Zack got us out of the bases loaded double play single-handedly," Ka'aihue said. "He didn't really dig himself into a hole. They hit some good pitches. But that's just Zack. That's how good he is. He didn't win the Cy Young by accident."
Greinke gave up three runs on six hits and four walks in seven innings.
"It made things easier," Royals manager Ned Yost said of the early lead. "Zack was on top of his game, too. That always helps when you can get Zack a lead and let him go. It was a big night for Ka'aihue. Gonzalez is very tough of left-handed hitters and Kila really got us going with a home run in the first inning.
"Aviles has been displaying some power of late. It was nice to put some balls out of the park and put some runs on the board."
Gio Gonzalez (14-9), who had a 1.75 ERA in winning his previous five starts, faced 16 batters, 10 reached base on seven hits and three walks and seven scored before he was replaced by Boof Bonser in the third. Bonser gave up two home runs in the inning.
"Gio's had such a great streak that it's easier to forget about his rough game today," A's manager Bob Geren said. "He'll just shake it off. We have so many young pitchers who have pitched so well for us. We've been fortunate that we haven't seen very much of games like this. You hope he can learn from this and get better, and he will."
The A's scored all their runs in the sixth with Landon Powell and Jack Cust singling in runs. The other run scored on an Aki Iwamura ground out.
"When you get two quick outs you have got to go back and attack the next hitter," Gonzalez said. "You have to tip your hat to them and then move on."
Notes: A's manager Bob Geren said Vin Mazzaro, who made 18 starts earlier this season and was recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Sacramento, will be used as a reliever. LHP Bobby Cramer, who won his big league debut Monday, will remain the rotation. 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff missed his eighth straight game with back problems. "He made a small improvement today," Geren said. "He hasn't done any hitting yet and he hasn't thrown the long ball yet. He still has some work to do." Royals DH Billy Butler singled in the second to extend his club record to hitting in 98 consecutive series. A's 2B Eric Sogard singled in the eighth for his first big league hit.
- Royals 11, Athletics 3 - FINAL
OAKLAND ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
C Crisp cf 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .274
G Gross lf 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .238
D Barton 1b 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .279
vc-J Larish ph-1b 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .175
K Suzuki c 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 .242
va-L Powell ph-c 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 .220
J Cus
Sep 14 10:48 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
FORCE OUT BY AKI IWAMURA SCORED LANDON POWELL
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, A IWAMURA ON FIRST, J CUST ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 3
KANSAS CITY 11 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: R DAVIS (.268, 1-FOR-2)
Athletics 3, Royals 11 Top 6, 0 OutsSep 14 9:58 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JACK CUST SCORED JEFF LARISH
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J CUST ON FIRST, L POWELL ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 2
KANSAS CITY 11 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: E SOGARD (-, 0-FOR-0, BB)
Athletics 2, Royals 11 Top 6, 0 OutsSep 14 9:53 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY LANDON POWELL SCORED GABE GROSS
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, L POWELL ON FIRST, J LARISH ON SECOND, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 1
KANSAS CITY 11 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: J CUST (.276, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Athletics 1, Royals 11 Top 6, 0 OutsSep 14 9:51 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY WILSON BETEMIT (11) TO RIGHT WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 3RD OFF BOOF BONSER SCORED BILLY BUTLER.
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 0, KANSAS CITY 11
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: K KA'AIHUE (.212, 2-FOR-2, HR, 3 RBI)
Athletics 0, Royals 11 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 14 9:14 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY MIKE AVILES (4) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 3RD OFF BOOF BONSER SCORED GREGOR BLANCO AND ALEX
GORDON.
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 0, KANSAS CITY 9
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: B BUTLER (.310, 1-FOR-2, RBI)
Athletics 0, Royals 9 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 14 9:11 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY KILA KA'AIHUE SCORED BILLY BUTLER
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, K KA'AIHUE ON FIRST, W BETEMIT ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 0
KANSAS CITY 6 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: B PENA (.268, 1-FOR-1)
Athletics 0, Royals 6 Bot 2, 0 OutsSep 14 8:52 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY WILSON BETEMIT SCORED MIKE AVILES
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, W BETEMIT ON FIRST, B BUTLER ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 0
KANSAS CITY 5 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: K KA'AIHUE (.205, 1-FOR-1, HR, 2 RBI)
Athletics 0, Royals 5 Bot 2, 0 OutsSep 14 8:50 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BILLY BUTLER SCORED GREGOR BLANCO
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B BUTLER ON FIRST, M AVILES ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 0
KANSAS CITY 4 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: W BETEMIT (.309, 1-FOR-1, RBI)
Athletics 0, Royals 4 Bot 2, 0 OutsSep 14 8:47 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY KILA KA'AIHUE (4) TO CENTER WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 1ST OFF GIO GONZALEZ SCORED WILSON BETEMIT.
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 0, KANSAS CITY 3
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: B PENA (.261, 1 HR, 17 RBI)
Athletics 0, Royals 3 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 14 8:29 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY WILSON BETEMIT SCORED MIKE AVILES
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, W BETEMIT ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 0
KANSAS CITY 1 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: K KA'AIHUE (.198, 3 HR, 10 RBI)
Athletics 0, Royals 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 14 8:27 PM
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