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Chavez, Athletics pound Royals in series finale

May 10, 2007 - 11:31 PM KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Eric Chavez made sure the Oakland Athletics continued to enjoy a visit to one of their former homes.

Chavez homered and drove in a season-high four runs as the Athletics rolled to their second straight series win with a 17-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the rubber game Thursday.

Dan Johnson homered twice and also had four RBI for Oakland, which also wrapped up an eight-game road trip at 5-3.

"It was our best offensive attack of the year," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "It didn't seem like we were ever going to stop scoring."

In doing so, the Athletics continued a strong showing at one of the sites where the franchise was located. They have won 20 of their last 24 games at Kauffman Stadium and have not lost a series here since July 23-25, 1999.

"When you start looking at history, it is hard to figure why or why not," Chavez said regarding Oakland's success here.

Originating in Philadelphia in 1901, the Athletics franchise moved to Kansas City prior to the 1955 season. They remained here for 13 years before relocating to Oakland in 1968. The Royals joined the major leagues as an expansion team in 1969.

Taking advantage of a shaky first start of the season by Luke Hudson, Oakland pounded out a season-high 18 hits - including six home runs - en route to its biggest run output this year.

Sidelined since experiencing an inflamed right biceps tendon in spring training, Hudson (0-1) worked a perfect first inning before being tagged for five runs - four earned - and two hits in the second frame, his last of the day. He also walked four without a strikeout.

"I wasn't finishing any of my pitches," Hudson said. "You want to give your team a chance to win, and I wasn't able to do that today. I wanted to try and be aggressive."

Called up from Class AAA Sacramento on Friday, Jack Cust opened the scoring in the second with a two-run homer that plated Johnson, who scored four runs.

Hudson also walked two more batters before Shannon Stewart ripped a two-run double to left field, making it 4-0. Stewart, who finished with four hits, scored moments later on first baseman Mike Sweeney's throwing error.

"Luke didn't look mechanically sound," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "He just wasn't able to figure it out. He told Mac (pitching coach Bob McClure) he was trying to make some adjustments, but he just wasn't able to figure it out."

Although Todd Wellemeyer took over for Hudson, Oakland continued to have big innings as Chavez blasted a three-run shot for an 8-0 advantage in the fourth. Johnson belted his first homer of the game two batters later.

Chavez pushed the lead to 10-0 in the fifth inning with a run-scoring single, recording his first four-RBI game since September 9, 2005.

The abundance of support was rare for Oakland starter Joe Kennedy (1-2), who went six innings en route to collecting his first win since September 10.

Receiving three runs of support or less in each of his five previous starts this season, Kennedy did not allow a hit under the fifth, when rookie Billy Butler singled. The lefthander went on to allow three runs, four hits and three walks.

Kennedy actually stated the large amount of support proved to be a good dilemma.

"There were big layoffs between innings," he said. "It's definitely a nice problem to have. As the game got longer and longer, it was harder and harder to get back into the same rhythm that I had in the first three innings, but I'm not going to complain."

"Kennedy pitched well, considering he had a very difficult situation with the layoffs between innings," Geren said. "He flirted with a no-hitter for half the ballgame. It got to the point where he was up and down with the time between innings."

The A's made it 12-0 in the sixth before the Royals finally got on the board in the bottom half. Mark Grudzielanek hit an RBI double and Emil Brown plated two runs with a two-base hit of his own.

However, Oakland struck back with three home runs in the seventh, including back-to-back shots by Johnson and Cust off Neal Musser. Danny Putnam also belted his first career blast in the inning.

A first-round pick of Arizona in 1997, Cust displayed some impressive power as he homered for the third time in 15 at-bats this season.

"The way he hits the ball makes these parks look small," Johnson said. "I'm trying to squeak the ball out of here, while he's dropping them into the fountains."

It was the third time the A's have hit consecutive homers this season.