• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Athletics-Royals Preview

Sep 14, 2010 - 1:36 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Oakland (71-71) at Kansas City (58-84), 8:10 p.m. EDT

With a playoff berth unlikely, the Oakland Athletics continued their improved play behind a 30-year-old rookie pitcher making his major league debut in the opener of their series against the Kansas City Royals.

The season 24-year-old Gio Gonzalez is having bodes very well for the club's future.

Gonzalez looks to win his fifth straight start when the Athletics and Royals continue their three-game set in Kansas City on Tuesday night.

Gonzalez (14-8, 3.16 ERA) made the opening day roster for the first time in his career after starting 24 games over the previous two seasons, and he's rewarded Oakland's confidence by being one of the AL's best pitchers.

Gonzalez is second on the team in wins behind Trevor Cahill, who is 16-6, and he's among the top 10 in the AL in ERA. The Athletics (72-71) haven't had two 15-game winners in a season since 2006, when Joe Blanton and Barry Zito each won 16.

The left-hander allowed three runs while striking out nine over 6 2-3 innings in a 5-3 victory against Seattle on Wednesday. He is 5-1 with a 1.58 ERA over his last seven starts, striking out 41 in 45 2-3 innings.

Gonzalez had an outstanding outing in Kansas City on July 16, giving up one run in seven innings of a 5-1 victory.

He takes the mound after the Athletics won for the seventh time in 10 games Monday by defeating Kansas City 3-1 behind Bobby Cramer, who began this year in the Mexican League. Cramer yielded one run and four hits in 5 1-3 innings in Oakland's fifth straight win at Kauffman Stadium.

Cramer was aided by two fielding errors from the Royals (58-85) in the first and second innings that led to Oakland runs. Kansas City, which has lost nine of 11, has 12 errors in the last 10 games - seven in the past four.

"I wouldn't even classify it as an eyesore," manager Ned Yost said of his defense. "It was worse. It wasn't good baseball."

The Royals received a home run from Mike Aviles but five of their seven hits were singles.

Kansas City will try to avoid losing its fourth straight when it hands the ball to Zack Greinke (8-12, 3.90).

Greinke, winless in his last four starts, allowed four runs and five hits over eight innings in a 4-3 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday. He pitched four scoreless innings before giving up three runs in the fifth.

The right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA in his career against Oakland, with the only loss coming opposite Gonzalez on July 16 after allowing five runs - two earned - in six innings.