Final
Athletics-Royals Preview
Sep 14, 2010 - 1:36 AMVideo
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.
- 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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