ROYALS 11, ATHLETICS 10
at Surprise, Ariz.
Tuesday, March 9

A's at the plate: Jack Cust clouted a tape-measure blast in the first inning, a two-run homer that bounced over the stadium's back fence beyond the right-field seating and onto Bullard Avenue. Not that it needed help, but there was a 27-mph wind blowing in that direction. Cust dropped a double inside the left-field line to start the A's three-run fifth. Eric Sogard lined a two-run triple to right field and added an RBI single. Corey Brown had three hits with a walk and two RBIs.

Royals at the plate: Rick Ankiel lofted a three-run homer over the center-field wall in the Royals' four-run sixth inning. That gave him four RBIs. David DeJesus drilled a two-run triple into the right-field corner and scored on Ankiel's single in the fourth. Mitch Maier hammered a two-run homer to right field in the eighth.

A's on the mound: Starter Vin Mazzaro faced the minimum nine batters in his three innings, although he gave up one hit and one walk. He used 32 pitches, including 19 strikes. Lefty Jerry Blevins was tagged for three runs in the fourth. Clayton Mortensen gave up four runs in the sixth. Fernando Hernandez reeled off a perfect seventh.

Royals on the mound: Robinson Tejeda, bidding for a starting spot, gave up five runs on four hits and three walks in two innings. He threw 45 pitches, and just 22 were strikes. Kyle Davies, competing with Tejeda, followed with two shutout innings but gave up three runs in the fifth on four hits. Philip Humber and Bryan Bullington each gave up one run.

Cactus League records: A's 2-3-1; Royals 3-2

Worth noting: A's right fielder Travis Buck was scratched from the lineup after experiencing dizziness. Brown took his place. ... After morning rain ended, the game began at 57 degrees -- just over the 56-degree temperature in Kansas City and the 53 back home in Oakland. The brisk wind in Surprise made it feel like 51. ... A wind-blown foul ball by the A's Daric Barton fell safely next to home plate, eluding catcher Jason Kendall, Davies and two infielders. ... A's pitcher John Meloan left the game in the eighth with an apparent injury.

Up next: Zack Greinke will get his second start of the spring at 12:05 p.m. PT on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson. Greinke worked three shutout innings in his first outing, allowing Texas just one hit. Also due to pitch: Brad Thompson, Josh Rupe, Blake Wood, Adam Bostick and Nelson Payano. Mike Aviles, coming back from elbow surgery, is to make his Cactus League debut at second base. The Rockies will start Jeff Francis.

Right-hander Ben Sheets, coming off a blank year due to elbow surgery, is slated to make his second spring start when the A's host the White Sox at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Wednesday at 12:05 PT. Sheets walked off the mound feeling "great" after scattering four hits on two runs -- one earned -- in 1 2/3 innings in his debut. Andrew Bailey and Craig Breslow are among those also scheduled to get work in.