Sat Apr 19 20:01:56 2008

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A's hold on to down Royals

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Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Daric Barton went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs and an RBI triple, as the Oakland A's belted out 16 hits to squeeze by the Kansas City Royals, 6-5 at McAfee Coliseum.

Ryan Sweeney plated two runs, and all but three players in Oakland's starting lineup had at least two hits. Joey Devine (2-0) picked up the win after pitching two scoreless innings of relief, and Houston Street notched a four- out save, his fifth of the season.

Starter Greg Smith, coming off his first big league win in his last outing, gave up four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and one walk through five innings of a no decision, as Oakland has won back-to-back games after dropping three straight.

Royals starter Zach Greinke had his first poor outing of the season, surrendering three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits and four walks through five innings in a no decision. Joel Peralta (0-1) allowed two runs in just one-third of an inning in taking the loss.

Jose Guillen roped a three-run homer and Miguel Olivo added a solo shot for Kansas City, which has lost three consecutive games.

David DeJesus and Billy Butler singled in the first and Guillen turned on an 0-1 fastball and drilled it into the left field seats for a quick 3-0 Royals lead.

After Barton dropped a sure foul out on the first base side with no one on in the second, Olivo made the A's pay for the error by taking a Smith offering over the left field wall, giving the Royals a four-run cushion.

Greinke pitched no-run ball through four, but allowed three runs in the fifth. Emil Brown singled home Barton, who led off with a double, while Sweeney plated a run after reaching on Tony Pena Jr's fielding error. Bobby Crosby followed with run-scoring single and the A's trailed by one.

Greinke was pulled after throwing 100 pitches in five innings, and reliever Ramon Ramirez allowed a game-tying RBI single to Sweeney with two outs in the sixth.

Chris Denorfia doubled to lead off the home seventh and was brought around on Kurt Suzuki's knock up the middle, giving Oakland its first lead of the game, 5-4. Barton then capped his big day with a triple to score Denorfia for a key insurance run.

Street allowed an RBI single to John Buck in the ninth, but managed to maintain the one run lead with a pair of fly outs and a strikeout on a 13- pitch battle with Alex Gordon.

Game Notes

Coming into the game, Greinke had allowed just 17 hits and two runs in 24 innings in three straight wins...Butler, who went 1-for-4, has hit safely in all but one of KC's 18 games this season...Street's run allowed in the ninth broke an 18 2/3 inning scoreless streak for Oakland's bullpen...Devine has not given up a run in five appearances this season...The A's have made errors in 12 straight games, matching the longest streak in 23 years.