Oakland, CA – Danny Duffy pitched six innings of one-hit ball in a steady rain and the Kansas City Royals earned a 3-0 win over the Oakland Athletics in the middle test of a three-game set at the Coliseum.
A delay of 40-plus minutes preceded the start of the game, and the rain continued to fall throughout the night. The game was called with two outs in the top of the eighth inning when the conditions become more adverse.
Duffy (1-0), a California native, walked four and struck out eight. Aaron Crow tossed a 1-2-3 seventh and picked up his first career save.
Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur each had two hits and scored a run for the Royals, who were shut out 1-0 in Monday's series-opener.
Graham Godrey (0-1) allowed two runs on six hits in six frames for the A's.
Cliff Pennington had the lone Oakland hit, a one-out double in the third.
The Royals pushed two runs across in the fourth inning. Mike Moustakas doubled home Butler, and Francoeur, who followed Butler's leadoff double with a single, scored on a Humberto Quintero sacrifice fly.
Oakland's Jerry Blevins surrendered a home run to Mitch Maier to lead off the seventh.
Game Notes
The Royals ended a string of 25 scoreless innings against the A's...Kansas City center fielder Lorenzo Cain left the game after the third with a groin injury...The A's announced Tuesday that pitcher Joey Devine will miss the entire 2012 season after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. He had the same procedure performed on his pitching elbow in April 2009.
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