Cotton, A's relievers pitch shutout in Royals' home opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Rookie Jharel Cotton rebounded from a rough initial start to pitch a gem as the Oakland Athletics beat Kansas City 2-0 on Monday in the Royals' home opener.
The A's have won seven straight games against the Royals. Kansas City lost a home opener for the first time since 2012.
The Royals were shut out in their home opener for the first time since Bert Blyleven blanked them in 1971.
Cotton (1-1) threw seven scoreless innings, walked three and struck out six, including the side in the fourth. He threw 61 strikes in 98 pitches. Cotton allowed only two runners to reach second base.
In his first start of the season last week, Cotton was shelled, permitting five runs, eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels for his first major league loss.
Cotton got all the run support he needed in the fourth inning when Khris Davis homered to right-center field after Ryon Healy singled to right.
Davis, the only A's player to reach base safely in the first eight games, has four home runs after hitting none in spring training. He belted 42 last year.
Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy (0-2) was removed after six innings and 99 pitches, allowing two runs and six hits while striking out four and walking two. His only mistake was a 3-0 fat fastball to Davis, who took advantage of the wind blowing out to right to get it over the fence.
Santiago Casilla replaced Cotton and struck out all three batters he faced on 16 pitches in the eighth. Left-hander Sean Doolittle worked the ninth for his first save.
The Royals made a little noise in the ninth with Lorenzo Cain drawing a one-out walk and advancing to third on Salvador Perez's ground-ball single to left. The game ended with Brandon Moss striking out.
Cain singled in the first and drew two walks. After Cain's single, the Royals did not get another hit until Raul Mondesi's sixth-inning leadoff single.
A's third baseman Trevor Plouffe was charged with an error in the sixth. Oakland has committed an error in six straight games and lead the American League with nine fielding miscues.
NOTES: The Royals honored Yordano "Ace" Ventura in moving pregame ceremonies. Ventura, 25, died in a vehicle crash on Jan. 22 in the Dominican Republic after compiling 38 victories as a Royal and making nine postseason starts. A saxophonist played "Amazing Grace" during a video board display of Ventura on and off the field. Ventura's mother, Marisol Hernandez, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Victor Baez, the Royals' Dominican Academy coordinator and a father figure to Ventura, was in the Buck O'Neil seat. ... A's RHP Sonny Gray, who is on the disabled list with a shoulder strain, threw a bullpen session and will face hitters Thursday before the game against the Royals. ... After an off-day, A's RHP Andrew Triggs and Royals RHP Jason Hammel are the Wednesday starters.