<hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> GAME SUMMARY This was more like it Tuesday night from Zack Greinke. Five innings, four hits, eight strikeouts. He got better as the game went along, too, in the Royals’ 8-3 victory over the Oakland A’s at Surprise Stadium. Greinke worked around a walk and a hit batsman in the first inning, then yielded three hits in a three-run second — although a good throw by second baseman Alberto Callaspo on a potential inning-ending double play would have limited the damage to one run. Then zip. Greinke retired 11 of his final 12 hitters and recorded his last six outs on strikeouts. So this was much better than his last two starts, when he yielded 11 runs and 19 hits in a combined eight innings. “My accuracy really hasn’t been there,” Greinke said. “It was a matter of taking a little off until I could locate my stuff better. Then work from there.” The Royals, 14-9-3, jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first against A’s starter Josh Outman. They answered Oakland’s three-run second with a grand slam by Mike Aviles in their half of the inning. Aviles also contributed a single to a 14-hit attack and finished with five RBIs. Relievers Roman Colon, Jamey Wright, Anthony Lerew and Chris Hayes blanked the A’s, 12-14-1, over the last four innings.ARMS RACE Manager Trey Hillman confirmed, finally, that Gil Meche and Greinke will pitch the first two games of the regular season. “Yeah, I figured you guys would be shocked,” Hillman told reporters. “The only thing that keeps me from doing it earlier in camp, I guess, is the phobia of announcing it too soon.” Meche and Greinke entered camp as the club’s top two starters. It also has been apparent for several days that each was being slotted in their spring work to pitch April 6 and April 8. The White Sox are expected to start Mark Buehrle and Gavin Floyd in the first two games. Meche will be making his third straight start on opening day. “He’s our No. 1 pitcher, for me, until proven otherwise,” Hillman said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t like Zack Greinke. I think you guys get too wrapped up in that, to be honest with you.”POSITION BATTLES Sidney Ponson’s next outing will come against big-league hitters after all. Hillman confirmed Ponson will now pitch Thursday against Seattle instead of today against a collection of Mariners minor-league personnel. The switch means Luke Hochevar is now slotted for today’s minor-league game against Class AAA Tacoma, while Brian Bannister will pitch Thursday for Class AAA Omaha against Texas’ top minor-league affiliate. Hillman acknowledged a desire to see Ponson pitch against big-league competition but cautioned against drawing conclusions from the switch. “It’s not important for the reasons you guys may be formulating,” Hillman told reporters. “It’s just a matter of trying to make sure we get each guy three more times before we have to make decisions. And it could change again.” Ponson, 32, joined the Royals as a free agent March 17 by signing a minor-league contract. MEDICAL UPDATES Right-hander Julio Pimentel has opted against surgery after being diagnosed earlier this month with ligament damage and a broken bone in his elbow. The hope is the ligament will reattach properly once the bone heals.PERSONNEL MOVES The Royals reassigned four players to minor-league camp after the game: catcher Matt Tupman and pitchers Lenny DiNardo, Anthony Lerew and Victor Marte. The moves leave 38 players in big-league camp.ON DECK The Royals have an open date today.</div> <hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> Royals (RHP Sidney Ponson) vs. Mariners (RHP Felix Hernandez), at 3:05 p.m. Thursday in Peoria, Ariz. </div>

Posted on Tue, Mar. 24, 2009 10:15 PM

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GAME SUMMARY

This was more like it Tuesday night from Zack Greinke. Five innings, four hits, eight strikeouts. He got better as the game went along, too, in the Royals’ 8-3 victory over the Oakland A’s at Surprise Stadium.

Greinke worked around a walk and a hit batsman in the first inning, then yielded three hits in a three-run second — although a good throw by second baseman Alberto Callaspo on a potential inning-ending double play would have limited the damage to one run.

Then zip.

Greinke retired 11 of his final 12 hitters and recorded his last six outs on strikeouts. So this was much better than his last two starts, when he yielded 11 runs and 19 hits in a combined eight innings.

“My accuracy really hasn’t been there,” Greinke said. “It was a matter of taking a little off until I could locate my stuff better. Then work from there.”

The Royals, 14-9-3, jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first against A’s starter Josh Outman. They answered Oakland’s three-run second with a grand slam by Mike Aviles in their half of the inning.

Aviles also contributed a single to a 14-hit attack and finished with five RBIs.

Relievers Roman Colon, Jamey Wright, Anthony Lerew and Chris Hayes blanked the A’s, 12-14-1, over the last four innings.

ARMS RACE

Manager Trey Hillman confirmed, finally, that Gil Meche and Greinke will pitch the first two games of the regular season.

“Yeah, I figured you guys would be shocked,” Hillman told reporters. “The only thing that keeps me from doing it earlier in camp, I guess, is the phobia of announcing it too soon.”

Meche and Greinke entered camp as the club’s top two starters. It also has been apparent for several days that each was being slotted in their spring work to pitch April 6 and April 8.

The White Sox are expected to start Mark Buehrle and Gavin Floyd in the first two games.

Meche will be making his third straight start on opening day.

“He’s our No. 1 pitcher, for me, until proven otherwise,” Hillman said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t like Zack Greinke. I think you guys get too wrapped up in that, to be honest with you.”

POSITION BATTLES

Sidney Ponson’s next outing will come against big-league hitters after all. Hillman confirmed Ponson will now pitch Thursday against Seattle instead of today against a collection of Mariners minor-league personnel.

The switch means Luke Hochevar is now slotted for today’s minor-league game against Class AAA Tacoma, while Brian Bannister will pitch Thursday for Class AAA Omaha against Texas’ top minor-league affiliate.

Hillman acknowledged a desire to see Ponson pitch against big-league competition but cautioned against drawing conclusions from the switch.

“It’s not important for the reasons you guys may be formulating,” Hillman told reporters. “It’s just a matter of trying to make sure we get each guy three more times before we have to make decisions. And it could change again.”

Ponson, 32, joined the Royals as a free agent March 17 by signing a minor-league contract.

MEDICAL UPDATES

Right-hander Julio Pimentel has opted against surgery after being diagnosed earlier this month with ligament damage and a broken bone in his elbow. The hope is the ligament will reattach properly once the bone heals.

PERSONNEL MOVES

The Royals reassigned four players to minor-league camp after the game: catcher Matt Tupman and pitchers Lenny DiNardo, Anthony Lerew and Victor Marte. The moves leave 38 players in big-league camp.

ON DECK

The Royals have an open date today.

Royals (RHP Sidney Ponson) vs. Mariners (RHP Felix Hernandez), at 3:05 p.m. Thursday in Peoria, Ariz.

| Bob Dutton, bdutton@kcstar.com

Posted on Tue, Mar. 24, 2009 10:15 PM

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