"The muddled competition for the final slot in the Royals' rotation crystallized somewhat Sunday afternoon when Robinson Tejeda delivered 2 1/3 shutout innings after another rough outing by Kyle Davies.

Oakland roughed up Davies for six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings in rolling to a 10-3 victory at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The A's scored two runs in each of the first three innings.

Davies and Tejeda are generally viewed as the top two candidates to round out the five-man rotation. Kyle Farnsworth, Edgar Osuna and Philip Humber are also in the mix.

"It goes without saying," Davies acknowledged, "that if you're going to make the team, you've got to start showing that you can command your pitches and get people out. I haven't done it so far."

The Royals, 5-4-1, didn't score until Vance Wilson's two-run homer in the seventh inning. Buck Coats added an RBI single in the eighth.

Oakland put the game away with a four-run eighth against Matt Herges. Jake Fox delivered the knockout blow with a three-run, two-out homer.

The silver lining was Tejeda, who retired seven of eight batters after replacing Davies with two outs and a runner at second in the third inning."