"Nobody is happier to put the A's six-game road trip in the rearview mirror than designated hitter Jack Cust.

After hitting six homers over a nine-game stretch, Cust struggled mightily on the road against the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox. He was pinch-hit for in the eighth inning Sunday after striking out swinging in his first three at-bats in a 4-1 loss to Chicago.

For the trip, Cust hit .188 (3 for 16) with 11 strikeouts and no RBIs in five games.

Cust got off to a rocky start when he went down looking three times in the series opener against Texas, getting ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Kerwin Danley (Cust had a legitimate beef on the called third strike that preceded his ejection).

"I just haven't felt good," said Cust, who is still hitting .290. "I'm not getting pitches to hit. I just haven't felt anything. I'm thinking too much."

With Kurt Suzuki getting the day off, manager Bob Geren batted Cust third in one of the A's more unique lineups of the season.

Coco Crisp also sat, so Rajai Davis played center and led off, which wasn't that unusual. But Cliff Pennington hit seventh and Matt Watson and Matt Carson each drew starts in the outfield."