KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Oakland starter Jharel Cotton kept getting interrupted during his warmups Monday, first by Melissa Ethridge rocking out the National Anthem, then by a flyover from a B2 bomber, and finally by an emotional tribute to the late Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura.
It was the only time Cotton ever looked out of sync.
The young pitcher breezed through seven innings, allowing a pair of singles and three walks, and got just enough offense from Khris Davis' two-run homer to help the Athletics spoil Kansas City's home opener with a 2-0 victory at sun-splashed Kauffman Stadium.
"He was outstanding. He seemed so calm and poised," said Cotton's catcher, Stephen Vogt. "For him to keep his focus and be ready to go - we had a really good game plan and he executed it beautifully."
Cotton (1-1) turned the game over to Santiago Casilla, who struck out the side in the eighth. Sean Doolittle then put runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth, but he bounced back to strike out his former teammate and good friend Brandon Moss for his first save of the season.
It was the seventh straight win for the A's against Kansas City.
Asked about Cotton, Royals manager Ned Yost said simply: "He was dynamite."
Davis provided all the offense Oakland needed when he followed a leadoff single by Ryon Healy with his fourth homer of the year. The shot to right field on a 3-0 pitch from Ian Kennedy (0-2) barely scraped over the wall, but it gave Cotton the only help he needed against a punchless Kansas City lineup.
"I was falling behind on him, trying to get him to chase a little bit. Then I tried to get a fastball by him," Kennedy said. "The wind was blowing out so hard and ball hit that high, it just took off."
The home opener had a somber feeling even before the Royals' bats went quiet, starting with a tear-filled tribute to Ventura.
The young pitcher, an instrumental part of back-to-back World Series trips, was killed in an offseason car crash in the Dominican Republic.
Kennedy pitched well on the mound where Ventura once dazzled, allowing only two hits and two walks in six innings. But the mistake he threw to Davis proved to be decisive.
Cotton, who was battered by the Angels in his season debut, effortlessly sliced through the Kansas City order. He got a double play to end the second, struck out the side in the fifth, then induced a pair of fly outs in the sixth after an error on a double-play ball gave the Royals life.
Notes: The Royals were shut out in their home opener for the second time, losing to the Twins 2-0 in 1971. They had won their last four home openers. The A's seven-game win streak against Kansas City matches the longest in franchise history. Royals RHP Peter Moylan pitched two perfect innings to extend his scoreless streak to seven. The Royals and Athletics are off today before resuming the series Wednesday night.