KANSAS CITY – Jharel Cotton begins the season as a relative unknown, but it won’t take many more performances like Monday’s in Oakland’s 2-0 win over the Royals to spread the word about the A’s starter.
Cotton, acquired in the Rich Hill/Josh Reddick deal with the Dodgers at the trade deadline last year, shut down the Royals with just two hits over seven innings in front of an Opening Day Kauffman Stadium crowd that wanted to be fired up but never got the chance.
In matching his career high in innings pitched, the 25-year-old right-hander changed speeds, hit the corners and kept the ball at the knees and away from the power of the Royals bats.