MLB

• A's, Royals set for rubber match at Coliseum

  (Sports Network) - Brett Anderson makes his second start since a nearly two- month stint on the disabled list this afternoon when the Oakland Athletics play the rubber match of their three-game series with the Kansas City Royals at the Coliseum.

  After dropping the opener of this set on Monday, Kansas City rebounded on Tuesday to beat the A's for the first time in five chances this season, as Gregor Blanco drove in the winning run in the ninth inning to lift the Royals to a 3-2 win.

  Blanco's fielder's choice grounder plated Alex Gordon with the decisive run to give the Royals their fourth win in their last five tries overall.

  Jesse Chavez (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief and Joakim Soria retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to record his 30th save for Kansas City, which has won four out five.

  Craig Breslow (4-3) was tagged with the loss in his lone inning of work, giving up one hit and walking one for Oakland, which had dropped four out of six.

  "That wasn't a good game overall for us," said A's manager Bob Geren. "We didn't swing the bats like we should. It wasn't a really good offensive approach at all tonight." Today the A's turn to Anderson to deliver the series win. Anderson was roughed up in his first start back on Friday in Chicago, as the White Sox ripped him for five runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings, dropping him to 2-2, while raising his earned run average to 3.25.

  "The only good thing about this start is that it will get me to the next one," Anderson said. "If I can get to the next one, I can get to the next, and then the next." Anderson, an 11-game winner last season in his rookie year, beat the Royals the only other time he faced them, holding them to three runs and six hits in six innings.

  Kansas City, meanwhile, will counter with righty Sean O'Sullivan, who is 1-1 with a 4.12 ERA. O'Sullivan did not get a decision on Friday against Baltimore, as the Orioles surrendered three runs and four hits in six innings of a 7-5 loss.

  This will be O'Sullivan's first-ever start against the A's, but he has tossed three scoreless innings of relief against them.

  08/04 11:01:43 ET