--If the Royals win Wednesday against the Athletics, they will complete a three-game sweep at Oakland for the first time since June 14-16, 1988.

--LHP Ron Mahay worked a scoreless eight and has permitted just one earned run in his past 23 2/3 innings for a 0.77 ERA.

--Manager Trey Hillman's original lineup Tuesday had Jose Guillen in left field. Guillen claims there is lest stain on his sore left groin if he plays in right, which is his preferred position. After talking with Hillman, the lineup was changed. Guillen stared in right and Mark Teahen in left.

--LHP John Bale, who has been on the disabled list since mid-April, made his fifth minor league rehab appearance Monday night for Class AAA Omaha, working a scoreless inning but giving up two hits. The Royals are closely monitoring Bale's velocity, which had been topping out at 86-87 mph, and his performance. He has a 5.79 ERA and has allowed nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

The original blueprint was that Bale would be activated this week, but that schedule has apparently been revised.

"It was a possibility if everything went as planned, but obviously even in a rehab situation there has got to be a certain level of performance," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "You don't put a guy back on the roster just because."

BY THE NUMBERS: 0.00 -- ERA of SS Tony Pena Jr., who threw a perfect inning in relief in a 19-4 loss to the Tigers on July 21.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He said he wanted to shave his head. I said I'll do it, let's have some fun with it. We cut him into a Hulk Hogan look and he left it like that through the pitcher's meeting. I tried not to laugh during the pitcher's meeting. He looked that silly. We shaved it (completely) right before game time and he went out and he got a good knock (home run). We're going to keep shaving it every fifth day." -- RHP and barber Gil Meche on shaving John Buck's head before July 24 victory over the Rays.