KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- After the beating Oakland administered to Kansas City, the Athletics actually felt sorry for the Royals.

Oakland's 21-3 rout Sunday was the most lopsided victory since the A's moved to California and the worst loss for the Royals since their franchise was formed in 1969.

"It's no fun being on the other end," Oakland manager Art Howe said after the A's pounded out 21 hits and four home runs.

	The scoreboard, which totaled 21 runs and 21 hits for the A's, was enough for Jason Giambi to crack a smile.

Every Oakland starter had at least one hit, one RBI and one run scored as the Royals used seven pitchers, including Jeff D'Amico, who was making his first major league start.

"We make no excuses. We have young people," Kansas City manager Tony Muser said. "I think you have to sit back and not panic."

Starting the day with a .261 team batting average that was next-to-last in the AL, Oakland scored 10 runs in the third and five in the fourth en route to its season-high fifth straight victory.

"Individually, you don't want to relax at all," Oakland's Ben Grieve said. "You still want to go up there and get good at-bats. But you do feel sorry for them a little."

The margin of victory broke Oakland's previous mark of 16 runs set at Milwaukee in 1985. The Royals' record for margin of defeat had been a 17-0 loss to Detroit on July 20, 1991.

The 21 runs matched the most scored by the A's since leaving Philadelphia after the 1954 season, accomplished against Boston on July 14, 1969, and were the most scored by a major league team this year.

John Jaha, Terrence Long, Ramon Hernandez and Frank Menechino homered for Oakland.

"You want to win the game. But you don't want to embarrass anybody," said Jeremy Giambi, who was traded from Kansas City to Oakland this year. "It's a fine line. You don't want to be too aggressive and start running in peoples' face. I still have a lot of friends over there."

Menechino, Hernandez, Jeremy Giambi and Grieve had three RBI each. Hernandez had four hits and Grieve and Giambi had three.

By the end of the third inning, every man in Oakland's starting lineup had scored at least once.

Oakland sent 14 men to the plate in the 10-run third and the first eight crossed the plate.

The A's batted around again in the fourth while scoring five more runs. In the two innings, Oakland had 24 men bat.

Jason Giambi, who had two doubles and two RBI, scored four times by the end of the fourth inning.

The big third inning did not match two team records the A's set in Kauffman Stadium on May 3. While scoring eight runs in the seventh, also with Gil Heredia pitching for Oakland, the A's had 10 hits and 21 total bases.

In the three-game sweep, the A's hit 11 home runs and outscored the Royals 39-11.

D'Amico (0-1) lasted just two innings, while giving up eight runs on six hits.

"When you get behind batters and walk people, you expect that to happen," D'Amico said. "I'm disappointed. But I'm not going to change my mindset. I'll do my best next time out."

Randy Velarde and Grieve each drove in a run in the second.

Velarde and Jason Giambi walked leading off the third. As the inning unfolded, Grieve had an RBI single, Jeremy Giambi doubled home a run and Eric Chavez had a two-run single to chase D'Amico.

Miguel Tejada greeted Jose Santiago with an RBI single, Hernandez had an RBI single, Velarde singled home a run and Jason Giambi doubled home two more. Grieve's sacrifice fly scored Giambi with the 10th run of the inning.

Menechino hit Miguel Batista's 2-2 pitch for a three-run homer in the fourth and Jeremy Giambi had a two-run single.

In the fifth, with Dan Murray pitching, Hernandez and Long hit consecutive solo homers. An inning later, Jaha homered and Hernandez singled home the 21st run.

Heredia (9-4) went seven innings and gave up three runs on seven hits.

Game notes
Jason Giambi made a fine diving play to rob the Royals of what would have been the tying run in the second. With Brian Johnson at third with one out, Johnny Damon hit a line smash in the hole between first and second that Giambi corralled. ... St. Louis scored 19 runs at Pittsburgh on May 20. Seattle scored 19 runs April 16 at Toronto.