The Oakland Athletics crushed Japan's Hanshin Tigers 10-2 on Sunday in an exhibition game to tune up for their Major League Baseball season opener against the Boston Red Sox this week. Oakland, which begins the 2008 campaign with two sold-out games against the Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday, jumped on Hanshin starter Shinobu Fukuhara early, with designated hitter Jack Cust blasting a two-run homer in the first inning. A solo shot from outfielder Travis Buck in the third and a grand slam from Donnie Murphy in the eighth put things out of reach for the Tigers, who also lost to the Sox 6-5 on Saturday. “I got a really good pitch to hit,” Murphy said. “It was a two-seam fastball, down and away.” Oakland starter Justin Duchscherer got the win, giving up two runs and six hits in five innings of work. Fukuhara said he felt good on the mound at the Tokyo Dome, but said Oakland's power was too much in the end. “My fastballs went high sometimes but my breaking balls were not so bad,” he said. “Overall, I think my pitching today was not too bad. The Athletics have so many good hitters.” __
