Melbourne, Fla. ? Paul Byrd had his best start of the spring, allowing one hit in three scoreless innings Monday as the Kansas City Royals beat the Florida Marlins 3-2.

Florida didn’t score until the ninth inning, when Mark Smith walked and Derek Wathan tripled off Blake Stein, trying to win a job as Kansas City’s fifth starter. Wathan, competing for a backup infield spot, scored on Matt Treanor’s sacrifice fly.

Byrd walked two and struck out two, struggling with his breaking ball.

Royals demote Harvey

The Kansas City Royals optioned first baseman Ken Harvey to Triple-A Omaha of the Pacific Coast League on Monday.

Harvey, who hit .350 last season and had a 22-game hitting streak with Double-A Wichita, had offseason foot surgery and was hitless in seven plate appearances in spring training.

The Royals also optioned right-hander Kyle Snyder, their top pick in the 1999 draft who’s been troubled by elbow surgeries, to Wichita, and reassigned right-hander Brett Laxton, catcher Juan Brito and outfielder Aaron Guiel to their minor league camp.

Royals 3, Marlins 2

KANSAS CITY FLORIDA

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Sadler ss 3 1 1 0 Castillo 2b 2 0 0 0

Berroa ss 1 0 0 0 Malloy 2b 2 0 0 0

Alicea 2b 4 0 1 1 Owens cf 3 0 0 0

Espada 2b 0 0 0 0 McMillon lf 1 0 0 0

Beltran cf 3 0 1 0 Floyd lf 3 0 0 0

Berger rf 1 0 0 0 Fox 3b 1 0 0 0

Sweeney 1b 3 0 1 0 Millar rf 3 0 0 0

Johnson pr-cf 1 1 0 0 Nunez rf 1 0 0 0

Ibanez rf-1b 2 1 1 0 Lowell 3b 3 0 1 0

Ardoin c 1 0 0 0 Ambres pr-cf 1 0 0 0

Randa 3b 3 0 1 2 Lee 1b 3 0 1 0

Pellow 3b 1 0 0 0 Teut p 0 0 0 0

Brown lf 4 0 1 0 Steenstra p 0 0 0 0

Ortiz c 3 0 0 0 Izquierdo p 0 0 0 0

Skrmetta p 0 0 0 0 Gonzalez ss 1 0 1 0

Byrd p 1 0 0 0 Wathan ss 2 1 1 1

Rekar p 1 0 0 0 Castro c 3 0 1 0

McCarty ph-1b 1 0 0 0 Erickson pr 0 0 0 0

Treanor c 0 0 0 1

Clement p 1 0 0 0

Raines ph 0 0 0 0

Banks 1b 1 0 0 0

Totals 33 3 7 3 Totals 31 2 5 2

Kansas City 100 002 000 3

Florida 000 000 002 2

EClement. LOBKansas City 4, Florida 8. 2BIbanez, Lowell, Gonzalez, Castro. 3BSadler, Randa, Wathan. CSAlicea. SFTreanor.

IP H R ER BB SO

Kansas City

Byrd W, 1-0 3 1 0 0 2 2

Rekar 3 2 0 0 1 2

Stein 2 1-3 2 2 2 2 3

Skrmetta 0 2-3 0 0 0 0 1

Florida

Clement L,0-1 4 4 1 1 0 4

Nunez 1 0 0 0 0 1

Tejera 1 3 2 2 1 1

Teut 1 0 0 0 0 0

Steenstra 1 0 0 0 0 0

Izquierdo 1 0 0 0 0 1

WPClement. PBOrtiz. T2:31. A2,571.