Oakland, Calif. ? Jose Guillen hit his first home run in more than a month and Alex Gordon also had a two-run homer to help Zack Greinke to his first win in July, as the Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics, 4-2, on Monday night.

Greinke struck out a career-high 11 in 71â3 innings and Kansas City earned its first win in four tries this year against the A’s after being swept in the Coliseum on April 18-20. The Royals have won 10 of their last 17 in Oakland.

Guillen hit a two-run drive in the first inning for his 14th of the season and first since June 23. Greinke won for the first time since June 24, and Gordon’s 12th homer of 2008 was his first since July 1.

Guillen returned to the lineup after missing Sunday’s victory over Tampa Bay because of a left groin injury that he aggravated Saturday night. Manager Trey Hillman opted to give Guillen more rest Monday night, too. He was replaced in right field in the middle of the seventh, with Mitch Maier coming in to play center field and David DeJesus moving to right for Guillen.

Gordon also had a pair of singles for Kansas City, his first three-hit game since May 28.

Greinke (8-7) ended a five-start winless stretch in which he’d gone 0-3 since beating Colorado, when he struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter. His 11 Ks were the most by a Royals pitcher since Blake Stein fanned 11 on June 17, 2001, in 51â3 innings at Milwaukee.

Joakim Soria recorded the final three outs for his 28th save in 30 chances – matching the most saves ever in a single season for a Mexican-born pitcher.