Three home runs and a shutout kept the A’s from being swept by the worse team in baseball.

Frank Thomas, Bobby Crosby, and Jason Kendall all hit homers and Joe Blanton got his first career complete-game shutout to help the A’s beat the Royals 7-0 Wednesday.

The Royals, who were coming off two straight road wins, only managed five hits and struck out five times against Blanton.

Both Thomas and Crosby were 2-for-4. Thomas hit his two-run blast in the first inning off Scott Elarton. Crosby’s homer came in the fourth with nobody on base to make it 3-0. Jason Kendall capped off the night with his first home run since July 2004, a two run fly that barely cleared the wall in left field off reliever Joey Peralta.

Elarton, Wednesday’s starter, pitched 6 2/3 innings giving up five runs on six hits. He struck out six batters, but almost nullified those whiffs with four walks.

Kansas City took two out three in the series earning their first road series win since last August. Their 21 losses in May ties a team record for most losses in a month set in August 1999 and August 2005.