PHOENIX -- Common wisdom had it that if Jed Lowrie had a big spring, he was the one guy on the Oakland roster who could keep Hiroyuki Nakajima from being the A's opening-day shortstop.

It turns out, that's not entirely accurate. Lowrie, who didn't play Sunday in the A's 12-6 win over the Chicago Cubs, is having a good spring (.333, three doubles, two homers), to be sure. That performance could be good enough to make him the everyday second baseman from among a crowded field.

But if Eric Sogard continues to crush the ball, the A's might feel obligated to find room in the lineup for him, forcing Lowrie to shortstop by default and pushing Nakajima off the podium.

That scenario is no sure thing, but after three singles and a double Sunday, Sogard is hitting .500 (15 for 30) for the spring and looking increasingly like someone who could be a surprise starter for the A's to open the season.

Sogard isn't doing anything but putting up the numbers and waiting.

"I don't think I'm the front-runner,'' he said. "My place is to put together the best at-bats I can. All I can do is show what I'm capable of and make their decision a tough one.''

Nakajima and Sogard were teamed up the middle Sunday against the Cubs. And while Sogard was 4 for 4, Nakajima was hitless in three at-bats as his average fell to .194

The Japanese All-Star said he wasn't pressing, and in fact was encouraged by his day. After saying the other day he felt "a

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split second off" in his swing, he's no longer going there.

"That's getting a lot better,'' he said through an interpreter. "Today I was able to swing without (feeling) so much of that pressure.''

Manager Bob Melvin has long been aware of the difficulty of the transition from one side of the Pacific to the other.

"Each guy has to get acclimated (in his own way),'' the manager said. "His personality is always good. He's always in a good mood. He's not moping, and that's good.

"When you are playing for a new team in a new league, it takes time to get there, and he's not there yet.''

  • As if there wasn't enough action at second base Sunday, Adam Rosales was asked to pinch-run in the fifth inning for Josh Donaldson, then stayed in the game and hit two-run homers in the seventh and eighth innings.

    The homers couldn't have come at a better time for Rosales, both because he wants to be the starter at second and because the game was being televised by WGN back to the Chicago area, where he was born and raised.

    Add to Rosales' homers a nice double off the bench by Scott Sizemore and a sizzling single by yet another second base candidate, Jemile Weeks, and the competition for the middle infield jobs is nuclear hot.

    "That's what competition is all about,'' Melvin said.

  • Catcher Luke Montz got Sunday off after a foul tip caught him square in the groin Saturday. He said that the second-inning, two-run homer he hit off Jered Weaver, who will be the Angels' opening-day starter, will be the memory he takes away from the game.

  • Last year, Jarrod Parker was struggling with his command and was just another pitcher who wasn't deemed ready. This year, after having been one of the keys to a solid rotation the last two-thirds of the season, he has a 10.00 ERA, but it's not working against him. "The difficult thing about spring training numbers,'' Melvin said, "is they don't apply the same way to everyone. Based on last year, you don't evaluate on the numbers in his case.''

  • Closer Grant Balfour, who had arthroscopic knee surgery just over four weeks ago, will get into a game for the first time this spring Monday. But the A's are likely to have him throw in a minor league game rather than to face the Mariners in Phoenix.

  • The A's made seven roster moves after the game, optioning infielder Grant Green and outfielder Michael Taylor to Triple-A Sacramento. Right-handed pitcher Brian Gordon, catcher David Freitas, first baseman Scott Moore, infielder Darwin Perez and outfielder Michael Choice were reassigned to minor league camp.

  • After hitting four home runs Saturday against the Angels, Oakland came back with three-run blasts from Chris Young and Josh Donaldson and the two two-run rockets off Rosales' bat. Donaldson has homered in consecutive games.

  • Tommy Milone wasn't too displeased with the numbers he gave up Sunday, eight hits and four earned runs 42/3 innings. "Spring training is to get ready for the season,'' Milone said. "I was behind in the count more than I wanted, but I thought I pitched well except for a couple of mistakes.''