A's lose to Indians 14-10 in exhibition

<p>PHOENIX — Michael Choice has a thing about walls. On Monday, he ran into one, and a little later he hit a baseball over one.</p><p>The A's outfielder came up with a bit of a sore left knee after slamming his side into the wall while playing center field during Monday's 14-10 loss to Cleveland. He stayed in the game and homered later.</p><p>“I'm feeling good, basically picking up from where I left off last year,” said Choice, who was hitting .287 at Double-A Midland last year until a broken hand ended his season in July.</p><p>“He has a quick bat,” Melvin said, “and that allows him to wait on balls.”</p><p>Choice is rated the No. 2 prospect in the A's organization by Baseball America.</p><h3>YOUNG'S QUAD CRAMP OK</h3> <p>Outfielder Chris Young reported no ill effects from the quad cramp he suffered while making a diving catch in the first inning against the Angels on Sunday.</p><p>“It's good,” Young said. “It was a little sore yesterday when I came out, but I worked with the trainers and it feels fine.”</p><p>He was off Monday and will be held out today but is expected to be back in Wednesday.</p><h3>OKAJIMA HAPPY ON MOUND</h3> <p>Melvin said he liked what he saw from lefty reliever Hideki Okajima, who threw one inning, giving up a hit and a walk but no runs to the Indians.</p><p>“After last year, it felt good just to be out on the mound in the U.S.,” Okajima, who was released in spring training by the Yankees, said through an interpreter. “After New York, I was afraid I would never pitch here again.”</p><p>Melvin likes the downward plane of Okajima's pitches, something that should be difficult for left-handed hitters to master.</p><h3>GIAMBI WANTS INDIANS SPOT</h3> <p>Longtime A's first baseman Jason Giambi, who just turned 42, is likely to be the part-time designated hitter and full-time mentor to Indians hitters after getting an early February invitation to the Cleveland camp.</p><p>“I'll be out here until they tear the uniform off me,” Giambi said before going 0 for 1 with two walks against the A's. “It's a good opportunity to get some playing time, and they want me to mentor the young kids, which is something I'd been doing in Colorado anyway. And I love to play ball.”Giambi, who has 1,405 career RBIs and 429 homers, needs to have a decent spring to make the team, but Cleveland manager Terry Francona is an old friend and has said the opening is there if Giambi grabs it. He said he is open to coaching or managing when he's done playing.</p><h3>SHOWTIME AT THIRD</h3> <p>Third baseman Josh Donaldson turned in what was probably the play of the day when he dived toward the line to take a possible double away from Juan Diaz of the Indians to end the fourth inning, saving a couple of runs.</p><h3>PUT A LEASH ON THAT GUY</h3> <p>Closer Grant Balfour, who is doing extensive rehab work to come back quickly from knee surgery, needs to have somebody keep an eye on him. “He's ahead of what we originally anticipated,” Melvin said. “I saw him yesterday trying to sneak into one of the drills,” Melvin said. “For us, it is more trying to keep him out of things.”</p><h3>NOTES</h3> <p>Second baseman Jemile Weeks singled, doubled and drove in two runs after coming into the game at the midway point.</p><p>Starter Andrew Werner gave up one unearned run, then five of the six relievers who followed him gave up either two or three runs.</p>