The Kansas City Royals dropped a 11-5 decision to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Surprise Stadium on Saturday in spring training play. Despite Carter Jensen's 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Royals could not overcome a sizable deficit. Michael Wacha worked 3.1 innings on the mound, allowing 4 earned runs on 4 hits. The Diamondbacks out-hit the Royals 14-10 on the day. Despite the result, the coaching staff gathered useful data on the current state of the roster. Spring training losses sting, but the information gained will inform decisions as Opening Day approaches.
Key Performers
Carter Jensen was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Royals confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
John Rave also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI, Starling Marte chipped in, going 2-for-3, and Kyle Isbel added to the attack, going 1-for-3. While there were individual bright spots, the lineup could not string hits together consistently.
On the other side of the diamond, Jansel Luis led the Diamondbacks offense with a 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI day. A.J. Vukovich also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Ben McLaughlin added a 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI effort as well. The Diamondbacks offense proved to be too much for the Royals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Michael Wacha got the start, struggling with his command, working 3.1 innings while allowing 4 earned runs on 4 hits with six strikeouts. He threw 58 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Royals evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.5 innings of work, allowing 7 earned runs while striking out two. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today provided useful information about the current state of the bullpen. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions.
Among the relievers, Noah Cameron stood out with 4.0 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
Diamondbacks got on the board first with a run in the second inning. The Royals struck back with two runs in the second. Diamondbacks answered with two runs in the third. Diamondbacks tacked on a run in the fourth. The Royals countered with two runs in the fourth. Diamondbacks struck back with a run in the fifth. Diamondbacks added a run in the sixth. The Royals responded with a run in the seventh. Diamondbacks countered with five runs in the ninth. The Diamondbacks were able to score in six separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Diamondbacks out-hit the Royals 14-10, with 5 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 8,311 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
It was not the outcome the Royals were looking for, but spring training provides a forgiving environment to work through the rough patches. The focus remains on preparation and development, and the coaching staff will use today as a teaching opportunity. The regular season is right around the corner, and every game is a chance to improve.