The Chicago White Sox handed the Kansas City Royals a 5-4 loss at Camelback Ranch on Sunday in spring training play. Despite Nick Loftin's 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI effort at the plate, the Royals could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Noah Cameron turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 2-run ball with three strikeouts. The Sox out-hit the Royals 9-6 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Royals continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Nick Loftin was the standout at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Royals will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Gavin Cross added to the attack, going 1-for-2, Kameron Misner provided support, going 1-for-3, and Jack Pineda also contributed, going 1-for-1. The Royals showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Colson Montgomery led the Sox offense with a 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI day. Jarred Kelenic also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Luisangel Acuña added a 2-for-3 with an RBI effort as well. The Sox offense proved to be too much for the Royals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Noah Cameron got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits with three strikeouts. He threw 55 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 5.0 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out one. The Royals continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Tyler Gilbert recorded the save to close out the game.
How It Happened
Sox got on the board first with a run in the first inning. The Royals responded with two runs in the second. Sox countered with a run in the third. The Royals struck back with two runs in the fifth. Sox answered with three runs in the fifth. The Sox were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Sox out-hit the Royals 9-6, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 4,542 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Royals will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.