The Kansas City Royals dropped a 15-9 decision to the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on Friday in spring training play. Despite Drew Waters's 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Royals could not overcome a sizable deficit. Cole Ragans worked 1.2 innings on the mound, allowing 6 earned runs on 5 hits. The Rangers out-hit the Royals 18-10 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
Drew Waters was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-2 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.
Josh Rojas provided support, going 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI, John Rave also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI, and Carter Jensen chipped in, going 1-for-3 with an RBI. While there were individual bright spots, the lineup could not string hits together consistently.
On the other side of the diamond, Jake Burger led the Rangers offense with a 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI day. Wyatt Langford also contributed, going 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. Kyle Higashioka added a 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI effort as well. The Rangers offense proved to be too much for the Royals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Cole Ragans got the start, struggling with his command, working 1.2 innings while allowing 6 earned runs on 5 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 52 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 7.1 innings of work, allowing 9 earned runs while striking out ten. 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. Peyton Gray recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Alex Lange stood out with 1.0 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
Rangers got on the board first with four runs in the first inning. The Royals countered with seven runs in the first. Rangers struck back with two runs in the second. Rangers added a run in the third. The Royals responded with a run in the third. Rangers countered with four runs in the fourth. Rangers plated two runs in the fifth. The Royals answered with a run in the eighth. Rangers responded with two runs in the ninth. The Rangers were able to score in six separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Rangers out-hit the Royals 18-10, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 6,374 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.