The Kansas City Royals fell 9-8 to the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Wednesday in spring training play. Despite Brett Squires's 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Royals could not pull even when it mattered. Mitch Spence worked 2.0 innings on the mound, allowing 5 earned runs on 4 hits. The Cubs out-hit the Royals 13-8 on the day. The Royals will look to regroup as spring training rolls on. There is still time to work through the rough patches before the regular season arrives, and the coaching staff will use today's performance as a learning opportunity.
Key Performers
Brett Squires was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. The long ball provided a major boost to the offensive attack. It was the kind of day at the plate that suggests good things ahead for the Royals offense.
Elias Díaz provided support, going 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, Luca Tresh also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, and Peyton Wilson chipped in, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. Despite the individual efforts, the offense could not generate enough sustained production.
On the other side of the diamond, Pedro Ramirez led the Cubs offense with a 1-for-3 with a home run and four RBI day. Nico Hoerner also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. Scott Kingery added a 2-for-2 with two RBI effort as well. The Cubs offense proved to be too much for the Royals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Mitch Spence got the start, having a rough go of it, working 2.0 innings while allowing 5 earned runs on 4 hits. He threw 42 pitches in the outing. His outing provided the coaching staff with another data point as rotation and bullpen decisions loom.
The bullpen combined for 6.1 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs while striking out four. The relief corps kept the game within reach after the starter departed. Managing the bullpen workload is a key priority during the spring, and every outing helps the coaching staff gauge who is ready for high-leverage situations.
Among the relievers, Mason Black stood out with 2.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. The outing gave the coaching staff confidence in his ability to contribute this season.
How It Happened
The Royals struck first, scoring a run in the first inning. Cubs countered with five runs in the second. The Royals struck back with two runs in the third. The Royals added two runs in the fourth. The Royals tacked on a run in the seventh. Cubs countered with two runs in the seventh. The Royals struck back with a run in the eighth. The Royals added a run in the ninth. Cubs responded with two runs in the ninth. The Cubs were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Cubs out-hit the Royals 13-8, with 4 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 12,026 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Royals will regroup and get back to work in their next outing. While the final score was not in their favor, the exhibition season is about building toward the regular season, and this game provided useful reps for a roster still taking shape. The coaching staff will review the performance and make adjustments before the next time out.