The Seattle Mariners handed the Kansas City Royals a 4-3 loss at Peoria Stadium on Tuesday in spring training play. Despite Kameron Misner's 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and three RBI effort at the plate, the Royals could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Cole Ragans turned in a solid outing, working 3.1 innings of 2-run ball with five strikeouts. Both clubs finished with 8 hits apiece in a closely contested battle. 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
Kameron Misner was the standout at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, 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.
Daniel Vazquez added to the attack, going 2-for-3, Isaac Collins provided support, going 1-for-3, and Josh Rojas also contributed, going 1-for-3. The Royals showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Bill Knight led the Mariners offense with a 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI day. Lazaro Montes also contributed, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Spencer Packard added a 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI effort as well. The Mariners 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, battling through his outing, working 3.1 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 51 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 4.2 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out four. 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. Michael Rucker recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Helcris Olivárez stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Mariners got on the board first with a run in the second inning. Mariners tacked on two runs in the fourth. The Royals countered with three runs in the sixth. Mariners struck back with a run in the sixth. The Mariners were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Both teams finished with 8 hits apiece, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,206 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.