Royal Returns: KC's Duffy, Perez back in Cactus League
Danny Duffy stepped off the big stage and back into spring training.
Following a stint with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, Duffy allowed three runs over six innings for the Kansas City Royals in a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
It was Duffy's first start with the Royals since March 5 because of the international tournament. He allowed three hits and a walk.
''This might be my first quality start in spring training ever,'' Duffy said. ''I'm excited about that. Everything clicked in the fourth, fifth and sixth. I wanted to go back out for the seventh, but we threw a few more pitches in the `pen. Today, I'm very pleased with the results.''
Duffy went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two WBC outings, striking out eight over eight innings. He picked up the victory against the Dominican Republic in the semifinals.
Not only did Duffy return, but Salvador Perez was behind the plate for the first time since March 12th when he injured his left knee and left elbow in a collision at the plate while playing for Venezuela in the WBC against Italy. Strangely, it was Royals backup Drew Butera that collided with Perez.
''Everything was good, everything was perfect,'' Perez said.
Seattle's Kyle Seager hit a two-run homer off Duffy and Mitch Haniger doubled home a run. Starter Hisashi Iwakuma went 5 2/3 innings, allowing a run and striking out four.
ANGELS NO-HIT MARINERS
Bud Norris and seven relievers combined on a spring training no-hitter for the Los Angeles Angles in a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Norris struck out two over two perfect innings, and Jose Alvarez, Cam Bedrosian and Andrew Bailey followed with a perfect inning each. Austin Adams walked Zach Shank during the sixth inning, and then Drew Gagnon, Justin Anderson and Abel De Los Santos closed up shop with a perfect inning each.
Bailey struck out three during the fifth inning, and the Angels pitchers totaled 12 strikeouts.
Norris took a no-hitter into the seventh inning while pitching for Houston against St. Louis on June 8, 2011.
This is the second no-hitter this spring training. Masahiro Tanaka and two relievers combined to no-hit the Tigers on March 17.
Ariel Miranda allowed four runs over four innings to start for Seattle, then Dylan Unsworth followed with four scoreless innings. Unsworth struck out six and allowed one hit.
MARTINEZ TO MISS OPENING DAY
Detroit Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez is expected to miss the beginning of the season with a right foot injury.
Martinez sprained his foot last weekend, and manager Brad Ausmus told reporters he is expected to be out three to four weeks. The injury is an early blow to a Detroit team that was hoping for improved health this season after keeping its roster largely intact.
Martinez hit .307 with 22 home runs and 68 RBIs in 120 games last season, when the Tigers finished second in the AL Central, eight games behind Cleveland. Martinez missed time last year with a fractured elbow.
Detroit was already facing an uncertain situation in center field, where Mikie Mahtook, Tyler Collins and JaCoby Jones are all options.
AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES
PIRATES 4, RAYS 0
Trevor Williams tossed five scoreless innings, striking out four for Pittsburgh. Phil Gosselin had two hits, a run and an RBI.
Rays starter Erasmo Ramirez gave up three runs - one earned - on four hits and a walk over four innings. It was the second time this spring Tampa Bay has been shut out.
YANKEES 3, PHILLIES 2
C.C. Sabathia went 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs and nine hits. He dropped his spring ERA to 6.75.
Tommy Joseph had two hits and Freddy Galvis drove in a pair of runs with a single for Philadelphia. Jeremy Hellickson gave up a run, five hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings.
BLUE JAYS 3, RED SOX 2
Troy Tulowitzki had two hits with a run and RBI, and Jose Bautista added a run-scoring single. Starter J.A. Happ gave up two runs - one earned - and struck out five over 5 1/3 innings.
Drew Pomeranz struggled, allowing three runs, five hits and two walks in four innings for Boston. Bryce Brentz smacked a two-run homer.
CARDINALS 3, NATIONALS (ss) 1
Dexter Fowler tripled in a run for St. Louis after Carson Kelly reached on a fly ball lost in the sun. Michael Wacha gave up two hits and a walk in five shutout innings.
Jeremy Guthrie, still in the mix for a roster spot in the Nats' pen, pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings. Trea Turner had two hits and Jayson Werth had an RBI single.
TIGERS 3, BRAVES 2, 10 INNINGS
Tigers starter Matt Boyd struck out five over five shutout innings. Brendan Ryan and Nicholas Castellanos both hit RBI doubles in the third, and prospect JaCoby Jones singled in the winning run.
Julio Teheran went six innings and allowed two runs and five hits for Atlanta. Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp drove in runs.
ASTROS 2, METS 0
Charlie Morton threw 4 1/3 solid innings for Houston, and prospect J.D. Davis clubbed a pinch-hit solo homer while Derek Fisher had two hits and three stolen bases.
Noah Syndergaard gave up a run and four hits, striking out five in six innings. The Mets mustered five hits, two by Jose Reyes.
DODGERS 13, DIAMONDBACKS 6
Logan Forsythe drove in two with a single during a four-run second inning, and Scott Van Slyke had a hit, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored for Los Angeles. Yasmani Grandal added two RBIs, and Trevor Oaks, who had allowed just one unearned run in 7 2/3 innings this spring, gave up three runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Andrew Chafin made his first start of the spring and gave up three runs in 1 1/3 innings for Arizona. Reymond Fuentes had three hits and two RBIs, including a solo homer.
ATHLETICS 8, WHITE SOX 2
Oakland batted around the order in a five-run first inning and Ryon Healy hit a two-run homer in the second. Trevor Plouffe and Mark Canha each had two hits and an RBI. The A's left 34 runners on base. Kendall Graveman, who was named Oakland's opening day starter Thursday, scattered five hits over seven scoreless innings.
Chicago's Carlos Rodon was scratched from his scheduled start due to upper biceps tightness. Rodon has made just one spring appearance. Emergency starter Zach Putnam allowed five runs in just 1/3 of an inning. His replacement, Matt Purke, gave up five hits, a walk and two runs in an inning.
INDIANS 4, CUBS 2
Carlos Carrasco allowed one hit and two walks over three scoreless innings for Cleveland. Austin Jackson, who is battling for a roster spot, continued his strong spring, getting two hits with a double - his fifth in eight games. Lonnie Chisenhall left the game after crashing into the wall trying to track down a fly ball in the second inning. He is day-to-day.
John Lackey gave up one run - a solo homer by Giovanny Urshela - and struck out five in six innings for Chicago. Albert Almora was pulled in the third inning due to neck tightness after a sliding catch. Ian Happ hit a two-out, two-run homer, his fourth of the spring.
REDS 12, BREWERS 11
Cincinnati's Zack Cozart hit his third spring homer and Scott Schebler had a two-run single in a four-run first. Cozart had three hits and Arismendy Alcantara had two, including a walk-off, two-run double. Starter Sal Romano gave up seven runs - five earned - and nine hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Brewers starter Tommy Milone was roughed up for seven runs and nine hits over 3 1/2 innings. Eric Sogard scored two with a triple in a five-run second inning. Jesus Aguilar went 4 for 4 - and is 23 of 46 this spring - with three runs scored and Manny Pina had a two-run homer.
RANGERS 4, PADRES 3
Martin Perez, making just his third start after pitching for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, gave up just three hits and one walk while striking out six over five innings for Texas. Delino DeShields had two hits, including a bunt single that scored two after a throwing error in the fifth, and Elvis Andrus hit his first homer of the spring - a two-run shot in the sixth. Adrian Beltre was 0 for 3 and is now hitless in 12 spring at-bats, and Jurickson Profar went 0 for 2, dropping his average to .111.
San Diego's Jhoulys Chacin allowed two runs - one earned - while striking out six in 4 1/3 innings. Wil Myers had two hits, and Jamie Romak hit his first home run of the spring, a two-run shot in the eighth.
GIANTS 6, ROCKIES 5
Jeff Samardzija allowed two hits over four scoreless innings and added an RBI double for San Francisco. Chris Marrero hit his team-leading sixth homer, and Brandon Belt hit a three-run shot.
Rockies starter Jon Gray came out after 2 2/3 innings as a precautionary measure due to left foot soreness. He allowed five runs and seven hits, including Belt's homer. Tony Wolters had a hit and is batting .481 this spring. Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu each went 0 for 3.
ORIOLES 5, TWINS 5, 9 INNINGS
Ervin Santana allowed one unearned run over four innings while striking out six. Byron Buxton had two hits, and Max Kepler and Buxton had back-to-back two-out RBI doubles during Minnesota's five-run second inning. Kennys Vargas left in the third inning and is listed as day-to-day after fouling a ball off his left foot.
Mike Wright gave up five runs and seven hits over two innings for Baltimore. Trey Mancini had a three-run home run that capped the scoring in the seventh inning and Chance Sisco had two hits.
MARLINS 3, NATIONALS (ss) 0
Jacob Turner gave up two runs over 4 1/3 innings for Washington. Clint Robinson had two hits, while Adam Lind went 0 for 3, dropping his batting average to .179 this spring.
Jose Urena allowed three hits and struck out five over four innings for Miami. Brian Goodwin scored on a single by Ichiro Suzuki, who scored when Miguel Rojas doubled on the next at-bat. Suzuki and Rojas each had two hits.
