Royals split squads beat Brewers, lose to Mariners
The Kansas City Royals divided but only partially conquered Wednesday. One Royals split squad beat the Brewers and the other fell to the Mariners, both by final scores of 7-5.
ROYALS 7, BREWERS 5
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Alex Gordon went 4 for 4 with a home run and a Kansas City Royals split squad beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-5 Wednesday.
A day after a swarm of bees caused a delay in the middle of the Rockies-Royals game at Surprise Stadium, some of the insects buzzed the ballpark about an hour before the first pitch. They soon flew away and there were no problems.
Gordon, who struck out in all three of his at-bats Monday against the Cubs, hit a tiebreaking home run leading off the sixth.
"Well, the last game I thought I was going to get released after the showing I had, so I had to do something today," Gordon said.
Gordon hit a monstrous shot to straightaway center off Adrian Houser.
"I did get it good, that's one of my best bullets," Gordon said. "Arizona, wind blowing out, definitely helps. I always tell Hos (Eric Hosmer), I wish I had pop like him. This is the first day I've outswung him to center field, so I'll take it."
Hosmer homered and Mike Moustakas had a two-run double off Wily Peralta. Moustakas is 7 for 12 with four doubles and six RBIs this spring.
Royals closer Wade Davis, who had an 0.94 ERA in 69 relief appearances last year, pitched a spotless fourth, striking out one.
Hernan Perez homered for the Brewers.
STARTING TIME
Brewers: Peralta got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first when Salvador Perez rolled into a double play. Peralta felt like he got away with a pitch after falling behind 3-0 when Perez hit a pitch foul down the left-field line. "It was a fastball right down the middle," Peralta said. He faced 11 batters and seven reached base -- six hits and a walk. "It's spring training, man," Peralta said. "I feel 100 percent healthy. That's what I'm happy for, come into the season, feel 100 percent and don't worry about anything else."
Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura gave up three runs on five hits, including two doubles, on his first 17 pitches, but then retired the final eight batters he faced. "The first inning I was little bit wild, my fastball and off-speed were up, but I made an adjustment in the second inning," Ventura said. "My location and my mechanics were a little bit off in the first inning."
ROYAL VISITORS
NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer, who is from Emporia, Kansas, and will compete Sunday in the Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, suited up for the Royals, wearing No. 15, and brought out the lineup card. Also, actor Rob Riggle, who went to Shawnee Mission South High in the Kansas City area and is a Kansas University graduate, was in camp.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: C Jonathan Lucroy (food poisoning) returned to the lineup after missing two days and went 1 for 3 with a run-producing single. ... RHP Jeremy Jeffress (hamstring strain) is scheduled to throw another bullpen Thursday.
Royals: 2B Omar Infante (offseason elbow surgery) played in the field for the first time. He went 0 for 3 and walked but had no fielding chances.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy, who allowed a run on four hits over two innings in his initial start, will start against the White Sox.
MARINERS 7, ROYALS 5
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Taijuan Walker struck out five in three innings, allowing a run on three hits in the Seattle Mariners' 7-5 win over a Kansas City Royals split squad Wednesday.
Walker is likely destined for Seattle's rotation after the 23-year-old went 11-8 last season, his first full campaign in the majors.
"Established the fastball early, getting ahead early and was able to work my breaking ball how I wanted to," Walker said.
Drew Butera homered, singled and drove in two runs for the Royals. Butera's third-inning homer off Walker hit the base of the batter's eye in center field.
Butera is trying to win the backup catcher job and had been hitless in eight at-bats entering Wednesday.
"I was looking for something middle of the plate. Just trying to see it," Butera said. "Nothing's ever given in this game, so I feel like every time you step on the field, you always have to earn your spot, and that's the way I go about it."
Ketel Marte and Kyle Seager drove in runs for the Mariners in the third inning.
Royals regulars Lorenzo Cain and Kendrys Morales were 1 for 3. Relievers Scott Alexander and Peter Moylan each had two strikeouts.
Stefen Romero, the 2012 Mariners minor league player of the year, drove in a run with a double in the sixth. Romero, who played in the outfield, is 6 for 11 in six games.
"He's off to a good start this spring," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "We're going to keep giving him plenty of at-bats and probably move him some to first base a little bit, too."
FELIX THROWS LIVE BP
Mariners ace Felix Hernandez is on track to start his first spring training game on March 14 after pitching to minor league hitters on Wednesday morning. Beginning Monday, he'll build up to Opening Day by pitching in games every five days, Servais said.
STARTING TIME
Royals: LHP Matt Strahm made his first start and second appearance of spring training, getting the call with the Royals in split-squad mode. He's a top 10 prospect in the organization and figures to open the season in the minors. Strahm retired the side twice with two strikeouts but didn't finish the third inning, and his throwing error opened the door for the unearned runs he allowed.
Mariners: Walker said he felt even the home run he allowed was a good pitch. He sought to induce groundballs and felt Wednesday was a big step forward, "especially with the breaking ball," he said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: LHP Danny Hultzen, the second overall pick in the 2011 draft who has had two left shoulder surgeries and missed much of last season with a strain of that shoulder, suffered a setback recently and is out indefinitely with shoulder stiffness. ... Relievers Evan Scribner and Ryan Cook won't appear in a game anytime soon, and Cook's lat strain will keep him out longer than Scribner.
