The Rangers threw out four pitchers today. Only one of them is one I think will make the big club (Edison Volquez, unless Roger Clemens decides to sign here (ha!), in which cose it’s zero). Of the four, two of them gave up runs (Volquez, Mahar), although one of the two Volquez gave up was unearned. Alfonseca was scoreless (gasp), as well as Fabio Castro (who I think we’re probably gonna lose having to give back on the Rule 5 rules). I don’t have any big inside info, just a gut feeling.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad pitching performance if you add our four pitchers together. 9 IP, 6 hits, 3R (2 ER), 8K, 3BB. Would rahter not see three walks, but overall it wasn’t too bad, really.
And yet we lost again – for the second game in a row, dropping us to 500 (5-5-1). KC’ starter was Mile Wood, and he was better than our guys, going 5 innings, giving up no runs on four hits. Matter of fact, of the four relievers KC used, there was a combined 6 hits for 2 runs (only 1ER) over the remaining four frames. KC’s pitching didn’t dominate, but it was certainly enough for them to get the win.
ST11: Mar 13, 2006 vs. Royals (L: 3-2)
5-5-1 (.500) – 7th – 4 Dn – Streak L2
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Game Recap
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are pleased with Reggie Sanders.
Sanders had two hits and drove in two runs Monday in the Kansas City Royals’ 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers.
The 14-year veteran is projected to be the Royals’ opening-day right fielder.
“I’ll tell you, having a guy like that out there is such a comfort,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said. “He gets such a jump on the ball and can hit for power. He’s a true professional.”
Sanders hit an RBI double in the first after Wilson Valdez singled, then added an RBI since that scored David DeJesus in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. Emil Brown scored on an error in the fourth.
“I’m one of those guys who believe things get better with age,” the 38-year-old Sanders said. “This is all about preparation for opening day and I’m feeling good about where things are at this point.”
Royals’ starter Mike Wood allowed four hits in five shutout innings and struck out four. Wood, 5-8 with a 4.46 ERA last year in his first season with Kansas City, is among four pitchers in the mix for the final two spots in the rotation.
“I was working on throwing my fastball away and inside to left-handed hitters,” Wood said. “They haven’t told me what plans they have for me yet. That’s all I can do whether I am a starter or in the bullpen.”
Rangers starter Edison Volquez gave up two runs — one earned — in four innings. The 22-year-old Volquez made the jump last season from Class-A Bakersfield to the Rangers, where he went 0-4 in six games.
He’s one of five candidates being considered for the No. 5 spot in the Rangers’ rotation.
“He was pretty impressive out there,” Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. “Good arm strength. Good stuff.”
Notes
Royals 2B Mark Grudzielanek was scratched from the starting lineup with a tight back. … The Rangers optioned RHPs Wes Littleton to Triple-A Oklahoma and Armando Galarraga to Double-A Frisco. Littleton was 0-0 with an 18.0 ERA in two appearances. Galarraga had not appeared in an “A” game. … LHP Clint Brannon was sent from the Rangers to the Chicago Cubs to complete a deal that brought RHP Jon Leicester to Texas in the offseason. Brannon was 9-7 with a 4.45 ERA last season at Class-A Bakersfield. Leicester was 5-3 with two saves and a 4.80 ERA in ’05 with the Cubs. … Closer Francisco Cordero and LHP C.J. Wilson are scheduled to pitch for the Rangers on Wednesday in a “B” game. … OF Gary Matthews will be kept out of batting practice until at least Thursday to avoid aggravating a ribcage injury that has limited him the past two weeks.
Box Score
CAC FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E - - - - - - - - - - - - KANSAS CITY 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 6 1 TEXAS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 10 1 FINAL
WP - MIKE WOOD (1-0) LP - EDISON VOLQUEZ (1-1) SAVE - DAVID ELDER (1)
TIME: 2:28 ATT: 3,698
KANSAS CITY (3) AT TEXAS (2)
KANSAS CITY AB R H BI TEXAS AB R H BI D DeJesus cf 2 1 1 0 D Dellucci lf 2 0 0 0 C Ambres cf 1 0 0 0 T Olson lf 1 1 1 0 W Valdez 2b 3 1 2 0 A Brown cf 3 0 2 0 C Clapinski ph 1 0 0 0 S Murphy cf 2 0 1 0 R Sanders rf 4 0 2 2 L Nix dh 5 0 1 0 M Stairs dh 4 0 0 0 J Botts 1b 2 0 0 0 D Brown lf 4 1 1 0 J Burke c 2 1 1 0 K Robinson cf 0 0 0 0 A Hyzdu rf 3 0 1 0 D Mientkiewicz 1b 3 0 0 0 K Mahar rf 1 0 1 0 J Huber 1b 0 0 0 0 D Jimenez 2b 3 0 1 0 J Buck c 3 0 0 0 D Meyer 2b 1 0 0 1 M Tupman c 0 0 0 0 G Laird c 3 0 1 0 M Teahen 3b 3 0 0 0 N Gold 1b 1 0 0 0 A Gordon 3b 1 0 0 0 J Arias ss 3 0 0 0 E German ss 3 0 0 0 T Mehl lf 1 0 0 0 J McEwing ss 1 0 0 0 T Metcalf 3b 3 0 0 0 C Ringe ss 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 33 3 6 2 TOTALS 37 2 10 1
KANSAS CITY 100 110 000 -- 3 TEXAS 000 000 011 -- 2
E--J Huber, J Arias. DP--TEXAS 1. LOB--KANSAS CITY 6, TEXAS 11. 2B--A Sanchez, D Brown, A Brown 2, J Burke 2, A Hyzdu, G Laird, T Olson. 3B--D DeJesus.
IP H R ER BB SO HR KANSAS CITY M Wood (W,1-0) 5 4 0 0 2 4 0 B Keppel 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 J Nelson 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 K Snyder 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 D Elder (S,1) 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 TEXAS E Volquez (L,1-1) 4 4 2 1 0 1 0 K Mahar 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 A Alfonseca 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 F Castro 2 0 0 0 2 4 0
PB--M Tupman. SO--KAN: R Sanders 2, M Stairs, E German, J Buck, M Teahen, A Gordon, D Brown. TEX: D Dellucci, J Burke, L Nix, D Jimenez, J Arias, N Gold. BB--KAN: D DeJesus, J Huber, M Tupman. TEX: D Dellucci, J Botts, T Olson. T--2:28. A--3,698.