Kansas City Royals: Opening Day Recap

The Kansas City Royals began the 2016 season the way they finished the 2015 season: beating the New York Mets in a tight game decided in the late innings.

KC Royals fans couldn’t have scripted a better Opening Day. First, they got to celebrate raising the 2015 World Series Champion flag and saw Salvador Perez, Eric Hosmer, and Alcides Escobar awarded the gold gloves they earned in 2015.

Then, the Kansas City Royals topped off the night by winning 4-3 over World Series rival New York Mets.

What’s more is that they won with what baseball fans across the nation now recognize as Kansas City Royals baseball: make contact at the plate, aggressive base running, and pitter-patter rallies that chip away at the opposing pitching staff.

On The Mound 

Edinson Volquez – Turned in 6.0 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Despite the impressive stat line, Volquez struggled to find the plate much of the night, and needed strong defensive plays from Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer to work out of jams in the second and third innings.

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Volquez dominated the Mets over the next three innings, allowing only one walk while racking up three strikeouts. Steady Eddie earned the win to go 1-0.

Kelvin Herrera – Entered in the 7th inning pitch one scoreless inning while allowing one hit.

Joakim Soria – Took over in the 8th inning and almost blew the save by allowing three runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout. Soria couldn’t escape the inning and left with two outs.

Luke Hochevar – Bailed Soria out of a first and second jam by striking out shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera

Wade Davis – Earned the save (1) in the ninth despite allowing a leadoff walk and a single. Davis whiffed 3B David Wright and LF Yoenis Cespedes with runners on first and third and one out.

The best news of the night came from the radar gun, which showed Davis hitting 97 mph. That news ended any worries about him throwing around 3 mph slower than last season during spring training.

At The Plate

The Kansas City Royals scored four runs on nine singles and two walks. They scratched out a one run lead in the first when Cespedes muffed Mike Moustakas’ soft drive to left, Lorenzo Cain walked and Eric Hosmer grounded a single to left.

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• KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: Look to Texas for help?

Kendys Morales drove in the KC Royals second run with a sac fly that scored Cain.

The Kansas City Royals plated two more scores in the sixth when they mounted a two out rally after Kendrys Morales hit a double play ball to second which moved Cain to third. Salvador Perez singled home Cain, and Alex Gordon‘s single chased starter Matt Harvey from the mound in favor of Bartolo Colon.

Omar Infante then followed with a grounder up the middle to score Perez, which gave the Kansas City Royals a 4-0 lead.

Eric Hosmer went 3-4 with 1 RBI

Lorenzo Cain went 1-2 with two walks and two runs scored.

Omar Infante went 2-3 with 1 RBI, giving fans hope that he could rebound at the plate after two poor seasons in a row before surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow last winter.

New York Mets

The Mets staged a three-run rally in the eighth inning against Joakim Soria that fell one run short. CF Juan Lagares opened the 8th with a single to center, RF Curtis Granderson followed with a walk. David Wright struck out, but Soria then walked Cespedes.

First baseman Lucas Duda singled with the bases loaded to score two runs, then Neil Walker grounded into a force out to score Cespedes from third.

After RF Michael Conforto stroked another single, Luke Hochevar replaced Soria and whiffed Cabrera.

Michael Conforto went 2-2 with 2 walks, including the only extra base hit in the game with his seventh inning double.

Next: Royals 2016 Prediction From Kings Of Kauffman Staff

Next Game

The Kansas City Royals have an off day on Monday when 24 teams open their seasons. Chris Young (11-6, 3.06 ERA in 2015) is scheduled to start for Kansas City against New York’s Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 3.24 ERA in 2015) at 3:15 CST in Kauffman Stadium.