Royals Spring Training 2/22: Rangers Tie Royals in Spring Opener

Finally. More than just drills. More than just intrasquad games. The Royals played a real-life spring training game on Friday against the Texas Rangers, broadcast on the radio and finishing with a boxscore and everything.

A two-run homer by Yangervis Solarte off Blaine Boyer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth tied the score at five runs each and both managers agreed to call the game from there as all scheduled pitchers had appeared. The Royals scored in the first on an Eric Hosmer ground out that brought Alex Gordon home. They added two by taking advantage of Alexi Ogando‘s wildness, drawing two walks and a hit by pitch. Jeff Francoeur walked leading off the fourth, Johnny Giavotella was beaned, Jarrod Dyson reached on a bunt single and Xavier Nady walked to bring in Francoeur. Elliot Johnson drove in Giavotella on a sacrifice fly. Adam Moore continued the scoring with a leadoff homer in the fifth and the Royals added their final run in the with a David Lough single in the top of the ninth.

Feb 21, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura (73) poses for a picture during photo day at the Royals Spring Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Rangers used the longball for their runs. After two wild pitches, Yordano Ventura left a ball out over the plate for Nelson Cruz who drilled it over the center field fence in the fourth. A double by James Adduci and a single by Craig Gentry earned Texas their third run. Then Boyer gave up a triple to Brandon Allen and the homer to Solarte.

Will Smith reportedly looked good in two innings of work and hit the strike zone. Other than the Cruz at bat, Ventura was effective, hitting the upper 90s with his fastball and struck out Mike Olt with a “knee-buckling” curve. Nathan Adcock struck out two in one inning of work and Justin Marks had a scoreless inning.

Alcides Escobar got two hits, as did Dyson and Moore.

Tomorrow, Guillermo Moscoso starts and the Royals will again face the Rangers.

The projected members of the rotation will start making their appearances on Tuesday with Wade Davis getting the first turn. Ned Yost and Dave Eiland elaborated on the timing of their starts by explaining that they didn’t want the projected rotation members to make seven starts, and the longer spring training schedule would line them up for seven on a normal rest schedule. Luke Hochevar, James Shields, Ervin Santana, and Jeremy Guthrie will follow over the next four days and Bruce Chen will piggy-back with Hochevar.