Rangers overcome homers by KC stars for sweep in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Robinson Chirinos homered over the right-field fence 272 feet away and the Texas Rangers overcame home runs by Kansas City stars Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez and Lorenzo Cain to beat the Royals 13-6 Saturday in a split-squad matchup at the Alamodome.
Texas swept the two-game series, totaling 20 runs and 22 hits in the reconfigured football stadium. Kansas City committed five errors in giving up its most runs this spring.
Despite being outscored by seven runs and having to travel 1,000 miles from the spring training site they share with the Rangers, the Royals were happy with the weekend getaway.
"When you get in the middle of spring training, you start, for lack of a better word, to get really bored," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "To be able to come here and play in this atmosphere, it made it feel like a regular season game and that's a nice change."
Jared Hoying homered for the second straight day for Texas, a two-run drive in the seventh inning. Drew Stubbs added a three-run homer during a five-run eighth. Chirinos hit his first home run of the spring, looping a shot over the short porch in right during a three-run second off Chien-Ming Wang.
Hosmer hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning off Rangers starter A.J. Griffin. Perez followed his homer and added a two-run single in the eighth.
It was Hosmer's second homer and 10th RBI of spring training.
STARTING TIME
Royals: Wang struck out the side in the first inning during his first start in five appearances this spring. The veteran right-hander gave up three runs in three innings, including Chirinos' homer to the short porch in right field.
"I thought he threw the ball great," Yost said. "A little fly ball that would have been an out (in Kauffman Stadium) for a two-run homer, but he threw the ball fine."
Wang is seeking a spot in Kansas City's bullpen.
Rangers: A.J. Griffin had a strong outing in his bid to become Texas' fifth starter. Griffin allowed three runs in 3 2-3 innings as he attempts to earn a roster spot with the Rangers after a couple of injury-plagued seasons.
"I felt really good," he said. "I felt like I was repeating my delivery really well today and executing everything. Just trying to pitch to the big part of the ballpark."
NEXT QUESTION
Rangers left-handed starter Derek Holland wants to forget about his recent injury history, and he wants everyone else to do the same.
Holland missed a majority of the 2014 season following left knee surgery after tripping over his dog. He also missed much of last season after suffering a shoulder injury after pitching just one inning in his home opener.
"I feel amazing," Holland said. "We're not even going to worry about what happened in the past few years. It's 2016, we're going to focus on that. I feel very, very good."
STILL FIGHTING
Perez played most of both games against Texas despite being Kansas City's starting catcher.
Yost said the team wanted to give Perez, Hosmer and Cain extended playing time in preparation for the team's season opener against the New York Mets on April 3.
"We took it easy with (Perez) early," Yost said. "We wanted to extend them out today, give them seven innings of playing time. They'll have a light workout tomorrow, they'll be off on Monday and Tuesday we play a night game. So it's almost like having 2 1/2 days off for those guys."
UP NEXT
Royals: Ian Kennedy, Wade Davis, Luke Hochevar, Ross Ohlendorf, David Huff and Peter Moylan are all scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Cubs. Left-hander John Lester is scheduled to start for the Chicago.
Rangers: RHP Nick Martinez will face Los Angeles Angels lefty Andrew Heaney on Sunday in a battle of pitchers seeking their first victory in spring training.