Rangers 6, Royals 3
ARLINGTON, Texas. (Mar 24) — The Texas Rangers used four home runs to fuel their 6–3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday evening. Marcus Semien, Leody Taveras, Jake Burger, and Joc Pederson provided the power in the Rangers’ next-to-last spring tuneup before Opening Day on Thursday. They’ll play their final Spring Training game on Tuesday afternoon against the Royals with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 pm Central at Globe Life Field. Lefty Kris Bubic (1–1, 6.48 ERA) will take the mound for the Royals, while right-hander Jacob deGrom (1–1, 3.00 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Rangers.
Now Serving Burger Bombs
The Rangers got on the board first in the bottom of the first. Semien blasted the first pitch he saw off Royals starter Michael Wacha, sending his third homer of the Spring to left.
They extended their lead to 2–0 in the bottom of the third thanks to a solo shot to right by Taveras, his fourth of the Spring.
The Royals fought back in the top of the fourth against Rangers starter Tyler Mahle. Jonathan India led off with a to left. Bobby Witt Jr. moved him over to second with another single to left. On deck was Salvador Perez, who loaded the bases with a single to center. Mahle surrendered a free pass to Michael Massey, forcing in India and cutting the Rangers’ lead in half.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy brought in reliever Marc Church to face Mark Canha. A single to center by Canha drove in Witt, tying the game 2–2.
The Rangers answered right back in the bottom of the fourth. After Adolis Garcia struck out swinging to lead off the frame, Jake Burger belted one to center for his third dinger of the Spring.
The Royals tied it 3–3 in the top of the seventh off Rangers reliever Robert Garcia. Dairon Blanco led the inning off with a solo shot to right-center, his first of the Spring.
Pederson Goes Deep
The Rangers took a 6–3 lead in the bottom of the seventh off Royals reliever Hunter Harvey. Kyle Higashioka led off with a single to left. Evan Carter entered the game to pinch-run for Higashioka. On deck was Taveras, who grounded into a force play at second.
The Rangers challenged the call, but it was upheld. Moments later, Taveras stole second and Semien followed with a walk. Sam Haggerty was brought in to pinch-run for Semien.
After Wyatt Langford struck out looking, Pederson came to the plate. On an 0–1 pitch, Pederson sent his fifth homer of the Spring over the wall in right-center.
What Went Right for the Rangers
While people tend to ignore most spring training statistics, however, the 14,048 fans in attendance at Globe Life Field definitely had plenty to cheer about after watching four homers disappear over the wall. They were especially excited when newcomers Burger and Pederson went yard en route to the victory. This writer predicts that it won’t be long before they become fan favorites among the Ranger faithful.
What Went Wrong for the Rangers
One slight setback that the Rangers encountered was the home run by Blanco that tied it in the seventh. Fortunately, the nice thing about Spring Training is that it’s easy to shrug those moments off. Players and fans alike are good at keeping that in mind.
Rangers Pitching Notes
Rangers starter Tyler Mahle received a no-decision for his effort, while reliever Robert Garcia earned his first victory of the Spring, bringing his record to 1–0 with an ERA of 1.23. He came on in relief in the seventh, giving up the blast to Blanco. He also had one strikeout. Righty Luke Jackson came in to pitch a spotless ninth with two strikeouts to earn his first save of the Spring.
Royals Pitching Notes
Royals reliever Hunter Harvey took the loss after coming on to pitch the sixth inning. He surrendered three earned runs on the Pederson blast. Harvey also struck out two and walked one. He ends Spring Training with a record of 2–2 and an ERA of 4.00.
Postgame Comments
After the game, Bochy held court with reporters in his usual seat in the interview room. He gave his impression watching Burger and Pederson playing in Globe Life Field for the first time. “It was great”, he said. “The first game back here with this club, I felt they were excited to be here. They showed up tonight, and it was great to see. Jake (Burger) had some big at-bats, and that was fun to watch. The amazing thing is that, technically, we’re still in Spring Training. We open here on Thursday, and watching these guys is going to be a joy all year.”
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