Rangers lose to Royals on Friday, 7-6

Game two of spring training ended the same way that a lot of regular season games have gone for the Rangers recently. We lost. But we lost blowing a lead, and oh yeah – we scored all our runs on home runs. That sounds awfully familiar, and a tad scary. Yeah, yeah – it’s only game 2 of spring training, but still.
I didn’t get to listen to much of this game, due to projects at work – so much so I even forgot it had started, and tuned in in the bottom of the second when we had been up 3-0 already. At that poiint we had had two home runs already – one by Phil Nevin again, and one by Ian Kinsler.
Rangers starter Rick Bauer was good, going two innings, giving up just one hit, and striking out four. That was a good line. The next two Ranger pitchers were Antonio Alfonseca, and Fabio Castro. Alfonseca gave up a home run, as did Castro – Castro’s was on the first pitch he threw. That’s all I heard for awhile due to work concerns. When I tuned back in again in the seventh, the first thing I heard was the Royals taking the lead, going up 6-3 in that inning. They added another one to go up 7-3.
The Rangers got their only other runs in the ninth, when Aaromn Baldiris jacked a three run home run to make it 7-6, and that’s where it ended. KC pitcher Juan Cedeno had a terrible inning in the 9th, giving up 4 hits, three runs in his frame. He did, however, strike out the side. We left the tying run on base.
Again, a rather familiar sounding game. At least tomorrow I’ll be home and might be able to concentrate on the game more, although I’ll be doing the Daddy thing as Mommy works on Saturdays. :)

Photos
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Game Recap
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Texas designated hitter Phil Nevin homered for the second straight day, hitting one of the three home runs by the Rangers in their 7-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Friday.
Kerry Robinson, a non-roster invitee, tied the game at 3-all with an RBI-single in the fifth and put the Royals ahead to stay with an RBI-triple in the seventh off loser Joaquin Benoit. Wilson Valdez, another non-roster invitee, followed with a two-run homer.
David DeJesus and Emil Brown hit solo homers for the Royals.
Rookie second baseman Ian Kinsler, being given a chance to be the starter after four-time All-Star Alfonso Soriano was traded, hit a solo homer to put Texas ahead 3-0 in the second. Aarom Baldiris added a three-run homer in the ninth.
Nevin’s two-run homer came in the first off Denny Bautista, who made his first appearance for the Royals since going on the disabled list May 14 with right shoulder tendinitis. Bautista gave up two hits in his only inning.
“I thought Bautista pitched well,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said. “He went to his breaking ball a little too much.”
Ambiorix Burgos, the sixth of eight Kansas City pitchers, pitched a perfect seventh for the win.
Rangers starter Rick Bauer, one of a handful of candidates for the final rotation spot, struck out four and allowed just one run over two innings.
Nevin is 3-for-4 this spring. He reached on an infield single in his other at-bat Friday.
“There’s definitely a different feel that I have wearing this uniform this time,” Nevin said. “I know I can hit, but I’m not going to lie. There was probably some self doubt a little bit at the end of last year. … It’s early, but to make good contact for a couple of days is definitely pleasing.”
Nevin, a .273 career hitter, was traded from San Diego to Texas last July for Chan Ho Park. With All-Star slugger Mark Teixeira playing first base for the Rangers, Nevin became a designated hitter and hit just .182 in 29 games. He played sparingly with the Rangers out of postseason contention, and was frustrated with his role.
But Nevin, the team’s highest paid player ($10 million this season), has a different attitude this spring.
“Nev’s off to a good start,” manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s always good to see a guy get a return for his hard work.”
Nevin started at first base Friday. Teixeira and shortstop Michael Young left Rangers camp to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.
Notes
RHP Kevin Millwood, the Rangers’ scheduled opening day starter, threw 19 of 35 pitches for strikes during a simulated game Friday. … Robinson’s triple followed another triple by Mitch Maier, brought over from the Royals’ minor-league camp for the game.

Box Score

CAC  FINAL
1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9   R  H  E
-  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -
TEXAS                2  1  0   0  0  0   0  0  3   6 10  1
KANSAS CITY          0  0  1   1  1  0   3  1  x   7 10  1   FINAL

WP - AMBIORIX BURGOS (1-0)
LP - JOAQUIN BENOIT (0-1)

HOME RUNS:  TEX - PHIL NEVIN (2) OFF DENNY BAUTISTA IN THE 1ST
IAN KINSLER (1) OFF J.P. HOWELL IN THE 2ND
AAROM BALDIRIS (1) OFF JUAN CEDENO IN THE 9TH
KAN - DAVID DEJESUS (1) OFF ANTONIO ALFONSECA IN THE 3RD
EMIL BROWN (1) OFF FABIO CASTRO IN THE 4TH
WILSON VALDEZ (1) OFF JOAQUIN BENOIT IN THE 7TH

TIME: 2:35                   ATT: 3,255

TEXAS (6) AT KANSAS CITY (7)

TEXAS            AB  R  H BI  KANSAS CITY      AB  R  H BI
A Brown cf        3  0  0  0  D DeJesus cf      2  1  1  1
D Jimenez 3b      2  0  0  0  K Robinson cf     2  1  2  2
E Durazo dh       4  1  1  0  J McEwing 1b      2  0  0  0
P Nevin 1b        2  1  2  2  W Valdez 1b       2  1  2  2
J Botts lf        2  0  0  0  E Brown lf        2  1  1  1
A Hyzdu rf        3  0  1  0  S Costa lf        2  0  0  0
R Yan cf          1  1  1  0  M Teahen 3b       2  0  1  0
I Kinsler 2b      1  1  1  1  E German 3b       2  0  0  0
A Baldiris 2b     2  1  1  3  A Berroa ss       2  0  0  0
G Laird c         2  0  0  0  A Sanchez ss      2  1  1  0
J Burke c         2  0  1  0  J Buck dh         3  0  0  0
J Arias ss        2  0  1  0  C Clapinski ph    0  0  0  0
T Webster lf      2  0  0  0  C Ambres rf       2  1  1  0
K Mahar rf        1  0  0  0  A Blanco 2b       1  0  0  0
I Gac 1b          2  0  0  0  D Murphy 2b       1  0  0  1
T Metcalf 3b      1  1  1  0  P Phillips c      2  0  0  0
A Fox pr          0  0  0  0  M Tupman c        2  0  0  0
D Meyer ss        2  0  0  0  M Maier rf        2  1  1  0
TOTALS           34  6 10  6  TOTALS           33  7 10  7

TEXAS                     210 000 003 --  6
KANSAS CITY               001 110 31x --  7

E--A Sanchez, I Gac. DP--TEXAS 1, KANSAS CITY 2.
LOB--TEXAS 4, KANSAS CITY 5. 2B--C Ambres, A
Sanchez, M Teahen. 3B--K Robinson, M Maier. HR--E
Brown 1 (1) (off F Castro), D DeJesus 1 (1) (off A
Alfonseca), W Valdez 1 (1) (off J Benoit), P Nevin
1 (2) (off D Bautista), A Baldiris 1 (1) (off J
Cedeno), I Kinsler 1 (1) (off J Howell). CS--I
Kinsler. S--A Blanco.

IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
TEXAS
R Bauer                            2   1   0   0   0   4   0
A Alfonseca                        1   1   1   1   0   0   1
F Castro                           1   1   1   1   0   0   1
J Silva                            1   3   1   1   0   0   0
J Carlson                          1   0   0   0   0   2   0
J Benoit (L,0-1)                 2-3   3   3   3   0   1   1
B Shouse                         1-3   0   0   0   0   0   0
S Feldman                          1   1   1   0   0   0   0
KANSAS CITY
D Bautista                         1   2   2   2   1   1   1
J Howell                           2   2   1   1   1   2   1
A Bernero                          1   0   0   0   0   1   0
J Gobble                           1   1   0   0   0   0   0
S Stemle                           1   1   0   0   0   2   0
A Burgos (W,1-0)                   2   0   0   0   0   0   0
J Cedeno                           1   4   3   3   0   3   1

WP--R Bauer. HBP--D Murphy by S Feldman, I
Kinsler by A Bernero, C Clapinski by S Feldman.
PB--P Phillips. SO--TEX: G Laird 2, I Gac 2, J
Botts, D Jimenez, D Meyer, J Arias, T Webster.
KAN: J Buck 2, D DeJesus, A Berroa, M Tupman, A
Sanchez, C Ambres. BB--TEX: J Botts, D Jimenez.
T--2:35. A--3,255.

Game Log
Not available for spring training games.

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