By Matt Hays

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Feb 28, 2011 - The Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers offenses both exploded today for a combined 23 runs as the Rangers defeated the Royals by a final score of 12-11. This came a day after the Royals defeated the same Rangers team 4-2.

After two solid innings of work from starter Vin Mazzaro, in which he gave up two hits (with no walks or strikeouts), the Royals where able to post three runs in the top of the third inning, fueled by a Mike Aviles two-run scoring triple off Rangers pitcher Michael Kirkman following Pedro Feliz’s walk and a Alcides Escobar double. Aviles was then able to score on on a sac fly by Melky Cabrera.

After scoring one run in the bottom of the third off Royals pitcher Danny Duffy, the Rangers were able to scuff up pitcher Everett Teaford for five runs in the bottom of the fourth on four hits and a walk. Teaford gave up a  two-run home run to Mike Napoli, and then a three-run shot to Ian Kinsler after two more Rangers had reached base.

The Royals were able to knot the score at six in the top of the fifth which featured three singles, and also Aviles reaching on a throwing error. After the Rangers again answered the call, the Royals were able to go back out in front in the top of the seventh on a three-run home run to center field by super prospect Mike Moustakas. With Eric Hosmer and David Lough reaching on singles earlier in the inning, Moustakas took a 2-0 count high inside pitch from Zach Jackson out of the park to put the Royals in front 10-9 at the time.

Royals pitcher Chris Dwyer then gave up three runs on two hits and two walks to give up the lead for the final time. The Royals did make it interesting when Hosmer went deep in the ninth inning for the second Royals home run on the day, but the Rangers prevailed 12-11. Dwyer took the loss, which Jackson picked up the win. Yhency Brazoban picked up the save for Texas, despite giving up the late long shot to Hosmer.

In a game like this it is easy to be frustrated with the pitching, but it is still way too early to be worried about that. Keep in mind these early games are much like the All-Star game in that there is little continuity as players are revolving nearly every inning. What is promising from this game however was Hosmer going 2 for 2 at the plate, and Moustakas hiting 1 for 2 with a walk as well. The future is indeed bright.

A complete box score can be found here.

The Rangers are back at it tomorrow facing the Seattle Mariners, while the Royals will take on the San Diego Padres at 2:05 CST. The Padres enter the game with a 0-1-1 record thus far, while the Royals are 1-1. Luke Hochevar is expected to make his spring debut on the mound tomorrow.

SURPRISE, Ariz.—After finishing last season as the Milwaukee Brewers’ starting center fielder, Lorenzo Cain was looking forward to 2011.

Then, just like that on a Saturday night in December, his world changed. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals in the Zack Greinke deal.

“I had heard a rumor the night before the trade but I didn’t think anything of it,” Cain said. “But when I got that phone call the next morning, I knew it was the real deal.”

And now he is projected to start the season as a backup.

“I’m not saying I had that spot locked up,” Cain said Wednesday. “But going in, I felt it would be mine to lose. It’s different now.”

The Dec. 19 trade came just 10 days after the Royals had signed Melky Cabrera to a one-year, $1.25 million deal. Cabrera, 26, reported to camp in better shape after working with a trainer in the offseason and the Royals already have said he has first dibs on the starting job.

Cain, 23, hit .306 with seven stolen bases in two second-half call-ups (43 games) with Milwaukee in 2010. Cabrera was a disappointment in Atlanta, hitting .255 with four homers in 509 plate appearances.

“I’m liking it here but I really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Cain said. “I’ll just play my game.”

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) _ Rangers postseason ace Colby Lewis threw
two shutout innings in his Cactus League debut, and Mike Napoli and
Ian Kinsler homered for Texas in a 12-11 victory over the Kansas
City Royals on Monday.
Lewis, 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his four playoff starts for the AL
champions last season, struggled a bit with his command, throwing
only 17 of 33 pitches for strikes. Still, he walked just one batter
and struck out one.
Napoli, traded twice in a five-day span last month, hit a
two-run homer for Texas. That came in the same inning that Kinsler,
who is back in the leadoff spot, hit a three-run shot.
Kansas City got homers from its top two prospects in camp, Eric
Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.
Royals starter Vin Mazzaro allowed two hits in two scoreless
innings, throwing 16 of 25 pitches for strikes.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Rangers postseason ace Colby Lewis threw two shutout innings in his Cactus League debut, and Mike Napoli and Ian Kinsler homered for Texas in a 12-11 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Lewis, 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his four playoff starts for the AL champions last season, struggled a bit with his command, throwing only 17 of 33 pitches for strikes. Still, he walked just one batter and struck out one.

Napoli, traded twice in a five-day span last month, hit a two-run homer for Texas. That came in the same inning that Kinsler, who is back in the leadoff spot, hit a three-run shot.

Kansas City got homers from its top two prospects in camp, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.

Royals starter Vin Mazzaro allowed two hits in two scoreless innings, throwing 16 of 25 pitches for strikes.

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost views Luke Hochevar as a big winner in the majors. It just hasn’t happened yet.

Hochevar was the first player chosen in the 2006 draft — the same year the San Francisco Giants selected two time National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum 10th overall — but he has a 19-32 record with a 5.60 ERA in 69 games in the majors.

The 27-year-old Hochevar has never had a winning season or won more than seven games in a season, but he is the leading candidate to be the Royals’ opening day starter with Zack Greinke traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and Gil Meche retiring with a shoulder injury.

Yost, however, sees Hochevar as a consistent 15- to 20-game winner.

“In my estimation, in my opinion, I just think that’s the case,” Yost said. “He’s the No. 1 pick and he’s a guy who has got great stuff and is continuing to develop his game, improve his game and make his game more consistent as a pitcher.

“Time does that for guys who are in the big leagues for the first couple of years. That’s the things they go through to get that stage of their career. But Hoch is knocking on the door to where he to the point to be able to compete every single game.”

Hochevar said he “absolutely” agrees he is on the threshold of winning at least 15 games in the majors.

“If you don’t see yourself winning a bunch of games, you’re not going to do it,” Hochevar said. “I see myself doing that. More importantly, I see us going to the playoffs. If you don’t dream it, you don’t believe it.”

Yost said Hochevar was on the verge of being a very good pitcher when an elbow injury shelved him for two months.

“He was really coming, but health plays an important factor in development of players,” Yost said.

Hochevar’s record was 5-2 after winning May 26 over Texas, holding the Rangers to two runs and six hits in eight innings.

“The first part of the season I felt like everything was just clicking,” Hochevar said. “I felt that things were coming together. I think that really comes with experience. I talked with Zack a lot about his path, a lot of things he picked up as he went.

“He told me it was just experience, just being out there time and time again. I really feel like that was it. You get in those tough situations and you get comfortable with the uncomfortable because you’ve been there and you’ve done it, you’ve faced the hitters, you know the hitters, you know yourself more especially at this level and it’s a comfort level you get too.”

After beating the Rangers, Hochevar took batting practice at Fenway Park to prepare the pitchers for hitting in June interleague games. The Green Monster offered an inviting target. He swung hard and knocked one off the wall.

“But it was definitely not worth two months on the disabled list,” Hochevar said.

He made his next three starts, but went 0-2. After being pulled after four innings, allowing four runs on six hits in four innings on June 11 at Cincinnati, Hochevar went on the DL the next day.

“I just figured it was one of those things you’d get sore and you throw through,” Hochevar said. “I didn’t want to panic about anything. And then it progressively got worse. I stopped taking batting practice, but then it was too late.”

He returned Sept. 13 and went 1-2 in four September starts.

“It’s just been a process and a development for me, kind of finding my own,” Hochevar said. “Last year I felt like I did. I’m excited about this year, just keep it rolling into this year. Staying healthy, durability and pitching deep into games, that’s the biggest part.”