Royals prospect Griffin plays role in U.S. win in All-Star Futures Game

The United States built up an early lead and held on for a 7-6 victory over the World team in the 2017 All-Star Futures Game on Sunday.

Royals pitching prospect Foster Griffin retired both batters he faced in the game. Griffin, a 21-year-old left-hander, was the Royals’ first-round pick in the 2014 draft. He is currently with Class AA Northwest Arkansas.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ Brent Honeywell struck out four in two scoreless innings and picked up the victory and MVP award. He was the only pitcher to go more than one inning. The United States used 10 pitchers, and they combined for 11 strikeouts.

The World team scored twice in the ninth before the Oakland Athletics’ A.J. Puk got the final out for a save.

Houston Astros prospect Derek Fisher scored the first run and hit a two-run double for the United States team, which won for the seventh time in the last eight years.

By the fourth inning the U.S. team had nine hits, one by every starter. The World team had only one base runner until the fifth, and by then the score was 7-0.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, at 18 the youngest player in the game, singled twice and scored twice for the World team. He is the son of former big-league star Vladimir Guerrero.

This story was originally published July 9, 2017 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Royals prospect Griffin plays role in U.S. win in All-Star Futures Game."