KC Royals’ Brad Keller encouraged despite getting roughed up in loss. Also, Witt homers
Brad Keller knew how it would sound before he said it, but he said it anyway. The Kansas City Royals right-hander and No. 2 starting pitcher behind Zack Greinke, Keller gave up eight runs less than five innings and then explained why he felt like he threw the ball pretty well.
Keller made his final start of the spring and went 4 1/3 innings in a 10-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in a Cactus League game in front of an announced 1,559 at Goodyear Ballpark on Monday.
“I felt really good,” Keller said. “I felt like my sinker was really good. Changeup was also pretty good, got a lot of swing and misses, threw it for strikes consistently. So I’m pretty happy with that. My slider felt sharp. I might sound like a madman saying that, but overall I felt pretty good.”
Keller, who is entering his fifth season in the majors, gave up eight runs on six hits and one walk. Five of the runs came on a pair of home runs, a three-run blast by Nick Senzel in the first inning and a two-run smash by Jake Fraley.
Two of the runs he allowed were unearned. The final run charged to him scored after he’d left the game and turned it over to the bullpen. Keller struck out four and also hit a batter.
The Reds scored five first-inning runs, all after there were two outs. Then Keller retired seven consecutive batters and eight of the next nine he faced.
“To be honest with you, nothing changed,” Keller said. “Maybe we started going more in, but we kind of saw what they were doing. They were just ambushing a lot earlier.”
Keller said for the most part he was happy with how he executed pitches, though he said he might have missed over the plate a bit more early than he did later.
A primary focus for Keller this offseason and spring was honing his fastball command and eliminating his tendency to fall behind in counts as he did throughout last season.
“That was kind of a big emphasis for me this whole (camp), honestly with our whole pitching staff, but I feel like I did a really good job with that,” Keller said. “I’m just trying to carry that into the season.
Keller is slated to start the second game of the season against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday at Kauffman Stadium.
“I thought he made some good pitches,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “The ball was jumping a little bit today. He was attacking the strike zone. I thought he had a good rhythm. Sometimes the numbers are a little misleading. Overall, I thought it’s been a really good spring for him. He feels healthy. He feels strong. That’s the most important thing at this point.”
Top prospect and likely starting third baseman Bobby Witt Jr. blasted his third home run of the spring. Catcher Cam Gallagher also crushed a home run, and outfielder/first baseman Hunter Dozier hit a towering homer for his first of the spring. Witt and Gallagher homered in the third inning, Dozier in the fourth.
Dozier finishing camp hot
Matheny described Dozier’s home run, which traveled over the batter’s eye in center field, as one of the longest home runs he’s seen this spring.
Dozier entered the day batting .424 with the second-highest hit total of any player in the majors this spring.
Dozier, who last spring signed an extension through the 2024 with a team option for 2025, struggled at the plate last season after a strong spring training performance a year ago.
After injuring his hand on the opening day of the season, and then spending time on the concussion list after a bone-rattling collision with Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu on May 14, Dozier didn’t get on track with the bat until the summer months.
Through June 30, he batted just .160. However, Dozier finished last season having shown some encouraging signs at the plate. In his final 81 games (after July 1), he slashed .261/.331/.448 with 15 doubles, four triples, nine homers and 32 RBIs.
“It’s unique, what he can do,” Matheny said. “We know that he has a special ability to square the ball up and the ball carries for him. He’s had good hard contact all spring. He’s got a very consistent approach, he’s covering both sides of the plate. He’s staying on the offspeed. I’m just happy with where he is right now.”
Gordo rallies the troops
Retired Royals star Alex Gordon spent the past two days visiting his former club’s camp in Arizona. He addressed the team on Monday before their penultimate Cactus League exhibition game. He also made the trip to Goodyear for the game.
Gordon, who played his entire 14-year major-league career with the Royals, is also expected to be part of the pre-game festivities on the field prior to Thursday’s season opener at Kauffman Stadium.
An eight-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star, Gordon was a mainstay on the Royals’ 2014 and 2015 World Series teams. His pivotal home run in Game 1 of the 2015 World Series set the tone for the club’s first championship in 30 years.
Olivares a leading man
Outfielder Edward Olivares entered the day ranked among the spring training leaders in hits (15, ranked first), slugging percentage (1.069, first) and extra-base hits (nine, tied for first).
Olivares, who was recalled from Triple-A by the Royals nine times last season, played a career-high 39 games in the majors last season. He also played 66 games with the Omaha Storm Chasers.
He entered the day tied for the team lead in home runs this spring. He and Kyle Isbel had three apiece. Witt matched them with his third-inning homer on Monday.
This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 7:19 PM.
