Louis Coleman gives up three-run homer as Dodgers rally to beat Royals 7-5

Louis Coleman served up a three-run home run in the ninth inning as the Royals fell, 7-5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Minor-leaguer Noel Cuevas victimized Coleman. He crushed an 89-mph fastball into left-center field.

It was Coleman’s second outing of the spring. He missed time due a bruised middle finger. “He’s just pitching himself back into shape,” manager Ned Yost said.

Starter Jason Vargas lasted four innings. He limited the Dodgers to a run on four hits. He struck out two and walked one. He loaded the bases in the fourth, but managed to escape without giving up a run.

“I was able to execute pitches,” Vargas said. “That last inning, I was able to work out of a jam. That’s always nice to be able to do.”

The Dodgers notched their run off Vargas in the third. An ill-placed fastball started the rally. Vargas plunked utility infielder Justin Turner. The opposing pitcher, Dan Haren, bunted him to second. Turner scored on a single by Chone Figgins.

The arm of Alex Gordon saved another run soon after. He scooped a Carl Crawford single in left and pegged Figgins out at the plate by several feet.

The Royals tied the game in the fourth. Justin Maxwell singled, Danny Valencia singled and Lorenzo Cain walked. The bases were loaded when Brett Hayes grounded into a double play, and Maxwell came home.

Ned Yost has revealed his Opening Day starter (James Shields), his Game 2 starter (and his starter for the home opener (Jeremy Guthrie). Bruce Chen has a spot in the rotation, but Yost has assigned him a first-week game.

A check of the team’s current pitching schedule was, at the very least, curious. Yordano Ventura is slotted after Vargas and before Guthrie, which would put him on track to start the third game. Danny Duffy, Ventura’s chief competition for the fifth spot, is lined up on the same day as Chen.

After taking four at-bats in a morning-time minor-league game, shortstop Alcides Escobar was scratched from the afternoon’s game due to soreness in his right shoulder. Yost said he needed a few days to rest. He said it was similar to Omar Infante’s ongoing bout with shoulder soreness.

“They’re just little nagging things that you don’t try to push in spring training,” Yost said.

• Catcher Salvador Perez (bruised left palm) received a day off. Yost planned to play him on Wednesday. He underwent an X-ray and a fluoroscope test for his hand. Both came back negative.

• Outfielder Nori Aoki left Tuesday’s game after getting hit in the back of his right leg by a 96-mph Jose Dominguez fastball. The ball caught him in his muscle, and he said he felt fine afterward.

The Royals shipped several of their regulars to a minor-league game against the Rangers. They acted as designated hitters against Texas starter Matt Harrison. Mike Moustakas went 2-for-3. Danny Valencia went 1-for-2. Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Jarrod Dyson all went hitless.

Yordano Ventura faces the Oakland Athletics and gets a chance to match Danny Duffy’s solid outing earlier this week. Ventura is slated for four innings of action. The game begins at 3:05 p.m. Central and can he heard on 610 Sports.

“He was throwing pitches that looked if they would hurt.” — Nori Aoki, to Japanese reporters about watching Jose Dominguez’s shaky command as Dominguez warmed up in the bullpen.

This story was originally published March 11, 2014 at 6:35 PM with the headline "Louis Coleman gives up three-run homer as Dodgers rally to beat Royals 7-5."