Alex Gordon’s big day at the plate leads Royals past Brewers 7-5

The baseball landed atop the grassy berm in dead center field, a foot or two from a row of purple flower bushes, perhaps 440 feet from home plate.

As the ball tore through the thin Arizona air and bounded up against a batter’s-eye wall in deep center field, well beyond the outfield fence, Alex Gordon rounded first base and broke into a easy trot. The solo homer broke a sixth-inning deadlock in the Royals’ 7-5 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday afternoon. It also punctuated a breakout day for Gordon, who finished 4 for 4 with two RBIs.

“That’s one of my best bullets,” Gordon said of the homer. “But Arizona definitely helps. I always tell (Eric Hosmer), I wish I had pop like him. I think this is the first day I outswung him to center field.”

Hosmer cracked a solo homer to center field in the bottom of the third, his first of the spring. Third baseman Mike Moustakas finished 2 for 3 while continuing a torrid early pace. But as the Royals, 4-5, played one of two split-squad games Wednesday, Gordon provided the heavy lifting.

“Good day,” Gordon said.

Two days earlier, he struck out three times in a victory over the Cubs. He began the spring just 1 for 10 at the plate. On Wednesday, he appeared to lock in.

“Last game, I thought I was going to get released after the showing I had,” Gordon said. “So I had to do something today. I just felt comfortable, felt good in the box.”

As the offense heated up in Surprise, the Royals also fell 7-5 to the Seattle Mariners in Peoria. Catcher Drew Butera hit his first homer of the spring. Left-handed starter Matt Strahm allowed two unearned runs in 2  2/3 innings, recording two strikeouts and walking one.

Back at Surprise Stadium, the offense covered up a shaky beginning for starting pitcher Yordano Ventura, who allowed three runs and five hits in the top of the first. Ventura settled down afterward and lasted three innings. He needed just 41 pitches, even after a wobble in the first.

“My first inning was a little bit wild, you know,” Ventura said. “But (I made) a little bit more adjustment in the second and third.”

His early trouble stemmed from a mechanical issue, Ventura said. His front shoulder was flying open, causing his pitches to be elevated. He fixed the issue after a meeting with pitching coach Dave Eiland.

“After that,” Royals manager Ned Yost said, “he was nails.”

The regulars

With two more hits Wednesday, Moustakas is batting .583 (7 for 12) in five games. He has four doubles and one homer, continuing his annual tradition of raking in the Cactus League. A year ago, Moustakas batted .333 during spring training. In 2014, he hit .429 with four homers.

Yost has said he is leaning toward hitting Moustakas second in the Royals’ lineup, the same spot he occupied at the beginning of 2015. He is also still considering Gordon for the role

Catcher Salvador Perez suffered through a 0-for-3 day in Surprise and is 1 for 13 in four games.

The arms

Reliever Wade Davis was the final member of the bullpen core to make his spring debut. He recorded a clean inning, striking out one. Right-hander Kelvin Herrera surrendered a run on two hits, while left-hander Brian Flynn was touched for a solo homer in the sixth.

In the other game, right-handed veteran Peter Moylan, a possible candidate for a final bullpen spot, threw a scoreless inning against the Mariners.

Position battles

Second baseman Omar Infante made his debut in the field Wednesday, one day earlier than anticipated. He remained hitless this spring after seven at-bats. He was 0 for 3 with a walk against the Brewers after going 0 for 4 while serving as a designated hitter earlier this week. Christian Colon started at second base against the Mariners and finished 0 for 3 with a strikeout. He is hitless in 15 at-bats this spring.

Top prospect Raul Mondesi replaced Infante and finished 1 for 1 with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth. Mondesi is 3 for 11 at the plate in seven games.

Up next

The Royals will face the Chicago White at 2:05 p.m. Thursday at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.

Wednesday’s first-game

summary

Royals 7, Brewers 5

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TableStyle: SP-basebattersCCI Template: SP-basebatters

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E: C.Walsh (1). DP: Kansas City 1. LOB: Milwaukee 4, Kansas City 9. 2B: Do.Santana (2), Carter (1), Moustakas (4), Mondesi (1), Orlando (1). HR: H.Perez (1), A.Gordon (1), Hosmer (1). CS: E.Hernandez (1).

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TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers

Blown save: Flynn (1). HBP: by Hader (S.Perez). Umpires: Home, Lance Barrett; First, Pat Hoberg; Second, Adam Hamari; Third, Ben May. Time: 2:35. Att: 4,786.

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Wednesday’s second-game

summary

Mariners 7, Royals 5

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TableStyle: SP-basebattersCCI Template: SP-basebatters

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E: W.Merrifield (1), R.Torres (1), M.Strahm (1). DP: Kansas City 1, Seattle 1. LOB: Kansas City 7, Seattle 5. 2B: Dozier (1), S.Romero (1), Lucas (1). 3B: W.Merrifield (1). HR: Butera (1). SB: B.Gonzalez (2), L.Martin (3). CS: I.Miller (1). SF: W.Merrifield, K.Marte.

TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers

TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers

Blown saves: Lannan (1), C.Martin (1), A.Sampson (1). WP: Lannan, B.Pounders 2, A.Sampson. PB: Lerud. Umpires: Home, Roberto Ortiz; First, Brian Knight; Second, Ryan Blakney; Third, Stu Scheurwater. Time: 2:42. Att: 5,921.

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This story was originally published March 9, 2016 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Alex Gordon’s big day at the plate leads Royals past Brewers 7-5."