Ex-Royal Brandon Finnegan faces old team in Cactus League matchup
Brandon Finnegan made his first appearance against his old team on Tuesday. He emerged unscathed, even after absorbing a rocket shot off the bat of former teammate Eric Hosmer.
Finnegan, 22, is competing for a job in the Reds' starting rotation after beginning his career in Kansas City. On Tuesday, he allowed two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings while striking out four in the Reds’ 4-2 victory over the Royals at Goodyear Ballpark. He allowed a leadoff double to shortstop Alcides Escobar in the top of the first, and Hosmer followed with an RBI single. But Finnegan settled in — until Hosmer came to the plate again in the third.
With two outs, Hosmer hit a line drive toward center field. Finnegan stuck out his glove just in time, but the force of the baseball knocked his glove off his hand. He recovered in time to track down the baseball and throw Hosmer out at first.
“We got some good swings on him,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Hos almost killed him. But he threw the ball well.”
Finnegan is entering his first full season with the Reds after going to Cincinnati last July in a trade that brought starting pitcher Johnny Cueto to the Royals. The deal also included left-handers John Lamb and Cody Reed.
Finnegan, the Royals’ first-round pick in 2014, raced through the minor leagues and made his big-league debut on Sept. 6, 2014. He later threw 2 1/3 innings in the American League Wild Card game against the Oakland A’s, allowing a run in the Royals’ 9-8 victory. He also became the first player appear in the College World Series and World Series in the same calendar year.
After the trade last July, he posted a 4.18 ERA in 23 2/3 innings for the Reds last season. He is expected to begin the season in the Reds’ starting rotation.
Tuesday’s summary
Reds 4, Royals 2
TableStyle: SP-basebattersCCI Template: SP-basebatters
Kansas City ab | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. | |
A.Escobar ss | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .176 |
Mondesi ss | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .294 |
Moustakas 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .391 |
D.Coleman 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .154 |
Hosmer 1b | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .400 |
Gore pr-lf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .111 |
K.Morales dh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .214 |
Calixte ph-dh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .267 |
A.Gordon lf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .375 |
C.Decker 1b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
Orlando rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .259 |
Snider rf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .211 |
Infante 2b | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .313 |
W.Merrifield ph-2b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .400 |
Fuentes cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 |
P.Morin c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 |
T.Cruz c | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .056 |
A.Fukofuka pr-cf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Totals | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
TableStyle: SP-basebattersCCI Template: SP-basebatters
Cincinnati ab | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. | |
B.Hamilton dh | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
Waldrop ph-dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Cozart ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .286 |
B.Trahan ss | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .462 |
Votto 1b | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .429 |
Allen 1b | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .316 |
Duvall 3b | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .300 |
Sparks 3b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Bruce rf | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .280 |
Y.Rodriguez rf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .150 |
Peraza cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .385 |
J.Cave cf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .308 |
Schebler lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .269 |
J.Duran lf | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .267 |
De Jesus Jr. 2b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .280 |
Iribarren 2b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
R.Cabrera c | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .158 |
J.Hudson c | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .083 |
Totals | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
TableStyle: SP-basebyinningsCCI Template: SP-basebyinnings
Kansas City | 100 | 010 | 000 | — | 2 | 7 | 0 |
Cincinnati | 200 | 000 | 20x | — | 4 | 11 | 0 |
DP: Kansas City 1. LOB: Kansas City 5, Cincinnati 12. 2B: A.Escobar (2), Hosmer (3), Bruce (3). SB: Infante (1), B.Trahan (1), Votto (1), Bruce (1).
TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers
Kansas City | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Kennedy | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4.00 |
W.Davis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
K.Herrera | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.25 |
D.Duffy L,1-1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9.00 |
Ohlendorf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9.00 |
TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers
Cincinnati | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Finnegan | 4 1/3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3.60 |
Hoover | 2/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Sampson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
C.O’Grady W,1-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8.44 |
L.Somsen S,1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Blown save: Hoover (1). HBP: by Kennedy (De Jesus Jr.), by Finnegan (A.Gordon). WP: D.Duffy 2. PB: T.Cruz. Umpires: Home, Tripp Gibson; First, Ron Kulpa; Second, Alfonso Marquez; Third, Seth Buckminster. Time: 2:34. Att: 5,463
AP-WF-08-31-14 0338GMT
Rustin Dodd, 816-234-4937, @rustindodd
This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Ex-Royal Brandon Finnegan faces old team in Cactus League matchup."