Prospects lift Royals to a 7-4 win over the Angels
The Royals’ prospects enjoyed a day in the sun Friday during a 7-4 victory in a split-squad game against the Angels.
Raul Mondesi, who is rated as the top player in the Royals’ minor-league system by Baseball America, had two hits. Bubba Starling, the No. 3 prospect, had a double.
Right-hander Miguel Almonte is the fourth-ranked player by Baseball America, and he allowed one run on three hits in four innings with a pair of strikeouts.
“I thought his stuff was real good,” bench coach Don Wakamatsu said of Almonte. “He had inconsistent release point, struggled a little bit early, his tempo wasn’t real good. From the second inning on, he was pretty dang good and ended up limiting the damage, made some real good pitches with the double plays.”
Of the five double plays the Royals turned, Mondesi was the middle man on three. A day after he started at shortstop against the Dodgers, Mondesi was at second base against the Angels and looked smooth turning double plays started by the third baseman or shortstop.
The Royals trailed 1-0 in the third inning when Mondesi tripled over center fielder Rafael Ortega’s head. Catcher Tony Cruz’s double scored Mondesi, and Cruz came home one out later on a single by third baseman Mike Moustakas (Baseball Prospectus’ No. 7 prospect — in 2011).
An inning later, right fielder Jorge Bonifacio (the Royals’ No. 16 prospect by MLB.com) opened the fourth inning with a single. Starling doubled, and Mondesi brought both home with a single for a 4-1 lead.
All the damage was against L.A. right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who went five innings.
Cody Decker added a solo homer in the sixth inning, and Frank Schwindel had a two-run shot in the eighth.
The bullpen tossed four shutout innings with Wade Davis and Luke Hochevar both throwing one frame.
Peter Moylan gave up a three-run homer in the ninth inning.
DUENSING IS FINE: Left-hander Brian Duensing, who was hit in the ankle by a batted ball in a 10-0 win over the Cubs on Wednesday, said he had no ill effects and was expected to pitch in Saturday’s split-squad game against Seattle.
Pete Grathoff: 816-234-4330, @pgrathoff
Thursday’s summary
Royals 7, Angels 4
TableStyle: SP-basebattersCCI Template: SP-basebatters
Los Angeles AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. | |
Gentry lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
C.Adams lf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
A.Simmons dh | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .355 |
W.Rivas pr-dh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Giavotella 2b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .297 |
Cowart 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .154 |
Cron 1b | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .263 |
T.Allen cf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
A.Yarbrough ph | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Cunningham rf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .381 |
A.Bemboom c | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
J.Marte 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .360 |
B.Bayardi rf | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Ortega cf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .241 |
Baldoquin ph-ss | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .300 |
G.Petit ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .273 |
A.Phillips 2b | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
J.Graterol c | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 |
B.Hernandez ph-1b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Totals 29 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
TableStyle: SP-basebattersCCI Template: SP-basebatters
Kansas City AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. | |
A.Escobar ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .174 |
H.Arteaga ss | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Moustakas 3b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .429 |
Gore pr-lf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .091 |
A.Gordon lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .345 |
A.Franco 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .400 |
K.Morales dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
Butera ph-dh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .238 |
A.Bailey pr-dh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
C.Decker 1b | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .304 |
F.Schwindel 1b | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
Bonifacio rf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .304 |
A.Fukofuka rf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Starling cf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .125 |
B.Downes cf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Mondesi 2b | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .360 |
C.Garcia 2b | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
T.Cruz c | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .091 |
X.Fernandez c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Totals 30 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
TableStyle: SP-basebyinningsCCI Template: SP-basebyinnings
Los Angeles (ss) | 010 | 000 | 003 | — | 4 | 7 | 0 |
Kansas City (ss) | 002 | 201 | 02x | — | 7 | 9 | 2 |
E: C.Decker (1), C.Garcia (1). DP: Los Angeles 5. LOB: Los Angeles 3, Kansas City 3. 2B: Starling (1), T.Cruz (1). 3B: Mondesi (1). HR: B.Bayardi (1), C.Decker (2), F.Schwindel (1). CS: Cron (1), Gore (3). SF: Ortega.
TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers
Los Angeles | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Shoemaker L,1-2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 8.36 |
Alburquerque | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 |
Cor.Rasmus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.29 |
D.Guerra | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5.40 |
TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers
Kansas City | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Almonte W,1-0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.70 |
W.Davis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
Hochevar | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Huff | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.00 |
Moylan | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12.00 |
HBP: by Shoemaker (Moustakas), by Moylan (A.Yarbrough). WP: Moylan. Umpires: Home, Quinn Wolcott; First, Alan Porter; Second, Adam Hamari; Third, Stu Scheurwater. Time: 2:27. Att: 8,238 (10,714).
This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Prospects lift Royals to a 7-4 win over the Angels."