Royals take a drubbing at hand of the Rockies in home run-heavy game
The Royals pitching staff got a taste of what their lineup had done to opponents in the previous two Cactus League games as the Colorado Rockies bashed their way to a 12-5 win on in front of an announced crowd of 3,489 at Surprise Stadium. The Rockies hit three home runs, including a grand slam. The Royals hit four homers in the loss.
Outfielder Bubba Starling followed up Sunday’s 2-hit day (2 for 3) with a two-homer day against the Rockies. Birthday boy Jorge Soler also belted a home run on the first pitch he saw Monday. Soler went 1 for 3.
Royals starting pitcher Scott Barlow allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out two in two innings. The only hit he allowed came when Raimel Tapia jumped on a first-pitch fastball and hit a solo homer on the first pitch of the game.
Gordon candid about future: Left fielder Alex Gordon is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, and he has given thought to his future. He just doesn’t have any definitive answers.
“Honestly, it depends on this year,” Gordon, a 35-year-old Nebraska native and homegrown star of the Royals said about playing beyond 2019. “I’ve had conversations with a lot of people, my wife the main one, but I don’t know. It just depends on how my body feels, how this year goes and where I want to play. This is my last year on my contract, and we’ll see. Hopefully we can make this a special year and make my decision a little bit easier next year.
“I don’t know. The answer is I don’t know.”
Oaks shut down: The Royals have shut down right-handed pitcher Trevor Oaks due to a hip injury. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out. Oaks, who made 22 starts at Triple-A and two for the Royals last season, was one of 10 pitchers the team had planned to stretch out in spring training as potential candidates for the starting rotation. The Athletic first reported the injury.
Up next: The Royals will play split squad action on Tuesday. One group will host the Los Angeles Dodgers at Surprise Stadium, while the other will play the Chicago White Sox in Phoenix. Ian Kennedy is the scheduled starting pitcher in Surprise, while Foster Griffin will start for the group headed to Phoenix. Both games will start at 2:05 (CT), and the game in Surprise will have a radio broadcast on MLB.com.
This story was originally published February 25, 2019 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Royals take a drubbing at hand of the Rockies in home run-heavy game."
