Here's Everything You Need To Know About Texas Rangers Spring Training Opener
SURPRISE, Ariz. — And we're off!
The Texas Rangers opened their Cactus League spring training schedule with a 5-4 win against the Kansas City Royals Friday afternoon at Surprise Stadium.
The Rangers only had four hits but walked seven times against a Royals staff struggling with its control. A couple of Rangers minor league outfielders provided the only extra-base hits for Texas. Derek Hill doubled in a run in the fifth, and Elier Hernandez tripled on a liner to right in the seventh and scored on Dustin Harris' single to center to give the Rangers a 5-4 lead.
Here's how the starting lineup and notable replacements fared at the plate:
Marcus Semien: Walked and struck out looking.
Evan Carter: Reached on a fielder's choice to second and lined out hard to shallow center field.
Wyatt Langford: Flew out on a high pop to shallow right and grounded out to second before working a walk in his final at-bat.
Nathaniel Lowe: Grounded into an inning-ending force out to third and struck out swinging.
Leody Taveras: Led off the second with a walk and later scored and flew out to center.
Sam Huff: Had a walk and scored a run in the second and tapped out to the catcher in the third.
Matt Duffy: Singled to center in the second and grounded out to third base in the fourth.
Ezequiel Duran: Walked in the second and struck out swinging in the fourth and sixth innings.
Josh Smith: Walked twice.
Others: Justin Foscue took over for Semien at second and struck out looking twice.
Here's how the pitchers looked:
Dane Dunning threw a perfect first inning, retiring the side with a flyout to right, groundout to first, and a lineout to third.
Cody Bradford threw two innings, allowing a two-out solo homer to Drew Waters in the second. Bradford pitched a 1-2-3 third, striking out Garrett Sampson and flyouts to shortstop and right field. Bradford is the only Texas pitcher to more than one inning.
"I was pleased with all of them," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of his pitchers who combined to strike out eight and walk two. "That's what you want to see, those guys going after the hitters, and they did that all day."
Danny Duffy allowed a run on two hits in an inning of work.
Jesus Tinoco struck out the side and only threw one ball in his 10-pitch inning, relaying on a nasty slider and upper 90s fastball.
Top pitching prospect Jack Leiter threw a perfect inning, forcing three flyouts.
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