The Arizona Diamondbacks rolled to a 11-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on Saturday in spring training action. Jansel Luis paced the offense, going 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. Merrill Kelly worked 1.2 innings on the mound, allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits. The Diamondbacks finished with 14 hits on the day while holding the Royals to 10. The victory gives the Diamondbacks positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Jansel Luis was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Diamondbacks confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
A.J. Vukovich also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, Ben McLaughlin chipped in, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Anderdson Rojas added to the attack, going 1-for-1 with two RBI. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Carter Jensen led the Royals offense with a 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI day. John Rave also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI. Starling Marte added a 2-for-3 effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Diamondbacks pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Merrill Kelly got the start, struggling with his command, working 1.2 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits with one strikeout. He threw 36 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Diamondbacks evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 6.4 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out eight. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions.
Among the relievers, Philip Abner stood out with 1.0 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
The Diamondbacks struck first, pushing across a run in the second inning. Royals struck back with two runs in the second. The Diamondbacks answered with two runs in the third. The Diamondbacks tacked on a run in the fourth. Royals countered with two runs in the fourth. The Diamondbacks struck back with a run in the fifth. The Diamondbacks added a run in the sixth. Royals responded with a run in the seventh. The Diamondbacks countered with five runs in the ninth. The Diamondbacks spread their scoring across six different innings, applying consistent pressure throughout the game. The Diamondbacks out-hit Royals 14-10 on the day, with 5 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 8,311 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Diamondbacks can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.