Four takeaways from the Royals’ final exhibition game
The Kansas City Royals fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 Wednesday in the final exhibition game before the season opener.
As the Royals turn the page and focus on the 60-game sprint to the finish, here are four takeaways from the final exhibition game against the Cardinals:
1. Salvador Perez is more than ready for the shortened season.
Salvy tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, which forced him to arrive to summer camp a tad late. Ever since the 30-year-old catcher arrived, he’s hit the cover off the ball. He homered in the exhibition at Kauffman Stadium on Monday night against the Houston Astros. On Wednesday, Salvy served up a Miles Mikolas fastball to dead center for a 416-foot homer.
Perez missed all of 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery but looks dialed in as the season looms.
Look out MLB, Salvy just keeps on raking during summer camp. ? #Royals
TV: FSKC | Stream: FSGO – https://t.co/7AJOFagMAq pic.twitter.com/Js77fkDtH1
— FOX Sports Kansas City (@FSKansasCity) July 22, 2020
2. Bubba Starling‘s power is on full display.
Starling is another Royal who has continued to impress in summer camp. The former first-rounder ripped a solo homer off Carlos Martínez in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s exhibition game. Starling homered Monday against the Astros and showed off his power in the Royals’ intrasquad games as well.
Bubba bomb! ???
TV: FSKC | Stream: FSGO – https://t.co/7AJOFagMAq pic.twitter.com/AD2NbkR2XL
— FOX Sports Kansas City (@FSKansasCity) July 22, 2020
3. Command issues could be a problem for the Royals’ bullpen.
Kyle Zimmer started the game as the opener and pitched a solid one-hit first inning. From there on, nine Royals relievers pitched the remaining eight innings, many of them plagued by control issues. Josh Staumont walked three batters, while Foster Griffin, newcomer Ronald Bolaños and Scott Barlow each walked a pair.
Barlow walked the first hitter he faced, then allowed a two-run homer to Paul DeJong in the fifth inning that padded the Cardinals’ lead to 5-2.
4. Gordo’s still got it.
A seven-time Gold Glover, Alex Gordon showed why it’s not always about glove work in the field. He made a heads-up play in left to turn a routine fly ball into a double play in the second inning. With one away and runners at first and third, Tommy Edman lifted a fly ball to left field, plenty deep to score the runner at third. Gordo made the catch and instead of squaring up and challenging the runner breaking toward the plate, he threw to second base to gun out Harrison Bader, who was tagging from first. Dexter Fowler was the runner at third and did not touch home plate before Gordo completed the inning-ending double play. Talk about an unconventional way to save a run.
A heads-up play by the Gold Glover Gordo turns a fly ball in to two outs!
TV: FSKC | Stream: FSGO – https://t.co/7AJOFagMAq pic.twitter.com/omtov1t3QO
— FOX Sports Kansas City (@FSKansasCity) July 22, 2020
