Spring Finale: Rangers top Royals in final tune-up before season

Texas Rangers' Elvis Andrus (1) scores a run as Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) fails to control the ball at home during the second inning of an exhibition baseball game Saturday, April 1, 2017, in Arlington, Texas.
Texas Rangers' Elvis Andrus (1) scores a run as Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) fails to control the ball at home during the second inning of an exhibition baseball game Saturday, April 1, 2017, in Arlington, Texas.

ARLINGTON, Texas-The Texas Rangers are ready for the start of the regular season.













Three games on tap for first day of season

OPENING DAY Chris Archer is set to throw the first pitch of the 2017 season when Tampa Bay hosts the Yankees at Tropicana Field. An All-Star in 2015, Archer wound up with 19 losses last year, tied with James Shields for most in the majors. Masahiro Tanaka pitches for New York-he's 6-0 with a 2.82 ERA in eight career starts vs. the Rays. DESERT DUEL San Francisco lefty Madison Bumgarner faces Arizona ace Zack Greinke in Phoenix. It's familiar territory for the Giants-their spring training complex is only a few miles away. Greinke is hoping for a better start than last year's opener, when Colorado tagged him for seven runs in four innings. CUB CROWN The Chicago Cubs begin a season as World Series champions for the first time since 1909. Jon Lester starts for the Cubs when they take on Carlos Martinez and the St. Louis Cardinals in a night game at Busch Stadium. The Cubs will see a familiar face in the opposing dugout-Dexter Fowler, the center field and leadoff man who helped them win the World Series last year, signed with St. Louis in the offseason. YES TO YADIER? The Cardinals and All-Star catcher Yadier Molina are trying to work out a new contract, and there's a chance it could be done before the opener. Molina wants to have a new deal in place before the first pitch, or he plans to look into free agency after the season. A three-year contract could be worth $55 million or more to the 34-year-old Gold Glover. -The Associated Press

Adrian Beltre isn't.

Beltre will go on the disabled list to begin his 20th major league season, Rangers manager Jeff Banister said after Texas beat the Kansas City Royals, 5-3, to end the teams' exhibition schedule on Saturday.

Tightness in his right calf was too much for Beltre to overcome. The Rangers said the third baseman would go on the 10-day disabled list on Sunday, retroactive to Thursday.

"We felt, all parties involved, that it was best to start with him on the disabled list," Banister said. "If he can do the work, I don't think it will be long that we could get him up to game speed and ready to go where he feels good about it. We want Adrian on the field as much as we can have him on the field, trying to make the right decision for the long term."

Beltre had left the stadium when the media entered the Texas clubhouse.

"Our intent is for (Joey) Gallo to play third base," Banister said.

Gallo has been up and down between the Rangers and the minor leagues during the past two seasons. He was not visibly emotional about making the opening day roster for the first time.

"That was my intent in spring training to make it," Gallo said.

Texas had a scoreless tie and two wins in the last three games, all against Kansas City, to finish at 17-16-3.

The Royals (17-15-2) had been shut out in the first two games. Drew Butera led off the fifth inning with his second home run of the spring for KC's only run, ending a 22-inning scoreless streak.

Gomez drove in an unearned run in the first inning with his second sacrifice fly in two games. In the four-run second, Delino DeShields hit another sacrifice fly, Choo lined a two-run double and scored on a double by Gomez.

 

STARTING TIME

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (0-2 this spring) was hit hard and had control problems. In two innings, he allowed four earned runs on four hits, a walk and two hit batters. LHP Jason Vargas, scheduled to start on Friday at Houston, struck out four in three scoreless relief innings.

Rangers: Minor league RHP Allen Webster finished the spring 2-0 for Texas, but was by far at his best on Saturday. He allowed only one hit and one walk in four innings.

 

RANGERS FINALIZE ROSTER

The last four players to make Texas' opening day roster were Gallo, RHPs Jose Leclerc and Rule 5 draft pick Mike Hauschild, and utilityman Drew Robinson. Hauschild and Robinson will be making their major league debuts. Robinson and Gallo tied for the team lead with four home runs this spring.

Kansas City still needed to move two players to bring the roster down to 25 players by Sunday morning.

 

TRAINER'S ROOM

Royals: Manager Ned Yost said there was no news on RF Jorge Soler (strained oblique), who will miss at least Monday's opening game. "He's getting better," Yost said.

Rangers: Texas will place six other players on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Thursday: RHPs Andrew Cashner, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Tyson Ross and Tanner Scheppers, catcher Brett Nicholas and infielder Hanser Alberto. Ross said he would pitch two innings or 30 pitches in a simulated game on Sunday, and then would go on the five-day schedule of a starter until he's ready to pitch in a regular-season game for the first time in more than a year.

 

UP NEXT

Royals: Open the season at Minnesota on Monday. LHP Danny Duffy (12-3, 3.51 last season) will make his first opening day start against Twins RHP Ervin Santana. They opposed each other on March 18, when Duffy and the USA beat Santana and the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

Rangers: Host Cleveland on Monday night in a pitching matchup between two 30-year-olds: Texas RHP Yu Darvish (7-5, 3.41) and Cleveland RHP Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14).

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