Grudzielanek (Technotronic) powers Kansas City over Texas
Kansas City, MO - Mark Grudzielanek had three hits, drove in a run, and scored a run, as the Kansas City Royals kicked off a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium against the Texas Rangers with a 6-1 victory.
TOMMY MAC DELIVERS ANOTHER WINNING PIZZA PLAY ROYALS!
Billy Butler homered for the Royals, who won their second straight. Ross Gload went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the win.
Brian Bannister (7-6) scattered four hits with six strikeouts and two walks over seven innings for KC. The rookie right-hander has won his last two starts, scattering eight hits and just one run in 14 innings.
Sammy Sosa homered for the Rangers, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. He recorded the only Texas run, and was the lone Ranger with two hits.
Jamey Wright (3-3), who posted back-to-back wins for Texas before control problems plagued him the last time out, allowed five runs on 10 hits with four walks and two strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.
Kansas City plated three runs in the first when Grudzielanek singled, Mark Teahen walked, and Butler belted a three-run homer to center field on a 1-2 pitch.
The Royals scored another run in the third, as Teahen doubled, advanced to third on Butler’s groundout, and came home on a Gload sacrifice fly.
The Royals tacked on one more in the seventh, as John Buck lined a lead-off single and Tony Pena bunted him over to second. David DeJesus was then intentionally walked, and Grudzielanek singled home Buck.
Texas got on the board in the eighth off reliever Joakim Soria, who surrendered a solo shot to Sosa on a full count.
Kansas City, however, padded its lead with another run off reliever Scott Feldman. Gload singled, advanced to second on a balk, and, after a 37-minute rain delay, scored on an Alex Gordon double.
Game Notes
Bannister retired seven straight batters after Sosa’s third-inning single…Texas recalled outfielder Nelson Cruz from Triple-A Oklahoma…This series marks the first meeting between the Royals and Rangers in 2007. Both clubs split six games last year.
