Cleveland, OH (92.3 The Fan) – The Royals scored eight runs in the sixth inning, propelling them to a 13-7 victory over the Indians on Sunday.
The Tribe got off to a great start, scoring four runs in the first and three more in the second inning. Sam Hentges pitched two scoreless innings.
Kansas City caught fire in the sixth, scoring four runs, before loading the bases. Infielder Chris Owings hit a grand slam off of Indians pitcher R.C. Orlan, which gave the Royals the lead for good. Asher Wojciechowski allowed three runs in the ninth. Kansas City added three more on an error by Tyler Freeman.
The Indians are 4-5 this spring.
A Promising Start – Jason Kipnis returned to the lineup as a designated hitter. He went 2-for-2 with two doubles and two runs scored. The former All-Star is batting 1.000 in two games so far this spring. Kipnis has a lot to prove after struggling for most of the past two seasons. This is a contract year for him, so he has to be motivated to turn things around, assuming he still has something left in the tank. Kipnis had been dealing with a quadriceps issue, which kept him out of the lineup. It's not considered serious and he's expected to play second base on Monday.
The Comeback Continues – Leonys Martin finished 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk. He’s the favorite to start in center field. He survived a life-threatening bacterial infection last season and is excited to be back on the field.
Martin said he was 100 percent in January and he’s looked like it so far this spring. He will be 31-years-old on Wednesday, which means he will probably be the elder statesman in the outfield. Martin has a career slash line of .248/.303/.369. He finished with 11 home runs and 33 RBI last season.
Tito discusses the pieces in play for the @Indians outfield heading into this season. pic.twitter.com/gJGQdlC41S
— SportsTime Ohio (@SportsTimeOhio) March 3, 2019Left Field Experiment – Jake Bauers got his second start in left field on Sunday. He didn’t have any errors, which is a good sign. The 23-year-old is the key to the Indians’ plans. They want him to thrive in the outfield so Carlos Santana can play first base. That would allow veteran Hanley Ramirez to be the designated hitter.
There are a lot of ‘ifs’ in this plan – if Bauers is competent in left field then it opens up first base. If Ramirez shows he can still play, then he can be the everyday DH. The Indians are rolling the dice and hoping it pays off. Greg Allen and Jordan Luplow are also candidates to start in left field.
Clippard’s Debut – Tyler Clippard made his Indians’ debut on Sunday. He pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout. The 34-year-old signed a minor-league deal in hopes of making the final roster. Clippard has been durable, completing at least 60 innings of work in 10-straight seasons. He has a real chance to be a big part of the Indians’ rotation this season and Sunday was a good start.
Other Notes – Cody Anderson pitched for the first time in three years on Sunday. He put runners on the corners with one out, but got out of the inning unscathed.
Ramirez is expected to make his Indians’ debut against San Diego. The Indians play the Padres on Monday at 3:10 p.m.
