Rangers Beat Royals
{fshare id=6306}
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chi Chi Gonzalez gets hit less than Floyd Mayweather.
Gonzalez blanked the Kansas City Royals on three hits and first baseman Mitch Moreland homered as the Texas Rangers topped the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Friday night.
Gonzalez (2-0) limited the Royals to three singles, walked two and struck out two over nine innings while recording the shutout. He beat Boston 8-0 in his big league debut, not allow a hit until the sixth inning.
“It’s incredible,” Gonzalez said. “From pitch one to the last pitch was just fun. We played well yesterday with the walk-off and played well again. It’s been a good time.”
Moreland opened the three-run sixth with his sixth home run, taking a 3-1 offering from right-hander Edinson Volquez out to left-center.
After Moreland’s blast, shortstop Elvis Andrus and center fielder Leonys Martin singled and
both stole a base. Catcher Robinson Chirinos’ sharp single to right scored both and sent Volquez to the showers.
“Chi Chi’s first two outings are pretty special,” Moreland said.
The Royals, who have dropped eight of 10, were shut out for the third time this season. In the eight losses, the Royals have scored nine runs.
“We just don’t have much going on offensively right now,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.
Volquez (4-4) gave up four runs on six hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Rookie left fielder Delino DeShields led off the game with a triple, a sinking liner center fielder Lorenzo Cain nearly caught with a dive. When the ball rolled past Cain, DeShields sped into third base standing up.
Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo’s routine ground out to second baseman Omar Infante scored DeShields.
Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas had an opposite-field hit in the first, but tried to stretch it into a double. Umpire Jim Reynolds called him safe, but the Rangers challenged the ruling, which was overturned after a 70-second review.
“Giving up my first hit of the game was a double and then it got overturned to be an out,” Gonzalez said. “It changes the whole inning. It probably changed the whole game. It was huge play by DeShields. Thankfully, they got it right.”
Gonzalez would not give up another hit until the fifth inning.
“I threw the ball where I needed to,” Gonzalez said.
After walking Cain in the first, Gonzalez retired the next 12 hitters before right fielder Alex Rios’ two-out fifth inning single. Gonzalez has not given up a run in his first two big league starts, covering 14 2/3 innings.
The Rangers missed opportunities to pad their lead, stranding Moreland and second baseman Hanser Alberto at third base in the fourth and fifth innings.
Volquez gave up two hits in the first, but none the next four innings. He did, however, have to work around three walks and a Moustakas error. He didn’t however make it out of the sixth.
“I think I had great stuff, but I wasn’t consistent with my fastball. I’m mad, because I wasn’t able to pitch the way I’m used to pitching.”
