Brewers top Royals 10-6 in seesaw affair

The Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals played a pretty typical spring training game at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona. The Brewers scored four times in the top of the eighth to break a 6-6 tie and top KC 10-6.

Both teams blew leads as the Royals led 2-1 after the second inning and Milwaukee was up 6-2 after the top of the sixth. In keeping with the theme of the spring both teams scored two unearned runs, and for the Brewers Mauricio Dubon committed his fifth error of the spring. Combined with incumbent shortstop Orlando Arcia we have had NINE errors by the two “slick fielding” youngsters in twelve games, which is on a pace (first use of the spring!) for some kind of record (I’m guessing on that one) for Cactus League shortstop combined errors.

Let’s look at the bad for Milwaukee first:

• Brett Phillips was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and four left on base. Maverick is now hitting .091 and OPSing .303 this spring. Colorado Springs was a good bet anyways, but seems a sure thing now.
• Despite limiting the Royals to just one run in his four innings of work, Junior Guerra again was in trouble a lot. He allowed six hits and a walk (and again, his walks are way down, which is a good thing), and I can’t help but feel like his results aren’t sustainable (ERA of 1.80).
• Oliver Drake is making it difficult for the Brewers to keep him. He worked ²⁄₃ of an inning, allowing three runs (two earned) with two hits allowed and three walks. His ERA this spring is now at 9.00 in four innings (five appearances) and has a WHIP of 3.00. He is second on the team in walks this spring with five (Yovani Gallardo leads with six).

And some good:

• Bubba Derby got a win (and a blown save).
• Josh Hader and Nick Ramirez are still unscored upon.
• Eric Sogard had two hits and two RBI. Soda Boy is hitting .357 and has an OPS of 1.117 so far.
• Hernan Perez wants to start at second, too, and had two hits including his fourth double and two RBI as well. He is hitting .423 with an OPS of 1.098. Oh! He drew his first walk of the Cactus Cup season!
• Ji-Man Choi had his second triple of the spring.
• Jesus Aguilar had a two for three day and clubbed his first homer of the spring. He’s up to .348 with an OPS of .870. TVR as he shows off for the Royals.

Milwaukee moves to 8-4-1 while the Royals drop to 6-4. Tomorrow the Oakland A’s will bring their 4-5 record to Maryvale to face the Brewers, and the game is scheduled to be on FSW.