Rockies put the beatdown on Royals in impressive overall game

The Colorado Rockies put an old fashioned shellacking on the Kansas City Royals in one of two games they played on Saturday in split squad action.

The 9-1 final score in favor of the purplers perfectly represents the game as Colorado dominated at the plate, on the mound, and in the field.

Turning Point – 7-run Second

Colorado put up a huge seven-run second inning and just about everyone got involved. Daniel Murphy kept his good spring going with a single to center that was followed by a double off the wall from Chris Owings. Tony Wolters pulled one through the right side to plate a pair and Yonathan Daza followed with another single to shallow left-center for another run. Raimel Tapia matched Daza, setting the table for a massive three-run blast off the bat of Nolan Arenado.

And that was pretty much that.

Player of the Game – Chi Chi Gonzalez

Battling for the fifth spot in the rotation, Gonzalez had his best outing of the Spring so far, pitching three innings and giving up three singles but zero runs or walks. He also struck out three. Gonzalez said he feels like his slider is working well and that he needs that to develop into a more reliable out pitch.

Runner Up – Raimel Tapia

Tapia produced his second consecutive two-hit day, raising his batting average this Spring to .375. Also for the second day in a row, he lead off the game with an extra-base hit, doubling down the left field line, taking third on a ball in the dirt, and jogging home on a Trevor Story drive to the warning track.

Play of the Game – Nolan Arenado Rocket Launcher

You know you got it all when the left fielder can’t help but turn and admire the majestic arc of your home run.

Diamond Details

• Going 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk, Elias Diaz is now hitting .571 but he did also strikeout for the first time this spring.
• Owings, who also made some excellent plays at second base, is now hitting .360 this Spring and appears to be honing in on the final roster spot.
• Tony Wolters, who hit just one home run all of last year, got ahold of one in the third for a no-doubter. He drove in three runs in the game.
• In going 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored, Daza is hitting .375. With Josh Fuentes recording a hit in the game in Glendale, they are now both tied with Bret Boswell for the team lead in hits this Spring with nine.
• After a couple of rough outings in which Carlos Estevez said he was feeling a bit under the weather, the righty reliever absolutely dominated his inning, striking out a pair and getting a weak fly out.
• Tyler Kinley faced his first trouble of the Spring, issuing a walk and surrendering a pair of hits, but he got two big punchouts to keep his ERA at 0.00.
• Daniel Murphy is hitting .333

Final Thoughts

The offense came to play and took advantage of some weak Royals pitching. Overall, though, an early emphasis on plate discipline is playing out on the field. They are getting contact when contact is needed while still taking their shots. It is obviously still super early but there appears to be a much more sustainable team offensive approach in place this season.

Up Next

Colorado takes on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday at the home of both teams, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. First pitch at 1:10.