HOUSTON (AP) — Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and the Kansas City Royals held on for a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas hit consecutive singles to start the game before Cain connected on a full-count, 91-mph fastball off Mike Fiers (0-1) to make it 3-0.

The Astros got within 1 in the bottom of the inning after an RBI double by Colby Rasmus followed by a run-scoring single by Tyler White.

Kris Medlen (1-0) allowed six hits and two runs with seven strikeouts in five innings in his 2016 debut. Wade Davis walked two players with one out in the ninth before retiring Jose Altuve and George Springer for his third save.

Fiers settled down after his tough first inning, allowing just three more hits and no runs in the next five innings before he was replaced by Will Harris for the seventh. But the early hole was too much to overcome on a night when the Astros went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Kansas City’s bullpen was solid after Medlen’s exit, with Luke Hochevar and Kelvin Herrera striking out two each in perfect innings before Joakim Soria took over in the eighth. He allowed one hit and walked one before he was relieved by Davis.

Houston designated hitter Evan Gattis went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his first game of the season after starting the year on the disabled list after February surgery to repair a sports hernia.

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD

The Royals announced on Tuesday that they received permission from Major League baseball to continue to wear the gold accented jerseys and hats that they wore for the first two games of this season during each Friday home game this season. The uniforms, which include hats that have the 2015 World Series Champions logo on the side, are a tribute to their championship season.

Their next Friday home game is April 22 against the Orioles.

PRESIDENTIAL PITCH

Former President George H.W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday’s game. The 91-year-old was pushed onto the field in a wheelchair and tossed the ball left-handed to Monday’s starter Collin McHugh from about five feet in front of the plate. After McHugh grabbed the pitch, which was just a bit outside, Bush raised both of his fists in the air and smiled.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Jarrod Dyson (right oblique strain) went 2 for 5 in his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday. Manager Ned Yost said there wasn’t a timetable for his return yet.

Astros: Right-hander Lance McCullers (right shoulder soreness) will make his second rehabilitation start for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Royals: Yordano Ventura (0-0, 3.60) will make his second start of the season on Wednesday. Ventura didn’t factor into the decision in his first start after allowing two hits and two runs and tying a career high with six walks in a 4-3 win over the Twins.

Astros: Scott Feldman (0-1, 9.00) will pitch for Houston on Wednesday. It will be his second start this season after he allowed five hits and four runs in four innings of a 6-4 loss to Milwaukee.

— Associated Press —

HOUSTON (AP) — Collin McHugh bounced back from the shortest start of his career by pitching seven scoreless innings and Colby Rasmus hit a two-run homer as the Houston Astros won their home opener over the Kansas City Royals, 8-2, on Monday night.

Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBI for Houston, Jose Altuve had three hits and rookie Tyler White, who was named the American League player of the week earlier in the day, added a pair of hits for his fourth multi-hit game this year.

McHugh (1-1) allowed eight hits and struck out four in his first start since he allowed six runs and walked two in 1/3 inning of a 16-6 loss to the New York Yankees.

Chris Young (0-2) allowed nine hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings. The Astros jumped on him early and were up by 1 in the first after an RBI double by Correa when Rasmus launched a towering shot to the second deck in right field to make it 3-0.

Luis Valbuena had an RBI double, Jason Castro drove in a run with a triple and Altuve had a run-scoring single in the fourth to push the lead to 6-0.

The Royals had trouble stringing hits together against McHugh. He got into a bit of a jam in the fifth inning with runners at first and second with one out. But Mike Moustakas grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but McHugh retired Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain to end the threat.

They avoided a shutout when Kendrys Morales connected off Tony Sipp for a two-run homer to left field in the eighth inning.

Eric Hosmer added three hits for the Royals, whose three-game winning streak was snapped.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Jarrod Dyson (right oblique strain) will continue his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday after taking a day off on Monday.

Astros: Right-hander Lance McCullers (right shoulder soreness) allowed three hits and one run with four strikeouts in three innings in his first rehabilitation start for Double-A Corpus Christi on Monday night. … DH Evan Gattis (sports hernia surgery) went 1 for 3 with a home run in his fourth rehabilitation game with Corpus Christi.

GIFTS GALORE

Astros owner Jim Crane honored Correa for winning rookie of the year and Dallas Keuchel for his Cy Young Award by giving both of the players black Chevy Silverado pickup trucks. The players were welcomed onto the field as the shiny, new trucks were driven onto the warning track and close to the players. They were also each given paintings that depicted several different images of each player. After they received their gifts, Astros greats Jeff Bagwell and Roger Clemens came onto the field to congratulate Correa and Keuchel and throw out the ceremonial first pitches to them.

WHAT AN ENTRANCE

Houston backup catcher Erik Kratz didn’t make the most graceful entrance when the team was introduced before the game. Kratz tripped on the orange carpet the Astros laid out for the pregame festivities and did a belly flop onto the ground. As soon as he got up several Royals, who were standing on the field after being introduced, laughed and pointed at him. When they were sure he was looking, about five of them tipped their caps to their former teammate, who spent parts of the last two seasons in Kansas City.

UP NEXT

Royals: Kris Medlen makes his first start of 2016 on Tuesday. Medlen went 6-2 with a 4.01 ERA last season after returning from Tommy John surgery following the All-Star break.

Astros: Mike Fiers (0-0, 9.00) takes the mound on Tuesday. Fiers, who threw a no-hitter last season, had a tough time in his 2016 debut, allowing five runs and nine hits in five innings.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals did not need a hit to score the winning run Sunday. It wasn’t about how they reached base, just what they did once they got there.

Speedy pinch runner Terrance Gore streaked home on a wild pitch with two outs in the 10th inning, scoring with a headfirst slide to lift the Royals over the winless Minnesota Twins 4-3.

The World Series champion Royals rallied for two runs in the ninth to tie it, then dropped the Twins to 0-6. This is Minnesota’s worst start since the Washington Senators moved to the Twin Cities in 1961.

“People wonder why we had (Gore) on our roster. That’s why,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Christian Colon drew a leadoff walk in the 10th from Trevor May (0-1). Gore then made his first appearance of the season, running for Colon, and dashed to third on May’s throwing error on a pickoff attempt.

May retired the next two batters and issued a walk. With a 1-2 count on Lorenzo Cain, May threw a breaking ball that bounced off catcher John Ryan Murphy’s chest protector and skittered to the right side of the plate.

“That’s what speed does,” Gore said. “I saw it roll out a little bit and then roll a little more. I said I’ve got a shot at this one and I was going for it.”

Mike Moustakas was on second base when Gore made his mad dash home.

“He’s so fast that anything that scoots away like that, he’s going to make it there,” Moustakas said. “I was happy he ended up going. I think he hesitated for a split second. If I’m hesitating, I’m walking back to third base, and he’s sliding headfirst into home plate and winning a game. It’s unreal how fast he is, but it’s awesome.”

Gore beat Murphy’s throw to May covering the plate. May slammed down his hand in frustration after Gore scored.

Wade Davis (1-0) picked up the victory.

Eric Hosmer snapped an 0 for 14 skid with an RBI triple in the ninth and scored on Kendrys Morales’ sacrifice fly as closer Glen Perkins failed to hold a 3-1 lead.

“I just couldn’t make a pitch to get those guys out,” Perkins said. “I had Hosmer 0-2 and I had Morales 0-2. I need to get those guys out. I didn’t get them out in that situation. It’s 0-2; that’s a strikeout.”

Ricky Nolasco held the Royals to one run, on a homer by Moustakas, and three hits over seven innings in his first start.

“We need that one,” Nolasco said. “It’s a little tough to swallow. We can’t afford to lose too many more before winning a few. A nice little win streak here and we’ll relax and get this thing going.”

Eduardo Nunez went 4 for 4 for Twins, matching his career high in hits.

Miguel Sano and Nunez had RBI singles in the sixth off Edinson Volquez, who struck out 10 and walked none in 5 2/3 innings.

It was Volquez’s first game with at least 10 strikeouts since Sept. 25, 2014 while with Pittsburgh at Atlanta.

Joe Mauer went 3 for 3, was hit by a pitch and walked intentionally in the ninth. The Twins star is hitting .344 in 83 games at Kauffman Stadium.

Brian Dozier homered off Luke Hochevar in the seventh for the other Minnesota run.

The Twins loaded the bases on a bunt single, error and two walks in the ninth, but Dillon Gee struck out Byung Ho Park to end the threat. It was Park’s fourth strikeout.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: OF Danny Santana was put on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled right hamstring. He was hurt Saturday.

ROSTER MOVE

The Twins recalled OF Max Kepler, the 2015 Southern League MVP, from Triple-A Rochester to replace Santana. Kepler, 23, was born in Berlin and in 2009 was given an $800,000 signing bonus, which at the time was a record for a European position player.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson will start the home opener against the White Sox.

Royals: RHP Chris Young will start at Houston, the first road game for the defending World Series champs. The Astros will counter with RHP Collin McHugh, who gave up six runs while getting just one out against the Yankees in his initial start.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ian Kennedy followed up an unimpressive spring with a strong regular season debut with the Kansas City Royals.

Kennedy pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings and the Royals hit their first three home runs of the season to beat the winless Minnesota Twins 7-0 Saturday night.

“There was a little more added to it, coming to a new team that’s the defending world champs,” said Kennedy, who was 0-3 with a 6.30 in spring games. “You want to do well. It adds a little more to it in your first outing for them.”

The Twins fell to 0-5 for the first time since the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961.

Kennedy (1-0), signed by the Royals to a five-year $70 million contract in January, limited the Twins to five hits — including four singles, before being pulled after 109 pitches with two out in the seventh. He walked one and struck out seven.

“This is the pitcher we signed,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We don’t even look at spring training numbers. He was on top of his game.”

Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain hit successive home runs in the fourth for the first hits off Twins left-hander Tommy Milone, while Kendrys Morales homered in the sixth off Casey Fien.

“Even those two home runs I felt were two pretty well-placed pitches,” Milone said. “Just good hitters. They were either waiting for it or good adjustments.”

Milone (0-1) allowed four runs — two earned — and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar committed two errors — one fielding and one throwing — leading to the two unearned runs in the fifth.

“Everything went wrong that could,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “A decent start from Tommy and then the back-to-back homers. We were having trouble getting anything going offensively again. Then we made some mistakes in the field the next inning that kind of opened up the flood gates a little bit.”

Paulo Orlando, who was making his first start of the season, had three hits, including an RBI single in the three-run sixth and scored on Alcides Escobar’s two-out triple.

Chien-Ming Wang, who won 38 games for the Yankees in 2006-07, pitched a scoreless ninth, his first big league appearance since Aug. 24, 2013, while with Toronto.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: CF Danny Santana left with a strained right hamstring in the sixth and will be placed on the disabled list.

Royals: OF Jarrod Dyson (right oblique strain) went 1 for 2 with a RBI, walk and scored two runs Saturday for Triple-A Omaha in his first rehab game.

BUXTON, SANO OUT

CF Bryan Buxton, who was ranked the Twins top prospect entering the season, and LF Miguel Sano, who hit .280 with 18 HRs in 80 games as a rookie, were not in the lineup. Buxton has struck out 10 times in 15 at-bats, while Sano is 2 for 15 with no extra-base hits and striking out eight times. “Some of the guys who have not gotten off to good starts we are giving a little bit of a blow,” Molitor said. “You are just looking for some people to step up and kind of get this ship rolling in a more positive direction.” Buxton replaced the injured Santana in the sixth and struck out in the eighth, while Sano flied out as a pinch hitter with two runners on in the seventh and struck out to end the game.

NO DISGRACING AUGUSTA

Royals manager Ned Yost lives in Georgia, was on the Atlanta Braves’ coaching staff 12 seasons and managed three years in the South Atlantic League, where his teams would play games at Augusta. Yost, however, has never played the Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters. “I would not do that,” Yost said. “I would not disgrace that place with me playing golf on it. No way that would ever happen. Even if I was invited to play I would not do that.”

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Ricky Nolasco, who was limited to 37 1/3 innings last year because of ankle and elbow injuries, will make his first start.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez, who threw six scoreless innings to beat the Mets in the season opener, will start the series finale.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard was amused when Kauffman Stadium’s sound system played “American Woman” as he trotted out to the mound for the first inning.

The standing-room only crowd of 39,782 drowned out the music with its boos.

Syndergaard silenced the fans with six dominant innings, Neil Walker hit his first home run for the Mets and New York beat Kansas City 2-0 Tuesday after the Royals were given their 2015 World Series rings.

Syndergaard (1-0) was the only pitcher to beat Kansas City in the World Series last year. The rookie won Game 3 after intentionally firing his first pitch above Alcides Escobar’s head, angering the Royals.

Escobar started this one with a triple, but then Syndergaard struck out the next three batters and retired 12 straight before Kendrys Morales’ double opened the fifth.

“That’s not the result I wanted, a leadoff triple, but I gained a lot of momentum after that,” said Syndergaard, who has long, blond hair that falls way below his baseball cap. “I just went about my game plan.”

Syndergaard allowed three hits, walked one and struck out nine.

Mets manager Terry Collins knew the right-hander would not be intimated by the surroundings.

“He’s not afraid. He’s 6-7, 250 pounds,” Collins said. “They don’t have much fear, those kind of guys.”

Last fall, Syndergaard said if the Royals had a problem with his purpose pitch to Escobar they were welcome to charge the mound. There was talk Kansas City would seek retribution during the season-opening interleague series, but no trouble ensued.

Syndergaard pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, striking out Morales on three swings.

“We had the bases loaded in the sixth and he threw Morales a 95, 93 and 93 mph slider that there is not a man on this earth I believe could hit any of those pitches,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I even asked George (Brett), `Do you think you could even foul any of those off?’ And he said, `No way.”

The Royals went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

The Mets acquired Walker in a December trade with Pittsburgh. He homered off Chris Young (0-1) in the fourth after Yoenis Cespedes walked. That was the first hit Young allowed.

“I tried to throw a fastball away, behind in the count 1-0,” Young said. “He put a good swing on it and that was the difference in the game. I got outpitched.”

Young was pulled after five innings and 93 pitches, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out four.

The Mets loaded the bases in the seventh on two walks and a single, but Luke Hochevar retired Cespedes on a fly ball to Escobar to end the threat.

Jeurys Familia, who blew all three save opportunities he had in the 2015 World Series, pitched a spotless ninth for his first save this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Greg Holland had Tommy John surgery last September and remains unsigned as a free agent, but he was back for the pregame World Series ring ceremony. He said he is throwing 60 feet in Arizona and hopes to sign with a club soon, although it is unlikely he will pitch this season. RHP Jason Frasor and OF Alex Rios, former Royals who were members of the 2015 team, were invited to the ring ceremony and both attended.

CONTIGENCY PLANS

With Mets RHP Jacob deGrom’s wife expecting a baby this week, he might be summoned to Florida for the birth and be unavailable to start the home opener Friday against the Phillies. Manager Terry Collins said they could start LHP Steven Matz or RHPs Matt Harvey or Bartolo Colon on Friday. Colon is penciled in for the Saturday start, while Harvey started the opener Sunday at Kansas City and would have his normal four days of rest.

METS SIGN CATCHER

The Mets signed C Rene Rivera to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate. Rivera, 32, has a .211 average with 20 home runs and 92 RBI over 334 major league games with the Mariners, Padres, Twins and Rays.

UP NEXT

Mets: As of now, deGrom is the probable starter for Friday after the club has two days off.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura draws an assignment Friday against the Twins.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The reigning champion Kansas City Royals picked up where they left off in November, beating Matt Harvey and the New York Mets 4-3 on Sunday night in the first opening-day rematch of a World Series.

With runners at the corners in the ninth inning, All-Star closer Wade Davis struck out David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes to preserve the win.

Edinson Volquez (1-0), who started the decisive Game 5 at Citi Field last fall, allowed two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings, his night curtailed by an inflated pitch count rather than anything the Mets did.

It wasn’t until Joakim Soria came on in the eighth that New York rallied, scoring three times on Lucas Duda’s two-run single and Neil Walker’s RBI groundout. Luke Hochevar struck out Asdrubal Cabrera to strand runners on first and second.

Davis promptly got into another jam in the ninth before holding on.

Harvey (0-1) allowed four runs — three earned — on eight hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings for the Mets.

There wound up being little good about opening night for the NL East champs, still in search of their first championship in three decades. They spent nearly an hour before the first pitch reliving last year’s World Series defeat through a steady stream of highlights on the crown-shaped big screen, then had to watch the raising of the championship banner over the Royals Hall of Fame in left field at Kauffman Stadium.

Things didn’t get a whole lot better once the game began.

Cespedes, the Gold Glove outfielder whose shoddy fielding hurt the Mets in the Series, dropped an easy fly ball in the first inning that ultimately led to the Royals’ opening run.

Kansas City then strung together a couple of singles before Kendrys Morales popped a sacrifice fly to center in the fourth, and Alex Gordon and Omar Infante added two-out RBI singles in the sixth.

Volquez and the Kansas City defense had things well in hand by that point.

The right-hander escaped a jam by getting Travis d’Arnaud to ground out in the second inning, then watched first baseman Eric Hosmer make a nice diving stop to escape a sticky spot in the third. All-Star catcher Salvador Perez threw out Michael Conforto trying to steal second base to end the fourth.

The biggest misstep Volquez made may have been fashion-related — he wore his spring training hat with a gold crown over the interlocking “KC” to start the game. He swapped it out for the proper one before taking the field for the second inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Harvey got the start despite having a blood clot in his bladder that led to a minor procedure last week. “When the word `blood clot’ came up, that’s severe stuff,” manager Terry Collins said. “We started to look at alternative plans and what we might do down the road. Fortunately, it came out he’s going to be OK.”

Royals: RF Jarrod Dyson was milling around the clubhouse before the game. He’s out a few more weeks with an oblique injury that he sustained in the first game of spring training.

MORE BLING

During the pregame festivities, DH Morales picked up his Silver Slugger Award, and 1B Hosmer, C Perez and SS Alcides Escobar got their Gold Gloves. The remaining members of last season’s team are scheduled to get their championship rings before Tuesday’s game.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard, whose inside pitch to Escobar in Game 3 was a flashpoint of the World Series, takes the mound Tuesday. Syndergaard allowed three runs in six innings in a 9-3 victory that night.

Royals: RHP Chris Young started Game 4 of the World Series against New York. He also earned the win in Game 1 when he tossed three scoreless innings in a 5-4, 14-inning victory.

— Associated Press —

PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Owings, in his first full game playing center field in professional baseball, hit a three-run homer to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Owings has been an infielder throughout his career but was pressed into service in center field with A.J. Pollock out for the long term after breaking his right elbow in Friday’s game.

Owings could start in center on opening day Monday if manager Chip Hale prefers the matchup against Colorado Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa.

“If we feel like Chris can do it, he’ll probably be the guy out there,” Hale said.

Hale could also go with 23-year-old Socrates Brito in center. Brito, who played in 18 games in the majors last season and was the organization’s minor league player of the year in 2015, figures to get more of the playing time in the outfield over the course of 2016.

“He’s ready for this. We know that he can handle playing every day,” Hale said of Brito. “He’ll be in every game, let’s put it that way. Whether it’s starting or coming in for defense or pinch hitting late in a game.”

Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray pitched 4 1/3 innings in his last start before the regular season. The Royals fielded a lineup of mostly minor leaguers.

Ray allowed a run on three hits, struck out six and walked three. Royals starter Yordano Ventura was on a pitch count and threw only two innings before leaving the game.

Ventura gave up a run on four hits with four strikeouts.

Brandon Drury had three hits and drove in a run for Arizona. The Royals’ Christian Colon had two hits.

John Lannan shut out the Diamondbacks on five hits over four innings in relief, striking out three. Brad Ziegler, Evan Marshall and Andrew Chafin each pitched a scoreless inning out of Arizona’s bullpen.

It was the spring training finale for both teams. The Royals open defense of their World Series championship Sunday night in Kansas City and the Diamondbacks start the regular season on Monday night.

YOST SETS STARTER SCHEDULE

Royals manager Ned Yost said that after Edinson Volquez starts on opening night on Sunday, Chris Young will pitch Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets. Then after two straight days off, Ventura will face the Minnesota Twins Friday followed by Ian Kennedy next Saturday. Yost said the opening day roster will be announced Sunday morning.

STARTING TIME

Royals: Ventura is the Royals No. 3 starter to open the season. His fifth and final spring training start went much better than his fourth, when he gave up 10 runs in four innings.

Diamondbacks: Ray, who’ll be the fifth starter in the Arizona rotation, threw more offspeed pitches than he’s used to, by design. “Felt good. Pitches were working for me well,” he said. “I just had that one kind of long inning (the second), got the pitch count up. But I was able to get out of it and limit the damage.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Kennedy was moved back to the No. 4 starter spot because of a slight hamstring strain from his last start. “This is very mild to the point where you don’t even feel it anymore right now, but still, just being safe,” Yost said.

Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock addressed media members before Saturday’s game, his arm in a sling.

“A lot of frustration. It almost felt like a nightmare, like it really wasn’t happening,” Pollock said.

“Now it’s just kind of get prepared for what’s next,” he said.

What’s next is surgery in the coming days, and Pollock could be out for the season, though he said his goal is to return to action before it ends.

ROSTER MOVES

Diamondbacks: Arizona placed Pollock and reliever Josh Collmenter on the 15-day disabled list and also announced that local product Jake Barrett had made the opening day roster as a reliever. Barrett, from nearby Mesa and Arizona State University, compiled a 0.79 earned run average in 11 spring-training games.

Reliever Silvino Bracho, Drury and Brito also made the team despite lacking much big league experience, and veteran Rickie Weeks Jr., had his contract purchased.

Relievers Enrique Burgos and Evan Marshall were optioned to Triple-A Reno, as was outfielder Peter O’Brien. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois was re-assigned to minor league camp.

UP NEXT

Royals: Those Royals who will be on the big league roster were scheduled to fly back to Kansas City right after Saturday’s game, and Kansas City will open the season Sunday night against the team they faced in last year’s World Series, the Mets.

“It’s fun, but it’s going to be a zoo, too, with everything going on,” Yost said.

Diamondbacks: After an off-day Sunday, the Diamondbacks are home for opening day on Monday. Zack Greinke, their biggest acquisition of the offseason, will start against the Rockies.

— Associated Press —

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Cole Hamels pitched five solid innings in his final spring start, and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Wednesday.

Hamels, who is slated to start on opening day Monday against Seattle, allowed one run and two hits. The left-hander struck out five and walked none.

“What I was trying to accomplish in spring, I feel pretty good and confident what I was able to do especially today,” Hamels said. “It was getting that four-seam fastball in the bottom half of the zone and get the groundouts. I wanted to establish early contact. It’s nice to at least have some quick innings.”

Royals starter Ian Kennedy was led off the field by trainer Nick Kenney while making warmup tosses in the fourth inning. The preliminary diagnosis was left hamstring tightness.

Kennedy, who signed a $70 million, five-year contract in January, was on the disabled list last April with the San Diego Padres with a left hamstring injury.

“It’s slight. We were just being more precaution than anything right now,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He felt some tightness and a little bit of cramping in his leg. We said let’s get him out and see where we are the next day or two, but we don’t think it’s very serious. He caught a spike the inning before and felt it a little bit.”

Delino DeShields tripled twice and scored two runs for Texas.

“If it’s in the gap or down the line, just automatically I’m thinking triples,” he said. I’m just an aggressive runner. I don’t want to pull up at second base. I want to be on third base.”

STARTING TIME

Royals: Kennedy allowed two runs and three hits. He struck out four and walked none.

The right-hander, who struck out the side in the third, is penciled in to start the second game of the season on Tuesday against the Mets, but that could be in jeopardy with the tight hamstring.

“We’re going to wait and see how it feels tomorrow and the next day,” Yost said. “But as of right now (he’ll start). We’re going to see where he’s at. We’ve got 48 hours to make a decision if we want to adjust (Yordano) Ventura’s load or Chris Young’s.”

Ventura is scheduled to start the final exhibition game Saturday and pitch the third game of the season, April 8 against the Twins.

Kennedy said it is not as bad as the hamstring injury that put him on the disabled list last year.

“Last time, I would feel it when I walked,” Kennedy said. “This time, I don’t. It’s not even close to how I did it before. But it’s not right to push it in my last spring training game.”

Rangers: Hamels, who lowered his ERA from 10.38 to 5.79, threw 73 pitches in three innings in his previous start against the Padres. He was much more efficient against the Royals, throwing 61 pitches.

“When you get into the season, you need to have confidence you can throw certain pitches at certain times, how to get guys out and everything kinda changes when the season (begins),” Hamels said. “When the game is really on the line, you have a little bit more adrenaline, things just kind of completely flip. You just have to stay under control, just be confident in what you have and what you’re going to go out there with.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Jarrod Dyson (strained oblique) will travel with the club to Kansas City to complete his rehab. He is hitting in the cages and remains optimistic he could be activated in mid-April.

Rangers: OF Josh Hamilton (left knee soreness) has had no setbacks, but the club adjusted his timetable to return from May 1 to closer to mid-May. Hamilton will go back to Texas for the opening series before returning to Arizona to rev up his baseball activities.

UP NEXT

Royals: After an off day Thursday, the Royals will use RHP Chien-Ming Wang on Friday against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Rangers: RHP Colby Lewis will start Friday against the Indians in Arlington. The Rangers are off Thursday.

— Associated Press —

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Mike Moustakas homered, doubled and drove in five runs to help the Kansas City Royals outslug the San Francisco Giants 16-10 Tuesday night.

Moustakas hit a three-run homer during an eight-run third inning in which 11 Royals batted. Omar Infante added a two-run double in the inning, and then Kendrys Morales homered in the fourth.

“It’s definitely more of a hitter’s night,” Moustakas said. “Both sides were putting good swings on the ball and making solid contact. It’s definitely one of those days, probably not a good day to be a pitcher on either side.”

Moustakas is hitting .360 with three homers and 13 RBI in 50 at-bats.

“These stats don’t matter, but I’m feeling good at the plate, feeling comfortable in the box and seeing the ball is what’s important,” Moustakas said. “I’ve been able to do a good job with that and stay with my approach, which has been pretty successful up to this point.”

Royals starter Yordano Ventura was ambushed by a group of mostly minor leaguers, allowing 10 runs on 11 hits in four innings. Ventura threw seven scoreless innings against the Giants in Game 6 of the 2014 World Series.

“I got my work in which is the most important thing, but my location was bad,” Ventura said. “The good thing that came out of this is I felt healthy.”

Minor leaguers Ricky Oropesa, Austin Slater and Christian Arroyo homered off Ventura and combined to drive in nine runs in the first four innings.

Giants right-hander Clayton Blackburn gave up six runs on five hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings.

STARTING TIME

Giants: Blackburn, who led the Pacific Coast League with a 2.85 ERA last year, has an 8.62 ERA in 15 2/3 innings. He retired only eight of the 17 Royals he faced.

Royals: Ventura will pitch again on three-days rest Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

“I’m looking forward to my next start, because I want to finish spring training on a positive note,” Ventura said.

BUMGARNER THROWS

LHP Madison Bumgarner, who will start the Giants opener Monday at Milwaukee, threw 93 pitches over six controlled innings in a minor league game. Two innings were cut short when Bumgarner reached his pitch limit. He allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out eight, including the side in the second and sixth innings. Bumgarner said his spring training “wasn’t very good.” He had an 11.12 ERA in four big league starts, yielding 21 hits, including four home runs, in 11 1/3 innings.

“Whether I am or not, I better be ready for the season,” Bumgarner said. “But I feel I’m right where I need to be. It seems like there have been all sorts of spring trainings for me, good, bad and in-between, and it seems like it never necessarily reflects on how the season goes.”

INFANTE LIKELY

Although manager Ned Yost has yet to announce his starting second baseman, it appears Infante will get the nod to begin the season. Infante went 3 for 4 to raise his average to .357, while Christian Colon, his competition, has a .125 average.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: 1B Brandon Belt was ill and a late scratch, replaced by Chris Shaw.

Royals: They will begin the season with four on the disabled list: OF Jarrod Dyson (oblique strain), LHP Tim Collins (second Tommy John surgery to be scheduled), LHP Jason Vargas (rehabbing from July 2015 Tommy John surgery) and LHP Mike Minor (rehabbing from May 2015 shoulder surgery).

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto will start at Sacramento, the Giants’ AAA affiliate. Cueto had a 9.58 ERA with opponents batting .347 off him over 10 1/3 innings in three Cactus League starts.

Royals: RHP Chris Young will pitch Friday against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Royals are off Thursday.

— Associated Press —

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have released veteran pitchers Brian Duensing and Peter Moylan and infielder Clint Barmes from minor league contracts.

The team announced the cuts on Monday.

Duensing, a 33-year-old left-hander who had a 41-37 record with a 3.61 ERA over seven seasons with Minnesota, had a 2.61 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings in 10 spring games.

Moylan, 37, a right-handed sidearmer, has a 22-9 record with a 2.83 ERA in 331 relief appearances in the majors.

Barmes, 37, has a .245 career batting average in 1,186 big league games with Colorado, Pittsburgh, Houston and San Diego, where he started 51 games at shortstop last season.

— Associated Press —