Royals top prospect tumbles his way to debut triple
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Gavin Cross had one thought as he rounded second base and zeroed in on third Saturday night time.
Playing in his first Cactus League sport within the Royals’ 7-6 loss to the Dodgers, Cross legged out a triple in entrance of an almost offered out crowd beneath the lights at Surprise Stadium. The Royals’ No. 1 prospect and No. 7 total Draft decide final 12 months was used as a Minor League alternative within the huge league sport as a result of the Royals performed a cut up squad Saturday and wanted substitutions for each video games. Cross was joined by prospects Carter Jensen (No. 10) and Peyton Wilson (No. 20) on the bench.
“It’s cool to see them, especially in a night game like this with a good crowd,” supervisor Matt Quatraro stated. “It’s probably a little extra adrenaline, which is great. You got to get used to that. You want them to experience it.”
Cross checked in at heart discipline within the prime of the sixth, and by the point he walked to the plate within the backside of the inning, he nonetheless hadn’t actually discovered the sensation in his legs.
“I was extremely nervous,” Cross stated. “Just trying to enjoy it and soak it all in. It took an inning and a half for my legs to feel like they were there. It was fun.”
When Cross ripped a pitch down the first-base line and into the right-field nook, he took off, initially pondering he had a double. Halfway to second base, he realized he may get to 3rd. He picked up his tempo, however his legs have been feeling like Jell-O. As he neared third, he began to stumble, and whereas the head-first slide wasn’t the prettiest he’s ever finished, he made it safely.
“I looked back, almost tripped on the bag, I don’t know how I didn’t fall down,” Cross stated. “But it was good. Glad I got there. It could have looked a lot better, but the fact I got there was a good thing.”
Cross described Saturday night time’s sport like his first school sport at Virginia Tech “but on steroids,” and he tried to breathe his approach via the nerves and feelings all through the night time. A chunk of recommendation from a former first-round Draft decide helped, too.
“Just trying to relax and have fun,” Cross stated. “That’s what Bobby [Witt Jr.] told us all in the dugout: Just go have fun. I thought that was pretty cool. He didn’t have to do that.”
Cross arrived in Surprise for Minor League Spring Training late final week and noticed dwell pitching for the primary time on Wednesday. He came upon he’d be obtainable off the bench for Saturday’s sport on Thursday.
That compelled him to get his timing again fast. He discovered extra from his strikeout Saturday than his triple. Facing a tricky lefty in Adam Kolarek, Cross struck out swinging and got here again to the dugout to speak to hitting coach Alec Zumwalt.
“Even though I struck out, I took a lot out of it,” Cross stated. “Just learning from your mistakes and different things that happened in the game.”
Greinke tunes up vs. Dodgers
Zack Greinke was conscious that Dodgers second baseman Miguel Vargas — who’s therapeutic from a hairline fracture in his proper pinky finger — wasn’t going to swing throughout his at-bat within the prime of the third inning Saturday night time, so Greinke wished to have a fast at-bat whereas additionally utilizing it to attempt a number of issues out.
In typical Greinke trend, he dropped in a few gradual curveballs — 59 mph and 66 mph, to be actual.
Then he tried out a max effort fastball, slinging it 92 mph down the center of the plate for strike three.
“I won’t do that during the game,” Greinke stated with a small grin. “You got to try to throw hard to throw hard, sometimes. I was mainly just trying to build up arm strength. But then I didn’t want to take a long time. Then I was getting tired from going so fast and trying to build up arm strength. It ended up being a mess of an at-bat.”
Greinke allowed one run on three hits in three innings with three strikeouts. He known as his personal pitches with the PitchCom system once more, fixed to his belt.
Royals rumblings
• In the Royals’ 12-6 win over the Reds earlier on Saturday, MJ Melendez led off with a homer, and Nick Pratto went 3-for-3.
• Lefty Kris Bubic is scheduled to pitch in his first Cactus League sport on Monday towards the D-backs after a profitable bullpen session Saturday. He’s been behind in his throwing development due to slight shoulder soreness, so that can probably put him an inning or two behind on the finish of spring.
• The Royals had particular friends in camp on Saturday, together with Bo Jackson, George Brett and Ned Yost. They’re right here for a group sponsorship occasion and caught batting apply earlier than Saturday night time’s sport.
