KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The man who got the save in Kansas City's 5-4 victory Wednesday over the Chicago White Sox wasn't following baseball the last time the Royals started a season 2-0.
Of course, Mike MacDougal was 2 years old at the time.
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| Bartolo Colon makes his much-anticipated season debut for the White Sox but gets a no-decision.(AP) |
MacDougal got his second save of the season when he got Frank Thomas to hit into a game-ending double-play grounder Wednesday. Confidence in the Royals' clubhouse couldn't get much higher.
"We feel great," said MacDougal, a slender, hard-throwing right-hander who got his first major league save with a hitless ninth Monday.
Joe Randa's two-run homer off Rick White (0-1) in the seventh provided a 5-3 lead for the Royals, who filled their roster with young players following last year's 100-loss season.
"By no means do we feel we've turned the corner and we're the team to beat," Randa said.
"We've got a lot of things to work on and we're not going to get ahead of ourselves. But the good thing is our pitchers are throwing strikes and our defense is making plays. and we've come up with some clutch hits. We have confidence in these young guys."
With the score 3-all, Angel Berroa reached on a throwing error by shortstop Tony Graffanino ahead of Randa's home run.
"The race has gone off," said Chicago manager Jerry Manuel. "We just haven't started yet. We're a little late coming out of the blocks. We're still stretching. Everybody else is running."
Albie Lopez (1-0) gave up an RBI single in the eighth to Armando Rios. and MacDougal walked the leadoff batter in the ninth. Graffanino then struck out when he fouled off a bunt attempt with two strikes.
Thomas' grounder sealed it.
"At the last second, it moved right in on me," Thomas said. "There's nothing I could do with that one. He throws a hard sinker."
Raul Ibanez was 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI for the Royals.
Bartolo Colon made his first start for the White Sox, who acquired him from Montreal during the offseason in a three-team trade. Colon, 20-8 for Cleveland and the Expos last year, allowed three runs, four hits and three walks in six innings, striking out two.
"He's throwing 98 (mph), but his command wasn't there," Chicago catcher Sandy Alomar said. "When he's throwing the ball inside to right-handers, the ball was sinking in. He's pretty close to being where he needs to be on his command."
Royals starter Jeremy Affeldt gave up two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out four.
Chicago, which outhit the Royals 10-6, took a 2-0 lead in the third on a throwing error by right fielder Dee Brown following Graffanino's single and Magglio Ordonez's sacrifice fly.
Mike Sweeney's RBI single and Ibanez's sacrifice fly tied the score in the bottom half, and Ibanez put the Royals ahead with an RBI double in the fifth. Thomas made it 3-3 with an RBI single in the seventh off Lopez.
Notes
- Berroa made a nice play on Joe Crede's high bouncer to shortstop in the fourth. He stood flat-footed, barehanded the ball and then threw to first.
- Sweeney dropped a throw from 2B Desi Relaford that would have ended the seventh with a double play.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
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