The Kansas City Royals complete the weekend sweep of Texas, shutting out the Rangers 10-0 Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
Kansas City opened the scoring in the 2nd on the strength of four doubles. Ross Gload extended his consecutive game hitting streak to 8 with an infield double – a ground ball that took a hop and went under Texas second baseman Ramon Vazquez’s glove and skipped onto the infield dirt. A heads up Gload saw an opportunity to take second on the play and did just that. Mark Teahen then doubled to the wall to bring home Gload with the game’s first run. Reggie Sanders walked. Then, both Teahen and Sanders scored on Tony Pena’s double. David DeJesus added to the scoring with the inning’s fourth double that scored Tony Pena from second.
The Royals fifth and sixth runs came in the 6th. Mark Teahen, who had singled to lead off the inning, stole second and scored on Tony Pena’s single. Reggie Sanders, who walked and went to third on Pena’s base hit, then scored on a David DeJesus single.
The scoring wasn’t over. Kansas City exploded for four more runs in the 7th. Alex Gordon, who had doubled to lead off the inning, went to third on a fielder’s choice and crossed the plate on Ross Gload’s single, his third hit of the day. Gload, who went to second on a walk to Mark Teahen, then scored on a Reggie Sanders single. Teahen scored on a bases loaded walk to Devid DeJesus. Finally, Tony Pena, who reached first on a fielder’s choice, scored on Esteban German’s single.
Leo Nunez (1-0) pitched 6 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits, to earn the win in his second Major League start. Joel Peralta,who pitched 3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, earns his 1st save. Texas starter Kameron Loe (5-9) was chased after giving up 6 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.
The sweep is the Royals’ second of the season. They swept the Angels in a three game series in Anaheim in June. It’s Kansas City’s first sweep at Kauffman Stadium since the Royals took three from the Red Sox in August of last year.
The Royals open a four game series with the Minnesota Twins Monday night at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Gil Meche (7-7) goes to the mound for the Royals against Minnesota’s Scott Baker (4-4).
Download/Listen: Manager Buddy Bell’s post game comments (4:30 MP3)
