TEMPE, Ariz. — Kendrys Morales and the Los Angeles Angels have been waiting for this day for a long time.
Morales, the Angels first baseman/designated hitter, made his first appearance on Thursday since he got hurt during an ill-fated celebration at home plate in May 2010.
He had two hits in three trips to the plate in the Angels’ 7-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
“Everything felt good,” Morales said through an interpreter. “Hopefully, we can keep it going.”
Lorenzo Cain hit his fourth spring home run for the Royals, a two-run shot to left off Jered Weaver that cleared the ballpark in the second inning.
Morales received a warm ovation from Angels fans in his first at-bat.
He bounced a seeing-eye single to right field off Royals starter Danny Duffy. He then ran and sliding safely into third on Bobby Abreu’s double to left field.
“I felt good and you could see it when I ran to third,” said Morales, a former Arkansas Traveler.
Morales popped out in his next at-bat, but singled batting left-handed later in the game.
“It’s what we expected,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s running well. He slid a couple of times.”
Morales hit 34 home runs with 108 RBI in a breakthrough 2009 season.
He was off to another strong start in 2010 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI in 51 games when he broke his left ankle while celebrating a walk-off home run by jumping onto home plate.
With his return to the lineup along with the free-agency acquisition of Albert Pujols, the Angels possess one of the majors’ best lineups to go along with one of the best starting rotations.
That rotation is led by Weaver, the likely opening day starter, who was hit hard for the second time in his past three starts.
The Royals got to Weaver for 9 hits and 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Weaver was second in the 2011 American League Cy Young voting after he went 18-8 with a 2.41 ERA.
Erick Aybar went 3 for 3. Howie Kendrick and Vernon Wells also had two hits as the Angels finished with 15.
WHITE SOX 16, ROYALS (SS) 4 Adam Dunn hit a grand slam and a two-run shot off Bruce Chen, leading the Chicago White Sox to a victory over a Kansas City Royals split squad in Glendale, Ariz. Chen allowed 10 runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one. A.J. Pierzynski also homered off Chen in the fifth inning.
CARDINALS 9, NATIONALS 0
Jaime Garcia struck out nine in five innings to lead St. Louis to a victory over Washington in Jupiter, Fla. Garcia struck out two batters in each of the first four innings and didn’t allow a walk. He gave up three hits. The Nationals’ Gio Gonzalez didn’t fare nearly as well, having to be lifted before the end of the fourth inning. In what was easily his worst outing of the spring, Gonzalez allowed eight runs in 3 2/3 innings.
ORIOLES 11, TWINS 1 Carl Pavano struggled and Baltimore finished with 14 hits in a victory over Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla. The Twins’ openingday starter allowed 6 earned runs and 8 hits in 4 innings. Joe Mauer went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI for the Twins.
BLUE JAYS 2, PHILLIES 0 Jose Bautista doubled twice and scored a run and Brandon Morrow allowed one hit over six innings, outdueling Cliff Lee (Benton, Arkansas Razorbacks) and leading Toronto to a victory over Philadelphia in Dunedin, Fla. Lee allowed 1 run and struck out 7 in 6 innings. He escaped a first-inning jam by striking out the side, two coming after Kelly Johnson singled and Bautista doubled. He allowed a run in the fourth when Bautista doubled and scored on Adam Lind’s single.
METS 8, ASTROS 2 Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey gave up just one hit in 6 1/3 innings and the New York Mets beat the Houston Astros in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Dickey held Houston hitless until giving up a single to Justin Ruggiano in the sixth. Dickey allowed 1 run, struck out 4 and walked 3.
RAYS 8, PIRATES 6 James Shields had his toughest outing of the spring in Tampa Bay’s victory over Pittsburgh in Bradenton, Fla. He gave up 5 runs, 3 earned, in 5 2/3 innings. Shields allowed 10 hits, including home runs to Rod Barajas and Yamaico Navarro, but struck out 6 and walked 2.
BRAVES 5, MARLINS 5 (10) Tyler Pastornicky had four hits and Freddie Freeman added three and Atlanta tied Miami in 10 innings in Kissimmee, Fla, just hours after Chipper Jones said he will retire at the end of the season. Jones did not play. Brandon Beachy started for the Braves and allowed four runs in five innings. He walked one and struggled with his control, but four relievers came in and allowed only one run.
INDIANS 9, PADRES (SS) 4 Ubaldo Jimenez allowed a run in four innings and Cleveland beat a San Diego split squad in Peoria, Ariz. Jimenez, who entered with a 9.31 ERA, struck out four and walked one. Travis Hafner hit a home run and had an RBI groundout for Cleveland.
PADRES (SS) 11, ROCKIES (SS) 6 Guillermo Moscoso allowed 5 runs and 7 hits in 3 innings for Colorado in a loss to San Diego in a game between split squads in Tucson, Ariz. Moscoso is still competing for a spot in the Padres’ rotation. He went 8-10 in 23 games — 21 starts — for Oakland last year. He walked three and struck out three. CUBS 11, RANGERS (SS) 4 Alfonso Soriano and Ian Stewart each homered to power the Chicago Cubs past a Texas split squad in Surprise, Ariz. Joe Mather and Brett Jackson also connected for the Cubs, who had 15 hits against five Texas pitchers. Matt Garza held the Rangers to 3 unearned runs on 2 hits and 3 walks over 5 innings. He struck out three. Colby Lewis gave us six runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings for the Rangers. Lewis struck out three.
Sports, Pages 23 on 03/23/2012