KANSAS CITY Mike Napoli Jersey , Mo. (AP) — If the Kansas City Royals are going to have success in 2019, they’ll need to rely on their speed. That was very evident Saturday in an 8-6 win over the Chicago White Sox on a wet, cold and windy afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.Jorge Soler had three hits and three RBIs and Alex Gordon scored three runs despite not getting a hit. Billy Hamilton got three hits and scored twice for the Royals, 2-0 for the first time since their World Series-winning season in 2015.The first pitch was delayed 30 minutes because of rain. When the game began, it was 38 degrees and felt like 28, whipped by 18 mph winds.The Royals had two big innings when they scored seven of their eight runs, and speed played a role in all of them. Nowhere was it more evident than a three-run fourth when Hamilton advanced from first base on a flyout to right field.“We were screaming for him to tag,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “That’s the type of baseball we like to play. We like to push it. He’s got that phenomenal speed to be able to do it.”For Hamilton, it was no big deal.“I take pride in my baserunning,” he said. “It’s easier to score from second base than it is from first base. I kind of know the guys who are playing. I knew if he would have thrown me out I wouldn’t have been mad. You have to take the chance.The speed on the basepaths seemed to rattle White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez (0-1). He gave up four runs on six hits through four-plus innings.“If they get on base, they can be a disruption, a distraction for you because you have to keep checking on them just to make sure they don’t take a big lead and take off earlier,” Lopez said. “I don’t think that they ran a lot against me, but it’s just part of the game.”Chicago manager Rick Renteria said Lopez struggled to stay on track.“He was pulling pitches quite a bit early and wasn’t able to get back to front http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey ,” he said. “He wasn’t able to do it as well as we wanted him to. He was not having a good feel for the baseball this afternoon.”“It was a little bit cool for him, as it was for both sides. I think he was pulling a lot more pitches than we’re used to. He tried to make an adjustment but just wasn’t able to,” he said.Jakob Junis (1-0) gave up three runs — all in the sixth on Jose Abreu’s homer — over 5 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits, walked one and struck out six.It was the second straight strong starting effort for the Royals. Brad Keller threw seven shutout innings in the season-opener Thursday.Ian Kennedy pitched the ninth for the first save of his career. He gave up two quick singles, but then retired the next three batters.“Nerves go away quickly when you get first and second,” he said. “That’s when you know you can’t give up any more singles. You try to put it to a stop.”The Royals made it 4-0 in the fifth when Gordon walked and scored on a double by Soler, chasing Lopez.Yolmer Sanchez and Yoan Moncada singled in the White Sox sixth and Abreu homered.The Royals came back with four runs in the bottom half. Whit Merrifield hit a two-run single, extending his hitting streak to 22 games back to last season, Gordon walked and Soler drove in both runners with his second double.Moncada homered in a three-run seventh.Prized White Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez got his first two big league hits after going 0 for 3 in his debut Thursday.UP NEXTWhite Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito will make his season debut for the White Sox as they conclude the season-opening series.Royals: RHP Jorge Lopez will get the start for the Royals. CINCINNATI (AP) — The baseball commissioner is grand marshal of the pregame parade. All major league teams are wearing patches commemorating Cincinnati’s first all-professional team. A new manager and an overhauled lineup provide intrigue.The Reds haven’t been in the opening day spotlight this way for years.The last time Cincinnati was at baseball’s epicenter was 2015, when the Reds hosted the All-Star Game. The Reds then traded away their stars, including Home Run Derby champ Todd Frazier, and plunged into a rebuild that brought them more consecutive 90-loss seasons than any other franchise in the majors.They’re celebrating a big year in history on Thursday and opening a season with hopes for better days when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team they’d like to leapfrog this season in a climb from the NL Central basement.“Opening day is an honor for everyone,” first-year manager David Bell said.Last year’s opener provided the major leagues’ first rainout. A game against the Nationals was pushed back a day Yonder Alonso Jersey , the first time since 1966 that Cincinnati called off its opener because of the weather.Things didn’t get much better when the skies cleared. The Reds went 3-15, prompting manager Bryan Price’s firing. The Reds lost 95 games, the fourth straight season with least 94 losses. The front office hired Bell — whose grandfather and father played for the Reds — to lead their attempt to climb from the basement. Three trades overhauled the rotation and the outfield, bringing Yasiel Puig and others to a new-look roster.For the first time since 2015, Reds fans have a reason for excitement as a season opens.“This is a big day for the fans in Cincinnati and they deserve it,” said right-hander Luis Castillo, one of the holdovers from last season who will make his first opening day start.Commissioner Rob Manfred is in town to launch the 150-year celebration of baseball’s first all-professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. He’s grand marshal of the pregame parade, which began 100 years ago. All major league clubs are wearing a “150” patch on their caps for opening day.On the field, the Reds and Pirates will pick up where they left off. The Pirates won 6-5 in 10 innings at Great American last Sept. 30, finishing fourth with an 82-79 record.The Pirates are hoping that a deep rotation led by Jameson Taillon can help them be more competitive in the NL Central, where Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Louis are the top contenders for playoff spots. Taillon was Pittsburgh’s best pitcher down the stretch last season, allowing three earned runs or less in each of his last 22 starts.“It’s a big honor to kick off the season for the boys http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , try to set the tone,” said Taillon, who grew up in Houston. “Obviously, I care about the body of work, but it’s a big honor.“Growing up as a fan of baseball, there was a certain (aura) about being the opening-day starter. I always looked forward when teams announced their opening day starter, always looked forward to who the Astros’ starter was when I was a kid.”The game also marks the start of the final season for two long-time broadcasters. Marty Brennaman, the Reds’ play-by-play broadcaster, and Pirates color commentator Steve Blass are retiring after the season . The teams also end the regular season together in Pittsburgh on Sept. 29.“I’ve always tried to live a life of anticipation, so I’m looking forward to it,” Blass said. “I know I’m going to miss it.”
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