These ‘Stros ain’t Royal

Last night the Royals dismantled the Astros and their new bullpen and it was one of the most wonderful nights I have ever witnessed as a baseball fan. Even though the game was a meaningless exhibition, I thought I would provide a recap for anyone who needs a baseball fix this glorious Easter weekend.

To start, my wife and I arrived early to watch batting practice and see our beloved Royals up close. Lorenzo Cain was the star as he willingly signed autographs for anyone and everyone. And there were a ton of Royals fans mingling by the Royals dugout and throughout the stadium. It almost felt like pre-game at The K.

We also watched the pitchers shagging fly balls during BP. Jeremy Guthrie and Jason Vargas were in left field and seemed to be taking it seriously. The ridiculous quintuple-headed cyborg consisting of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, Greg Holland, Jason Frasor and Luke Hochevar was in center field and they were all chatting, presumably about how many batters they would allow to reach base before flashing them some mid-90’s fastball or wicked slider and crush any dreams the Astros would have of scoring a run (more on that later).

A hitter's nightmare is facing any of these guys... 

The game featured new Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez versus Scott Feldman. It was my first look at Volquez since I was not able to watch any spring training games. Although he was not signed to replace James Shields, Volquez did remind me of Shields a little bit. In 2014, Shields had a habit of starting games slowly, allowing a run or two in the first couple innings before settling down and shutting the other team down the rest of the game. Volquez was the same, allowing the first two batters to reach base before settling in and striking out 7 batters and allowing 0 runs in his short 4 innings.

Volquez and Scott Feldman chatting before the game

The Royals hitters were displaying their usual lack of patience at the plate and at this point, my wife and I were hungry, so we tried some fried pickles with jalapeno ranch. They were the second most amazing fried pickles I have ever eaten, with the most amazing coming from So Long Saloon in Manhattan, KS. All you Kansas City folks need to get down to Aggieville and try those if you haven’t.

The pickles only whetted our appetite more, so we decided to look for the new Chicken and Waffle Cone the Astros revealed was on their menu. Along with the chicken and waffle cone, they also offered brisket fries which sounded better so we tried those. OMG those reminded me of KC barbeque- smoky and full of flavor. At this point, we decided to buckle in and watch the rest of the game, so we found some seats behind the Royals dugout with the score tied at 0.

Brisket fries, a reminder of KC

The score didn’t hold up long as the Royals strung together some small ball and Alcides Escobar drove in a run. Then Cain brought Moose home and it was 2-0, which would remain the score until the 8th inning when Eric Hosmer hit a screaming opposite field home run that left the field in just milliseconds, which was immediately followed by Brett Eibner absolutely mashing the ball over left center. EIbner has an OPS of 2.5000 which is practically inhuman. What a beast; he has 6 home runs this spring.

Around the same time, the Royals brought out Jason Frasor, Kelvin Herrera, and Wade Davis. I had to laugh because the Astros hitters didn’t have a chance. And none of the pitchers were throwing full heat! I think Davis allowed runners on second and third (probably as a joke) then got out unscathed (as always). Herrera played with his hitters, throwing 87 MPH CHANGEUPs then striking them out with 96 MPH fastballs. It was great entertainment.

Kelvin Herrera is a joy to watch. 

Greg Holland came in to close the game out and had a little trouble, allowing a home run and another hit. He didn’t look very sharp but the Royals were winning 11-1, a game that Holland would never pitch in anyway. There were few fans left, but those that remained broke out "Let's Go Royals" chants several times, and Orbit, the Astros mascot came down and gave some Royals fans a hard time, mocking them and shooting them with silly string. And after the game ended, more "Let's Go Royals" chants broke out on the concourse. It felt like home. 

Overall, it was a fantastic night and I am excited for Round 2 this afternoon. Jason Vargas takes the mound and my stomach has been subtly telling me to try the Chicken and Waffle cone. Check out my twitter for live updates during the game!