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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – An excitement that Kansas City hasn't
experienced in many years rippled through Kauffman Stadium.
|  | | Roberto Hernandez gives the once-laughable Royals bullpen some credibility. |
Roberto Hernandez was making his Royals' debut.
Then the veteran right-hander, who's being asked to repair the
most wretched bullpen in the league, brought a roar from the crowd
by getting the last three outs in Saturday's 5-3 victory over Minnesota.
The Royals are hoping Hernandez will do nothing less than herald a whole new era.
"I hope this will be the beginning of something good here," said Hernandez. "It's a good sensation to finish it for them. And it was very, very satisfying for me."
The crowd of 16,687 which had seen its bullpen blow a staggering
56 save chances the past two seasons, was on its feet applauding
when Hernandez fanned Doug Mientkiewicz for his first save as a Royal.
"I was so pumped to get the last guy out, the first two pitches
sailed out of the strike zone," he said.
How many times has a crowd come to its feet for him like that?
"Never. Never, ever," said the nine-year veteran.
The players who've seen two fine offensive seasons laid waste by a horrid relief corps seemed almost as pumped as the crowd.
"I could feel the energy," said third baseman Joe Randa. "It was pretty exciting."
Hernandez, obtained over the winter in a three-way trade that
sent outfielder Johnny Damon to Oakland, caught a bad break when
second baseman Carlos Febles booted a grounder by Cory Koskie leading off.
When Jacque Jones singled him to second, you could almost hear the fans mutter, "Here we go again."
But then Randa made a nice pickup at third to start a rally-killing double play and Hernandez blew a game-ending fastball past Mientkiewicz.
"I knew I was one pitch away from getting a ground ball double-play and that's exactly what happened," Hernandez said. "The good thing is I'm mature enough to put (the error) away."
Randa's home run broke an 0-for-15 skid and Carlos Beltran
delivered a two-run single as the Royals finally broke into the win
column and kept the Twins from their first 4-0 start since 1987.
The Twins were the last unbeaten team in the AL, while Kansas
City was the last winless club.
Jeff Suppan (1-1) went 6 1/3 innings for the victory, giving up three runs on seven hits. He struck out eight and walked none.
After Chad Allen made it 4-2 with an RBI triple in the fifth, Suppan left him stranded at third by striking out Mientkiewicz, Denny Hocking and A.J. Pierzynski. The right-hander, who led AL
pitchers in home runs allowed last year with 36, gave up solo shots
to Matt Lawton in the first and Jones in the seventh.
"Suppan pitched a good game," said Minnesota manager Tom Kelly. "We made a couple of mistakes in the fourth inning that helped him out. But he doesn't walk many guys."
Mark Redman (0-1), who led AL rookies in last year in wins, strikeouts and winning percentage, was charged with five runs on six hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Randa's solo homer tied it at 1 in the second, then the Royals
scored three in the fourth with the help of a high sky that
bothered fielders all day long.
Second baseman Luis Rivas was charged with an error when he
dropped Randa's high popup, then Mark Quinn hit an opposite-field
shot to right that dropped out of Lawton's glove as he banged into
the wall. Randa wound up at third on the single and scored when Dave McCarty grounded back to Redman, who threw to second for the force. The relay to first was too late for the double play as Randa
sped home.
With two out and the bases loaded, Beltran lined a two-run
single into left for a 4-1 lead.
Hector Ortiz put the Royals on top 5-2 with an RBI single in the fifth.
Randa refused even to think how everyone would have felt if Hernandez had blown his first save opportunity.
"The crowd had to pump him up," said Randa. "Hopefully, every time he goes out, there'll be energy like that."
Game notes
Koskie doubled in the third inning following Lawton's home
run but was thrown out on a close play at third trying to stretch
it to a triple. ... Minnesota first baseman Mientkiewicz made an
outstanding play for the third out in the third, lying on his belly
and stretching out as far as he could to keep his foot on the bag
and take Koskie's throw from third. ... Another fine play was
turned in by Quinn in left, a leaping, running grab of Rivas' drive
into the alley. ... Redman is 0-3 lifetime against Kansas City.
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RECAPS
Baltimore 4
Cleveland 2
Toronto 3
NY Yankees 2
Detroit 5
Chi. White Sox 3
Kansas City 5
Minnesota 3
Oakland 4
Anaheim 2
Boston 6
Tampa Bay 2
Seattle 6
Texas 5
Chicago Cubs 8
Philadelphia 4
Milwaukee 6
Cincinnati 1
Montreal 10
NY Mets 0
Pittsburgh 5
Houston 3
San Diego 14
Colorado 10
St. Louis 8
Arizona 4
Florida 8
Atlanta 0
Los Angeles 10
San Francisco 4
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