PHILADELPHIA — After trailing 4-0 in the fifth inning, the Kansas City Royals stormed back to score 13 unanswered runs, spoiling the Philadelphia Phillies’ home opener at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday afternoon.
The Phillies (1-3, 0-1 home) walked Billy Butler to load the bases in the sixth, and Alex Gordon made them pay. His three-run RBI triple put the Royals (2-2, 2-2 away) up 5-4, and set the tone for the rest of the game.
Chris Getz added an RBI triple in the seventh to make it 9-4, and the rout was on. Alcides Escobar delivered the Royals’ first HR of the year, a solo blast to left to push the lead to 10-4 in the eighth.
It was a rough outing for Royals starter Wade Davis (9.00 ERA), who surrendered a pair of solo home runs in the second inning to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead. Ryan Howard’s RBI single to right field made it 4-0 in the third.
The Royals bullpen delivered, and lefty Bruce Chen (1-0, 0.00 ERA) got the win, fanning Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley in the fifth. Relievers J.C. Gutierrez and Tim Collins combined for four K’s over three scoreless innings to help cement the win.
Down 4-0 with two outs in the fifth, Eric Hosmer was the first to put the Royals on the board, with a two-run RBI single to right.
Luis Mendoza will make his season debut in game two against the Phillies on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.
