Royals non-roster pitchers drilled in 12-5 loss to Brewers

Not a great impression to make the team.

Non-roster invitees Thomas Hatch and Ross Stripling combined to give up nine runs as the Royals fell to the Brewers 12-5 on Thursday afternoon in Phoenix.

The top of the order did their job again in the first inning. Jonathan India led off with a double, followed by a Bobby Witt Jr. walk. Maikel Garcia would eventually get India home with an RBI groundout to put the Royals on the board.

Chandler Champlain, another non-roster invitee, struggled with his command in the opening frame. He walked three hitters to load the bases, but escaped without yielding a run. He wasn’t so lucky in the second inning, hitting a batter, and giving up two hits to tie the game.

Hatch came into the game in the third and gave up four runs, including a three-run home run to Brewers catcher Jorge Alfaro. The Royals stole a run in the fourth when Kyle Isbel was hit by a pitch, then stole second and third, scoring on an errant pickoff attempt.

Bobby Witt Jr. later smacked his first home run of the spring. It was glorious.

What was not glorious was the pitching by veteran starter Ross Stripling. He’s a 35-year-old who had a 6.01 ERA and a low strikeout rate, so expectations were low, but egads. He faced eight hitters, got three out, and gave up two dongs. He gave up a two-run home run to A-ball second baseman Josh Adamczewski and another two-run home run to Double-A infielder Zavier Warren. The Brewers put up five runs in the inning to make it a laugher.

The Royals managed just four hits, although they drew seven walks and ran wild on the Brewers with five steals - two each from Isbel and Garcia. The Royals will try to get back in the win column tomorrow afternoon against the Diamondbacks at 2:10 CT.