KANSAS
CITY
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Mo. (AP) — Having spent six seasons in the minor leagues and last year working
on his mechanics, right-hander Kyle Zimmer had a strong spring training for
Kansas City and hoped to make the Royals’ opening day roster.Then manager Ned
Yost told the Zimmer and infielder Frank Schwindel they were going to Omaha,
where the Royals’ Triple-A farm team plays.“You could see their heads down,”
Yost recalled. “But I said afterwards, Omaha is going to get on a plane and go
back to Arizona. We’re going to get on a plane and go to Kansas City. And you’re
going to be on that plane.”The fifth overall pick in the 2012, Zimmer was with
the Royals for Thursday’s opener against the Chicago White Sox.“I feel like I
have to have some sort of record for the most times coming out of a game with a
trainer,” the 27-year-old said. “Any time you come off the field with a trainer
is not a good time. Last spring was tough. It just felt like that was it.”Zimmer
resurrected his career with a six-month stint at Driveline baseball in Seattle,
participating in a data-driven strength training program. He responded with a
0.71 ERA in nine spring training appearances over 12 2/3 innings.“I never
thought this day would be possible,” Yost said. “The way he would continue to
fight but struggle with injury after injury after injury, I figured Driveline
was a last resort.”Zimmer said he doubted he would ever be in this
position.“Every day, several times, for multiple years,” he recalled, “you’d
wake up with dagger-pain in your arm, not being able to perform the way you can
because of having pain. There were several times when I thought this day would
never come. For it to be here is pretty amazing.”Yost enjoyed the way he
delivered the good news.“That’s as much fun, telling a guy he made the team, as
it is not fun telling a guy that he didn’t,” the manager said. SAN DIEGO (AP) —
It was a night of memorable debuts for the Arizona Diamondbacks.Merrill Kelly
paused for a moment before making his first big league appearance at age 30.“I
took a minute before I threw the first pitch and took in the stadium, took in
the
surroundings
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Lopez Jersey , just so I can have that memory before I stepped on the
rubber,” the right-hander said. “Once I got going, once I stepped on the rubber,
it was game time.”Kelly threw six strong innings for the victory and benefited
from an offensive outburst started by Adam Jones‘ leadoff homer to lead the
Arizona Diamondbacks over the San Diego Padres 10-3 Saturday night.A few hours
later, the bullpen gate opened and right-hander Jon Duplantier, 24, jogged in to
throw his first big league pitches when he took over for Kelly starting the
bottom of the seventh.“I wasn’t nervous jogging in. I was more nervous warming
up,” Duplantier said. “As soon as I walked through the door, hit the pad and
took about three steps before it was like, ‘OK, I’m not going to fall, I’m not
going to trip,’ because I’ve got big feet and every now and then the turf
monster will get me, but he didn’t get me today.“Took about three steps and I
just couldn’t stop looking up, just taking it all in like everybody was
encouraging me to do. It was just pure joy. I felt like a child, you know, like,
‘Hey, go
play
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just so happy,” he said.“It was a special day for him and Jon, two guys making
their major league debut,” manager Tory Lovullo said. “You’d never suspect it by
their mound presence, their poise and their ability to attack hitters.”Padres
rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first big league homer, a two-run
shot in the sixth that landed at the base of the Western Metal Supply Co.
building in left field.Kelly (1-0), who grew up in Arizona, joined the
Diamondbacks on a two-year contract in December after spending four seasons with
the SK Wyverns in Korea. That followed five seasons in the Tampa Bay
organization. He became the first player with no big league experience to play
in Korea and return directly to the majors.Kelly held San Diego to three runs
and five hits while striking out three and walking two.Kelly started strong
thanks to his defense. Left fielder David Peralta made a diving catch of a liner
by leadoff batter Ian Kinsler, and center fielder Ketel Marte made a sliding
catch of Eric Hosmer’s liner.San Diego didn’t get a hit until Franchy Cordero,
who entered in a double switch in the third inning, singled to right in the
bottom of the inning. Cordero had an infield single in the fifth that hit off
Kelly, who stayed in the game.Kelly faltered in his final inning, allowing
Hosmer’s double and Manny Machado’s single before Franmil Reyes hit a sacrifice
fly. With two outs, Tatis, the team’s prized prospect and the son of the former
big leaguer, drove the first pitch he saw for his first homer.“I enjoyed it as
soon as I hit it and it was a pretty decent walk around the bases,” Tatis said.
“Took that one out of the way, first one, here we
go
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a lot more to come.”Matt Strahm (0-1) had a rough season debut for the Padres,
allowing five runs and eight hits while walking two in just 2 2/3 innings. The
left-hander is in the rotation this year after making five starts as an opener
last year and 41 appearances overall as he was eased back from surgery on his
torn left patellar tendon the previous season while with Kansas City.“I was just
getting a little too much plate and they were taking advantage of it.” Strahm
said. “They clearly read the scouting report that I’m aggressive with my
fastball and jumped on it early, so I found myself pitching behind there a
little bit.”Jones, who played at San Diego’s Morse High, homered to left on
Strahm’s third pitch, his third, and David Peralta added an RBI double. Eduardo
Escobar hit an RBI single in the second and the Diamondbacks chased Strahm in
the third on Nick Ahmed’s sac fly and Alex Avila’s run-scoring single.The
Diamondbacks piled on with four runs in the fifth against Robbie Erlin, who
allowed four hits before getting an out.GRAND CANYON BALLERSKelly is the fifth
Diamondbacks player to play high school and college ball in Arizona, joining
Jake Barrett, Tuffy Gosewisch, Cody Ransom and Ed Vosberg. Kelly grew up in
Scottsdale and attended Desert Mountain High, Yavapai College and Arizona
State.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (0-1, 17.18) is scheduled to start
Tuesday night. He’s looking to bounce back from opening day, when he allowed
seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in a 12-5 loss at the Los Angeles
Dodgers.Padres: LHP Eric Lauer (1-0, 0.00) threw six shutout innings in an
opening day victory against San Francisco.
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