Benintendi hits two HRs, Greinke builds up

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- As he gets his timing and depth down at the plate during this shortened Spring Training, Andrew Benintendi has been trying to get the feel back in his swing, find the barrel and let the ball travel farther into gaps.

He found what he wanted Monday afternoon, blasting two home runs and notching five RBIs in the Royals’ 19-9 win over the Guardians at Surprise Stadium.

As part of the Royals’ seven-run first inning, Benintendi crushed a three-run home run in the first inning off lefty Adam Scott to deep center field, then took Scott deep to left-center field in the second inning. Two opposite-field home runs off a lefty are exactly the swings Benintendi has been looking for.

“Big time,” Benintendi said. “My at-bats a few games ago, or pretty much every game, I feel like I’ve rolled over a few to second base. Moreso just been hitting them on the ground, which is not what I’m trying to do. It was nice to hit a line drive and see it go a bit.”

Driving the ball to the opposite field is when Benintendi is at his best, and he’ll look to take advantage of the expansive outfield at Kauffman Stadium to send balls to the gap this year after posting a .766 OPS in his first season in Kansas City in 2021. Now that Benintendi is more comfortable on and off the field with Royals coaches, players and staff, he’s hoping to take advantage of that familiarity both in his play and as a leader in the clubhouse.

His teammates hope so, too.

“He’s not feeling it out,” Whit Merrifield said. “We’ve gotten to know the little guy over there, and he’s a little more out of his shell now, and if we can keep him homering to left-center, right-center, wherever else he wants, we’ll all be pretty happy about that.”

Greinke’s buildup
In his second spring start, Zack Greinke had excellent command early but felt he lost some of it later on, allowing three runs in 3 2/3 innings, with four strikeouts, one walk.

Greinke’s fastball has flashed a tick or two more mph in both his starts, landing at 90-91 instead of the 88 mph average he threw in 2021. Moving forward, though, Greinke might contain some of that newfound velocity to have better command.

“I’d rather be up and back off a little and get my command the next start or two than to have my fastball not where [I want it],” Greinke said. “It’s usually pretty easy for me to back off and command better, is kind of what I’m saying. Maybe that’s why the command got a little bit worse the second half of the game.”

Greinke figures to have one more start before the Royals break camp for Kansas City, and he’d like to build up as much as he can as the truncated Spring Training nears its end.

“Endurance is pretty good for two starts in,” Greinke said. “The pitches have been sharp at times. Probably a little bit short, but I feel pretty good for two starts in. Ideally, probably throw as much as you can the next time, maybe 85 pitches or something. Hope to throw more innings than I did today, then be ready to go around that [pitch count] again the next time out.”

Garrett’s spring debut
Amir Garrett got his first taste of Cactus League action in 2022 and his first game in a Royals uniform with his spring debut Monday, coming in for Greinke with two outs in the fourth inning. Garrett allowed a triple to Bradley Zimmer to the left-center gap and then threw a wild pitch that Zimmer scored on, but the lefty reliever struck out Amed Rosario on three nasty pitches to end the frame.

After being acquired from the Reds for starter Mike Minor during the first week of camp, Garrett has eased his way into games by throwing live batting practices first as he gets used to Royals coaches. So suiting up for a game Monday brought excitement he’s been missing.

“I was nervous today, because it was the first time going out there with the team,” Garrett said. “I was like a kid in the candy store, but I felt good. That was the main thing. Going in there and coming out healthy.

“Now we go.”