Eric Hosmer, Alex Rios Star for Slugging Royals; Kirk Nieuwenhuis 4-for-4 in Mets Win

Nieuwenhuis

Players of the Day for March 4, 2015

Grapefruit League

Kirk Nieuwenhuis went 4-for-4 in the Mets' and Atlanta's 2015 debut, an 8-2 win over the Braves at Champion Stadium, the Braves' Spring training facility in Kissimmee, Florida.

Nieuwenhuis had four singles, scored a run and drove in one.

The Mets hammered out 14 hits against eight Atlanta hurlers. Matt Capps took the loss, giving up two earned runs on two hits and a walk in an inning of work,  though the brunt of the assault was sustained by Jose Veras, who worked just 2/3rds of an inning, giving up a pair of walks, three hits and five earned runs.


Cactus League

Hosmer

Rios

Kansas City hitters are picking it up right where they left off last season, banging out 15 hits against the Rangers in Wednesday's 13-2 romp.

Leading the hit parade were Eric Hosmer and Alex Rios, who each homered, doubled and drove in three runs. The game was the opener for both clubs, played at Surprise Stadium, in Surprise Arizona, the preseason home of the Rangers.

Rios had a little extra incentive in the game, having been traded from the Rangers to the Royals in the off-season. In 2014, Rios' power numbers were down, as he hit just four homres and drove in 54 runs in 131 games.

He recorded career highs in 2012, with the White Sox, when he knocked out 25 homers and 91 RBI.