ROYALS 8, CUBS 8
at Surprise, Ariz.
Monday, March 30

Royals at the plate: The spring's top home run-hitting team continued the barrage as Alex Gordon hit a two-run blast in the second inning and then opened the fifth with his fifth homer. Mark Teahen led off the fourth with his sixth homer. Billy Butler's RBI single, following singles by David DeJesus and Willie Bloomquist, snapped a 5-5 tie in the eighth. Gordon's high fly was dropped by center fielder Kosuke Fukudome and two more runs scored on the error.

Cubs at the plate: Milton Bradley extended his hitting streak to 10 games, going 4-for-4 with a walk. Micah Hoffpauir, who had been tied for the Majors' RBI lead with 22, added two more with a two-out single in the fifth. Aaron Miles belted a two-run homer in the sixth, his 20th hit but first homer. After Miles singled in the ninth for his third hit, Fukudome launched a home run. Bradley doubled and Kyle Reynolds' single scored pinch-runner Joey Gathright for an 8-8 tie.

Royals on the mound: Kyle Davies, who is expected to start the season's third game at Chicago, had his longest outing of the spring, 5 2/3 innings. He was charged with four runs on eight hits. His relief, Doug Waechter, gave up a two-run homer on his second pitch. Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect eighth with two strikeouts, giving him 14 in 10 innings. Closer Joakim Soria, unscored upon previously, blew an 8-5 lead in the ninth by giving up three runs on four hits and a walk.

Cubs on the mound: Rich Harden, back after a bout with food poisoning, worked 4 2/3 innings and gave up four runs -- all on three home runs. Carlos Marmol pitched a 1-2-3 sixth and struck out two; he's whiffed 12 in nine innings. Jeff Samardzija gave up the tiebreaking hit in the eighth.

Cactus League records: Cubs 17-15-1; Royals 16-11-4.

Up next: The Cubs play host to the Angels on Tuesday at HoHoKam Park at 3:05 p.m. CT. It'll be lefty Sean Marshall's last start in the desert. Marshall, the fifth starter, is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in seven games, including six starts. He had walked one in 19 1/3 innings before his last outing against the Giants when he walked five in four innings. That game, though, was played at night and the wind was gusting up to 30 mph. Expect Rule 5 pick David Patton, still in the mix for one of two spots in the bullpen, to see some action, too.