PEORIA, Ariz. -- Alex Gordon led the way from the top of the lineup as the Royals pounced on the Padres early in their Cactus League meeting at Peoria Stadium on Thursday afternoon, racking up an eight-run second inning en route to a 13-3 victory.
Whit Merrifield's RBI triple highlighted the second-inning outburst, which included a pair of Padres errors. Gordon led off by reaching on an error and then scored in the first, had an RBI single in the second, and added a two-run home run in the fifth.
Padres starter Trevor Cahill, who had been impressive in camp going into Thursday's assignment, didn't make it out of the second.