Fatherly Advice Is Winner for Rosado

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —  Growing up in Puerto Rico, Jose Rosado was taught to obey his father.

With his father and mother in the stands, Rosado outpitched John Burkett for the second time in six days, throwing a five-hitter as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Texas Rangers, 2-1, Friday night.

But Rosado needed some pitching advice from his father.

Watching his son pitch in the major leagues for the second time, Tony Rosado kept motioning to keep the ball down. Rosado, as always, followed his advice.

Rosado (5-4) struck out six and walked one in his first complete game of the year.

“It meant so much to have my mother and father here from Puerto Rico to watch me pitch,” Rosado said. “They were sitting right behind home plate. Every time I would make a pitch high, I would look to my dad and he would make a motion with his hands telling me to keep the ball lower.

“I’m 2-0 with my mom and dad watching me. They saw me win my first major league game in New York.”

Rosado (5-3) got his first two victories at the expense of Burkett. In his previous start, Rosado was a 6-2 winner over Burkett at Texas. Burkett (4-5) gave up seven hits in eight innings. He struck out four and walked two.

The Royals got the go-ahead run in the fifth inning when Sal Fasano, who reached on base Ivan Rodriguez’s throwing error, scored by sliding under Rodriguez’s tag.

“He was back anticipating for me to bowl into him,” Fasano said. “But I happened to slither in there under him. I don’t know how, but I did.”

Fasano led off the fifth by pounding Burkett’s pitch into the ground in front of the plate. When Rodriguez’s throw sailed over first baseman Will Clark and Fasano reached second.

After Jose Offerman’s bunt single put runners at the corners, Jay Bell hit a slow ground ball to third baseman Dean Palmer, who threw home. But Fasano get under Rodriguez’s tag.