SURPRISE, Ariz. -- When Daniel Lynch found out he was going to start his first Cactus League game this spring, instead of coming out of the bullpen like he did in two previous outings, he was able to do his normal starting routine. And the lefty feels like it paid dividends.

Lynch, ranked as the Royals' No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, gave up two runs in three innings in Kansas City's 10-2 win over the Cubs on Saturday at Surprise Stadium, and he showed the best command he’s had this spring, with no walks and five strikeouts.

“It’s not an excuse that I had to come out of the bullpen because it’s just the way it is, the way it goes,” Lynch said. “But I definitely felt like today, I got to do my whole routine and my long toss before. I’m a very routine-oriented person, so it felt good to be able to do that.”

Lynch had given up five runs in 3 2/3 innings (two games) before Saturday, and his issues had stemmed from a lack of command. His stuff -- especially his offspeed pitches -- have all flashed plus, but Lynch had four walks to go along with four strikeouts. On Saturday, his slider and changeup kept hitters off-balance, while he gained control of his fastball command as he got deeper into the outing.

“I always like to have no walks, so I felt good about that,” Lynch said. “My fastball command early was not great. But I felt like I commanded my slider and my changeup really well, and those were able to bail me out. It felt good to just walk away with no walks and to get ahead of guys, and let them put the ball in play.”

Lynch’s mistake came in the top of the second, when he allowed a leadoff single to Cameron Maybin and then a first-pitch homer to Ildemaro Vargas. But Lynch regrouped after that, getting two groundouts and a swinging strikeout to end the inning. In the third, the lone baserunner came on an error.

“Just keep it moving,” Lynch said about his mindset after the home run. “That’s going to happen. He picked out a pitch and put a good swing on it. I definitely felt the next inning, I told myself to just go out and make the outing defined by the last inning when I shut it down and after we got some runs. And not make it about the home run. … It’s hard to judge an outing off of one pitch.

“If I look at the outing as a whole, I thought I did some really good things, and I thought I had commanded the ball the best I had this outing. I feel like I’ve gotten better every time.”

Back fields action

The Royals had their first "B" game on the back fields of their Spring Training complex on Saturday morning, facing the Rangers in a seven-inning contest. With pitchers being stretched out to cover more innings in Cactus League games, the Royals will rely on "B" games to ensure everyone can get work in leading up to the regular season.

Right-hander Jakob Junis threw 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs in his final inning. The cutter once again worked well against hitters until the third inning spiraled on Junis. Greg Holland followed with a lights-out inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced. Holland was able to mix in a few changeups, which is a pitch he hasn’t relied on as much in the past.

“Guys got work in, that’s the main thing,” manager Mike Matheny said. “Holly made some really nice pitches. I was really impressed with the way the ball’s coming out of his hand. He and [Junis] both, I thought threw the ball very well.”

Reliever Tyler Zuber struck out the side in the fifth inning, and Minor Leaguers Jake Kalish and Collin Snider threw the final two innings. The Royals are scheduled to play another "B" game against the Rangers on Sunday morning, this time on Texas’ side of the shared facility.

Duffy makes $1 million contribution

Lefty Danny Duffy donated $1 million to bring lights to the baseball fields of his alma mater, Cabrillo High School, in Lompoc, Calif. The Lompoc Record reported on Friday that Duffy has sent plans to the Lompoc Unified School District, and is shooting for the project’s completion by November or December. Duffy has made various contributions to his former high school, including paying for the Cabrillo baseball team to come to Kansas City for a week of games.

Duffy has dreamt of bringing lights -- and night games -- to the field since he was little.

“This is something that’s a passion project, man,” Duffy told Lompoc Record reporter Joseph Bailey. “I don’t intend on walking away from this. I mean Kobe [Bryant] said it best, 'The most important thing is how your career and life impacts the next generation.’ This is a legacy thing, I’ve poured my whole heart and soul into this. Lompoc and Cabrillo playing under the lights on a Friday night, that would be beautiful for both schools.”

Worth noting

• First baseman and No. 11 prospect Nick Pratto crushed his second and third home runs of the spring on Saturday, joining Jorge Soler as the home run hitters in the Royals’ win. Andrew Benintendi almost got one, too, but the ball hit the top of the center-field wall for a double.

• The Royals made additional roster moves on Saturday, optioning pitchers Daniel Tillo (No. 20 prospect) and Angel Zerpa (No. 30 prospect), as well as reassigning Eric Skoglund to Minor League camp.