Surprise, Ariz. ? For the past two seasons, Kansas City has had plenty of experience at the end of its bullpen.

Enter rookie Mike MacDougal.

MacDougal, who has no big-league saves, has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Roberto Hernandez, who has 320 career saves — including 54 in the past two seasons with the Royals — but left during the offseason to sign with the Atlanta Braves.

MacDougal made his spring training debut Friday in the Royals’ 4-2 victory against Texas, working a perfect eighth inning and striking out two.

“I felt good,” MacDougal said, “but it was the first one and got the nerves going a little bit.”

Doug Glanville also was perfect, going 4-for-4 in his first chance as Texas’ leadoff hitter and scoring the only two runs for the Rangers.

Texas pitcher Brian Shouse made his spring debut, eight days after being flown home for further tests when an abnormality showed up on his electrocardiogram. Shouse, the fifth of six Texas pitchers, gave up one hit while pitching 1 1/3 innings.

Michael Tucker’s RBI triple in the sixth inning broke a 2-2 tie against Rob Bell. Brandon Berger followed with a single for the Royals, who have won their first two Cactus League games against the team with which they are sharing a new complex.

Francisco Cordero, a hard-throwing right-hander who had 10 saves for Texas last year, struck out the first two batters he faced in the sixth. He then gave up a walk before Angel Berroa doubled and Carlos Febles drove both runners home with a single for a 2-1 lead.

Jimmy Osting, the third Kansas City pitcher, was the winner while giving up one run on three hits in two innings. Jeremy Hill got the save when he got out of a one-out bases loaded jam in the ninth with two strikeouts.

MacDougal was a 1999 first-round pick of the Royals out of Wake Forest. He was primarily a starting pitcher until late last season, when the Royals moved him to the bullpen.

They sent him to Mayaguez in the winter Puerto Rico League to learn how to be a closer. He went 0-3 with a 2.39 ERA and 10 saves, while allowing 17 hits in 26 1/3 innings. He walked 12 and struck out 29.

“Puerto Rico was awesome,” MacDougal said. “I learned how to get up and get ready and pitch on back-to-back days.”

It also gave MacDougal a chance to close games in a league sprinkled with big-league hitters and in a climate where winning is important.

“It was pretty intense, good baseball,” MacDougal said.

MacDougal has adapted well to his new role.

“I like it a lot,” he said. “I like the feeling when the game is over and we’re shaking hands. It’s a good feeling.”

MacDougal’s fastball has been clocked consistently in the upper 90s and hit as high as 103 mph on radar guns in Puerto Rico. He also has an excellent slider and a good change up.

“I was very impressed,” Royals manager Tony Pena said Friday. “MacDougal was unbelievable.”