TUCSON, ARIZ. ? Jamey Wright allowed two hits over four shutout innings Monday to help Colorado to an 8-7 victory over Kansas City.

Matt Holliday had three RBIs, and Ryan Speier threw five pitches to stop a ninth-inning Royals rally and earn the save.

The star, though, was Wright (1-0), a first-round draft pick of the Rockies in 1993 who played for three other teams — including the Royals — the last four years before returning to Denver last season.

“Some of my former teammates were out there, so obviously you want to go out and do well,” Wright said. “But what’s past is past. I’m pleased to be a Rockie again.”

While Wright was successful, the rest of Colorado’s staff wasn’t so good. Three candidates to be the closer in the bullpen struggled.

The front-runner, Chin-hui Tsao, threw one inning and didn’t allow a run, but gave up two walks and got bad reviews from manager Clint Hurdle.

“He threw too many pitches, spent too much time between pitches,” Hurdle said. “There’s a difference between participating and making progress, and right now, he’s just participating. He put a zero up there, but he needs to make progress.”

Left-hander Brian Fuentes followed Tsao, and allowed a single, double, triple and homer in one bad inning.

Right-hander Eddie Gaillard, trying to make the team after five years in Japan, gave up three runs in the ninth and put the tying run on before he was lifted for Speier, who struck out Matt Diaz to save the win.

Kansas City shortstop Angel Berroa reaches to tag out Colorado's Dustan Mohr as he tries to steal second in the fifth inning. The Rockies' split squad won the exhibition game, 8-7, Monday in Tucson, Ariz.

“I told (Speier) the biggest thing was that he was batting if he didn’t pinch it off,” Hurdle said. “He was going to have to bat second and I wasn’t going to start managing our way out of that.”

Chris George (0-1) allowed three runs in two innings for the Royals, who lost their fourth straight.

Ruben Gotay went 0-for-3 after starting spring training 5-for-8. Emil Brown hit a two-run homer off Gaillard. Mark Teahan also had a two-run homer off Fuentes.

Holliday’s two-run double in the third helped offset a rough game the day before. In a 16-1 loss to the Rangers, he misjudged a fly ball to center for an error and got doubled off second base.

Notes: The Rockies took a look at infielder Alfredo Amezaga at third base Monday. Amezaga is on the bubble to make the 25-man roster. “He flashes good leather wherever you put him,” Hurdle said. … 2B Aaron Miles is expected back in drills at the end of the week. His left knee sprain is healing slowly. … CF Preston Wilson (knee) is back in drills, and Hurdle said he was coming along well. … The Royals drove about 2 1/2 hours from Surprise, Ariz., for the game.