NewsHochevar looks to give bullpen more rest
Kansas City (29-35) vs. Arizona (28-38), 7:10 p.m. CT
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
06/18/09 12:23 AM ET
KANSAS CITY -- Luke Hochevar really started something.When he dominated the Cincinnati Reds last Friday night, 4-1, he not only launched a four-game winning streak but a period of long outings by Royals starters.
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Hochevar pitched a complete game and Brian Bannister went eight innings in the series finale against the Reds. Then Gil Meche went the distance to beat the D-backs in Tuesday's series opener. Only in Kyle Davies' five-inning start did the bullpen get any significant work
What's a reliever to do? The bullpen's been a very quiet place. Reliever Jamey Wright mused on that before Tuesday night's game.
"I don't even know why I'm walking out there," Wright said. "I might as well go out there with my shower shoes on."
Wright and his bullpen pals certainly weren't needed in Hochevar's last outing, a dazzling three-hitter in which he needed only 80 pitches. How can he hope to match that this time against the D-backs?
"Obviously the outcome and the results are out of my control, but I'm going to go out with the same approach -- be aggressive and attack the strike zone," Hochevar said. "Attack every hitter with every pitch and stay within my thought process and my approach and my play and my aggressiveness. That's what I've been doing and that's where I want to stay."
It was an immaculate performance that Hochevar can only hope to replicate.
"We talked about the same things for Zack Greinke for about five or six starts in a row," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "I'll use my own company line: he's a human being. I mean, I'd love to see him be as efficient as he was the last time but that's a difficult thing to do."
Greinke certainly was human in Wednesday night's 12-5 loss to the D-backs. He wasn't at his best, though he lasted 6 2/3 innings. The Royals' winning streak ended at four games.
Now it's up to Hochevar to get another one started.
Pitching matchupKC: RHP Luke Hochevar (2-2, 5.60 ERA)
Hochevar was masterful in his last start, throwing a complete game while allowing just one run against the Reds. Hochevar needed just 80 pitches to throw the first complete game of his professional career. He also lowered his ERA from 7.85 to 5.60. He struck out just three, but kept the ball down and kept Cincinnati off balance all night. It all added up to a great night for Hochevar, who started the season in Triple-A Omaha. The former No. 1 Draft choice made his 2009 debut on June 12 against Oakland and gave up eight runs in two innings. But after a rocky beginning, Hochevar has come on strong. He's 2-0 in his last two starts, allowing just three runs in 15 2/3 innings. ARI: RHP Dan Haren (5-4, 2.20 ERA)
It's hard to pitch much better than Haren did in his last start. The right-hander threw a two-hit complete game in the 8-1 win against the Astros. Haren was in complete command of his pitches and only walked two batters. He struck out seven. His only blemish was a solo home run by Carlos Lee. The victory marked Haren's second complete game of the season and the eighth of his career. It was his first two-hit complete game. Crown points
Pitcher Sidney Ponson, out with a right elbow strain, started his injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday, taking the hill in Omaha's 4-3 win at New Orleans. He pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and getting two strikeouts. He threw 28 pitches, 18 strikes. ... Third baseman Alex Gordon, who underwent hip surgery, is accelerating his batting and fielding routine in Arizona as he aims for a return around the All-Star break. ... Catcher John Buck, out with a back problem, has started a throwing program in Kansas City. ... The fitness program PLAY, which stands for Promoting a Lifetime Activity for Youth, will hold a program for 125 Kansas City kids on Thursday morning at Kauffman Stadium. Royals head athletic trainer Nick Swartz, team nutritionist Mitzi Dulan and strength and conditioning coordinator Ty Hill will participate along with players Luis Hernandez and Mitch Maier. The program emphasizes the awareness and dangers of performance-enhancing drugs. ... The Royals signed their eighth-round Draft choice, right-handed reliever Dusty Odenbach from the University of Connecticut. They also signed a non-drafted left-handed pitcher, Jose Sanchez of Montgomery College in Maryland. ... Janet Oleson of Lenexa, Kan., was in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat on Wednesday night. She and her late husband Dean opened their home to more than 100 foster children from the area. ... All the Fountain Seats, offered in a special pre-sale, have been sold for this weekend's Cardinals series at Kauffman Stadium. A few scattered single tickets and $10 standing-room tickets are available for the Friday and Saturday games. Fans can still purchase reserved-seat tickets for the Sunday game. Tickets
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• Friday: Royals (Kyle Davies, 3-6, 5.14) vs. Cardinals (Brad Thompson, 1-2, 3.60), 7:10 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Royals (Brian Bannister, 5-3, 4.10) vs. Cardinals (Chris Carpenter, 4-1, 1.59), 3:10 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Royals (Gil Meche, 4-5, 3.31) vs. Cardinals (Adam Wainwright, 7-4, 3.33), 1:10 p.m. CT
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
