NewsPena making most of more playing time
Kansas City (42-67) vs. Oakland (48-61), 6:10 p.m. CT
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
08/08/09 12:21 AM ET
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals' evaluation of catcher Brayan Pena is continuing.On Friday night, Pena started behind the plate for the seventh time in 12 games. And he batted in the cleanup spot.
"I'm going to keep looking at it, just like we've talked about the last couple of weeks," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "I'll still mix the other guys in on occasion, but B.P. has done a great job of handling the pitchers, receiving, calling the games, making adjustments, brings a lot of energy and gives you great at-bats from both sides."
Whew, quite a list.
Since the Pena look-see began in earnest on July 27 at Baltimore, he's batted .385 (10-for-26) with three doubles, two RBIs and three walks. The switch-hitter's average for the season is .317 with two home runs and eight RBIs.
The assignment to the fourth spot came after Mark Teahen had been there most often since July 11.
"I'm sticking right there with that until we get Teahen a little more productive and more comfortable," Hillman said. "But typically [Teahen] is more productive in the five or the six slot.
"Just looking for the best guy who can put a good at-bat together -- maybe not the best guy who can thump for you right there."
In the last dozen games since the Pena evaluation got serious, Miguel Olivo has started three games and John Buck two at catcher.
It'll be interesting to see if, against the Athletics on Saturday night, Pena gets the call to handle Zack Greinke. Olivo has been Greinke's regular receiver this season, but Pena did catch him on July 24 when Greinke went seven innings in a 2-0 win over the Rangers.
Greinke, without a win since late June, obviously needs some victories if he's to get back in the race for the American League Cy Young Award. With 10 wins, he began the weekend with eight pitchers ahead of him topped by Josh Beckett's 13.
Even though Greinke leads the AL in ERA and is second in strikeouts, he's lagging in victories.
"Typically with that honor, if not the majority, almost the majority come with the highest winning total. That always factors into it," Hillman said.
"That's the part that's unfortunate up to this point. Hopefully we can score him some runs and stay away from the damaging innings he's had through the month of July. It's not that they've been insurmountable and that damaging, it's just that we haven't score enough runs or played enough defense behind him."
Greinke should have 10 more starts left in the last third of the season.
"I'm hopeful that he can get back in the good graces of the voters by putting wins on the board and that they take all the statistical columns into account but I'm not sure that'll happen," Hillman said.
There's a bonus for fans that come out to see Greinke pitch against the A's.
The first 20,000 fans will receive a replica figurine of the Frank White statue that is now on the new Walk of Fame at Kauffman Stadium.
Pitching matchupKC: RHP Zack Greinke (10-7, 2.36 ERA)
Experiencing one of his poorest outings in a superb season, Greinke lasted just five innings against the Rays last Monday and gave up six runs on 10 hits. The only real plus was nine strikeouts, which gave him a rousing 162 in 152 1/3 innings. He had an especially tough time in the first two innings, surrendering four runs and matching his one-game high this year with three walks. Greinke has not won in six straight starts now, dating to an Interleague victory over the Pirates on June 28. He hasn't faced the A's this year, but he's 3-0 against them in his career with a 2.72 ERA. OAK: RHP Clayton Mortensen (0-0, 6.00 ERA)
Mortensen, who was part of the package that the Cardinals sent to Oakland in the Matt Holliday trade, will make his A's debut and first career start on Saturday. Manager Bob Geren said Dallas Braden wouldn't be able to start on Monday, so Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez will get pushed back a day each to fill the void. Crown points
Right fielder Jose Guillen, on the disabled list with a right knee ligament tear, is still shut down for at least another week, Hillman reported. "All he's doing is continuing to ice. He's in a smaller brace now," he said. No surgery is planned at this point for Guillen, who is in the Dominican Republic. ... Reliever Kyle Farnsworth, who had a successful bullpen workout on Thursday, will have another session on Saturday before returning to his Minor League injury rehabilitation assignment. He's on the DL with a right groin strain. ... Saturday night is the "This One's for You" telecast of the Royals on the American Forces Network. At the same time, a live satellite link to Fox Sports Kansas City will show members of Missouri National Guard Agri-Business Development Team as they view the game against the A's at 3 a.m. in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. It's part of the Royals "Salute to Uniformed Heroes Weekend." Military equipment will be on display before the game in Lot A at Kauffman Stadium. ... In pregame ceremonies, Royals Wives will present the Bishop Sullivan Center with a check from proceeds of their food drive in May. ... George Toma, the 80-year-old longtime groundskeeper for the Royals, was in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat on Friday night. ... First baseman Corey Smith hit his Texas League-leading 20th home run as Double-A Northwest Arkansas topped Tulsa, 8-6, on Thursday night. Smith, batting .261, has 74 RBIs. ... Ivor Hodgson struck out 12 in 5 2/3 innings for Class A Burlington in a 6-4 win over Clinton. Tickets
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• Sunday: Royals (Luke Hochevar, 6-4, 5.40) vs. Athletics (Brett Anderson, 6-8, 4.20), 1:10 p.m. CT
• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Royals (Kyle Davies, 3-8, 6.37) at Twins (Nick Blackburn, 8-6, 3.79), 7:10 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.
