Royals' Hochevar learning to avoid big innings

Mar 13, 2010 - 1:48 AM PEORIA, Ariz.(AP) -- Luke Hochevar showed the Kansas City Royals he's learning to work out of jams.

Ichiro Suzuki led off the Seattle Mariners' first inning with a single. After an out, Hochevar allowed a double to Milton Bradley to put runners on second and third. Hochevar then gave up a sacrifice fly to Ken Griffey Jr. A wild pitch advanced Bradley to third, but Hochevar recovered to get Ryan Garko on a fly to left, limiting the Mariners to one run.

Last season, Hochevar might have got rattled after Bradley's double and the Mariners might have had a big inning. Opponents scored in 51 innings against Hochevar a year ago, with multiple runs in 26 of those - including 16 of three or more runs.

"That's what I thought about a lot this offseason, when I got hurt before is the big inning," Hochevar said after the Royals and Mariners played to a 6-6 tie in nine innings. "For one, I didn't have a lot of experience. With getting more experience, there comes a comfort level. I've been in those situations. I got hurt in some and come out of some as well. It's just a matter of going out there and pitching with a lot of confidence."

Hochevar acknowledged he often tried to overthrow in those innings when he got in a jam.

"I feel like last year my competitive side would come out and I would try to do too much or they would get a hit and I would comeback and try to throw a better pitch," he said. "For me, it's more smarter than harder. From the first time I came to the big leagues, I've come a long way with that."

Royals manager Trey Hillman was pleased with the way Hochevar got out of the first with minimal damage.

"Everybody knows that in the past he's had trouble stopping the bleeding," Hillman said. "That (first inning) was good, real good."

Hochevar, the first pick in the 2006 draft, retired the final eight batters he faced after Bradley's double. He threw 21 strikes in 31 pitches and did not walk a batter, while striking out one.

"He was real good," Hillman said. "He was very effective locating his fastball. He threw mostly fastballs. He threw a lot of four-seamers. He didn't throw the two-seamer (sinking fastball) a whole lot. Everybody knows he's got the two-seamer and we all know it's got great life when he commands it. If he can locate the four-seamer like that on any given day when he's not commanding the two-seamer, it sure will help."

NOTES: OF Rick Ankiel, scheduled to DH Friday, was scratched with a sore right ankle. Hillman said no X-rays are planned and it was as a precaution. Ankiel also will be given Saturday off. ... The Royals-San Francisco Giants game that was rained out Sunday in Surprise, Ariz., will be made up March 24. ... Kila Ka'aihue hit a two-run homer in a morning B' game against Texas and hit a two-run homer in the eighth against the Mariners to tie the score.