Royals Dominate (And Sneak Past) Mariners

Talk about a role reversal.

Coming into the season, the starting rotation was pegged as the weak spot of this 2011 Royals team.  Through 12 games, the bullpen was garnering the attention, led by a crew of rookies who’ve been nearly untouchable.

On Friday, it was the other way around.  Luke Hochevar gave up a leadoff double to Ichiro Suzuki and didn’t allow another hit.  Period.  The bullpen, on the other hand, walked four, gave up four hits and four runs.  Were it not for a leaping catch of a line drive by Mike Aviles, Joakim Soria would have blown another save.

The key, though, was Hochevar.

The former first overall pick shut down 16 in a row after a second inning walk to Luis Rodriguez.  The Mariners really only got one hard hit ball off of him – Ichiro’s double.  Granted, it’s still the Mariners, but it’s encouraging that Hochevar went through seven innings without getting himself into trouble.  He varied his pitches and kept the ball around the plate and the results were 12 groundouts and five lazy flies.

After a seven inning outing against Detroit where he surrendered just five hits and no walks, it gives me hope that he might be figuring things out.  He’s still given up six homers in 25.2 innings but he’s also walked just four batters all season as well and has a 60/40 split in favor of groundouts versus air outs on balls in play.  Pitchers with solid control and strong ground ball rates will find success.  The only piece missing that could (could) vault Hochevar into legitimacy is the focus that seems to escape him here and there.

A few months ago, I looked at Hochevar’s potential for success in 2011.  Armed with, statistically, the second best slider in the American League, an improved Royals defense should take advantage of his ground ball tendencies.

Tonight, he looked like he had it figured out.

He got help from the offense, primarily from Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur who combined to go 6-10, driving in four of the Royals six runs, including a third inning 1-2 punch of a Butler double into the gap and a Francoeur homer in front of the Royals Hall of Fame in left.  Butler ripped a line drive the other way in the 6th inning to drive in Alcides Escobar.  At the time, the Royals were up 6-1, but it turned out to be the key run.

Blake Wood made his 2011 debut and gave up three hits and a run.  Then Tim Collins opened the 9th inning with two walks to Jack Cust and Adam Kennedy and with the tying run on deck, Ned Yost went for Joakim Soria.

After getting a gift of a strikeout from Miguel Olivo, he gave up a single down the line to Michael Saunders.  It fell a couple feet in front of Mitch Maier who played it conservatively so nothing got behind him.  Cust scored. Then Soria walked Rodriguez to load the bases.  The Mariners pinch hit Justin Smoak.  Soria walked him, bringing in Kennedy.  After an Ichiro groundout scored yet another run and put the tying run on third base, Chone Figgins slapped a line drive the other way.  Mike Aviles was fortunately in line with it and jumped to snag it, preserving the win.

Aaron Crow was warming up with alacrity while the game started to get away.

Soria was missing down the whole time and maybe the cold weather had an effect, but in light of his blown save against the White Sox, there’s concern about him, still.  Maybe it’s an injury, maybe it’s mechanical.  Maybe he’s just overthrowing.  I’ve tried to sort it out and I still don’t know.  It’s so unusual given Soria’s track record.

The Royals take on reigning Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez tomorrow at noon.  They’ll counter with Sean O’Sullivan.  Truly a battle for the ages.  Look for Jarrod Dyson or Mitch Maier to get a start in center field, as Yost has said he wants to get them into the mix after spending the first 12 games on the bench and coming in as pinch runners only.

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