Luke Hochevar helps Kansas City Royals shutout Houston Astros 2-0 – MLB Update
Luke Hochevar showed some top quality pitching skills as Kansas City Royals shutout the Houston Astros 2-0 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, June 19 in the second game of their three match series of the 2012 Major League Baseball regular
season.
Hochevar is an extremely talented pitcher. Not only is he a hard worker but he also has a unique ability to come out with his best in pressure situations. On Tuesday evening, he showed the baseball world what he is capable of as he pitched deep into the
eighth inning to lead his side to an impressive win, which levelled the series 1-1.
Luke’s team mates loved what he saw from him and he received a standing ovation from the crowd at Minute Maid Park when he stepped off the mound. The right hander also had his first hit of the season and his team mates including Jeff Francoeur and Billy
Butler could not stop making fun of him.
"It's been a long time coming," he said. "It hasn't been pretty at all."
Pitching a no-hit ball into the fifth inning, he allowed just five hits with six strikeouts in seven plus innings for his first win since May 12. It seems the starter has made some adjustments in his throwing technique and it will be interesting to see if
he can maintain his form on his next appearance. Houston starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez gave up six hits and two runs in seven innings.
"That was a tremendous ball game by Luke Hochevar," Manager Ned Yost said in a post game interview. "He's getting back to who he is. His three core pitches, four-seam fastball, curveball, changeup are very effective together in combination."
"I wish we could have got him through it," Yost said of the eighth inning. "But I can't live with myself if he gives up the lead in the eighth inning with our pen."
Butler homered to left in the first inning to put the Royals 1-0 ahead. Alcides Escobar singled to centre in the third to extend the lead to 2-0, which lasted till the end.
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