The Athletics gave Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar a rude welcome back to the major leagues.
Hochevar was promoted for a Tuesday start at Oakland after dominating the Pacific Coast League. Hochevar was 5-0 with a 0.90 ERA in six starts with Class AAA Omaha. He had allowed just one unearned run and 11 hits in 21 innings in his final three Omaha starts. "Everything is clicking," Hochevar said before facing the A's.
Nothing clicked, however, for Hochevar on Tuesday night in a 12-3 loss in Oakland. He lasted just two innings and gave up eight runs, twice as many as he allowed in 40 innings against Class AAA competition.
Hochevar faced 16 batters, and half scored. He permitted seven hits, including a three-run homer to Jack Cust, and walked two, throwing 48 pitches before being replaced by Sidney Ponson.
The Royals were optimistic Hochevar, the first player selected in the 2006 draft, had figured it out in Omaha after going 6-12 with a 5.51 ERA in 22 starts last season with Kansas City. Hochevar, however, looked bewildered in his return to the bigs this season.
A'S 12, ROYALS 3: A seven-run second inning, highlighted by a Jack Cust three-run homer off Luke Hochevar, put the Royals in a big hole early. The A's stretched their lead to 12-0 after four innings before Mike Jacobs and Coco Crisp homered for the Royals. Mark Teahen drove in the other Kansas City run. The Royals stranded five runners in the first two innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the first.
