Blue Jays Fall 6-2 To The Royals

Three years ago Saturday, the Kansas City Royals took right-handed pitcher Luke Hochevar with the first overall pick in baseball’s draft.

He celebrated the anniversary with a victory as the Kansas City Royals ended a string of eight consecutive losses by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 before a crowd of 16,552 at the Rogers Centre.

Hochevar held the Blue Jays to four hits and two runs before giving way to Kyle Farnsworth with two on and two out in the seventh inning.

It was the first win of the season in three starts for 25-year-old Hochevar, 1-2, who was called up from triple-A Omaha for the start. He is 7-15 in the majors.

Blue Jays starter Scott Richmond, 4-3, did not survive Kansas City’s five-run fifth in which the North Vancouver, B.C., native allowed Mark Teahen’s two-run home run and Willie Bloomquist’s three-run triple.

The Blue Jays first hit of the game was the first home run of the season by back-up catcher Raul Chavez who followed a leadoff walk to Lyle Overbay by reach out to yank an 0-2 slider and putting it over the wall in left.

Teahen tied the game 2-2 in the fifth with his seventh home run of the season, a drive to left-centre on a 2-0 fastball that followed Jose Guillen’s single to right.

The Royals weren’t finished in the fifth. Alberto Callaspo doubled to left on a drive over the head of Adam Lind. Richmond ignited the situation by giving up two-out walks to Mitch Maier and David DeJesus and then a triple by Bloomquist thrust the Royals into a 5-2 lead. Sean Camp replaced Richmond.

A double by Billy Butler and a single by Teahen gave the Royals an eighth-inning run against Jesse Carlson.

Richmond was coming off his first relief appearance of the season, a two-inning stint on May 31 against the Boston Red Sox. He was passed over in the rotation when the Blue Jays had two close off-days in the schedule. Saturday was his first start since a five-inning no decision in which he allowed two runs in the Blue Jays 10-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on May 24.

Hochevar was recalled from triple-A Omaha to make Saturday’s start. He was the first overall pick in the draft three years ago. He began the season in Omaha where in his first six starts he was 5-0 with a 0.90 earned-run average.

The Royals called him up May 10 too and he made two starts going 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA. He was sent back to Omaha on option on May 23 and allowed three runs, two earned, in six innings on May 28 and last Tuesday pitched just two innings to prepare for his recall to the Royals.