Hochevar pitches 5 sharp innings for Royals in 5-5 tie with Cubs

Hochevar goes 5 innings for Royals vs Cubs

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Kansas City Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar threw one pitch he is going to have to answer for in a 5-5 tie with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

The game was called after nine innings. It was the Royals’ third tie this spring.

The pitch in question was a foul ball off the bat of Alfonso Soriano that landed near his pregnant wife Ashley.

“Soon as I got in I texted her to make sure she didn’t get hit,” Hochevar said. “I was looking up there to make sure she didn’t get smoked. Everything is good.”

Soriano fouled off a fastball away.

“I’ll probably get cussed out for it. She is behind the screen, so she’s got to fend for herself,” Hochevar joked.

Hochevar, who has a 1.64 ERA after three starts, allowed one run and five hits, walked none and struck out three in five innings.

“I feel like my stuff is sharp right now and I feel like I’m commanding the baseball a lot better especially with the mechanical adjustment I made,” Hochevar said. “Everything feels good coming out of my hand. I have a lot of confidence in my changeup. That’s come a long way. That’s a pitch I want to go to and can go to now.”

Ryan Dempster gave up two runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings, the longest outing by a Cubs starter, while striking out six and walking three. He threw 93 pitches.

“My stuff was real good,” Dempster said. “I had all my pitches working, tried to go right after them. It was good to extend it like that, into the sixth inning. I haven’t done that in a long, long time. So it was a real good day.”

“It didn’t feel like a lot (of pitches), but I think it’s important to do that, build that arm. We’re not that far away. There are only two more starts before the season starts. I enjoyed that. It’s good to kind of pitch in every situation and work through some stuff.”

He left with a 3-1 lead, but reliever Carlos Marmol gave up a two-run homer to Brayan Pena in the sixth.

Aramis Ramirez, who had not played since March 13 because of a right triceps injury, returned as the Cubs designated hitter and went 2 for 3 with a RBI. Ramirez is hoping to play third base by Friday.

“Soon as I can,” he said. “I don’t want to waste anymore time. We’re only a couple weeks away. As soon as I’m ready to try it the first time, I’m going to be playing third base.”

Cubs manager Lou Piniella said if this was a regular-season game Ramirez could have played third.

“Probably,” Ramirez said. “Right now, I don’t want to take a chance, but I’ll be ready. I don’t need 30 more at-bats. I need five more and I’ll be ready to go.”

Andres Blanco’s RBI single in the ninth gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead.

The Royals tied it in the bottom of the inning when Alberto Callaspo’s single scored Chris Getz, who led off the ninth with a single. Callaspo, who is hitting .475, also tripled and scored on Billy Butler’s sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Soriano went 0 for 3 to snap his seven-game hitting streak.