Rejuvenating Greinke
PHOENIX -- The evaluation, dissection, interrogation and education of struggling Royals pitcher Zack Greinke has begun.
For 45 minutes on Saturday, Greinke visited with pitching coach Guy Hansen at the team hotel. Hours before Saturday night's game, Hansen -- with manager Buddy Bell at his shoulder -- was studying tapes of Greinke's pitching motion. Later the touseled-haired pitcher was sitting alone, focusing on the videotape machine.
It was something of a horror film. Greinke had been bombed for 11 runs -- a franchise record - in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 10-inning, 12-11 victory on Friday night.
Over a five-start stretch, Greinke has given up 43 hits and 31 runs in 23 2/3 innings for an 11.79 ERA. The Diamondbacks hammered him for three home runs and five doubles, while accumulating 15 hits, tying a club record.
This is not the Zack Greinke who, as a rookie last year, bamboozled hitters and captivated fans.
"Just whenever there's a guy in scoring position, they'll find a way to score now and before I'd be good enough to stop it sometimes," Greinke said.
"I'm giving up a lot of fly balls -- home runs or doubles -- and that's huge. Before, there was a lot of ground balls and now it's all deep fly balls. Even if it's caught, it's a deep fly ball."
So what's going on?
His fastball has been up and not moving much.
"We need the fastball down so he can be effective like he was before," catcher John Buck said. "It's flatter than I've seen it. When he pitches up, it's not as sharp."
Greinke hasn't been moving batters off the plate.
"Once again, the old adage: up-and-in, low-and-away, Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth are dead. That's what he has to take into account. We haven't seen anybody having any fear about diving across the plate and smacking a pretty good pitch," Hansen said.
"Nobody around here needs to be a headhunter, but you have to at least acknowledge these guys are big and strong and you can't pitch up and over the plate. No way, unless you throw 100 miles an hour."
His location hasn't been its usual finite self.
"He seems to be very happy to just be a guy who throws the ball over the plate and do it by changing speeds. And you've got to do more than change speeds. You've got to locate those speeds and you've got to keep guys honest," Hansen said.
Greinke might even be tipping his pitches to batters.
"We think that he was tipping some of his pitches yesterday from the stretch. We're not positive, but we're pretty sure from looking at film," Hansen said. "He's setting up a little different on his fastball and his change, so I think we should address that."
With a 1-7 record and a 6.01 ERA staring back at him from the stats sheet, Greinke is ready to make adjustments. That's why Hansen, who first schooled Greinke at age 19 in the Puerto Rican League, was so happy to hear his phone ring on Saturday.
"I've been waiting for that acknowledgment from him ever since Spring Training. Because when I saw him in Spring Training, it wasn't the same guy I had seen three years before in Puerto Rico," Hansen said.
The rejuvenation of Zack Greinke is under way.
Roster moves: Pitcher Ryan Jensen is back with the Royals and assigned to the bullpen. Jensen was 2-1 with a 7.42 ERA in three starts before being designated for assignment a week ago. He cleared waivers and returned to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.
Scheduled to pitch Saturday for Omaha, Jensen instead was recalled to replace right-hander Steve Stemle, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained lower back. Stemle was injured throwing a warmup pitch after being called into Friday night's game.
"Like I said when I left, I expected this would happen but not this soon," Jensen said. "Well, I didn't think I'd get called up this soon."
Outfielder Matt Diaz also went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle in his left side. Diaz was injured in early batting practice on Friday and couldn't swing when used as a pinch-hitter for the pitcher in the 10th inning.
"He wasn't really supposed to be available last night but we sent him up there to bunt -- or to try to bunt," manager Buddy Bell said.
Diaz tried but struck out.
The move cleared a needed spot for Howell on the 25-man roster. The Royals made room on the 40-man roster by moving pitcher Brian Anderson from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.
Mike Sweeney / 1B
Born: 07/22/73
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
More info:
Player page
Stats | Splits
Gallery
Team Site | Shop
Sweeney sits: When first baseman Mike Sweeney and athletic trainer Nick Swartz emerged from Bell's office on Saturday with bursts of laughter, that was a sign that Sweeney's recovery from a rib-cage strain was going well.
Even so, he remained out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game. Sweeney expects to return on Sunday or Tuesday.
Gordon a goner: Third baseman Alex Gordon, the Royals' top pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, banged a two-run homer in Nebraska's 6-3 win Saturday over Miami. He also showed his feisty side, getting ejected for arguing a call at third base. Bell was tickled when he heard that news.
"Thrown out of the game?" Bell exclaimed with a smile. "Solid!"
Farm report: Greg Atencio and Chad Blackwell combined on a 10-inning one-hitter as Class A Burlington defeated Fort Wayne, 1-0, in the second game of a doubleheader. Atencio pitched seven hitless innings. Blackwell got the win and is 6-1 with a 2.15 ERA. Burlington won the first game, 5-3.
Right fielder Alan Moye (.382) drove in five runs with three hits as Class A High Desert downed Rancho Cucamonga, 11-3. Designated hitter Brandon Powell (.324) homered and drove in three runs.
DH Josh Pressley had four hits, raising his average to .305, and third baseman Brennan King hit his 11th homer, but Double-A Wichita lost to Springfield, 10-9.
First baseman Calvin Pickering hit his fourth homer in Triple-A Omaha's 5-3 loss to Memphis. Pickering is batting .161. Losing pitcher Jimmy Gobble is 2-7 with a 6.58 ERA.
On deck: The Royals end their six-game Interleague road trip at 3:40 p.m. CT on Sunday against the Diamondbacks. Monday is an open date. The Los Angeles Dodgers arrive on Tuesday in Kansas City for a three-game series.
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
For 45 minutes on Saturday, Greinke visited with pitching coach Guy Hansen at the team hotel. Hours before Saturday night's game, Hansen -- with manager Buddy Bell at his shoulder -- was studying tapes of Greinke's pitching motion. Later the touseled-haired pitcher was sitting alone, focusing on the videotape machine.
It was something of a horror film. Greinke had been bombed for 11 runs -- a franchise record - in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 10-inning, 12-11 victory on Friday night.
Over a five-start stretch, Greinke has given up 43 hits and 31 runs in 23 2/3 innings for an 11.79 ERA. The Diamondbacks hammered him for three home runs and five doubles, while accumulating 15 hits, tying a club record.
This is not the Zack Greinke who, as a rookie last year, bamboozled hitters and captivated fans.
"Just whenever there's a guy in scoring position, they'll find a way to score now and before I'd be good enough to stop it sometimes," Greinke said.
"I'm giving up a lot of fly balls -- home runs or doubles -- and that's huge. Before, there was a lot of ground balls and now it's all deep fly balls. Even if it's caught, it's a deep fly ball."
So what's going on?
His fastball has been up and not moving much.
"We need the fastball down so he can be effective like he was before," catcher John Buck said. "It's flatter than I've seen it. When he pitches up, it's not as sharp."
Greinke hasn't been moving batters off the plate.
"Once again, the old adage: up-and-in, low-and-away, Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth are dead. That's what he has to take into account. We haven't seen anybody having any fear about diving across the plate and smacking a pretty good pitch," Hansen said.
"Nobody around here needs to be a headhunter, but you have to at least acknowledge these guys are big and strong and you can't pitch up and over the plate. No way, unless you throw 100 miles an hour."
His location hasn't been its usual finite self.
"He seems to be very happy to just be a guy who throws the ball over the plate and do it by changing speeds. And you've got to do more than change speeds. You've got to locate those speeds and you've got to keep guys honest," Hansen said.
Greinke might even be tipping his pitches to batters.
"We think that he was tipping some of his pitches yesterday from the stretch. We're not positive, but we're pretty sure from looking at film," Hansen said. "He's setting up a little different on his fastball and his change, so I think we should address that."
With a 1-7 record and a 6.01 ERA staring back at him from the stats sheet, Greinke is ready to make adjustments. That's why Hansen, who first schooled Greinke at age 19 in the Puerto Rican League, was so happy to hear his phone ring on Saturday.
"I've been waiting for that acknowledgment from him ever since Spring Training. Because when I saw him in Spring Training, it wasn't the same guy I had seen three years before in Puerto Rico," Hansen said.
The rejuvenation of Zack Greinke is under way.
Roster moves: Pitcher Ryan Jensen is back with the Royals and assigned to the bullpen. Jensen was 2-1 with a 7.42 ERA in three starts before being designated for assignment a week ago. He cleared waivers and returned to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.
Scheduled to pitch Saturday for Omaha, Jensen instead was recalled to replace right-hander Steve Stemle, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained lower back. Stemle was injured throwing a warmup pitch after being called into Friday night's game.
"Like I said when I left, I expected this would happen but not this soon," Jensen said. "Well, I didn't think I'd get called up this soon."
Outfielder Matt Diaz also went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle in his left side. Diaz was injured in early batting practice on Friday and couldn't swing when used as a pinch-hitter for the pitcher in the 10th inning.
"He wasn't really supposed to be available last night but we sent him up there to bunt -- or to try to bunt," manager Buddy Bell said.
Diaz tried but struck out.
The move cleared a needed spot for Howell on the 25-man roster. The Royals made room on the 40-man roster by moving pitcher Brian Anderson from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.
Mike Sweeney / 1B
Born: 07/22/73
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
More info:
Player page
Stats | Splits
Gallery
Team Site | Shop
Sweeney sits: When first baseman Mike Sweeney and athletic trainer Nick Swartz emerged from Bell's office on Saturday with bursts of laughter, that was a sign that Sweeney's recovery from a rib-cage strain was going well.
Even so, he remained out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game. Sweeney expects to return on Sunday or Tuesday.
Gordon a goner: Third baseman Alex Gordon, the Royals' top pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, banged a two-run homer in Nebraska's 6-3 win Saturday over Miami. He also showed his feisty side, getting ejected for arguing a call at third base. Bell was tickled when he heard that news.
"Thrown out of the game?" Bell exclaimed with a smile. "Solid!"
Farm report: Greg Atencio and Chad Blackwell combined on a 10-inning one-hitter as Class A Burlington defeated Fort Wayne, 1-0, in the second game of a doubleheader. Atencio pitched seven hitless innings. Blackwell got the win and is 6-1 with a 2.15 ERA. Burlington won the first game, 5-3.
Right fielder Alan Moye (.382) drove in five runs with three hits as Class A High Desert downed Rancho Cucamonga, 11-3. Designated hitter Brandon Powell (.324) homered and drove in three runs.
DH Josh Pressley had four hits, raising his average to .305, and third baseman Brennan King hit his 11th homer, but Double-A Wichita lost to Springfield, 10-9.
First baseman Calvin Pickering hit his fourth homer in Triple-A Omaha's 5-3 loss to Memphis. Pickering is batting .161. Losing pitcher Jimmy Gobble is 2-7 with a 6.58 ERA.
On deck: The Royals end their six-game Interleague road trip at 3:40 p.m. CT on Sunday against the Diamondbacks. Monday is an open date. The Los Angeles Dodgers arrive on Tuesday in Kansas City for a three-game series.
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
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