University of Tennessee Athletics
Former Vol Hochevar Tosses Perfect Inning in Futures Game
July 08, 2007 | Baseball
Former Vol Hochevar Tosses Perfect Inning in Futures Game
Luke Hochevar
SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) - Former Tennessee pitcher and 2006 No. 1 overall draft pick Luke Hochevar threw 11 pitches in a scoreless fifth inning for the United States in the ninth Futures Game played Sunday at AT&T Park.
Hochevar faced the 1-2-3 hitters in the World Team's lineup getting pinch hitters Gorkys Hernandez and Elvis Andrus to ground out to third and shortstop, repsectively, before inducing a lazy line drive by Wladimir Balentien to center field to end the inning. It was one of two scoreless innings tossed by the United States pitching staff in the seven-inning affair.
Every U.S. pitcher who lasted more than one-third of an inning allowed at least one hit except Hochever (Royals).
"It was good experience playing against the best hitters in the minors," Hochevar said. "It was just fun being around these guys, and we all hope to run into each other later on in the big leagues."
Hochevar, who leads the Texas League with 94 strikeouts, owns a 3-6 mark while pitching for the Double-A Wichita Wranglers with a 4.69 ERA in 94.0 innings.
The World Team used its bats and legs to beat the United States in the ninth Futures Game.
Michael Saunders stole two bases and scored twice in his first two at-bats and Chin-Lung Hu drove in two runs to lead the World Team to a 7-2 victory over the United States in an All-Star Game played among the best prospects in the minor leagues.
Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds and James Van Ostrand of the Houston Astros homered for the World Team, which avenged an 8-5 loss in last year's contest at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Saunders, a 6-4 Seattle Mariners prospect from Victoria, British Columbia, led off the game by reaching on an error by second baseman Chris Coglan and immediately stole second base.
Hu, a Los Angeles Dodgers middle infield prospect from Taiwan, then followed with a ground double to right field against Tampa Bay Devil Rays righthander Jeff Niemann, scoring Saunders for a quick 1-0 lead. Hu then stole third base against the tandem of Niemann and catcher Brian Anderson of the St. Louis Cardinals and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wladimir Balentien.
Saunders and Hu struck again in the third. Saunders drew a leadoff walk, this time against New York Yankees righthander Joba Chamberlain, and swiped second. Hu plated him with a ground single to right field for a 3-0 edge.
Hu, who is batting .329 with 30 doubles, six homers, 34 RBI and 12 steals at Class AA Jacksonville, finished 2-for-2 and earned MVP honors. The only other player in the contest with two hits was Toronto Blue Jays catcher Robinson Diaz.
Saunders also has served as a catalyst for High Desert in the Class A California League. The 20-year-old, an 11th-round pick by the Mariners in 2004, is batting .302 with a .401 on-base percentage and 22 steals. He has 20 doubles, 12 homers and 60 RBI in 82 games.
The U.S. got on the board in the third on a solo home run by Justin Upton, the first overall player selected in the 2005 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks and brother of Devil Rays second baseman B.J. Upton. His blast came off of Fautino De Los Santos of the Chicago White Sox, but the World Team increased the lead to 4-1 in the fourth.
Max Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians led off the frame with a double to left field off Kevin Mulvey of the New York Mets. After a one-out single by Diaz that deflected off first baseman Matt Tolbert's glove, Ramirez scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Carlos Gonzalez of the Diamondbacks.
After Texas Rangers farmhand John Whittleman's two-out homer in the fifth off Peolis Guerra cut the U.S. squad's deficit to 4-2, Toronto native Votto hit a leadoff home run in the sixth off Boston Red Sox prospect Clay Buchholz and Van Ostrand homered to left in the seventh against Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw for a 6-2 edge. Later in the frame, Balentien doubled home a run.
Rick Vanden Hurk, who hails from the Netherlands and pitched earlier this season with the Florida Marlins, pitched a scoreless first inning to pick up the win for the World Team, which improved to 4-5 in this seven-inning exhibition series.
