When Royals starter Jason Hammel began his spring, he set a simple goal: He sought to transform his change-up from an average offering to a weapon. In his penultimate outing before the regular season, he remained committed to the task, even as the added emphasis caused his start to unravel.
In an 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe-Diablo Stadium, Hammel yielded seven runs and eight hits in six innings, including six runs during a treacherous fifth. Yet the line required closer inspection. He allowed a run in the first inning before putting up three scoreless frames.