Rookie starting pitcher Heath Fillmyer had barely broken a sweat all of Wednesday night when the Cubs managed back-to-back, one-out hits against him in the seventh inning. His pitch count had only just broken 96. He did not seem to want to come out of the game.
Royals manager Ned Yost sauntered out to the Kauffman Stadium mound anyway. Left-handed specialist Tim Hill had begun to warm in the bullpen; he was ready to face the left-handed Kyle Schwarber.
But Yost never signaled for a pitching change. He turned his back on Fillmyer and let the rookie work through this jam.