Albert Pujols made the biggest free agent splash this offseason with the move from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Los Angeles Angels. With a mammoth contract for what is likely to be the rest of his career, Angels fans are anxious to see first-hand what the best hitter in baseball is capable of. Unfortunately for them, Pujols went hitless in his first game yesterday against the Royals. He hopes to change that today against Luke Hochevar in Saturday’s game at Kauffman Stadium.
Hochevar, however, says he’s gained a confidence after a strong spring training performance. He had a 2.84 ERA in five starts and said he’s added an offspeed pitch to his primary arsenal.
“I think the biggest thing is having the opportunity to work on my changeup and throw my changeup a lot. In the past, it’s never really been a pitch for me,” said Hochevar.
The Royals face Dan Haren today, and Haren said he’s not worried about Pujols and the rest of the Angels offense coming to life.
“Top to bottom, it’s pretty solid,” Saturday’s starter Dan Haren said. “We’re adding a three and a four hitter, and not too many teams in the offseason can just add a three and four hitter in there. On paper, we look great, but we still have to put it together and win on the field.”
Today’s game starts at 3:05pm CT.
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