Kochanowicz was able to hold the Angels to just the pair of runs despite allowing eight hits, and he walked one with three punchouts. It wasn’t always pretty — few of his starts are because Kochanowicz misses so few bats — but it’s the third time in five starts he’s given up two runs. He’ll get a chance to limit the damage again in T-Mobile Park against the Mariners in Seattle.

The surprising and misguided decision to pick Kochanowicz over Reid Detmers for a rotation spot at the end of the spring isn’t working out for the Angels. The team might reverse course soon, but Detmers hasn’t been used as a long guy and isn’t stretched out to start right away. Kochanowicz is now 1-2 with a 6.20 ERA, but at least he gets the Pirates next.

After reducing his sinker usage significantly in his first two starts, Kochanowicz must have heard it calling to him like the Green Goblin mask because he threw it a season-high 69% of the time in this one. It did its job early, forcing 14 ground balls on the 19 total balls in play by the Astros, but they wound up getting around on it during their third time around the order and chased Kochanowicz after five straight batters reached base with two outs in the fifth inning. Then, Yainer Diaz blasted a grand slam and added three more runs to Kochanowicz’s ledger. He will probably need to find a way to throw slightly fewer sinkers if he wants to succeed at the major league level. He’s scheduled to face the Rangers in his next start.