Royals notebook: Hillman won’t be a slave to pitch counts

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“I think he has a tendency to put a little pressure on himself (when batting third),” Hillman said, “whether he realizes it or not. When he puts a little pressure on himself, his swing gets a little longer.

“As soon as we move him out of the three slot, in a short one-month history, his swing gets a little bit shorter and a little more compact. Hopefully, he can stay a little shorter. He’s going to have to.”

Gordon entered Friday with just six hits in 34 at-bats -- a .176 average -- when batting third. He is batting .347 when he bats anywhere but third.

Power in the Far East

It only makes it worse, as the Royals struggle into the weekend with just 15 homers in 28 games, to see a couple of alums are muscling up in Japan.

First baseman Craig Brazell tops the Pacific League with 11 homers for the Seibu Lions, and outfielder Aaron Guiel leads the Central League with eight homers and 22 RBIs for the Yakult Swallows.

Minor details

•Right-hander Julio Pimentel produced his fourth straight quality start Thursday when he yielded just two earned runs in seven innings for Class AA Northwest Arkansas in a 9-6 victory at Springfield. Pimentel, 22, is 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 35 innings. He has allowed five earned runs in 27 2/3 innings in his last four starts.

•Infielder Mike Aviles extended his hitting streak to 13 games by going one for four in Class AAA Omaha’s 5-3 loss at Sacramento. Aviles is batting .358 overall and .393 in the streak.

To reach Bob Dutton, Royals reporter for The Star, call (816) 234-4352 or send e-mail to bdutton@kcstar.com.

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