Royals left-hander Bruce Chen attempted 10 pickoff throws to first base with Denard Span on at Target Field on Sunday. It was the first inning and Span had reached with a walk. Jamey Carroll was at the plate. The sequence ended anticlimactically, as Chen did not pick off Span, who did not even try to steal second base, instead reaching there on Carroll's bleeding single to shallow left. "He's a fast runner," Chen said. "He's on first base, and he's trying to get to second base. I'm going to do everything I can to keep him at first base. If you only throw over one time, you only have one chance to pick him off. "I just wanted to make sure he knew I knew he was there."