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Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

April 19, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


APRIL 19, 2007, 6:35 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (5-9) vs. Round Rock Express (9-5)

HOME: 3-3 (31-41 in '06) AWAY: 2-6 (22-50 in '06) vs. Round Rock: 1-5 (5-11 in '06)

TONIGHT: The Royals host Round Rock in game 3 of a 4-game series. Omaha is 0-2 in the series and 3-3 on the homestand. It's Thirsty Thursday, featuring $1 beer and Cokes during the game, plus live music from Aaron Shoemaker of Blucymon and drink specials in Stadium View Club after the game! Air-time 6:15 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.Oroyals.com.

LAST NIGHT: The Royals bats managed only 4 hits and Omaha did not score until the 9th inning in a 6-1 loss to Round Rock. One night after Fernando Nieve allowed just 3 hits over 6.0 scoreless innings, Juan Gutierrez gave up 3 hits in 7.0 scoreless stanzas. Gutierrez (1-1) surrendered 2 hits to the 1st 3 batters he faced, before retiring 13 consecutive and 18 of the next 20 Omaha batters. Royals starter Dewon Brazelton (0-3) kept Omaha close through the 1st 6.0 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk, striking out 5. But, Round Rock pulled away by scoring twice in the 7th off Thad Markray and 2 unearned runs in the 9th facing Roberto Giron.

ROYALS REPORT: In their 1st 2 meetings of the season with Round Rock on April 9-10 at the Dell Diamond, the Royals scored 14 runs, losing the series opener, but winning game 2. In their past 4 games vs. the Express, the Royals have scored a total of 5 runs, losing each contest. Omaha tallied 18 runs in winning 3 straight games over Albuquerque prior to this series, but the Royals have managed just 2 runs in the 1st 2 tilts of this set. Express starters, who were 3-5 with a 5.87 ERA prior to Tuesday night, are 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in this series, yielding only 6 hits over 13.0 innings. *** Omaha's starters have also been very solid lately. Not counting Monday's start by Zach Day, who's on a low pitch limit, the Royals starters have turned in 3 straight quality starts - with an 0-1 record to show for it. The quality start string would be 4, had Ben Hendrickson lasted 1 more out in his last start on Saturday vs. Albuquerque (5.2 IP, 1 ER). *** The Omaha pitching staff as a whole has been racking up the K's on this homestand, striking out 53 opposing batters in the 1st 6 games. *** The Royals averted their 2nd shutout loss of the season last night, when Round Rock lefty Mark McLemore walked the bases loaded with 1 out and a fielder's choice grounder by Mike Aviles scored Joey Gathright. The leadoff walk to Gathright was the 8th free pass in his last 16 trips to the plate and his PCL-leading 17th walk in 14 games this season. Gathright owns a .446 on-base percentage, despite hitting just .217. *** The last inning walks gave Mitch Maier a last chance to extend his hitting streak to 9 games. But, his liner to left field ended the game, which he finished 0-for-4. The Royals outfielder hit .364 (12-33) during the streak, which was the longest so far this season for a Royal. *** Shane Costa, who was 1-for-3 with a double last night, has hit in 5 straight games, at a .500 (10-20) clip. *** Angel Berroa is in an 0-for-13 skid at the plate and committed his 2nd error in 3 games at 3rd base last night. *** Fernando Cortez snapped out of an 0-for-11 slide last night by stroking an 8th inning single. *** After each batted injury and flu bugs last week, Justin Huber (.160, 4-25) and Paul Phillips (.091, 2-22) are struggling at the plate out of the gate this season.

STARTERS: RH Chad Reineke (1-1, 7.56) vs. RH Ben Hendrickson (1-1, 7.27)

Hendrickson makes his 3rd start of the season. The 26-year old right-hander, acquired by Kansas City from Milwaukee on March 27 in a trade for catcher Max St. Pierre, got the win in a 6-1 victory last Saturday at Albuquerque as the Royals snapped a 3-game losing streak (5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K). In his Royals debut on April 9 at Round Rock, Hendrickson took the loss in an 8-6 defeat (3.0 IP, 6 H, 7 R-6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K). Hendrickson spent most of the 2006 season with Triple-A Nashville, but also saw time with the Brewers. He was 9-8 with a 3.36 ERA in 23 starts for the Sounds. His 3.36 ERA ranked 9th in the PCL and he was selected to the mid-season PCL All-Star team. He went 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA in 3 starts vs. Omaha last season. Hendrickson pitched in 4 games (3 starts) for Milwaukee last season, going 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA. Prior to both the 2005 and 2006 seasons, Hendrickson was named as having the "Best Curveball" in the Brewers organization by Baseball America, which rated him as Milwaukee's #7 prospect prior to 2005 and #19 entering 2006. In 2004, he was named as Milwaukee's Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the International League's MVP, after going 11-3 with a 2.02 ERA for Indianapolis. That same season, he was 1-8 with a 6.22 ERA for the Brewers. Hendrickson was selected by Milwaukee in the 10th round of the 1999 draft out of Bloomington Jefferson High in the Twin Cities.

PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:

Fri., 7:05: LH Philip Barzilla (2-0, 1.64) vs. RH Brian Bannister (1-1, 1.93)

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