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 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

July 24, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


JULY 24, 2007, 8:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (49-54) @ Salt Lake Bees (53-50)

HOME: 33-18 (31-41 in ‘06) AWAY: 16-36 (22-50 in '06) vs. Salt Lake: 0-0 (2-2 in '06)

TONIGHT: The Royals visit Franklin Covey Field for an 8:05 p.m. game with the Salt Lake Bees. It's the opener of a 4-game series and an 8-game road trip for the Royals, who are coming off a 3-1 home series vs. Memphis. Air-time is 7:45 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.Oroyals.com.

MONDAY: Memphis scored 3 runs in the 1st inning and made it stand up for a 3-1 victory, salvaging a win in the series and snapping a 6-game losing skid. Jarret Hoffpauir plated the Redbirds' 1st run with an RBI single and scored on Tagg Bozied's 2-run homer off Leo Nunez (1-2), who gave up just 1 hit and 1 walk in the 2nd through 5th innings. The Royals scored in the 2nd when Shane Costa doubled with 2 outs and scored on Mitch Maier's single. Memphis starter Randy Keisler (8-7) got the win with 7.0 innings of 1-run ball. Brian Falkenborg came on in the 9th and yielded a leadoff single to Ryan Shealy, followed by Costa's 2nd double of the game. However, the Redbirds closer struck out both Maier and Paul Phillips and retired Richard Lewis on a grounder to short to notch his 22nd save.

ROYALS REPORT: The Royals out-hit the Redbirds 9-5 yesterday, but Omaha tied a season high yesterday by hitting into 4 double plays. The Royals also went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 8 runners stranded on base. *** Costa is riding a 9-game hitting streak. He's batting .385 (15-39) with a home run, 4 RBI and 7 runs scored over that span. *** Angel Berroa, who had homered both Saturday night and Sunday, was hit by a 3-1 pitch in the 1st inning Monday. Home plate umpire Chris Griffith warned both dugouts, even though no Memphis batter had been hit by a pitch in the top of the 1st. Omaha manager Mike Jirschele wound up getting ejected shortly after the warning. Berroa singled in his next at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 7 games. He's 13-for-25 (.530) during the streak and has hit in 10 of the past 11 contests at a .488 clip (20-41) with 4 home runs, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored. *** Nunez retired the final 9 Memphis batters he faced Monday and reliever Jason Shiell set down 12 of the 13 Redbirds he faced, striking out the side in the 7th. Over his last 5 outings, Shiell is 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA (1 ER in 9.0 IP), with no walks and 5 K's. *** In 4 games since being sent down by KC, Joey Gathright is 7-for-13 (.538) with a double, triple, 6 runs scored, and 2 RBI. He's also 3-for-5 in steal attempts. Gathright owns a 10-game hitting streak with Omaha, dating back to May 31. *** Mike Aviles is 10-for-his-last-25 (.400) with 3 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs and 6 RBI in that 6-game stretch. *** Craig Brazell has hit in 7 straight, going 9-for-29 (.310) with a homer and 7 RBI. *** Maier was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI Monday. He played in each of Omaha's 1st 102 games, before getting a day off Sunday. In the 5 games prior to Sunday, he had 3 singles in 19 at-bats. *** Scott Elarton will be activated and start vs. the Yankees tonight at Kauffman Stadium. In 5 rehab assignment starts with Omaha for a sprained right foot, Elarton was 1-1 with a 7.43 ERA. It will be his 1st start for KC since June 13. He's 2-3 with a 9.17 ERA in 8 starts for KC, but is 3-0 in 4 career starts vs. New York.

STARTERS: RH Billy Buckner (7-5, 4.42) vs. LH Jonathon Rouwenhorst (9-4, 5.16) Buckner makes his 11th consecutive start, following 11 relief appearances for Omaha. The 23-year old right-hander's last outing was last Thursday at Albuquerque, when he took the loss in a 5-1 defeat (6.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R-4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K). In his last 4 starts, Buckner is 0-3 with a 5.82 ERA (14 ER in 21.2 IP). That follows a stretch when he won 3 consecutive starts, posting a 1.29 ERA in the process. Overall, as a starter he's 3-4 with a 4.72 ERA; he was 4-1 with a 3.60 ERA as a reliever. He's 3-3 with a 5.70 ERA at home, while going 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA on the road. Buckner began this season with Double-A Wichita, going 1-3 with a 4.66 ERA in 4 games (3 starts). Entering this season, he was named as the 9th-best prospect in KC's organization by Baseball America. In 2006, Buckner pitched for High Desert and Wichita, compiling a 12-4 record with a 4.24 ERA in 29 starts combined. He was 7-1 with a 3.90 ERA in 16 starts for High Desert, earning a spot on the California League's mid-season All-Star team. After being promoted to Wichita on July 1, he went 5-3 with a 4.64 ERA in 13 starts for the Wranglers. Buckner pitched at Young Harris (GA) College in 2002-2003. He was selected by Tampa Bay in the 9th round of the 2003 draft, but did not sign. Instead, he attended the University of South Carolina in 2004 and helped lead the Gamecocks to the College World Series, going 7-2 with a 3.32 ERA. He was KC's 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft.

PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:

Wed., 8:05: RH Luke Hochevar (0-1, 4.50) vs. RH Kasey Olenberger (8-4, 4.51)

Thur., 8:05: LH Tyler Lumsden (6-5, 6.45) vs. RH Pedro Liriano (3-11, 6.27)

Fri., 8:05: RH Matt Wright (6-3, 3.82) vs. RH Ervin Santana (0-1, 1.29)


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