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Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

July 6, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


JULY 6, 2008, 1:35 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (42-45) vs. Memphis (48-41)

HOME: 18-22 (45-27 in '07) AWAY: 24-23 (28-44 in '07) vs. Memphis: 3-3 (8-8 in '07)

TODAY: The Royals host the Memphis Redbirds in a 1:35 p.m. game at Rosenblatt Stadium. It's the finale of a 3-game series, which is tied 1-1. The season series is also even at 3-3. It's U.S. Bank Family FUNday, with clowns, face painting and kids invited to run the bases after the game, also presented by KGBI-100.7 FM and KPTM-Fox 42! All Royals Kids Club members receive a FREE ticket to the game, courtesy of SUBWAY. Plus, any fan bringing an Our Family Brand food item to the stadium gets a FREE General Admission ticket to the contest. The pre-game show airs at 1:15 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.

LAST NIGHT: Brian Buchanan smacked a grand slam in the 7th inning, lifting the Royals to an 8-6 win over the Redbirds and snapping Omaha's 5-game losing streak. The Royals trailed 5-4 with 1 out and the bases full in the 7th, when Buchanan sent a 1-1 pitch from John Wasdin over the left-center field fence, capping a 5-RBI night for the Royals' DH. Yasuhiko Yabuta (1-1) earned the win, working 4.0 innings and giving up just 1 run on 2 hits. Ron Flores (2-4) took the loss, surrendering 2 runs in one-third of an inning. Every Redbird had 1 hit, except for leadoff batter Brian Barden, who collected 3 hits, drove in a run and scored twice.

ROYALS REPORT: Buchanan's slam was the 3rd hit by an Omaha batter this season - Jason Smith and Mike Aviles have also turned the trick. The 5 RBI for Buchanan last night tied a team season-high. It was nice rebound for the slugger, who was 0-for-4 with 3 K's Friday night, leaving 5 runners on base. *** In 2 games at Rosenblatt, Yabuta owns a 1.50 ERA, allowing 1 run on just 2 hits in 6.0 innings. *** Last night's starter for Omaha, Dusty Hughes, had a rocky Rosenblatt debut, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits over 5.0 frames. Hughes' 3rd Triple-A start saw his ERA jump from 2.31 to 4.32. *** Ryan Shealy is on a season-best, 6-game hitting streak. During that stretch, he's gone 10-for-22 (.455) with a home run and 3 RBI. *** Mitch Maier walked twice and scored 2 runs Saturday night, but officially was 0-for-3 to halt his hit string at 6 games. Over the last 7 contests, Maier is hitting .387 (12-for-31) and has scored 7 runs. *** David Matranga has hit in 4 straight tilts, going 5-for-15 (.333) with a home run and 3 RBI. That comes on the heels of an 8-game stretch when he was just 3-for-25 (.120). *** Chris Lubanski had 2 hits last night to post his 15th multi-hit game of the year. He drove in a run in the 4th inning for his 1st RBI in his last 15 games. *** Gookie Dawkins has 8 RBI in his last 10 games. Over that span, he's hitting .286 (10-for-35) with 2 home runs. *** Like Dawkins, Shane Costa had the night off Saturday but has been hot at the plate. In his last 16 contests, Costa is batting .369 (24-for-65) with a homer and 9 RBI. *** Memphis outfielder Cody Haerther, who has driven in a run in each of the 1st 2 games of this series, has 6 RBI in 4 games vs. Omaha this season.

STARTERS: LH Jaime Garcia (4-4, 4.06) vs. RH Matt Wright (3-5, 6.06)

Wright makes his 17th start of the season, his 2nd vs. Memphis. The 26-year old right-hander's last outing was at Iowa last Tuesday, when he took the loss in the Royals' 10-4 defeat (3.0 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR). Wright has won each of his previous 2 starts, posting a 2.77 ERA in the process. Wright has given up 18 home runs this season, 2nd-most in the PCL. He had allowed just 1 home run in 18.0 innings over his 3 outings from June 14-24, before yielding 2 homers in 3.0 innings in his last start. Wright started at AutoZone Park on April 13; he was not involved in the decision as Memphis won 7-5 (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K). He was signed by KC as a minor league free agent prior to 2007 and spent the entire campaign with Omaha, going 10-5 and ranking 7th in the PCL with a 4.06 ERA. In 21 starts last season, he was 7-3 with a 4.01 ERA; he went 3-2 with a 4.32 ERA in 7 relief appearances. He made 3 starts vs. the Redbirds last year, going 1-0 with a 2.60 ERA. Wright won 6 of 7 decisions at Rosenblatt last year, although his ERA was actually better on the road than at home (3.89 to 4.24). He pitched well in tight spots in 2007, holding batters to a .216 average with runners in scoring position and .193 with runners in scoring position and 2 outs. Following the season, he was a member of the gold-medal winning USA Baseball Team at the World Cup in Chinese Taipei, going 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in 2 games (1 start). Prior to 2007, Wright spent his 1st 7 professional seasons in the Braves organization. He was named to the Carolina League All-Star team in 2004, when he ranked 6th in Atlanta's system with 133 strikeouts for Myrtle Beach. Wright was selected by the Braves in the 21st round of the 2000 draft out of Robinson High School in Texas.

PROBABLES FOR SERIES VS. NASHVILLE:

Mon., 7:05 p.m.: RH Mark DiFelice (3-0, 3.54) vs. RH Roman Colon (2-2, 4.60)

Tue., 5:05 p.m.: LH Lindsay Gulin (4-4, 3.02) vs. RH Carlos Rosa (3-2, 4.89)

Tue., Game 2: LH Steve Hammond (0-2, 8.10) vs. TBA

Wed., 12:05 p.m.: LH Chris Narveson (2-11, 5.64) vs. RH Brandon Duckworth (3-8, 4.43)

Thur., 7:05 p.m.: RH Richie Gardner (6-2, 4.13) vs. LH Dusty Hughes (1-0, 4.32)

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