PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

Published on August 17, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


TONIGHT: The Royals visit Bricktown Ballpark, facing the Oklahoma RedHawks in a 7:05 p.m. game. It's game 2 of a 4-game road trip to Oklahoma City. Oklahoma leads this series 1-0, while Omaha leads the season series 7-6. The pre-game show airs at 6:45 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.

LAST NIGHT: Jimmy Gobble gave up 5 runs in the 2nd inning and the RedHawks cruised to a 7-3 victory. Gobble (0-1), making his 4th rehab assignment start for KC as he recovers from back stiffness, gave up 4 hits and 3 walks in the 2nd, facing 9 batters before being lifted. Kila Ka'aihue and Damon Hollins closed out the game's scoring with back-to-back home runs in the top of the 5th off Oklahoma starter Michael Ballard (2-3), who allowed 3 runs on 9 hits in 5.0 innings. RedHawks relievers Yukinaga Maeda and Joselo Diaz blanked the Royals over the final 4.0 frames. Diaz, who pitched for Omaha and KC in 2006, earned his 2nd save.

ROYALS REPORT: Saturday night's defeat for Omaha, combined with Nashville's 11-4 win at Round Rock, leaves the Royals just 1.0 game ahead of the Sounds for 3rd place in the American Conference South. The loss was the 19th for the Royals in their last 25 games. *** Since tossing 2.0 scoreless innings in the 1st start of his rehab assignment on August 2nd vs. Salt Lake,Gobble has a 9.82 ERA in his last 3 outings (7.1 IP, 10 H, 8 ER, 7 BB, 9 K). *** Ka'aihue's blast last night marked his 8th home run and his 13th RBI in 18 games with Omaha. He also collected his 13th walk. The 24-year old Hawaiian now has 34 homers on the season, ranking him 4th in Minor League Baseball. He has coaxed 93 walks this season, tied for most in the minors. Among full-season minor leaguers, the former University of Nebraska recruit ranks 1st in on-base percentage (.462) and 2nd in slugging (.646). *** When Hollins followed Ka'aihue's home run with his own round-tripper, it marked the 2nd time that Royals teammates hit back-to-back jacks in the last 4 games. It happened just once in Omaha's 1st 124 contests this year. Opposing batters have clouted consecutive homers 8 times this year. *** Hollins has mashed 5 taters in his last 14 tilts, after hitting 9 homers in his 1st 76 games, including just 1 home run in 25 contests prior to the hot stretch. Hollins has hit in 5 straight and in 7 of his last 8 games. Over the longer span, he's 10-for-30 (.333) with 3 home runs, 9 RBI and 7 runs scored. *** Brayan Pena went 2-for-5 and knocked in a run last night, posting his 17th multi-hit effort in 48 games as a Royal. Pena, who did not score a run last night for the 1st time in his last 7 games, has hit in 4 straight (.6-for-18, .333, 1 HR, 3 RBI). *** Tyler Lumsden finished last night's contest by hurling 3.0 scoreless stanzas of 1-hit relief. It was a nice rebound from Lumsden's last outing vs. Albuquerque last Tuesday, when he gave up 7 runs (6 earned) on 8 hits in 2.1 innings to take the loss in Omaha's 11-5 defeat. *** Brett Bigler, who went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts in his 1st game with Omaha after being promoted from High-Class A Wilmington on Tuesday, was 2-for-3 with a run scored last night. *** Josh Labandeira singled twice Saturday night, marking his 1st multi-hit game in 16 contests with Omaha. He had a 2-hit game once in 25 contests with Durham earlier this season. *** Matt Tupman was hitless in 4 at-bats last night, snapping his hitting streak at 5 games. During the string, he was 7-for-18 (.389) and had 5 RBI. *** Ryan Shealy had the night off Saturday. Shealy has hit in 4 straight, going 6-for-16 (.375) with 2 home runs, 6 RBI and 5 runs scored. *** Reliever Jeff Fulchino, just called up Friday from Omaha, took the loss Saturday in KC's 3-2 defeat in 13 innings at Yankee Stadium. Fulchino came on in relief to begin the bottom of the 13th and gave up 2 singles, including a game-winning hit by rookie Brett Gardner, scoring Robinson Cano from 2nd base.

STARTERS: LH Dusty Hughes (2-1, 4.70) vs. RH Brandon McCarthy (0-1, 4.58)

Hughes makes his 9th Triple-A start. The 26-year old lefty's last outing was last Tuesday vs. Albuquerque, when he took the mound for the 1st time since July 29. He was not involved in the decision as the Royals lost 11-5 (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K). Hughes had a memorable Triple-A debut on June 22 at New Orleans, combining with Devon Lowery on a 5-hitter in the Royals' 3-0 victory. He opened this season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. In 20 games (4 starts) for the Naturals he was 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA and 3 saves. In 2007, Hughes was named by KC as Double-A Wichita's Pitcher of the Year, after he went 6-2 with a 3.08 ERA and 1 save in 25 games (16 starts). In 108.0 innings last year, he surrendered only 5 home runs. Following last season, he was 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 6 starts for the Surprise Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, earning AFL Pitcher of the Year honors in a fan vote. Last year was an impressive rebound by Hughes, who missed the entire 2006 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Entering this season, he was ranked by Baseball America as KC's #28 prospect. On April 12, 2004, he combined with Burlington (IA) reliever Jake Mullis on a no-hitter. In his 1st professional season, he was named the 2003 Pitcher of the Year for the Surprise Royals of the Rookie Arizona League, after going 5-2 and ranking 4th in the league with a 2.84 ERA. Hughes was selected by KC in the 11th round of the 2003 draft out of Delta State University in Mississippi, where he earned all-conference and team MVP honors as a junior and senior. He led the Statesmen to the Division II World Series in both 2001 and 2002. The Tupelo, Mississippi native was selected by the Marlins in the 50th round of the 2002 draft, but did not sign.

PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:

Mon., 12:05 p.m.: RH Brandon Duckworth (4-11, 4.93) vs. Elizardo Ramirez (10-5, 4.21)

Tue., 7:05 p.m.: RH Matt Wright (3-9, 5.66) vs. RH Brian Gordon (4-4, 4.65)

Check out the Omaha Storm Chasers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 17, 2008


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