PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

4/29 Royals Game Notes

Published on April 29, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


APRIL 29, 2008, 9:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (13-9) at Sacramento (13-11)

HOME: 9-5 (45-27 in ‘07) AWAY: 4-4 (28-44 in '07) vs. Sacramento: 0-1 (2-2 in '07)

TONIGHT: The Royals face the River Cats in game 2 of a 4-game series at Raley Field in Sacramento. Omaha, 0-1 this series, is playing the 2nd game of an 8-game road trip, which also includes a 4-game set in Fresno.

LAST NIGHT: Sacramento won its 6th straight home game, taking the series opener 7-5. Matt Tupman's 3-run homer in the top of the 1st inning gave the Royals an early 3-0 lead. Kevin Melillo's 2-run blast in the bottom of the 1st cut Omaha's lead to a run. Sacramento chased Omaha starter Mike Maroth (0-2) in the 2nd inning, scoring 5 runs to take a 7-3 lead. Nick Blasi started the rally with a 1-out, solo shot and the River Cats had 3 more hits and 2 walks in the inning, plus took advantage of an error and a wild pitch. Kirk Saarloos (3-0) got the win, working 5.0 innings and giving up the last of the Royals' 5 runs in the 5th inning on a solo homer by Ryan Shealy. The Royals did not collect a hit off 3 Sacramento relievers over the final 4.0 frames, with Jerry Blevins pitching a perfect 9th inning for his 3rd save.

ROYALS REPORT: Tupman, who has homered twice in the past 3 games, has already matched his season high with 3 home runs (set with Wilmington in 2004). Omaha's catcher has hit 3 long balls in just 54 at-bats this season, after hitting only 1 homer in 372 AB's with Omaha the past 2 years. Over his 1st 6 professional seasons entering 2008, he had 11 home runs in 1,753 AB's (1 per 159.4 AB's). Tupman has hit in 4 straight games, equaling his season-long streak (.412, 7-for-17, 2 HR, 6 RBI). *** Maroth gave up 7 runs (6 earned) in just 1.2 innings last night. After 3 starts, his ERA is 12.91 (11 ER in 7.1 IP). *** Brandon Duckworth followed Maroth to the mound last night and turned in the longest relief outing for an Omaha pitcher in ‘08, working 5.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 5 hits and no walks, fanning 5. His ERA dropped from 5.28 to 3.92. *** Shealy has smacked 2 solo homers in the past 3 games and has a hit in 3 of the past 4 contests, going 5-for-14 (.357) to raise his average from .169 to .203. *** Mike Aviles had 2 more hits Monday, giving him a team-leading 12 multi-hit games this season. His 33 hits are tied for 3rd-most in the PCL. Aviles is riding a team-high, 10-game hit string. He's hitting .386 (17-for-44) with 2 homers and 9 RBI during the streak, although his RBI streak ended at 4 games Monday. *** Shane Costa last night banged out his club-leading 11th double, tied for 2nd-most in the PCL, but 5 doubles behind Las Vegas' Terry Tiffee. Costa has hit in 5 straight, going 6-for-21 (.286) with 2 homers, 7 RBI and 8 runs scored over that span. *** Mike Stodolka was 0-for-4 last night and struck out 3 times for the 1st time in a game this season. He's mired in a 2-for-30 slump, dropping his average from .526 to .245. *** After using just 1 pinch-hitter in the 1st 21 games of the year, Omaha manager Mike Jirschele used right-handed batters Dave Matranga and Damon Hollins to pinch-hit in the 9th inning Monday vs. the 6'-6" lefty Blevins. Matranga struck out and Hollins grounded out to 3rd to end the contest. *** With 36 home runs in their 1st 22 games, the Royals rank 2nd in the PCL in round-trippers, trailing only Albuquerque (39).

STARTERS: RH Kyle Davies (2-1, 0.90) vs. LH Danny Borrell (2-0, 2.08)

Davies makes his 5th start of the season. The 24-year old right-hander's 0.90 ERA ranks 2nd in the PCL, just behind the 0.87 mark of Salt Lake's Nick Adenhart. Davies' last outing was last Tuesday vs. New Orleans, when he got the win in the Royals' 12-4 victory (7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K). He has not allowed an earned run in 12.0 innings over his last 2 starts, although in the 1st outing of that streak Nashville scored 6 unearned runs off him. Davies was acquired by KC from Atlanta in exchange for reliever Octavio Dotel on July 31, 2007. He began last season with the Braves and was 4-8 with a 5.76 ERA in 17 starts. Following the trade, he went 3-7 and posted a 6.66 ERA in 11 starts for KC. Davies made his KC debut August 4 at Yankee Stadium, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits in 3.0 innings and surrendering Alex Rodriguez' 500th career home run. He earned a win in his Kauffman Stadium debut vs. Minnesota, firing 6.2 shutout innings in a 1-0 victory. In 2006, he opened the season in the Braves starting rotation, but underwent surgery to repair a torn right groin on May 19 and missed 94 games before being activated from the 60-day DL on September 1. Davies began his big league career with Atlanta in 2005 by recording 14.0 straight scoreless innings, the most by a Braves rookie starter to open his career since Larry McWilliams (14.1) in 1978. In 2004, he was named the Phil Niekro Award Winner as the top pitcher in the Braves organization and was selected to Baseball America's minor league All-Star 2nd team. Davies was selected by Atlanta in the 4th round of the 2001 draft out of Stockbridge High School in Georgia. Kyle is his middle name - his given name is Hiram.

PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:

Wed., 1:35: LH Tyler Lumsden (1-1, 9.56) vs. LH Lenny DiNardo (0-0, 0.00)

Thur., 9:05: RH Matt Wright (0-1, 6.00) vs. LH Dan Meyer (2-1, 6.11)

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 29, 2008


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