PCL1 Round Rock Express

Express Drop Opener against New Orleans 5-3

Published on April 30, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK, Texas - Chase Lambin was 3-for-4 with a key two-run homer as the New Orleans Zephyrs defeated the Round Rock Express 5-3 in Monday night's Pacific Coast League series opener at The Dell Diamond. The Express (10-15) have lost three straight, while the Zephyrs (15-9) halted a three-game skid in the season series against Round Rock.

Lambin's one-out, two-run homer in the top of the seventh erased a 2-1 Round Rock lead, and the Zephyrs never trailed again. That spoiled what to that point was another strong start for Express starter Zach Jackson, who tossed six scoreless innings in a winning effort at New Orleans five days earlier.

New Orleans tacked on a couple of eighth-inning runs on a Luke Montz RBI single and a Matt Dominguez sacrifice fly. Round Rock scratched for a run in the bottom of the eighth on Joey Butler's first-and-third fielder's choice groundout, but the Express could get no closer.

That made a winner of Zephyrs starter Tom Koehler (1-3), who held the Express to two runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings with a season-high 10 strikeouts. Sandy Rosario worked around a two-out Julio Borbon single for his ninth save.

Jackson (1-3) was saddled with the loss; he allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk with five strikeouts over six and two-thirds innings, his longest outing of the season to date. Tanner Scheppers retired all five batters he faced after entering the game with one out in the eighth, striking out the last two.

Borbon singled to open the bottom of the first, stole second and third, and scored on Matt Kata's one-out single. Dusty Brown blasted a two-out solo homer in the second, pushing Round Rock's lead to 2-0. Lambin got New Orleans on the board in the top of the third when he singled with one out and later scored on Kevin Mattison's single.

The Express squandered a chance to answer in the fourth when Joey Butler drew a leadoff walk and Yangervis Solarte followed with a single. Koehler knuckled down, retiring the next three batters with two strikeouts.

Mattison and Jeff Dominguez tallied two hits each for the Zephyrs.

Borbon, Mike Bianucci and Brad Nelson all had two-hit nights. Solarte was 1-for-4, pushing his hitting streak to 11 games; Nelson has hit safely in seven straight. Butler was 0-for-3 with a walk and was held hitless in consecutive games for the first time since April 17-18, 2011 - the fourth and fifth games of his Triple-A career.

Round Rock and New Orleans continue their four-game series Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at The Dell Diamond. Left-hander Michael Kirkman (0-1, 11.45 ERA) will start for the Express, while right-hander J.D. Martin (2-1, 6.30 ERA) is scheduled to go for the Zephyrs.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 30, 2012


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