PCL1 Round Rock Express

Express Salvage Finale At Omaha

Published on May 31, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


OMAHA, Neb. - Marcos Cabral's two-run homer capped a three-run second inning and propelled the Round Rock Express to a 4-2 victory over the Omaha Royals in Monday's series finale at Rosenblatt Stadium. The Express (23-28) snapped a three-game skid with the win, which ended Omaha's eight-game winning streak. Nonetheless, the Royals (27-22) won the series three-games-to-one.

Michael Garciaparra's RBI groundout snapped a scoreless tie, and Cabral followed with his first home run since joining the Express two weeks ago. Round Rock never relinquished that lead, winning for only the third time this season in 24 games when scoring fewer than five runs.

Meanwhile, Polin Trinidad turned in one of his best starts of the season. Trinidad (3-2) allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeout over 8.0 innings, matching the longest outing by an Express pitcher this season. He had allowed 21 runs in his previous four starts, allowing at least five runs in three of those four outings.

Trinidad retired 18 of the last 20 batters he faced, including a string of 12 straight in the middle innings. After Ed Lucas doubled to open the fourth and later scored on a Marc Maddox sacrifice fly, Trinidad did not allow another base runner until a walk and a single to open the eighth.

Casey Daigle pitched a perfect ninth with one strikeout for his seventh save of the season. All seven of his saves came in May, matching Fernando Salas of Memphis for the most saves this month in the Pacific Coast League.

Omaha starter Luis Mendoz (3-3) took the loss, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 4.0 innings.

Omaha scratched the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the third on Alex Gordon's two-out RBI single. The Express answered in the top of the fourth on a bizarre double play. With the bases loaded and one out, Matt Kata bounced into an RBI fielder's choice that scored Garciaparra from third. Cabral tried to score from second on the play but was thrown out at the plate.

The Royals made things interesting in the eighth. Irving Falu drew a leadoff walk, and David Lough followed with a single. After Alex Gordon grounded out, a wild pitch put runners at second and third. However, Trinidad retired the next two batters and escaped the jam unscathed.

Drew Locke continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-4 with a run scored; he has hit safely in 13 consecutive starts and extended his hitting streak to nine games. Jason Bourgeois (1-for-5) extended his hitting streak to nine games and has hit safely in 19 of the last 20 games; he also extended his road hitting streak to 15 games, the longest such streak in the PCL this season. Cabral finished the game 2-for-4, while Kata went 1-for-4 and snapped an 0-for-24 slump.

Trinidad and Daigle limited the Royals to five hits on the day, and no Omaha batter had more than one hit.

Round Rock returns home Tuesday, opening its fourth home stand of the season with a four-game series against the Iowa Cubs. First pitch for Tuesday's series opener is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT at The Dell Diamond. Right-hander Sergio Perez (1-0, 3.21 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 31, 2010


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