PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

July 23 Royals Game Notes

July 23, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


LAST NIGHT: The Royals rolled over the 51s 17-5, pounding out 20 hits in the romp. It was the most runs scored by Omaha in a game in almost 4 years and the most hits for the Royals in a contest in almost 3 years. Every Omaha batter had at least 1 hit and 1 RBI, and 8 of the 9 wound up scoring at least 1 run. Jason Smith got the party started with a 3-run homer in the 1st inning and the Royals scored in every frame except for the 6th. Ryan Shealy, Brian Buchanan and Mike Stodolka also homered for the Royals. Brad Salmon, making a spot start for Omaha, got the win. Salmon (7-4) went 5.0 frames, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 5. Justin Orenduff (2-7) was the starter and loser for Las Vegas, yielding 8 runs (7 earned) on 11 hits - including 3 home runs - in 4.0 innings.

ROYALS REPORT: The 17 runs scored last night by the Royals were the most the club has tallied in a game since July 26, 2004 at Albuquerque, when they defeated the Isotopes 17-8. Omaha reached the 20-hit mark Tuesday night for the 1st time since July 27, 2005 at Portland, when the Royals also had 20 hits in a 16-8 victory. *** Stodolka has homered in back-to-back games. He collected a season-high 3 hits last night, jumping his average by 10 points in 1 night. Stodolka is riding a 7-game hit string that has raised his average from .232 to .264. During the streak, he's hitting .444 (12-for-27) with 2 home runs, 5 RBI and 5 runs scored. *** Smith's round-tripper last night was his 1st since June 28, a span of 24 games. He knocked in 3 runs, after not driving in a run over his previous 15 contests. Smith was 2-for-5 Tuesday night, after going 2-for-24 (.083) in his previous 6 games. *** Shealy has put together a season-best, 12-game hitting streak, which is the 3rd-longest on the team this year. He has hit in 19 of his last 20 tilts, hitting .421 (32-for-76) with 4 homers and 14 RBI. *** Mitch Maier had a hit in 6 AB's last night, extending his hit streak to 7 games. Over that span, he's gone 10-for-30 (.333) with a homer, 4 RBI and 6 runs scored. In 21 games this month, Maier is batting .354, has walked 14 times and has scored 18 runs. *** Chris Lubanski matched his season high with 3 hits last night. It was the 3rd game he's done that, the 1st since May 24th. Lubanski, who legged out his 2nd triple last night in as many games, was just 4-for-34 (.118) over his previous 11 contests. *** Matt Tupman equaled his best effort of the year with 3 hits last night, including a pair of doubles. In his last 3 games, he's 5-for-12 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI after going through a 2-for-46 (.043) slump in his previous 14 contests. *** In 3 spot starts for Omaha, Salmon is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA. *** Josh Newman fired 3.0 innings of scoreless relief last night. In 2 outings with the Royals, the lefty has a 0.00 ERA. He owns a 2.00 ERA in 22 PCL games this season, having opened the campaign with Colorado Springs. *** Yasuhiko Yabuta, who opened this year with KC, struggled for Omaha again last night, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits in 1.0 inning. Yabuta has a 4.67 ERA after 9 Triple-A games. *** Reliever Joel Peralta, who was optioned to Omaha by KC on Monday night to make room for Leo Nunez as he came off the D.L., was recalled yesterday. The move was made because Jimmy Gobble was placed on the D.L. with a stiff lower back. Gobble admitted to being hurt after being torched for 10 runs in 1.0 inning vs. Detroit Monday night. Peralta pitched in KC's 7-1 loss to the Tigers last night, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits over 3.0 stanzas as he ERA went up to 5.82.

STARTERS: RH Brandon Duckworth (3-10, 4.75) vs. RH B.J. LaMura (0-1, 7.20)

Duckworth makes his 15th start (22nd appearance) of the season. The 32-year old right-hander opened 2008 in Omaha's bullpen, before taking the rotation spot of Mike Maroth, who was released by KC on April 30. His last start was vs. Round Rock last Friday, when he took the loss in the Royals' 8-6 defeat (5.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 3 HR). Prior to that outing, Duckworth had made 3 straight quality starts, posting a 2.70 ERA in the process, but took the loss in each one. In those 3 starts, all of which were at home, the Royals scored a total of 2 runs in the 20.0 innings while Duckworth was on the mound. He has lost 9 of his last 10 decisions, including 5 in a row. In 100.1 innings, Duckworth has surrendered 20 home runs - tied for 3rd-most in the PCL - after allowing just 3 homers in 46.2 innings for KC last year. In 2007, Duckworth made KC's Opening Day roster after being a non-roster invitee at Spring Training, and was 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA and 1 save in 26 games (3 starts). He tore his left oblique last June 13 vs. St. Louis and was placed on the D.L. the next day. In rehab stints with Wilmington and Omaha, he combined for 20 strikeouts and 3 walks in 19.0 innings, before being activated by KC September 1. After opening the 2006 season with the Pirates' Triple-A club, Indianapolis, Duckworth was acquired by KC in exchange for cash on June 10. He went 1-5 with a 6.11 ERA in 10 games (8 starts) for KC, before he underwent season-ending elbow surgery on August 15. Duckworth has spent at least part of the last 7 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Phillies, Astros and Royals. On August 5, 2002 vs. the Dodgers, he struck out the 1st 6 batters of the game, becoming the 1st big league pitcher to fan that many batters to begin a game since Jim Deshaies struck out a Major League record 8 in a row on Sept. 23, 1986, also vs. the Dodgers. He was originally signed by the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 13, 1997, after pitching collegiately at Cal State Fullerton.

PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:

Thur., 9:05: LH Dusty Hughes (2-0, 4.03) vs. RH Miguel Pinango (4-6, 5.71)

Fri, 9:05: RH Matt Wright (3-6, 5.79) vs. RH Jon Meloan (5-10, 4.97)

Check out the Omaha Storm Chasers Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from July 23, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central