PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Omaha Royals Game Notes 4/27/08

Published on April 27, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


APRIL 27, 2008, 1:35 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (12-8) vs. Nashville Sounds (5-16)

HOME: 8-5 (45-27 in ‘07) AWAY: 4-3 (28-44 in '07) vs. Nashville: 3-1 (7-9 in '07)

TODAY: The Royals host Nashville in game 3 of an abbreviated, 3-game series at Rosenblatt Stadium. The series is even 1-1 and Omaha is 3-3 on the home stand. It's U.S. Bank Family FUNday, with clowns and face painting, plus all kids are invited to run the bases after the game, also presented by KGBI 100.7 FM and KPTM-Fox 42! All Royals Kids Club members get a free ticket to the game, courtesy of SUBWAY! First pitch is 1:35 p.m.; the pre-game show airs at 1:15 p.m. on News Talk 1420-AM KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.

LAST NIGHT: The Sounds were better "mudders" than the Royals, surviving a 13-9 slug-fest on a windy, rainy night. Russell Branyan had 4 hits - including 1 of 3 Nashville homers - and drove in 5 runs. Brad Nelson had 3 hits, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored and Vinny Rottino knocked in 3 runs and scored twice. The Royals blasted 5 homers, all of them coming off Nashville starter Zach Jackson, who was charged with 8 earned runs in 3.1 innings as Omaha led 8-7 after 4.0 innings. Branyan's wind-blown double to left in the 5th off Brad Salmon (2-1) plated the tying run and the Sounds took advantage of the Royals inability to catch 2 foul pop-ups in the 6th inning to tally 3 times and take an 11-8 lead. Erasmo Ramirez (1-0) followed Jackson to the hill and blanked the Royals on 1 hit over 2.2 frames to get the win.

ROYALS REPORT: The 5 homers hit by Omaha batters last night were the most since the Royals went deep 5 times here on August 19, 2007 vs. Albuquerque. Ironically, the Royals also lost that game, falling 11-8. *** Jackson became the 1st opposing pitcher to surrender 5 home runs to the Royals in a game since July 26, 2004, when Albuquerque's Matt Blank yielded 5 in Omaha's 17-8 win at Isotopes Park. *** Branyan last night became the 1st opposing batter with 4 hits in a game this season and the 2nd to have 5 RBI. His Sounds teammate, Nelson, was the 1st opponent to tally 5 RBI in a game this season. Nelson, a former University of Nebraska recruit, is 6-for-9 with 2 homers, 8 RBI and 5 runs scored in the 1st 2 games of this series. *** The 13 runs scored by Nashville last night was a season high for an Omaha opponent. *** The 2 teams have combined for 16 round-trippers in the 1st 2 tilts of this series, 9 hit by the Royals. *** The 3 taters in the 3rd inning Saturday by Mike Aviles, Ryan Shealy and Matt Tupman marked the 1st time the Royals have done that since August 6, 2005 here vs. Las Vegas, when Chris Truby, Adrian Brown and Aaron Guiel went deep in the 5th inning of a 6-4 win. Shealy and Tupman were the 1st Royals to hit back-to-back jacks since Angel Berroa and Mike Aviles turned the trick on July 21, 2007 vs. Memphis (a 9-3 win). *** Aviles last night collected his 4th home run and his PCL-leading 4th triple. His 17 extra-base hits are tied for 2nd-most in the PCL. Aviles is riding an 8-game hit string, batting .389 (14-for-36) with 2 homers and 8 RBI. His 20 RBI on the season leads the team and is tied for 4th in the league, while he's tied for 3rd with 30 hits. *** Mitch Maier was activated from the disabled list Saturday and, in his 1st game action since April 5, he smacked a 2-run homer in his 3rd at-bat. Brian Buchanan is back on the DL. *** Shealy's solo shot last night was his 1st homer in his last 8 games, after he belted 4 in his 1st 11 contests. *** Tupman's tater was his 1st since he dialed long distance in his 1st at-bat of the year on April 6 vs. Albuquerque. The Royals catcher has 2 home runs in 47 at-bats this season, after hitting just 1 homer in 372 AB's over the previous 2 seasons with Omaha. *** Chris Lubanski went 0-for-3 with a walk last night, halting his season-best, 7-game hitting streak. He's still 9-for-his-last-26 (.346) with 2 homers and 6 RBI. *** Omaha pitchers issued 11 walks Saturday - the 1st double-digit walk total since May 8, 2007 vs. Sacramento, when Royals hurlers gave out 13 free passes in a 13-inning affair, won by the Royals 7-6. *** The 4 double plays turned by Omaha last night matched the club's season high.

STARTERS: LH Chris Narveson (0-3, 4.29) vs. LH Jorge De La Rosa (2-0, 1.15)

De La Rosa makes his 4th start of the season. The 27-year old lefty's last outing was last Sunday vs. New Orleans, when he picked up his 2nd straight win in a 6-1 Royals victory (6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K). He was named as the PCL's Pitcher of the Week last Monday, becoming the 1st Royals pitcher to earn the honor since July 14, 2002, when Brett Laxton earned it. For the week of April 14-20, De La Rosa won both of his starts and had a 0.81 ERA (1 ER in 11.0 IP). His 1.15 ERA on the season would rank 2nd in the PCL if he had enough innings to qualify. De La Rosa was acquired by KC from Milwaukee in exchange for Tony Graffanino on July 25, 2006. He began the 2007 season as KC's #4 starter and went on to set career highs in starts (23), wins (8), losses (12), innings (130) and strikeouts (82). He posted a 5.82 ERA in 26 games (23 starts) with KC. He started off strong in ‘07, going 4-3 with a 3.59 ERA through his 1st 9 starts, issuing just 12 walks in 57.2 innings during that span. At that point, his average of 1.87 walks per 9 innings ranked 5th-best in the A.L. However, he allowed 41 free passes in 72.1 frames over the rest of the season. A left elbow strain landed De La Rosa on the D.L. on August 1. He made 3 rehab appearances with Wichita before being activated on September 11. In 2006, he was 2-2 with an 8.60 ERA in 18 games (3 starts) for the Brewers and following the trade to KC he went 3-4 with a 5.18 ERA in 10 starts. Prior to the '06 season, he represented his native Mexico in the World Baseball Classic and tossed 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. After the '03 season, he was involved in 2 big trades - 1st being acquired by Arizona along with 3 other players from the Red Sox for Curt Schilling and being sent to the Brewers a few days later in a 9-player deal. De La Rosa was originally signed by the Diamondbacks as a non-drafted free agent in 1998.

PROBABLES FOR SERIES AT SACRAMENTO:

Mon., 9:05: LH Mike Maroth (0-1, 7.50) vs. RH Kirk Saarloos (2-0, 2.45)

Tue., 9:05: RH Kyle Davies (2-1, 0.90) vs. LH Danny Borrell (2-0, 2.08)

Wed., 1:35: LH Tyler Lumsden (1-1, 9.56) vs. RH Brad Knox (2-1, 3.68)

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

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