Round Rock Express - Game Notes at Las Vegas 51s
Published on May 17, 2011 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (24-14) at LAS VEGAS 51s (21-18)
GAME 39 | 17 MAY ¬Ë2011 | 12:35 P.M. CDT | CASHMAN FIELD | LAS VEGAS, NEV.
TODAY'S GAME
Round Rock concludes the season's third road trip today with the finale of a four-game series against the Las Vegas 51s (Toronto Blue Jays). First pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. CDT (10:35 p.m. PDT) at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nev. The Express are 3-4 on the current road trip, while the 51s have won 11 of their last 14.
RADIO BROADCAST INFORMATION
Today's game airs on 1530 AM in Austin. Express Director of Broadcasting Mike Capps provides play-by-play. There is no live online audio for today's game.
EXPRESS-51s SERIES
Las Vegas leads the series two games to one. The 51s won Saturday's series opener 4-3 and last night's Game 3 9-4. The Express won Sunday's Game 2 7-4. Round Rock has seven home runs in the series compared to only one for Las Vegas. However, six of the seven have been solo shots.
GAME ¬Ë36 | SATURDAY, MAY 14
51s 4, Express 3
WP: Henn (2-1). LP: Hamburger (0-1). SV: None.
GAME ¬Ë37 | SUNDAY, MAY 15
Express 7, 51s 4
WP: Brazoban (1-0). LP: Ledezma (0-1). SV: Miller (2).
GAME ¬Ë38 | MONDAY, MAY 16
51s 9, Express 4
WP: Cecil (4-1). LP: Jackson (2-1). SV: None.
GAME ¬Ë39 | TUESDAY, MAY 17 | 12:05 p.m. CDT
Express: RHP Derek Hankins (5-1, 6.48 ERA)
51s: RHP Michael MacDonald (1-1, 6.17 ERA)
STARTING PITCHERS
EXPRESS: RHP Derek Hankins (5-1, 6.48 ERA)
Last Outing: Recorded victory in April 12 start at Tucson, a 10-8 Express win ¬Â¦ Allowed six runs - five earned - on seven hits, including one home run, and three walks with two strikeouts over 5.0 innings.
2011: Makes eighth appearance, seventh start today ¬Â¦ Leads PCL in wins ¬Â¦ Express are 5-1 in his starts ¬Â¦ Allowed at least one home run in six of seven appearances, including two home runs on three occasions ¬Â¦ Surrendered at least five runs in three of last four starts, tossing 5.0 innings on two hits in the other start (May 2 at Iowa) ¬Â¦ 19 strikeouts against nine walks with a .312 opponents' batting average over 33.1 innings.
2010: Split season between Altoona (AA) and Indianapolis (AAA) in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization ¬Â¦ Combined 6-5 record with a 3.05 ERA in 37 games and seven starts, all of which came at Altoona ¬Â¦ Was 1-0 in three relief outings at Indianapolis but with a 16.20 ERA, working just 1.2 innings ¬Â¦ Eastern League All-Star Game selection.
Notable: Pittsburgh Pirates 10th-round draft selection out of the University of Memphis in 2004 ¬Â¦ Signed minor league contract Dec. 23, 2010, with Texas Rangers.
51s: RHP Michael MacDonald (1-1, 6.17 ERA)
Last Outing: No-decision in May 12 start against Albuquerque, a 4-3 Las Vegas win ¬Â¦ Left game tied 2-2 ¬Â¦ Surrendered two runs on five hits - one home run - and three walks with three strikeouts over 6.0 innings ¬Â¦ Also hit three batters.
2011: Makes seventh start today ¬Â¦ Las Vegas is 2-4 in his starts ¬Â¦ Tossed complete-game shutout on two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts April 16 against Fresno ¬Â¦ Allowed one home run in each of last three starts ¬Â¦ 18 of 24 runs allowed came in two starts (7, April 21 vs. Salt Lake; 11, May 2 vs. Reno) ¬Â¦ 19 strikeouts against eight walks over 35.0 innings with a .338 opponents' batting average.
2010: Pitched for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the San Francisco Giants Double-A affiliate ¬Â¦ Appeared in 27 games with 23 starts, tossing one complete-game shutout ¬Â¦ Posted a 5-8 record with a 3.90 ERA ¬Â¦ Allowed a .298 opponents' batting average with 78 strikeouts against 31 walks over 134.0 innings.
Notable: Born in Camden, Maine ¬Â¦ Toronto Blue Jays 15th-round draft pick in 2004.
LAST-MINUTE DECISIONS
Four of the last seven and six of the last 11 Round Rock games were decided in the winning team's final at bat. Four of those six games ended in walk-off fashion with the Express winning twice. Nearly one-third of Round Rock's games (12 of 38) have been decided in the winning team's final at bat; the Express have won eight of those games.
ROUND ROCK AMONG TOP PCL TEAMS
Round Rock (24-14) owns the second-best record in the Pacific Coast League, one-and-a-half games behind Sacramento (26-13) and one-half game ahead of Reno (24-15). The next closest team in the overall league standings is Omaha (22-16). The Express lead the American Southern Division by two-and-a-games over New Orleans (22-17). Columbus (26-12) of the International League owns the best Triple-A record.
EXPRESS MATCH CLUB-BEST START
The Express have matched the 2006 team for the best 38-game start in franchise history. The 2006 squad also started 24-14 and improved to 31-18 before a five-game losing streak.
ROAD WARRIORS
Round Rock concludes a 31-game stretch with 23 road games Tuesday. The Express are 14-8 (.636) on the road this season, the PCL's third-best road record behind Sacramento (14-5, .737) and Reno (13-7, .650). Only two other teams are above .500 on the road - Salt Lake (11-8) and New Orleans (9-7). The Express are 3-1-1 in road series, winning at New Orleans (3-1), Oklahoma City (4-0) and Iowa (3-1), splitting a series at Tucson (2-2), and dropping two of three at Memphis.
PITCHING STRONGER ON THE ROAD
Round Rock's pitching staff is 14-8 with a 4.08 ERA, a .244 opponents' batting average and 15 home runs allowed on the road. Express pitchers have allowed more than six runs in a road game only four times, three of which occurred in the current road trip. Meanwhile, Express pitchers are 10-6 with a 5.01 ERA, a .300 opponents' batting average and 20 home runs allowed at The Dell Diamond.
TEAM NOTES
* Round Rock is 7-3 in one-run games and 13-7 in games decided by two or fewer runs.
* The Express have eight last-at-bat wins, including three walk-off victories.
* Round Rock is 4-1 in extra-inning games, including a 3-1 mark on the road.
* The Express are 18-6 when holding the opponent to fewer than six runs.
* Round Rock is 15-5 when scoring first and 13-4 when scoring in the first inning.
* The Express are 10-3 when allowing a first-inning run.
* Round Rock is 17-2 when out-hitting the opponent.
* The Express are 18-2 when leading after six innings, 17-0 when leading after seven innings and 17-0 when leading after eight innings.
* Round Rock has won six of nine games when tied after eight innings.
* The Express have out-scored their opponents 98-58 in innings four through six, including a 38-20 edge in the fourth. Six of the 20 runs scored by opponents in the fourth inning were Tuesday night at Tucson.
* The Express have not lost three straight games, losing consecutive games only four times.
* Round Rock has homered in 22 of 38 games, hitting at least two home runs 14 times. The Express are 11-3 when hitting two-plus homers.
* The Express are hitting .327 (17-for-52) with the bases loaded, producing six doubles, one triple, one grand slam and 51 RBI in that situation. Round Rock also has drawn eight bases-loaded walks.
* Round Rock is hitting .304 (113-for-372) with runners in scoring position, including a .308 mark (53-for-172) with runners in scoring position and two outs. The Express average 2.3 two-out RBI per game.
* The Express are ninth in the PCL in batting average (.285), second in fewest strikeouts (248), second in home runs (46) and first in stolen base percentage (.871, 27-of-31).
* Round Rock is sixth in the PCL in staff ERA (4.49), third in saves (12) and third in fewest walks (138).
PLAYER NOTES
* Brian Barden snapped a 10-game hitting streak Monday night, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. His streak matched the longest by an Express player this season; his was the third such streak. Barden was 22-for-45 (.489) during the streak. He is hitting .421 (24-for-57) over his last 13 games. Barden leads the team with 18 two-out hits and 15 multiple-hit outings. He has not gone hitless in consecutive games, hitting safely in 26 of 32 played.
* Joey Butler has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games and in 14 of 17 played with the Express. He did not strikeout Monday night, only the fourth time in 17 games that he did not strikeout at least once.
* Kevin Cash is hitting .360 (9-for-25) over the last eight games and has reached safely in 11 of his last 13 games. After hitting .173 (9-for-52) in April, Cash is hitting .313 (10-for-32) since the calendar turned to May. He has gone hitless in consecutive games only once this season (April 16, 18). Cash is 2-for-3 with a walk and seven RBI with the bases loaded, delivering a three-run double and a three-run triple.
* Robinzon Diaz suffered only his second hitless game Monday night in 12 with the Express, going 0-for-4. His home run Sunday at Las Vegas was his first extra-base hit with the Express after 16 singles.
* Esteban German is hitting .222 (6-for-27) over his last eight games but has walked 10 times in that span for a .432 on base percentage. He is third on the team with 11 multiple-hit games but has just one in his last 15 games and two since April 23 (20 games).
* Matt Kata has hit safely in seven of nine games with four multiple-hit outings, including a pair of three-hit games. He has reached safely in 12 of 14 games. Kata is hitting .348 (16-for-46) in his last 12 games.
* Brad Nelson has not gone hitless in consecutive games since a four-game skid April 19-23. He has hit safely in three straight and 12 of his last 14 games, going 18-for-55 (.327) in that time. Nelson is hitting .194 (13-for-67) prior to the sixth inning, including an 0-for-11 mark in the fifth inning. However, he is hitting .373 (19-for-51) from the sixth inning on, going 3-for-4 in extra innings.
* Omar Quintanilla has hit safely in each of his first seven games with the Express, posting multiple hits four times. He has reached safely in 16 of 31 plate appearances, scoring nine times.
* Taylor Teagarden has hit safely in 10 of 12 games with the Express. He is 8-for-23 (.348) in five games since returning to Round Rock following a two-week stint with the Rangers. Teagarden became the fifth player in Express history to homer three times in a game May 8 against Nashville. He tied the club's Triple-A era (since 2005) single-game record with seven RBI, one shy of Morgan Ensberg's overall franchise mark.
* Chad Tracy's eighth-inning home run Sunday at Las Vegas snapped an 0-for-22 slump, the longest for an Express player this season. It was his first hit since May 8, a span of five hitless games. Tracy is hitting .347 (25-for-72) with runners on base but .152 (10-for-66) with the bases empty. He is 19-for-48 (.396) with runners in scoring position and 10-for-27 (.370) with runners in scoring position and two outs. Tracy is second on the team with 14 two-out hits and leads the team with 13 two-out RBI. He leads the Express with nine multiple-RBI games.
* Derek Hankins is the lone five-game winner in the PCL despite a 6.48 ERA and averaging 6.33 runs of support per start. Hankins is 4-0 with a 4.50 ERA in four road outings but 1-1 with a 10.32 ERA in three games at The Dell Diamond. He is 2-1 in his last four starts despite an 8.82 ERA (16 ER / 16.1 IP) in that time. Hankins is tied for second in the PCL with nine home runs allowed, surrendering at least one in six of seven appearances.
* Michael Kirkman owns a 3.72 ERA (12 ER / 29.0 IP) since allowing a career-high 10 runs in season's first game, including a 1.80 ERA (3 ER / 15.0 IP) over his last three outings.
* Neil Ramirez is fourth in the PCL with a .211 opponents' batting average. He allowed five hits in the fourth inning May 10 at Tucson after not allowing more than four hits in any of his first five starts. Ramirez is third among league starters in strikeouts per nine innings (10.09) and fifth in fewest base-runners allowed per nine innings (10.85).
* Yoshi Tateyama is second among PCL relievers in fewest walks per nine innings (1.42). He has 23 strikeouts over 18.0 innings in his last 11 appearances, notching at least two strikeouts in eight of those outings. Tateyama boasts a 23-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.75) and has walked one batter in his last six outings (10.0 innings).
NEXT SERIES
After the season's second off day, the Express open a 12-game home stand at The Dell Diamond with a four-game series against Colorado Springs. The series begins Thursday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch and continues Friday at 7:05 p.m., Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
GAME ¬Ë40 | THURSDAY, MAY 19 | 7:05 p.m. CDT
Express: RHP Seth McClung (2-0, 3.69 ERA)
Sky Sox: RHP Claudio Vargas (0-1, 7.71 ERA)
GAME ¬Ë41 | FRIDAY, MAY 20 | 7:05 p.m. CDT
Express: LHP Michael Kirkman (0-3, 6.12 ERA)
Sky Sox: RHP Alan Johnson (1-2, 7.13 ERA)
GAME ¬Ë42 | SATURDAY, MAY 21 | 7:05 p.m. CDT
Express: RHP Neil Ramirez (3-1, 3.28 ERA)
Sky Sox: RHP Greg Reynolds (3-1, 6.29 ERA)
GAME ¬Ë43 | SUNDAY, MAY 22 | 1:05 p.m. CDT
Express: LHP Zach Jackson (starts tonight)
Sky Sox: LHP Josh Muecke (2-3, 6.29 ERA)
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 17, 2011
- Chasers Storm Back to Down Sky Sox - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Sky Sox Swept by Storm Chasers, Drop Series Finale 12-9 - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Burroughs' Five-Hit Game Propels Aces Past Cubs, 11-5 - Reno Aces
- Colvin and Mateo Optioned to Iowa; Cubs Select Campana, Recall Maine - Iowa Cubs
- Brandon Belts Grand Slam in Grizzlies Victory - Memphis Redbirds
- Express Fall in Series Finale 9-8 - Round Rock Express
- Ackley, Rainiers Earn Series Split - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Green's Three-Run Homer Gives Nashville 11-10 Victory over Sacramento - Nashville Sounds
- Round Rock Express - Series Highlights - May 19-22 Vs. Colorado - Round Rock Express
- Rainiers Zoom Past Zephyrs, 7-2 - Tacoma Rainiers
- Bees Blank RedHawks for Series Win - Oklahoma City Comets
- Express, Sport Clips Haircuts Announce 'Team Member for a Day' - Round Rock Express
- Hangover Movie and Military Appreciation Nights Highlight River Cats Homestand - Sacramento River Cats
- Duffy to Make Major League Debut Wednesday - Omaha Storm Chasers
- RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Round Rock Express - Game Notes at Las Vegas 51s - Round Rock Express
- Rizzo's Power Helps Lift Tucson - Tucson Padres
- No-No Turns into Yo-Yo - Memphis Redbirds
- 'Topes Trampled by Tucson 10-4 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Round Rock Express Fall at Las Vegas 9-4 - Round Rock Express
- Big Seventh Inning Leads Cubs Past Aces, 9-6 - Reno Aces
- Sky Sox Surrender Early Lead, Lose Third Straight to Storm Chasers 12-9 - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Chasers Charge Back to Beat Colorado Springs - Omaha Storm Chasers
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