PCL1 Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express - Game Notes at Tucson Padres

Published on May 11, 2011 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (21-11) vs. TUCSON PADRES (15-18)

GAME 33 | 11 MAY ‚¬Ë†2011 | 9:05 P.M. CDT | KINO STADIUM | TUCSON, ARIZ.

TONIGHT'S GAMES

Round Rock continues the season's third road trip with the second game of a four-game series against the Tucson Padres (San Diego). First pitch is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. CDT (7:05 p.m. MST) at Kino Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. The Express have won seven of their last nine but snapped a five-game winning streak with an 11-8 loss in Tuesday night's series opener. Tucson halted a three-game skid with the win.

RADIO BROADCAST INFORMATION

Tonight's game airs on 104.9 FM The Horn ESPN ‚¬Ë†Radio Austin. Online audio also is available at www.espnaustin.com. Express Director of Broadcasting Mike Capps provides play-by-play duties.

EXPRESS-PADRES SERIES

Tucson won Tuesday night's series opener 11-8. This is the lone series between the teams this season.

GAME ‚¬Ë†32 | TUESDAY, MAY 10

Padres 11, Express 8

WP: Neshek (1-1). LP: Phillips (0-3). SV: None.

GAME ‚¬Ë†33 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 | 9:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Zach Jackson (2-0, 4.93 ERA)

Padres: LHP Wade LeBlanc (2-0, 5.17 ERA)

GAME ‚¬Ë†34 | THURSDAY, MAY 12 | 9:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Derek Hankins (4-1, 6.04 ERA)

Padres: RHP Jeremy Hefner (0-3, 6.67 ERA)

GAME ‚¬Ë†35 | FRIDAY, MAY 13 | 9:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Seth McClung (2-0, 3.90 ERA)

Padres: RHP Will Inman (1-3, 6.19 ERA)

STARTING PITCHERS

EXPRESS: LHP Zach Jackson (2-0, 4.93 ERA)

Last Outing: Started but did not factor in decision of 8-7 Express victory May 6 against Nashville ‚¬Â¦ Allowed three runs on eight hits - one home run - and one walk with two strikeouts over 6.0 innings ‚¬Â¦ Left game with 4-3 lead.

2011: Makes seventh start tonight ‚¬Â¦ Express are 5-1 in his starts ‚¬Â¦ Worked at least into the sixth inning in all five starts ‚¬Â¦ 23 strikeouts against 10 walks over 38.1 innings with a .277 opponents' batting average ‚¬Â¦ 1.00 ERA during second through fourth innings, 8.41 ERA outside of those innings, including a 7.50 first-inning ERA.

2010: Spent entire season with Triple-A Las Vegas in the Toronto Blue Jays organization ‚¬Â¦ 2-3 with a 5.64 ERA in 35 games, five starts; 49 strikeouts over 81.1 innings

2010 vs. Portland: 0-1 with a 9.39 ERA in four relief outings ‚¬Â¦ Allowed eight runs on 18 hits - two home runs - over 7.2 innings with a 2.35 WHIP and a .474 opponents' batting average.

Notable: Drafted by Chicago White Sox in 50th round of 2001 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of high school but did not sign ‚¬Â¦ LaTrobe, Pa., native began collegiate career at Louisville before transferring to Texas A&M ‚¬Â¦ Toronto Blue Jays first-round pick in 2004 after one season at Texas A&M ‚¬Â¦ MLB debut June 4, 2006, with Blue Jays vs. Washington Nationals ‚¬Â¦ Also spent time in Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians organizations ‚¬Â¦ Was part of the July 7, 2008, trade that sent C.C. Sabathia from Milwaukee from Cleveland ‚¬Â¦ Signed minor league contract with Rangers in January.

PADRES: LHP Wade LeBlanc (2-0, 5.17 ERA)

Last Outing: Earned victory in May 6 start at Fresno, a 3-2 Tucson win ‚¬Â¦ Allowed two runs - one earned - on five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts over 6.0 innings.

2011: Makes sixth start tonight ‚¬Â¦ Tucson is 3-2 in his starts ‚¬Â¦ Allowed nine runs over 4.1 innings at Colorado Springs in season's first start but has allowed no more than three runs in each start since ‚¬Â¦ Three home runs allowed April 7 at Colorado Springs, none allowed since ‚¬Â¦ No walks allowed in 21.0 innings over three starts until issuing four walks in last outing ‚¬Â¦ Exactly seven strikeouts in each of last three starts ‚¬Â¦ .300 opponents' batting average with 27 strikeouts against six walks over 31.1 innings.

2010: Started season with Portland (AAA) but jumped to San Diego after only two starts and did not return ‚¬Â¦ Made 25 starts and one relief appearance with San Diego, going 8-12 with a 4.25 ERA ‚¬Â¦ Held opponents to a .279 batting average and tallied 110 strikeouts against 51 walks over 146.0 innings.

Notable: Originally drafted by Tampa Bay in 36th round of 2003 draft out of Barbe High School in Lake Charles, La., but did not sign ‚¬Â¦ Pitched collegiately at the University of Alabama where he was a teammate of current Rangers pitcher Tommy Hunter ‚¬Â¦ Padres second-round draft pick in 2006 ‚¬Â¦ MLB debut Sept. 3, 2008, starting at Los Angeles Dodgers ‚¬Â¦ Tied for second in PCL in strikeouts (139) and tied for third in wins (11) with Portland in 2009.

ROUND ROCK MATCHES 10-GAME SCORING RECORD

The Express have scored at least eight runs in six straight games and seven of eight, averaging 9.0 runs per game in that eight-game stretch. Round Rock has scored 84 runs over the last 10 games, matching the club record for highest scoring 10-game stretch (established last season). The Express tallied 45 runs in the series sweep against Nashville, one run shy of the club record for runs in a four-game series (2010 at Salt Lake). Round Rock established a club record with 18 runs in the series' third game; the previous mark was 16 runs on four occasions (twice as a Double-A affiliate, twice as a Triple-A affiliate). Round Rock boasts a .339 team average (77-for-227) with 10 home runs over the last six games and a .320 average (119-for-372) with 14 homers over the last 10 games.

EXPRESS ATOP PCL STANDINGS

Despite Tuesday night's loss, Round Rock (21-11) owns the best record in the Pacific Coast League, a half game ahead of Sacramento (21-12) and Reno (21-12). The Express have a two-and-a-half-game cushion on Albuquerque (18-13) in the PCL American Southern Division. Round Rock also has the second-best record in Triple A behind only Columbus (24-8) of the International League.

EXPRESS FALL ONE WIN SHY OF CLUB-BEST START

Tuesday night's loss left the Express one win shy of matching the best 32-game start in franchise history. The 2006 team started 7-9 before winning four straight and 15 of 16 to stand 22-10 through 32 games. However, this year's squad can reclaim the best start tonight. The 2006 squad snapped a franchise-best 11-game winning streak in the season's 33rd game and lost each of the next two games.

TEAGARDEN STAYS HOT

C Taylor Teagarden has hit safely in eight of nine games with the Express and reached safely in all nine games. He leads the team with six home runs despite only playing slightly more than one-quarter of Round Rock's games. Teagarden is 7-for-13 (.538) since returning to the Express last week after a two-week stint with the Rangers. Nine of his 12 hits have been for extra bases with two doubles, one triple and six home runs. He became the fifth player in Express history to hit three home runs in a game Sunday, the second of which homered in three consecutive at bats. Teagarden also tied the club's Triple-A era record (since 2005) with seven RBI, one shy of the overall franchise mark.

CHAVEZ: MR. CONTACT

OF Endy Chavez has not struck out in 46 consecutive plate appearances, dating back to his penultimate plate appearance in the April 28 game at Memphis. Prior to that strikeout, he went 39 consecutive plate appearances without a punch-out. He leads the PCL with 26.00 plate appearances per strikeout, more than 11 plate appearances per strikeout ahead of second-place David Cooper of Las Vegas (14.83). Chavez has one strikeout in his last 86 plate appearance and five in 131 trips to the plate this season. He has not struck out twice in a game and struck out in consecutive games only once - the season's first two games.

CLARK FAMILIAR WITH TUCSON, PADRES

Express pitching coach Terry Clark will see a familiar face in the other dugout for the series at Tucson. His son, Matt Clark, patrols left field for the Tucson Padres. The younger Clark is hitting .262 (28-for-107) with two home runs and 11 RBI in 30 games. The elder Clark pitched for the Tucson Toros - then the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros - in 1990 and 1991. He was 25-11 with the Toros. He also pitched in the Padres organization during the second half of the 1993 season, seeing time at Rancho Cucamonga (A-Advanced) and Wichita (AA).

ROAD WARRIORS

Round Rock is in the throws of a 31-game stretch with 23 road games. The Express are 11-5 on the road this season, second in the PCL in road wins behind Reno (13-7). Only four other teams are above .500 on the road - Sacramento (9-4), Salt Lake (8-5), New Orleans (9-7) and Fresno (9-8). The Express are 3-1 in road series, winning at New Orleans (3-1), Oklahoma City (4-0) and Iowa (3-1), and dropping two of three at Memphis.

PITCHING STRONGER ON THE ROAD

Round Rock's pitching staff is 11-5 with a 3.59 ERA, a .230 opponents' batting average and 11 home runs allowed on the road. Tuesday night's 11-8 loss at Tucson marked just the second time in 16 road games that Round Rock pitchers allowed more than six runs in a road game (10-7 loss April 30 at Memphis). 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

* The Express have won seven games in their final at bat, including three walk-off wins.

* Round Rock is 7-1 in one-run games.

* The Express are 16-4 when holding the opponent to fewer than six runs.

* Round Rock is 13-3 when scoring first and 11-4 when scoring in the first inning. Interestingly, the Express are 9-2 when allowing a first-inning run.

* The Express are 16-1 when leading after six innings, 16-0 when leading after seven innings and 15-0 when leading after eight innings. Round Rock has won five of six games when tied after eight innings.

* Round Rock is 15-2 when out-hitting the opponent.

* The Express have out-scored their opponents 82-50 in innings four through six, including a 35-18 edge in the fourth. Six of the 18 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 three times.

* Round Rock has homered in 18 of 32 games, hitting at least two home runs 12 times. The Express are 10-2 when hitting two-plus homers.

* The Express are hitting .348 (16-for-46) with the bases loaded, producing six doubles, one triple, one grand slam and 49 RBI in that situation. Round Rock also has drawn eight bases-loaded walks, including two Tuesday night at Tucson.

* Round Rock is hitting .312 (100-for-321) with runners in scoring position, including a .320 mark (48-for-150) with runners in scoring position and two outs. The Express average 2.4 two-out RBI per game.

* Meanwhile, Express pitchers have allowed on seven hits in 27 at bats with the bases loaded (.259).

* The Express are seventh in the PCL in batting average (.289), first in fewest strikeouts (205), third in home runs (37) and first in stolen base percentage (.867, 26-of-30).

* Round Rock is fifth in the PCL in staff ERA (4.33), tied for second in saves (10) and second in fewest walks (110).

PLAYER NOTES

* IF Brian Barden is fifth in the PCL with a .382 batting average. He is 16-for-30 (.533) in his last seven games. Barden has 14 hits in 23 at bats over the last five games, posting multiple hits in each game. It is his second streak of five or more consecutive multiple-hit games this season, and leads the team with 13 multiple-hit outings. Barden is 7-for-14 (.500) when leading off an inning. He is hitting .444 (24-for-54) when ahead or behind in the count but .313 (15-for-48) when the count is even. Barden has not gone hitless in consecutive games, hitting safely in 21 of 26 played. He has hit safely and/or produced at least one RBI in 17 of the last 19 games.

* C Kevin Cash has hit safely in five straight and reached safely in nine of his last 10 games. 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.

* OF Endy Chavez has reached safely in 26 of 27 games played and is tied for the team lead with 12 multiple-hit games. He is 4-for-27 (.148) over his last six games. Chavez is 10-for-21 (.476) when leading off an inning.

* SS Luis Cruz snapped a seven-game hitting streak Tuesday night, going 0-for-4. He did walk and has reached safely in 10 of his last 11 games. Cruz is 16-for-38 (.421) in the first, second and ninth inning but only 13-for-85 (.153) in innings three through eight.

* OF Doug Deeds hit safely in eight of nine games, going 11-for-37 (.297) in that time. Deeds has four extra-base hits over the last six games, one more than his total over his previous 11 outings. His grand slam Monday against Nashville was Round Rock's first of the season. It also was his fifth of the season and first non-solo homer.

* OF Esteban German's game-winning, ninth-inning RBI single Friday night against Nashville was his first ninth-inning hit this season. He was 0-for-6 in the ninth inning prior to the hit. German has not gone hitless in consecutive games. He is second on the team with 11 multiple-hit games and leads the Express with four three-hit outings.

* IF/OF Matt Kata has scored in each of his last six games played and posted multiple-hits in three straight. He has produced an RBI in six games, five of which were two-RBI outings. Kata is hitting .455 (10-for-22) in his last six games.

* 1B Brad Nelson snapped a 12-game on-base streak Tuesday, going 0-for-5 at Tucson. He has not gone consecutive games without a strikeout since a three-game stretch April 16-18.

* IF Omar Quintanilla has hit safely in each of his first four games with the Express, posting multiple hits twice. He has reached safely in 10 of 17 plate appearances, scoring seven times. Quintanilla scored four runs Sunday, the most in a game by an Express player this season.

* 1B Chad Tracy is 15-for-45 (.333) in his last 12 games with 11 walks against six strikeouts in that time. He also has reached safely in 12 straight games. Tracy is hitting .387 (24-for-62) with runners on base but .145 (8-for-55) with the bases empty. He is 18-for-41 (.439) with runners in scoring position and 9-for-20 (.450) with runners in scoring position and two outs. Tracy leads the team with 13 two-out hits and 12 two-out RBI. He is tied for fifth in the PCL with 29 RBI and leads the Express with nine multiple-RBI games.

* RHP Derek Hankins is tied with Graham Godfrey of Sacramento and Andrew Kown of Fresno for the PCL lead in wins (4). Hankins is 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA in three road outings but 1-1 with a 10.32 ERA in three games at The Dell Diamond.

* LHP Michael Kirkman's save in Monday's series finale against Nashville was Round Rock's first since April 25 against Oklahoma City (Zach Phillips). Kirkman owns a 4.13 ERA (11 ER / 24.0 IP) since allowing a career-high 10 runs in season's first game, including a 1.80 ERA (2 ER / 10.0 IP) over his last two outings.

* RHP Neil Ramirez is fifth in the PCL with a .198 opponents' batting average, third among league starters. He allowed five hits in the fourth inning Tuesday at Tucson after not allowing more than four hits in any of his first five starts. Ramirez is fifth among league starters in strikeouts per nine innings (9.60).

* RHP Justin Miller is fourth among PCL relievers with a .143 opponents' batting average. That includes his time with the Tacoma Rainiers.

* RHP Yoshi Tateyama is second among PCL relievers in walks per nine innings (1.06). He has 20 strikeouts over 16.0 innings in his last 10 appearances, notching at least two strikeouts in seven of those outings. Tateyama boasts a 20-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has not walked a batter in five straight outings (8.0 innings).

NEXT SERIES

Round Rock continues a 31-game stretch with 23 road games with a four-game series at Las Vegas. The series begins Saturday with a 9:05 p.m. CDT (7:05 p.m. PDT).

GAME ‚¬Ë†36 | FRIDAY, MAY 14 | 9:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Tommy Hunter (1-0, 0.00 ERA) or LHP Michael Kirkman (0-3, 6.91 ERA)

51s: LHP Brad Mills (3-2, 2.51 ERA)

GAME ‚¬Ë†37 | SUNDAY, MAY 15 | 2:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Neil Ramirez (3-1, 3.30 ERA)

51s: LHP Luis Perez (2-1, 4.40 ERA)

GAME ‚¬Ë†38 | MONDAY, MAY 16 | 9:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Zach Jackson (starts tonight)

51s: LHP Brett Cecil (starts tonight)

GAME ‚¬Ë†39 | TUESDAY, MAY 17 | 12:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Derek Hankins (starts tomorrow)

51s: RHP Michael MacDonald (starts tomorrow)

Check out the Round Rock Express Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 11, 2011


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