PCL1 Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express - Game Notes Vs. Memphis Redbirds

Published on July 29, 2011 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (62-44) vs. MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (52-53)

GAME 107 | 29 JULY ‚¬Ë†2011 | 7:05 P.M. CDT | THE DELL DIAMOND | ROUND ROCK, TEXAS

TONIGHT'S GAME

Round Rock concludes a four-game series against the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT at The Dell Diamond. The Express are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have won three of their last four after last night's 11-inning, 9-8 victory. The Redbirds are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have lost six of their last seven. Round Rock is 33-22 at The Dell Diamond, while the Redbirds are 22-32 on the road.

PROMOTIONS

* Friday Fireworks, presented by Bud Light (in-stadium pyrotechnics show)

* Texas Lottery Race

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 handles play-by-play duties, while former Major Leaguer Jerry Grote provides color analysis.

TELEVISION BROADCAST INFORMATION

Tonight's game is broadcast live on YNN Sports Austin, available on Time Warner Cable channel 408 (HD 1509).

EXPRESS-REDBIRDS SERIES

This is the fourth and final series between Round Rock and Memphis; the Express clinched the season series with last night's win, their ninth in 15 meeitngs. Round Rock dropped two of three in a rain-shortened series April 28-30 at Memphis, and the teams split a four-game series at The Dell Diamond leading into the All-Star break. The teams played a five-game series at Memphis immediately following the All-Star break; the Express won four of those five games. SERIES NOTES: Memphis has not won consecutive games against Round Rock this season. ‚¬Â¦ Only three of the 15 meetings were decided by more than three runs. The teams have played six one-run games, three of which were extra-inning games. ‚¬Â¦ Neither team has scored more than six runs in nine of the 15 meetings with both teams scoring more than six runs only twice. ‚¬Â¦ Memphis has scored more than six runs four times, plating 10 runs in three games. ‚¬Â¦ Round Rock batters have 16 homers against Memphis pitchers. Three of Matt Kata's 10 home runs have come against the Redbirds. Brad Nelson also has three homers against Memphis, while Joey Butler and Chad Tracy each have two homers. ‚¬Â¦ Kata is hitting .244 (11-for-45) against Memphis, but seven of his 11 hits have been for extra bases, and he has 15 RBI in 12 games. ‚¬Â¦ Butler leads the Express with 19 hits against Redbirds pitching; he is hitting .373 (19-for-51) in 14 games with 10 walks and a .484 on base percentage. ‚¬Â¦ Nelson is hitting .321 (18-for-56) with 13 RBI in 13 games. ‚¬Â¦ Esteban German has 17 hits and 17 runs in 15 games against Memphis, and he is 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts. ‚¬Â¦ Round Rock is 16-for-17 in stolen bases against Memphis. ‚¬Â¦ Eric Hurley is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA (2 ER / 12.0 IP) in two starts against the Redbirds. ‚¬Â¦ Pedro Strop has four saves in four opportunities against Memphis. ‚¬Â¦ Redbirds catcher Bryan Anderson has tortured Express pitching to the tune of a .400 average (18-for-45) with five doubles and a home run, while outfielder Nick Stavinoha has five homers and 18 RBI in 15 games against Round Rock. Tyler Greene hit his third and fourth homers against the Express last night.

GAME ‚¬Ë†104 | TUESDAY, JULY 26

Redbirds 10, Express 4

WP: Broderick (4-3). LP: Perez (1-2). SV: None.

GAME ‚¬Ë†105 | WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

Express 13, Redbirds 4

WP: Jackson (8-4). LP: Boyer (0-1). SV: None.

GAME ‚¬Ë†106 | THURSDAY, JULY 28

Express 9, Redbirds 8 (11 innings)

WP: Eppley (4-2). LP: Todd (0-2). SV: None.

GAME ‚¬Ë†107 | FRIDAY, JULY ‚¬Ë†29 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Eric Hurley (5-0, 3.94 ERA)

Redbirds: RHP Adam Ottavino (3-7, 4.22 ERA)

EXPRESS STARTER

RHP Eric Hurley (5-0, 3.94 ERA)

Last Outing: Earned victory in July 24 start at Omaha, a 3-1 Express win ‚¬Â¦ Allowed one run on five hits over 7.0 innings with one walk and four strikeouts ‚¬Â¦ Matched season's longest outing ‚¬Â¦ Run surrendered broke scoreless tie in fifth inning (Zawadzki two-out RBI single) ‚¬Â¦ Express answered with two runs in top of sixth ‚¬Â¦ Faced the minimum through four innings, allowing only a first-inning single that was erased on a caught stealing ‚¬Â¦ Retired last five faced ‚¬Â¦ Used 102 pitches, 62 strikes.

2011: Makes 10th start tonight ‚¬Â¦ Express are 8-1 in his starts, winning eight straight ‚¬Â¦ Logged 45.2 innings with 26 strikeouts against 15 walks and a .273 opponents' average ‚¬Â¦ Supported with 7.56 runs per start ‚¬Â¦ No-decision in season's first start April 8 vs. Iowa ‚¬Â¦ Missed second scheduled start April 13 vs. Omaha due to a viral infection ‚¬Â¦ Sustained small skull fracture after taking a comebacker just above right temple on fourth pitch of April 18 start at New Orleans ‚¬Â¦ Placed on disabled list April 20 ‚¬Â¦ Returned to the mound June 20 vs. Omaha (no-decision) ‚¬Â¦ Earned first victory since July 14, 2008, (Double-A Frisco) in June 26 start vs. Oklahoma City ‚¬Â¦ No-decision in July 2 start vs. Nashville, a 9-7 Express victory ‚¬Â¦ Won each of last four starts - July 7 vs. Memphis, July 14 at Memphis, July 19 vs. New Orleans and July 24 at Omaha ‚¬Â¦ 2.77 ERA (8 ER / 26.0 IP) over last four starts ‚¬Â¦ Worked at least 6.0 innings in each of last four starts, going 7.0 innings in each of last two ‚¬Â¦ Season high seven strikeouts in season's first outing; has not struck out more than five in any start since, eclipsing three strikeouts only twice ‚¬Â¦ 3-0, 5.29 ERA, .302 opponents' average in six starts at The Dell Diamond ‚¬Â¦ 3.24 first-inning ERA (3 ER / 8.1 IP) ‚¬Â¦ ‚¬Â¦ 3.20 ERA (14 ER / 39.1 IP) through fifth inning - 8.53 ERA (6 ER / 6.1 IP) thereafter ‚¬Â¦ All six home runs allowed were solo shots and all were at The Dell Diamond ‚¬Â¦ Opponents are 5-for-29 (.172) with runners on base and two outs, and 2-for-15 (.133) with runners in scoring position and two outs.

2011 vs. Memphis: 2-0, 1.50 ERA, .220 opponents' average in two starts ‚¬Â¦ Started 6-4 Express win July 7 at The Dell Diamond ‚¬Â¦ Allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over 6.0 innings with three strikeouts ‚¬Â¦ Both runs scored on solo homers (Andrew Brown, Matt Carpenter) ‚¬Â¦ Started 6-2 Express win July 14 at Memphis ‚¬Â¦ Tossed six scoreless innings with five strikeouts ‚¬Â¦ Scattered four hits and three walks.

2010: Missed entire season due to injury.

Notable: Rangers 2004 first-round draft pick (30th overall) out of Wolfson High School in Jacksonville, Fla. ... 2004 first-team High School All-American ... MLB debut June 12, 2008, vs. Kansas City ... Missed each of last two seasons due to injury.

LAST NIGHT'S GAMES

Esteban German singled, stole second, stole third and scored on a wild pitch all with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning as the Express clipped the Redbirds 9-8. Round Rock trailed 8-8 entering the bottom of the ninth, but two unearned runs sent the game to extra innings. Joey Butler had the game-winning hit, a two-out single over the head of a leaping Tyler Greene at second base that scored German. Brad Nelson and Val Majewski both homered for the Express. Memphis clubbed four homers, two from Greene.

DIVISION STANDINGS UPDATE

Round Rock (62-44, .585) maintained its six-game lead over Albuquerque (56-50, .528) in the American Southern Division standings last night. While the Express defeated Memphis 9-8, the Isotopes blanked Omaha 2-0. It marked the first time since July 20 that the teams had the same result. Round Rock is 25-13 since June 18, during which time Albuquerque is 17-21. The Express have at least shared the division lead following 84 of 106 games this season and have led the division outright since June 25. Round Rock's largest division lead was eight games at the start of play July 20. New Orleans (51-54, .486) trails Round Rock by 10-and-a-half games, while Oklahoma City (47-59, .443) is 14 games back.

ROUND ROCK AMONG TOP PCL TEAMS

At 62-44 (.585), Round Rock owns the PCL's third-best record behind Reno (63-42, .600) and Sacramento (63-43, .594). The Express are five-and-a-half games ahead of Omaha (56-49, .533) in the overall American Conference standings.

ROUND ROCK vs. AMERICAN NORTHERN DIVISION

The Express are 36-19 against the American North Division so far this season. Round Rock has not lost a series to a cross-division foe since dropping three of four at Nashville in mid-June. Since then, the Express have won three series (Omaha, Nashville, at Memphis) and split two series (Memphis, at Omaha) for a 17-7 record in that time. The Express have clinched the season series against Memphis (9-6), Omaha (9-3) and Nashville (9-3) with four games remaining in each series of the last two series. Round Rock has concluded its season series against Iowa, winning nine of 16 games. After this series, Round Rock travels to Nashville for a four-game series. The Express play their final series against an American Northern Division foe Aug. 29-Sept. 1 at Omaha.

JONES APPROACHING MILESTONE

Express manager Bobby Jones enters tonight's game with 1,491 career managerial wins - all of which have come in the Texas Rangers organization. His tally includes stints with Class-A Charlotte (1988-1990), Double-A Tulsa (1991-1992, 1996-2000), Triple-A Oklahoma City (1993-1994, 2002-2010) and Round Rock. Jones' most successful season at the Triple-A level was 2004 when he led Oklahoma City to 81 wins and the PCL American Southern Division title. He owns 12 division titles and guided the 1998 Tulsa squad to a Texas League championship.

MY, MY ‚¬Â¦ MAJEWSKI

Val Majewski (my-ESS-kee) signed free-agent contract July 25 with the Rangers and was assigned to the Express. It marked his first Triple-A stint since patrolling the outfield for the Express in 2008 while a Houston Astros farmhand. Majewski has enjoyed quite the return, hitting safely in each of his first three games with two homes and seven RBI; he 7-for-13 (.538) with two doubles and two runs scored. Majewski began the season with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. He was a third-round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 2002 and played nine games with the O's in 2004.

HURLEY COMEBACK STORY REMARKABLE

Eric Hurley lost his first start of the season April 8 vs. Iowa and missed his next scheduled start due to a viral infection. He sustained a skull fracture on the fourth pitch of his second start April 18 at New Orleans and spent the next two months on the disabled list. Hurley is 5-0 in seven starts since his return to the mound June 20 against Omaha. Furthermore, the Express have won each of his last eight starts, including the game in which he sustained the skull fracture. Hurley has pitched at least into the sixth inning in five consecutive starts, going seven innings in each of the last two.

TRACY TRACKING RECORDS

Chad Tracy is fourth in the PCL with 82 RBI, a tally that ranks seventh on Round Rock's single-season list (Triple-A era). Mike Coolbaugh (2005) was the only Express player to reach triple digits in RBI; he had 101 in 2005 - Round Rock's first as a PCL member. Tracy is 11th among all minor leaguers in RBI, and he is tied for 29th among all minor leaguers with 20 home runs.

SNEAKY THIEF

Esteban German is second on Round Rock's single-season list with 32 stolen bases after swiping three bags last night. He trails only Josh Anderson (40, 2007) on the list. German also is in the PCL and was successful on 14 of his last 15 stolen base attempts.

HOME SWEET HOME

After struggling at The Dell Diamond early in the season, the Express have been strong at home over the past month. Round Rock is 33-22 (.600) at home, winning 16 of 22 home games since June 18. The Express own the league's third-best home record behind Reno (34-17, .667) and Albuquerque (34-21, .618). Round Rock has won five home series, lost three and split five. The Express have swept three home series (Omaha once, Nashville twice) and have not been swept at home.

EXPRESS STRONG ON THE ROAD, AS WELL

Round Rock (29-22, .560) owns the best road record in the American Conference and the PCL's second-best road record behind only Sacramento (34-16, .680). The Express and Omaha (25-25, .500) are the only American Conference teams at or above .500 on the road; in fact, each of the other six American Conference teams is at least seven games under .500 on the road. Round Rock has won five road series, lost four and split four. Two of the four road series losses were three-game sets (1-2 in each); the Express swept a four-game series at Oklahoma City in mid-April and have not been swept on the road.

NO REST FOR THE WEARY

The Express continue a 29-game, 28-day stretch tonight. With only one off-day between the All-Star break and the end of the regular season, Round Rock will play 54 games in 54 days. The Express are 10-6 in that time.

BIG-FLY GUYS

The Express enter today's game with 142 home runs on the season - second in the league behind only Reno (146). Round Rock was the first PCL team to 100 home runs this season and has 11 more homers than any other American Conference team (Albuquerque). The Express clubbed 59 homers over the last 38 games after being shutout in consecutive games.

EXPRESS ON RECORD HOMER PACE

Round Rock already has eclipsed the franchise's season home-run totals from 2007 (134), 2009 (97) and 2010 (108). The Express hit 170 home runs in 2006, an average of 1.18 per game and still the club's Triple-A era (since 2005) record. The 2011 Express average 1.34 home runs per game and are on pace to hit 192 on the season. Since the Express joined the PCL in 2005, only one team has eclipsed 190 homers in a season - Albuquerque hit 197 in 2008. Tacoma led the PCL with 185 home runs last season despite finishing 15th out of 16 teams in the league in team batting average (.264).

OFFENSE STRUGGLES WITHOUT HOMERS

The Express have homered in 70 of 106 games this season, going 47-23 in those games. However, Round Rock is 15-21 when failing to hit at least one home run. The Express average 3.72 runs per game (134 total) when failing to homer. Round Rock has not scored more than six runs in a game without a home run since an 8-4 win June 3 at Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, Round Rock averages 6.34 runs per game (444 total) when hitting at least one home run. The Express have homered in 33 of their last 48 games and scored a total of 43 runs in the other 15 games (2.87 runs per game), getting shutout three times and scoring one run three times.

MORE HOME-RUN NUMBERS

Only twice this season has Round Rock gone more than two straight games without a home run - a four-game stretch in mid-April, and a three-game stretch earlier this month. ‚¬Â¦ The Express have won 20 of their last 25 games when hitting at least one home run. ‚¬Â¦ Round Rock has homered at least twice 43 times, going 33-10 in those games. The Express have won 14 of their last 16 games when hitting multiple homers. ‚¬Â¦ Round Rock has homered multiple times in 14 road games, going 11-3 in those games. ‚¬Â¦ The Express are 17-2 when hitting at least three home runs and 7-0 when hitting at least four home runs. ‚¬Â¦ Round Rock has four four-homer games (June 18 vs. Omaha, June 19 vs. Omaha, July 2 vs. Nashville and July 28 vs. New Orleans), two five-homer games (May 15 at Las Vegas, June 28 vs. Oklahoma City) and one six-homer game (April 9 vs. Iowa). ‚¬Â¦ The six-homer game was the second-best game total in franchise history, a single-game Dell Diamond record and one homer shy of the club record set at Albuquerque in 2006.

BIG-INNING THEORY

Round Rock is 21-6 this season when scoring at least four runs in an inning and 41-38 when failing to do such. However, the difference in record is even more pronounced based upon what the opponent does. The Express are 56-24 when not allowing an inning of at least four runs but 5-20 when the opponent posts such an inning. Round Rock posted an inning of at least four runs in three of the five victories when allowing an inning of at least four runs. Likewise, the opponent had an inning of at least four runs in four of Round Rock's six losses with an inning of at least four runs.

COMEBACK KIDS

The Express have 34 comeback wins this season (trailing at any point in the game). Round Rock has won 13 times when trailing after five innings, nine times when trailing after six innings, nine times when trailing after seven innings and five times when trailing entering the ninth inning.

FIVE IS THE KEY

Round Rock is 51-14 this season when scoring at least five runs, going 11-30 when scoring fewer than five runs. Meanwhile, Round Rock is 38-13 when allowing fewer than five runs and 24-31 when allowing five or more. The Express snapped a four-game losing streak when allowing at least five runs last night; they have lost seven of their last 10 in that situation.

ROUND ROCK ECLIPSES 2010 WIN TOTAL

The Express have surpassed win totals from the 2007 (61) and 2010 (57) seasons. The 2010 Express - then the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros - posted their 57th and final victory Sept. 4 in the season's antepenultimate game. Round Rock finished above .500 only twice since joining Triple-A in 2005. The Express won the American Southern Division title in 2006 with an 85-59 record and finished 74-70 in 2005. Round Rock did not reach 65 wins in any of the last four seasons, winning 61 games in 2007, 64 games in 2008 and 63 games in 2009.

EXPRESS LEAD PCL IN ATTENDANCE

Round Rock leads the PCL in attendance, averaging 8,481 fans per game. Sacramento is second with an 8,045 per-game average, while Albuquerque (7,862) is third. Round Rock is on pace to eclipse the 600,000 plateau for the sixth time in seven Triple-A seasons. The Express have finished second or third in the PCL each season since joining the league in 2005.

TEAM NOTES

* Round Rock has surpassed win totals from 2010 (57) and 2007 (61).

* The Express have 32 triples, tied for the third-best total in franchise history (Triple-A era). However, no Express batter has tripled since July 10.

* Round Rock has lost more than two consecutive games only once, dropping four straight. The Express are 13-2 following consecutive losses.

* The Express have stranded 85 runners over the last nine games despite hitting .336 (40-for-119) with runners in scoring position during that stretch.

* Round Rock snapped a seven-game losing streak when allowing more than six runs last night. It was their first such win since a 13-10 decision July 4 at Albuquerque.

* The Express are 20-11 in one-run games and 32-20 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

* Opponents have scored first in 59 of 106 games this season. The Express are 28-31 in those games, going 12-13 when responding with at least one run in their next at bat.

* Round Rock has produced at least 15 hits 19 times.

* The Express have produced at least 10 hits in eight of their last 10 games.

* Round Rock is hitting .321 (158-for-492) over the last 13 games and now sits fifth in the PCL team batting rankings (.293).

* The Express have 17 last-at-bat wins, including nine walk-off victories and three game-ending homers.

* Round Rock is 9-3 in extra-inning games, including a 4-0 mark at The Dell Diamond.

* The Express are 46-14 when holding the opponent to fewer than six runs.

* Round Rock is 33-13 when scoring first and 24-13 when scoring in the first inning.

* The Express are 21-15 when allowing a first-inning run.

* Round Rock is 41-9 when out-hitting the opponent.

* The Express are 47-7 when leading after six innings, 45-6 when leading after seven innings and 45-4 when leading after eight innings.

* Round Rock has won eight of 12 games when tied after eight innings.

* The Express have out-scored their opponents 273-191 in innings four through six, including a 106-60 advantage in the sixth.

PLAYER NOTES

JOEY BUTLER

* Riding seven-game hitting streak with five multiple-hit games in the last six games

* Hitting .483 (14-for-29) during the streak

* Eighth streak of at least five games

* Also has two streaks of 10-plus games

* Hit safely in 18 of last 20 games (.355, 27-for-76)

* Six multiple-hit outings in last 11 games

* Hitless in consecutive games only twice with no three-game hitless streaks

* Has not gone hitless in consecutive games since June 16-17 immediately following 16-game hitting streak

* Recorded at least one hit in 15 of 16 games with at least five at bats

* Hit safely in 68 of 79 games with at least one at bat

* Hitting .352 (51-for-145) at The Dell Diamond with hits in 36 of 40 games

* Five of seven home runs were hit in the sixth inning

* 57 of 98 hits (58.2 percent) have come with bases empty

* Tied for second on team with 27 multiple-hit games

KEVIN CASH

* Riding six-game hitting streak with four multiple-hit outings (.417, 10-for-24)

* Hit safely in 10 of last 11 games (.419, 18-for-43) with seven multiple-hit games

* Hitless in nine consecutive at bats prior to last 11 games

* Reached safely in 13 straight games

* 5-for-29 (.172) with runners in scoring position and less than two outs but 11-for-35 (.314) with runners in scoring position and two outs, producing 13 RBI

* .714 on base percentage with bases loaded, going 2-for-4 with three walks and nine RBI

ROBINZON DIAZ

* Has not gone consecutive games without a hit, collecting at least one hit in 21 of 26 games with the Express

* 11 multiple-hit games

* Hit safely in nine of 10 games with at least one plate appearance at The Dell Diamond

* Hitting .432 (16-for-37) at home

* Each of first 16 hits with Express were singles

* Hitting .396 (19-for-48) when batting ninth; .268 (15-for-56) elsewhere in the order

CODY EPPLEY

* Nine walks against nine strikeouts over last nine appearances

* At least one walk in 15 of last 17 outings, including eight walks in last six

* Converted eight of nine save opportunities

* Six of eight saves were on the road

* Stranded 11 of 18 inherited runners, including nine of 11 at home

* Issued eight leadoff walks against six strikeouts

* Opponents hitting .185 (5-for-27) with runners in scoring position and two outs

ESTEBAN GERMAN

* Riding seven-game hitting streak (.355, 11-for-31) with four multiple-hit outings

* Hit safely in eight of last nine games after season's first three-game skid

* Second in PCL with 32 stolen bases

* Second on Express single-season stolen base list (Triple-A era)

* Successful on 14 of last 15 stolen base attempts

* Leads with 29 multiple-hit games

* Leads Express with 12 games of three-plus hits, including a pair of four-hit games

* Hitting .229 (8-for-35) after eighth inning

NICK GREEN

* Hit .208 (64-for-308) with 10 home runs and 46 RBI in 87 games with Norfolk Tides of the International League

* Acquired July 19 from Baltimore Orioles for Zach Phillips in waiver trade

* Singled in first Express at bat July 21

* Clubbed first home run with Express (solo) July 23 at Omaha

* Suffered first hitless outing in eight games with Express last night, going 0-for-5

MARK HAMBURGER

* One earned run allowed over last four outings (6.1 innings) with six strikeouts against one walk in that time

* Allowed three-plus earned runs five times - 1.97 ERA (7 ER / 32.0 IP) in other 18 appearances

* 4-1, 2.96 ERA (9 ER / 27.1 IP) since June 6

* One home run allowed (solo) in last 16 appearances (27.2 innings)

* Holds opponents to a .227 average at The Dell Diamond, .308 on the road

* Opponents are 7-for-36 (.194) leading off an inning with one home run

DEREK HANKINS

* One win since May 12 (at Memphis, July 15)

* Tied for fourth in PCL with 18 home runs allowed

* At least one home run surrendered in 12 of 20 appearances

* Has not allowed a home run over last three outings

* Opponents hitting .395 (15-for-38) with runners in scoring position and two outs

ERIC HURLEY

* Express are 8-1 in his starts

* Won five of last six starts

* Opponents are 5-for-29 (.172) with runners on base and two outs

* 3.20 ERA (14 ER / 39.1 IP) through fifth inning - 8.53 ERA (6 ER / 6.1 IP) thereafter

* 2-0, 0.68 ERA, .196 opponents' average in three road starts

* Holds opponents to a .133 mark (2-for-15) with runners in scoring position and two outs

* All six home runs allowed were solo shots

ZACH JACKSON

* Won six of last nine decisions

* Express are 13-5 in his starts, best of any pitcher on staff

* Round Rock has won eight of his last 10 starts

* Averages staff-best 6.72 runs of support

* Opposing batters hit .278 on the road, .324 at The Dell Diamond

* 10 of 14 home runs allowed were at home

* All four home runs allowed on the road were solo shots

BEAU JONES

* 14 strikeouts over 10.0 innings in last seven outings

* One walk issued in six consecutive appearances

* Allowed more than one earned run five times

* 1.89 ERA (7 ER / 33.1 IP) in other 22 outings

* Opponents are 3-for-16 (.188) with runners in scoring position and two outs

MATT KATA

* Hitting .367 (22-for-60) since All-Star break with five home runs and 20 RBI in 15 games

* One home run shy of career high (El Paso, 2002)

* Most home runs in season since hitting 10 between Arizona (seven) and Tucson (three) in 2003

* Hit safely in 14 of last 16 games (.400, 24-for-60)

* Six multiple-hit outings in last 12 games, including a trio of three-hit outings

* Eight multiple-hit performances in last 20 games after going 18 straight games without a multiple-hit outing

* Has not gone hitless in consecutive games since June 1-2

* Hit safely in 26 of last 29 games (.342, 39-for-114)

* Snapped streak of four consecutive games with at least one RBI last night

* 10 multiple-RBI outings in last 27 games with 28 RBI in that time

* Reached safely in 42 of last 45 games, including 16 straight

* Struck out looking three times in a seven-at-bat stretch during Omaha series after striking out looking only twice in season's first 256 at bats

* Hitting .325 (37-for-114) when second or eighth in the lineup - hitting .266 (45-for-169) elsewhere

* 20-for-65 (.308) with 15 RBI after the seventh inning

* Hitting .190 (12-for-63) when leading off an inning

* Produced 21 of 52 RBI with runners on base and two outs, hitting .429 (21-for-49) in that situation

* Hitting .394 (13-for-33) with runners in scoring position and two outs

MICHAEL KIRKMAN

* Optioned to Round Rock from Texas prior to July 3 game

* Third stint with Express this season

* 16 of 35 runs allowed were in two outings - April 7 vs. Iowa (10), July 5 at Albuquerque (6)

* 3.22 ERA (16 ER / 44.2 IP) in other 14 appearances

* Allowed 10 walks in 4.0 innings over last two outings

* Averaging 12.84 strikeouts per nine innings (29 K / 20.1 IP) as a reliever

VAL MAJEWSKI

* Began season with York of the Independent Atlantic League

* Earned Midseason All-Star honors with York

* Signed to minor league contract July 25 and joined Express following day

* Also played for Express as a member of Astros organization in 2008

* Hit safely (double) in third at bat with Express

* First Triple-A hit (double) since Aug. 30, 2008, with Express

* Home run Wednesday night was first at Triple-A level Aug. 21, 2008, also with Express

* Hit safely in each of first three games with Round Rock

LEONYS MARTIN

* Signed as a non-drafted free agent May 4, 2011

* Hit .348 with four homers and 10 stolen bases in 29 games with Double-A Frisco

* Assigned to Express prior to July 9 game

* Six multiple-hit games, including one three-hit game and one four-hit game

* Hitting .117 (2-for-17) over last four games after hitting .395 (17-for-43) in first 10 games with Express

* Five two-out RBI in Round Rock's last 10 games

* Hitting .556 (10-for-18) with runners in scoring position

* 7-for-10 with runners in scoring position and two outs

BRAD NELSON

* Riding five-game hitting streak (.500, 9-for-18) with at least one extra-base hit in each game

* Hitting .323 (20-for-62) since All-Star break

* Hit safely in 10 of last 11 games (.356, 16-for-45) with 15 runs scored in that time

* Has not gone three straight games without a hit since June 5-7

* Six home runs in last 66 at bats after hitting two in previous 122 at bats

* Hitting .300 (33-for-110) as designated hitter, .263 (59-for-224) when playing in the field

* 8-for-49 (.163) with runners in scoring position and two outs

* Hitting .355 (11-for-31) after the eighth inning

* Tied for second on team with 27 multiple-hit games

DARREN O'DAY

* Appeared in five games with Express on a rehab assignment June 22-30

* Returned to the Express prior to July 14 game

* No runs allowed in nine of 11 appearances with the Express

* All three runs allowed were on home runs - June 30 vs. Nashville (Brett Carroll, two runs) and July 28 vs. Memphis (Bryan Anderson solo)

* Walk issued last night was first since first batter faced in an Express uniform (June 22 at New Orleans)

* Opponents are 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position (0-for-5 with two outs)

MARTIN PEREZ

* Widely considered to prospect in Rangers organization

* Began season with Double-A Frisco

* 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 16 starts and one relief appearance with RoughRiders

* Tallied 83 strikeouts against 36 walks over 88.1 innings with a .245 opponents' average at Frisco

* Pitched in 2011 MLB Futures Game

* Assigned to Round Rock prior to July 14 game

* Earned victory in first career Triple-A start July 16 at Memphis

* Lost each of last two starts, posting an 11.88 ERA (11 ER / 8.1 IP) and a .500 opponents' average (22-for-44)

NEIL RAMIREZ

* Currently on the disabled list (shoulder stiffness)

* Express are 9-8 in his starts, going 1-7 in last eight starts

* Averages 4.94 runs of support

* Opponents hitting .194 (6-for-31) with runners in scoring position and two outs

* Leads staff with 85 strikeouts and 10.43 strikeouts per nine innings

* 1.06 ERA in the first inning (3 ER / 17.0 IP)

* Five of six home runs allowed were at The Dell Diamond

* Four of six homers surrendered were solo shots, including three leadoff homers

GUILDER RODRIGUEZ

* Began season with Double-A Frisco

* Assigned to Round Rock prior to July 9 game

* Recorded first Triple-A hit this season July 10 vs. Memphis (single)

* Hitless in four of last five games (.143, 2-for-14)

* Seven walks against two strikeouts in last eight games

PEDRO STROP

* 1.96 ERA (4 ER / 18.1 IP) in 14 road outings - 5.40 ERA (12 ER / 16.2 IP) in 16 home appearances

* Allowed three earned runs in 16.1 innings over last 16 outings (1.65 ERA)

* At least one strikeout in eight straight appearances and 13 of 14

* Four walks over 5.0 innings in last three outings

* Stranded seven of 14 inherited runners, allowing four of last five to score

* One home run allowed over 80.2 innings at the Triple-A level since surrendering two homers May 3, 2009

* Opponents hitting .362 (17-for-47) with runners in scoring position

BRETT TOMKO

* Credited with win in each of last four decisions

* Express are 7-1 in his eight outings

* At least one home run allowed in 11 of 14 appearances

* Season high seven strikeouts vs. Memphis in last start (July 28)

* At least three runs allowed in six consecutive outings

CHAD TRACY

* Snapped nine-game hitting streak last night, going 0-for-3

* Hit .289 (11-for-38) during streak with seven consecutive one-hit games

* Tied for 10th in PCL with 20 home runs - tied for 29th among all minor leaguers

* Fourth in PCL with 82 RBI - 11th among all minor leaguers

* Seventh on Express single-season RBI list (Triple-A era)

* Seven home runs, 36 RBI with runners on base and two outs

* Leads the team in hits with runners in scoring position (46)

* Also leads team with 39 two-out hits and 43 two-out RBI

* Fourth on team with 26 multiple-hit games

* Leads team with 25 multiple-RBI games

RYAN TUCKER

* Has not allowed more than one run in any of last nine relief appearances

* 1.98 ERA (3 ER / 13.2 IP) with 11 strikeouts against two walks in those outings

* Three of four home runs allowed were solo shots

* Opponents hitting .212 (7-for-33) with runners on base and two outs

* Earned first win since April 25 in last start (July 25 at Omaha)

NEXT SERIES

Round Rock travels to Nashville for a four-game series against the Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers). The series begins Saturday at 6:35 p.m. CDT and continues Sunday at 6:35 p.m., Monday at 7:05 p.m. and Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. This is the fourth and final series between the two teams. The Express lead the series 9-3, sweeping both series at The Dell Diamond but losing three of four at Herschel Greer Stadium in mid-June.

GAME ‚¬Ë†108 | SATURDAY, JULY 30 | 6:35 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Ryan Tucker (2-2, 4.75 ERA)

Sounds: RHP Josh Butler (6-5, 4.70 ERA)

GAME ‚¬Ë†109 | SUNDAY, JULY 31 | 6:35 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Martin Perez (1-2, 8.10 ERA)

Sounds: LHP Sam Narron (4-4, 4.45 ERA)

GAME ‚¬Ë†110 | MONDAY, AUG. 1 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Zach Jackson (8-4, 5.93 ERA)

Sounds: RHP Amaury Rivas (7-10, 4.85 ERA)

GAME ‚¬Ë†111 | TUESDAY, AUG. 2 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Brett Tomko (5-3, 6.65)

Sounds: RHP Frankie De La Cruz (5-6, 3.96 ERA)

Check out the Round Rock Express Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 29, 2011


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