PCL1 Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express - Game Notes vs. Nashville Sounds

Published on June 27, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


GAME 80 | 27 JUNE 2012 | 7:05 P.M. CDT | THE DELL DIAMOND | ROUND ROCK, TEXAS

ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (36-43) vs. NASHVILLE SOUNDS (31-48)

RADIO: 104.9 FM The Horn ESPN"ˆAustin | ONLINE"ˆAUDIO: www.espnaustin.com

EXPRESS: LHP Derek Holland (0-0, 0.00 ERA) | SOUNDS: RHP Wily Peralta (2-8, 5.96 ERA)

TONIGHT, TONIGHT

Round Rock begins a seven-game home stand with the opener of a three-game series against the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT at The Dell Diamond. Round Rock most recently won three of four at Iowa, including a 3-1 victory in yesterday's series finale. The Express, 6-4 over their last 10 games, are 19-17 at The Dell Diamond. Nashville most recently lost three of four at Albuquerque, including a 7-3 defeat in yesterday's series finale. The Sounds, 5-5 over their last 10 games, are 17-24 on the road and have not won consecutive road games since May 23-24 at Las Vegas. Round Rock is fourth in the PCL's American Southern Division, 10 games back of Albuquerque and four games behind third-place New Orleans.

RADIO GA GA

Tonight's game airs on The Horn 104.9 FM ESPN"ˆAustin. Online audio also is available at www.espnaustin.com. Express Director of Broadcasting Mike Capps handles play-by-play duties.

US AND THEM

This is the second of four series between the two teams. The teams split a four-game series May 25-28 at Nashville. The Express return to Herschel Greer Stadium for a four-game series July 16-19, and the Sounds revisit The Dell Diamond for a five-game series Aug. 22-26. ... SERIES NOTES: The all-time series is 58-58 with the Express holding a 32-24 advantage at The Dell Diamond. Nine of the last 20 meetings were one-run affairs. Nashville has lost 11 consecutive games at The Dell Diamond, dating back to a 9-6 win June 5, 2010. Round Rock claimed the season series in 2005 (9-7), 2006 (11-5) and 2011 (11-5). Nashville won the season series in 2007 (12-4), 2008 (9-7) and 2009 (10-6). The teams split the 2010 with the home team winning six times at each location. There have been three sweeps in the series, all by the home team - Nashville in 2007 and Round Rock twice last season. ... 2012 SERIES: Nashville won the first two games 7-6 and 7-3, respectively. Round Rock responded with a 19-3 victory in the third game, establishing franchise records for runs and hits (24). The Express won the series finale 8-5 in 10 innings; Luis Hernandez's leadoff homer in the 10th proved to be the game-winning hit. Round Rock is hitting .348 (56-for-161) with nine homers, eight doubles, 17 walks and 9.0 runs per game. Mike Bianucci is 7-for-16 (.438) with one home run, 10 RBI and three doubles in four games. Julio Borbon is 6-for-12 (.500) with two stolen bases in three games. Matt Kata is 7-for-11 (.636) with one homer, two RBI and two runs score in two games. Brad Nelson is 7-for-18 (.389) with three homers, nine RBI and seven runs scored in four games. Ryan Spilborghs is 11-for-18 (.611) in four games with two homers, five RBI, one double and eight runs scored. Express pitchers have allowed 19 earned runs over 35.0 innings (4.89 ERA) with 28 strikeouts and 15 walks. Nashville is hitting .281 with four homers, five doubles, 15 walks, 28 strikeouts, four stolen bases and 5.5 runs per game. Eric Farris is 6-for-15 (.400) with two doubles and three runs scored in four games.

SERIES"ˆINFORMATION

GAME"ˆ80 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Derek Holland (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Sounds: RHP Wily Peralta (2-8, 5.96 ERA)

GAME"ˆ81 | THURSDAY, JUNE 28 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Derek Hankins (2-4, 4.20 ERA)

Sounds: RHP Mark Rogers (3-4, 5.65 ERA)

GAME"ˆ82 | FRIDAY, JUNE 29 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Zach Jackson (3-8, 5.09 ERA)

Sounds: TBA

START ME UP

LHP DEREK HOLLAND (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0 K) - MLB rehab

2012: Rangers No. 2 starter to begin the year ... made quality starts in six of first 10 starts ... allowed at least five earned runs in all four losses ... quality starts in other six starts ... earned wins April 12 vs. Seattle, April 18 at Boston, May 10 at Baltimore, May 25 vs. Toronto, June 5 at Oakland (all starts) ... suffered losses April 23 vs. New York-AL, April 29 vs. Tampa Bay, May 19 at Houston, May 30 vs. Seattle ... two or fewer walks in seven of 11 starts, including each of last five ... season-high nine strikeouts May 25 vs. Toronto ... eight-plus strikeouts three times ... placed on disabled list (shoulder fatigue) following June 5 start at Oakland.

LAST START (TEXAS): Won June 5 start at Oakland (6-3) ... allowed three runs on seven hits (two homers) over 5.1 innings with two walks and two strikeouts ... 92 pitches, 57 strikes.

CAREER vs. NASHVILLE: 0-2, 3.97 ERA"ˆ(5 ER/11.1 IP), three walks, 11 strikeouts in two starts, both at Nashville with Oklahoma City ... surrendered four runs on five hits (one home run) and three walks over 4.0 innings with five strikeouts April 13, 2009; Sounds won game 4-3 ... allowed three runs (one earned)"ˆon five hits over 7.1 innings with six strikeouts and no walks April 23, 2010; Sounds won game 3-0.

CAREER at THE DELL DIAMOND: Won lone appearance Aug. 23, 2010 (most recent minor league start) with then-Rangers affiliate Oklahoma City ... scattered three hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 6.0 innings ... lone run allowed came on Oswaldo Navarro's third-inning, two-out homer ... also started for Rangers in 2012 exhibition game.

NOTABLE: Derek Lane Holland ... graduated from Newark [Ohio] High School in 2005 ... attended Wallace State [Ala.] Community College ... actively involved in Rangers community initiatives and frequent participant in club's off-season caravan ... Dallas Stars fan ... served as an instructor for a youth hitting and pitching camp at Total Athletic Development in Newark ... Dec. 21, 2009, was proclaimed "Derek Holland Day" in Newark ... hobbies include fishing and golf.

BRING IT ON HOME

Round Rock begins a seven-game home stand tonight, and the Express have faired significantly better at The Dell Diamond than on the road. While Round Rock's bats have been more potent on the road (.284, 55 homers, 5.8 runs per game) than at home (.267, 25 homers, 4.4 runs per game), the Express pitching staff has been strikingly better at home (19-17, 4.19 ERA) than on the road (17-26, 5.57 ERA). Round Rock is 9-7 at The Dell Diamond since suffering its first home sweep in three years May 17-20 vs. Fresno.

WHAT'S GOING ON

Despite sitting 10 games back (fourth place) in the division standings, Round Rock is 13-10 against division foes. Albuquerque, which leads the division by one-and-a-half-games, is 18-13 against the division but 3-4 against the Express (1-2 at home). Oklahoma City is second but 11-16 against the division (5-3 vs. Express, 3-1 at home), while New Orleans (five games behind Albuquerque) is 12-15 against division foes (3-5 vs. Express, 1-3 at home). Round Rock's schedule is quite favorable in the season's second half (72 games), playing only 16 games against non-division teams with above .500 - four against Omaha (home), four against Las Vegas (home), four against Colorado Springs (road) and four against Reno (road).

COME AS YOU ARE

Round Rock leads the PCL in attendance by a substantial margin. Express fans have filled The Dell Diamond at a rate of 8,423 fans per game - nearly 1,000 fans per game more than second-place Sacramento (7,475). In fact, the gap between Round Rock and Sacramento (948) is larger than the gap between Sacramento and fifth-place Iowa (6,672). Round Rock led the PCL in attendance last season with 8,587 fans per game.

RAMBLIN' MAN

Brad Nelson hit safely in 29 of his last 31 road games, going 44-for-120 (.367) on the road since an 0-for-4 night April 21 at New Orleans. That stretch included a 21-game road hitting streak that is the PCL's longest this season. His lone hitless outings over the last 31 road games were June 8 at Omaha when he was hitless in a pinch-hit role and yesterday at Iowa when he was 0-for-2 with two walks. Nelson is hitting nearly 100 points better on the road (.331, 51-for-154) than at home (.242, 31-for-128). Nine of his 11 homers and 34 of his 47 RBI were in road games; six of his 13 RBI at The Dell Diamond came in the most-recent home stand. Six of his 11 homers were solos, including four leadoff shots. Nelson snapped a five-game hitting streak last night; he was 5-for-17 (.294) with three homers (one grand slam) and nine RBI during the streak. He walked (five walks) and scored (four runs) in each of his last four games.

UNDER PRESSURE

Matt Kata is hitting .469 (23-for-49) with runners in scoring position (32 RBI), going 9-for-18 (.500) with runners in scoring position and two outs (18 RBI). However, he is 38-for-157 (.242) without runners in scoring position. Kata is 4-for-6 with the bases loaded (one homer, 11 RBI); he is 3-for-3 with the bases loaded since delivering a game-winning, three-run double May 24 vs. Sacramento. Furthermore, Kata is hitting .354 (17-for-48) after the seventh inning with 10 RBI. He is 33-for-96 (.344) over his last 25 games with two homers, 17 RBI, four doubles, a triple, 10 multiple-hit outings and four multiple-RBI games.

WALK THIS WAY

Two Express players snapped lengthy streaks without walks yesterday. Matt Kata walked for the first time since May 13 (27 games, 110 plate appearances), while Luis Hernandez walked for the first time since May 19 - 33 games, 147 plate appearances). Tommy Mendonca (currently on the DL) last walked May 2, a span of 29 games and 112 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Joey Butler leads the PCL with 49 walks.

FIVE TO ONE

The Express are 29-6 when holding the opposition to fewer than five runs but 7-37 when allowing at least five runs, losing 11 straight in that situation. Conversely, Round Rock is 9-23 when scoring fewer than five runs; three of the nine wins were shutouts.

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

Mike Bianucci is 17-for-40 (.425) over his last 11 games with six multiple-hit games, including two hits in each of his last four games. His two-homer game June 19 vs. Iowa was his first multiple-homer game since the 2011 season opener (April 7) with Double-A Frisco. The homers came in back-to-back bats after going 133 at bats with only three homers. He has gone seven games and 27 at bats since his last homer. Bianucci has two walks over his last 22 games (90 plate appearances). He is 4-for-12 (.333) with the bases loaded (two doubles, two walks, 10 RBI) and 21-for-41 (.512) in the fourth inning (four homers, nine RBI). ... Julio Borbon is hitless in his last 29 at bats since a third-inning single June 17 vs. Oklahoma City. It is his longest hitless stretch of the season both in terms of games (seven) and at bats. Despite the slump, Borbon is 49-for-136 (.360) since May 12, a stretch that included a career-best, 21-game hitting streak. He is hitting .413 (33-for-80) in the middle innings with three homers, 17 RBI and six doubles. Borbon snapped a 13-game road hitting streak Saturday, going 0-for-5. ... Dusty Brown is 3-for-7 with a double over his last two games. He was 5-for-54 (.093) over his previous 20 games; however, he also had 15 walks in that time, including four games with two walks. Brown is 2-for-24 (.083) with runners in scoring position; both hits came with two outs. He owns a .469 on-base percentage when leading off an inning, hitting .320 (8-for-25) with one homer and seven walks against five strikeouts. Brown has three walks and two sacrifice flies in six bases-loaded plate appearances. ... Joey Butler is 2-for-13 (.154) over his last four games. Six of his 11 home runs were solo shots. He has not homered since June 1 at Memphis, a span of 21 games and 76 at bats. Butler has not homered at The Dell Diamond since May 17 vs. Fresno (19 games). He is 13-for-27 (.481) in the fifth inning with four homers and nine RBI; he also has 10 eighth-inning RBI. ... Luis Hernandez is 17-for-58 (.294) over his last 14 games with seven multiple-hit outings (one three-hit game), four doubles, five RBI and eight runs scored. He has one walk since May 19, a span of 33 games and 147 plate appearances. Three of his four home runs were solo shots. Hernandez leads all PCL shortstops with a .988 fielding percentage (four errors, 322 chances). He has not committed an error since a two-error game June 11 at Albuquerque (12 games). He is 2-for-5 with the bases loaded (eight RBI) but 3-for-21 (.143) with runners in scoring position and two outs. ... Luis Martinez snapped an eight-game hitting streak Sunday; it was his longest streak this season. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games (.294, 10-for-34) with seven walks and five runs scored. Martinez is 14-for-35 (.400) in the third and fourth innings but 20-for-102 (.196) the rest of the game. He is 3-for-24 (.125) with runners in scoring position and two outs, and he is 0-for-5 with the bases loaded (one walk, one hit-by-pitch, one sacrifice fly). ... Yangervis Solarte hit safely in seven of his last eight games (.367, 11-for-30) with three multiple-hit games (one three-hit outing) and four RBI. He doubled in each of his last three games and produced two hits in each of his last two games. Five of his six home runs and 28 of his 35 RBI came after the third inning. Solarte has not homered since May 14, a span of 35 games and 139 at bats. Five of his six home runs were solo shots. He is 16-for-46 (.348) when leading off an inning with one home run and three walks (.388 on-base percentage). He is 6-for-43 (.140) with runners in scoring position and fewer than two outs. ... Ryan Spilborghs has not homered since May 26, a span of 26 games and 100 at bats. He is 11-for-66 (.167) over his last 17 games, and three of the 11 hits were in one game (June 13 at Albuquerque); his average dropped from .400 to .313 in that time. Spilborghs is 21-for-52 (.404) during the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. He is 5-for-29 (.172) with runners in scoring position and two outs; he is hitless in each of his last 12 such at bats. Spilborghs has played 229 career PCL games, hitting .336 (291-for-867) with 24 homers, 119 RBI and 65 doubles.

BROTHERS IN ARMS

Neal Cotts, who has battled injuries over the past three seasons, made his Texas Rangers organizational debut June 12 at Albuquerque. It was his first outing since June 24, 2009, with the Iowa Cubs. Cotts stranded five of seven inherited runners and has not allowed a run in each of his last five appearances (4.0 innings). He walked one batter in each of his first four outings but none in his last two. ... Aaron Heilman has a 1.56 ERA (3 ER/17.1 IP) over his last 13 outings, going 1-0 with five saves (all of which came in his last eight appearances). He is riding an 8.0-inning scoreless streak over his last six outings. Heilman has 27 strikeouts in his last 27.2 innings. Four of 11 inherited runners scored, and opponents are hitting .361 (13-for-36) with runners in scoring position. ... Ben Snyder is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA (6 ER/15.0 IP) in 12 outings at The Dell Diamond but 0-3 with a 5.00 ERA (15 ER/27.0 IP) in 14 road games. He has 18 strikeouts over 18.0 innings with eight walks in his last 11 appearances. ... Yoshinori Tateyama has not allowed an earned run in 14 of 15 outings. He has not allowed an earned run with the Express since April 21 at New Orleans, a span of 15.1 innings over 11 appearances. He currently has an 8.1-inning scoreless streak over six appearances. Tateyama has allowed four runs (one earned), all of which scored in the eighth inning. Opponents are 1-for-14 (.071) with runners in scoring position and 6-for-39 (.154) when behind in the count. ... Johan Yan tossed 1.1 scoreless innings June 26 at Iowa, his first scoreless outing since June 3 (vs. Albuquerque) and only his third in nine appearances with the Express. He stranded the bases loaded (all inherited runners) upon entering the game after stranding only two of five inherited runners in his first eight outings. Opponents are 2-for-5 with the bases loaded.

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH

The Express are 7-12 in series openers, winning each of their last two. ... Round Rock is tied for fourth in the PCL with 80 home runs, 55 of which were on the road (1.28 per game). Meanwhile, Express batters average 0.67 homers per game at home (24 homers, 36 games). ... Round Rock is hitting .325 (26-for-80) with the bases loaded, including two grand slams, going 16-for-42 (.381) since May 21. ... Round Rock leads the PCL with 94 double plays turned, nine more than any other team (Las Vegas). ... The Express have at least one double in 74 of 79 games, including 35 of 36 home games. Round Rock enjoyed a 47-game streak with at least one double after failing to double in the season opener. ... Round Rock is 7-11 in one-run games. Seven of the 18 games were against Iowa. ... Round Rock is 1-34 when trailing after seven innings, posting their lone win May 2 with a six-run eighth to rally past New Orleans 10-5. Conversely, the Express are 34-5 when leading after seven innings and 36-1 when out-scoring the opponent.

WHO'S NEXT

The Express continue a seven-game home stand - the final home stand before the All-Star Game break - with a four-game series against the New Orleans Zephyrs (Miami Marlins). The series runs Saturday through Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch each night. Round Rock leads the season series 6-2. The Express won three of four April 21-24 at Metairie, La., and repeated the feat April 30-May 3 at The Dell Diamond. Round Rock returns to Zephyr Field for a four-game series Aug. 27-30.

GAME"ˆ83 | SATURDAY, JUNE 30 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Greg Reynolds (7-5, 4.39 ERA)

Zephyrs: LHP Brad Hand (5-4, 4.18 ERA)

GAME"ˆ84 | SUNDAY, JULY 1 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Chad Bell (1-0, 1.59 ERA)

Zephyrs: RHP Wade LeBalnc (5-5, 3.74 ERA)

GAME"ˆ85 | MONDAY, JULY 2 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Derek Holland (0-0, 0.00 ERA; starts tonight)

Zephyrs: RHP Tom Koehler (7-6, 3.34 ERA; starts tonight)

GAME"ˆ86 | TUESDAY, JULY 3 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Derek Hankins (2-4, 4.20 ERA; starts tomorrow)

Zephyrs: RHP Elih Villanueva (3-3, 4.50 ERA; starts tomorrow)

Check out the Round Rock Express Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 27, 2012


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