Round Rock Express Blanked by Omaha 4-0
April 18, 2012 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Ryan Verdugo struck out eight over five and one-third innings as the Omaha Storm Chasers blanked the Round Rock Express 4-0 in Wednesday night's Pacific Coast League action at The Dell Diamond. The Express (5-9) were shutout for the first time this season and have lost four of five against the Storm Chasers (10-4).
Verdugo (1-0) recorded a strikeout on each of the first five outs he recorded, working around a Matt Kata walk and Brad Nelson's double with one out in the first. That was the last legitimate threat the Express made all night. Joey Butler reached on a two-out infield single in the sixth, Greg Miclat doubled with two outs in the seventh, and Tommy Mendonca singled with two outs in the ninth for Round Rock's only other hits.
Meanwhile, Omaha made use Mendonca errors on consecutive batters with two outs in the first. Those errors along with Johnny Giavotella's one-out double, Clint Robinson's two-out walk and a wild pitch produced three unearned runs. Robinson added a leadoff homer in the sixth.
Verdugo surrendered only one hit and walked four. He worked ahead of batters all night, striking out all seven batters against whom he started 0-2. Round Rock batters on the night were 1-for-11 with nine strikeouts when falling behind 0-2; Mendonca's two-out single in the ninth was the lone hit. Roman Colon followed with two and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief, and Francisley Bueno worked a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his second save.
Express starter Greg Reynolds (0-2) was saddled with the tough-luck loss, allowing all four runs - one earned - on five hits and a walk over seven innings with one strikeout. Tyler Tufts worked a perfect eighth on 10 pitches, and Yoshinori Tateyama worked around a pair of walks for a scoreless ninth.
Neither team produced a multiple-hit game; the teams combined to go 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, stranding 13 runners. Butler extended his hitting streak to nine games with his sixth-inning single. He has hit safely in 24 of 25 games at The Dell Diamond dating back to last season.
Round Rock and Omaha continue their four-game series Thursday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at The Dell Diamond. It will be dueling southpaws as Zach Jackson (0-1, 6.35 ERA) starts for the Express opposite Storm Chasers lefty Mike Montgomery (0-0, 8.22 ERA).
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 18, 2012
- Cubs Drop Second Straight at Albuquerque, 6-4 - Iowa Cubs
- Redbirds Hold off Zephyrs - Memphis Redbirds
- Zephyrs Fall in Memphis 7-5 - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Storm Chasers Shut out Express - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Round Rock Express Blanked by Omaha 4-0 - Round Rock Express
- Errors Hamper Grizzlies in 7-6 Extra-Inning Loss - Fresno Grizzlies
- Aces Clip Grizzlies in 11 Innings, 7-6 - Reno Aces
- Rainiers Beat River Cats 2-1 in Extra Innings - Sacramento River Cats
- Rainiers Slip Past Sacramento in Extras - Tacoma Rainiers
- Sox Blank Padres for Second Shutout Win of Season - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Tucson Bats Quiet again in 2-0 Setback - Tucson Padres
- Long Ball Sends RedHawks to Wednesday Win, 7-5 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Round Rock Express - Game Notes Vs. Omaha Storm Chasers - Round Rock Express
- Sounds Drop Wednesday Matinee to RedHawks, 7-5 - Nashville Sounds
- Tomorrow Night Is Ugly Sweater Night at Spring Mobile Ballpark - Salt Lake Bees
- Storm Chasers Home for a Four-Game Series this Saturday, April 21 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- OF Collin Delome Released, OF Brad Snyder Activated - Oklahoma City Comets
- RedHawks Game Notes: April 18, 2012 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Hacker Twirls Seven Shutout Innings in 4-2 Win - Fresno Grizzlies
- Rainiers Stopped By Sacramento - Tacoma Rainiers
- Rosales Leads Sacramento in 5-1 Win Over Tacoma - Sacramento River Cats
- Cubs Can't Contain Isotopes - Iowa Cubs
- Isotopes Find Runs Early in 13-6 Win Over Iowa - Albuquerque Isotopes
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