Round Rock Express Clipped at Oklahoma City 4-2
July 28, 2010 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
OKLAHOMA CITY - Mitch Moreland drilled a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the first, and the Oklahoma City RedHawks never relinquished the lead en route to a 4-2 victory over the Round Rock Express in Wednesday's matinee at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. The Express (43-62) suffer their 11th loss in their last 12 road games. The RedHawks (55-48) have won each of the first two games of the series and lead the season series 8-2.
Neither team scored more than one run in an inning. The RedHawks posted solo spots in the second, fifth and sixth innings along with Moreland's first-inning homer. The Express got a solo homer from Chris Shelton in the fifth and a solo shot from Matt Kata in the seventh.
Derek Holland (5-1) picked up the victory for Oklahoma City in a rehab start. He allowed only Shelton's homer and a pair of walks with one strikeout over 5.0 innings. Chris Strop worked a perfect ninth with one strikeout for this eighth save.
Express starter Shane Loux (2-10) turned in his most effective start in more than a month but still suffered his ninth consecutive loss. He allowed four runs on 10 hits and no walks with two strikeouts over 6.0 innings. Jeff Fulchino scattered two hits with a strikeout in an inning of rehab work, and Roy Corcoran notched a strikeout in a scoreless eighth.
Matthew Brown doubled to open the second and scored from second on a sacrifice fly when Yordany Ramirez crashed into the wall after catching Brandon Boggs' fly ball in right-center.
Shelton, who returned to the lineup for the first time since May 30, cut the deficit in half in the fifth. He led off with his ninth homer of the season on a 3-2 pitch. Shelton was on the disabled list with a knee injury.
Oklahoma City quickly responded, plating a run on a pair of infield singles and a run-scoring double play in the bottom of the inning. The RedHawks opened the sixth with consecutive singles from Ryan Garko and Brown, and Boggs scored Garko with a one-out single.
Kata's homer opened the seventh, but the Express missed a golden opportunity later in the inning as Ramirez struck out with runners at second and third to end the frame.
For the second straight game, no Express player produced a multiple-hit game as six players each had one hit. Brian Esposito was 1-for-3 and has hit safely in five straight. Brian Bogusevic had the day off.
Round Rock and Oklahoma City continue the series Thursday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. Right-hander Yorman Bazardo (2-2, 3.56 ERA) makes his first start of the season for the Express. Southpaw Michael Kirkman (9-1, 3.16 ERA) starts for the RedHawks.
The Round Rock Express, owned and operated by Ryan Sanders Baseball, LP, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and a member of the Pacific Coast League.
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