PCL1 Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express Game Notes

Published on July 31, 2011 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


TONIGHT'S GAME

Round Rock continues a four-game road series against the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers). First pitch is scheduled 6:35 p.m. CDT at Herschel Greer Stadium. The Express are 5-5 in their last 10 games, snapping a three-game winning streak with last night's 3-2 loss in the series opener. The Sounds are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Round Rock is 29-23 on the road, while Nashville is 33-23 at home.

RADIO BROADCAST INFORMATION

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

EXPRESS-SOUNDS SERIES

This is the fourth and final series between Round Rock and Nashville this season; the Express lead the season series 9-4. Round Rock won all eight meetings at The Dell Diamond, sweeping four-game series in early May and early July. The Express dropped three of four at Nashville in mid-June. SERIES NOTES: Only two of 13 meetings have been decided by more than three runs - both lopsided Express wins. ... The teams have played eight one-run games; Round Rock has won four of those games - all walk-off wins. ... The teams have played three extra-inning games with the Express winning twice. ... Despite all the close games, Round Rock has out-scored Nashville 90-66 on the strength of 18-9 and 10-2 wins May 8 and 9, respectively. The Express established a franchise record for runs in the 18-9 victory. ... Round Rock and Nashville have combined for 39 home runs on the series with the Express owning a three-homer edge. Doug Deeds, Mike Napoli, Taylor Teagarden and Chad Tracy all have homered three times against the Sounds. Only Tracy is currently active with the Express. ... Deeds, who currently is on the disabled list, hit .323 (10-for-31) with four doubles and 11 RBI in seven games against the Sounds. ... Joey Butler is hitting .438 (14-for-32) in nine games against Nashville with eight doubles, one home run, four RBI and 10 runs scored. ... Esteban German is 10-for-26 (.385) with a double, a triple and five runs scored in seven games against the Sounds. ... Matt Kata has been hit four times by Nashville pitchers, while Tracy has been plunked three times. ... The winning pitchers in four of Round Rock's nine wins are no longer with the team - Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter, Seth McClung and Zach Phillips, the last three of which are no longer in the Rangers organization. ... Mark Hamburger is 2-0 in three relief appearances and has not allowed a run over 4.1 innings against the Sounds. ... Mat Gamel has feasted on Round Rock pitching, going 17-for-38 (.447) with five home runs and 10 RBI in nine games. ... Gamel, Caleb Gindl (four) and Brett Carroll (five) have combined for 14 of the 18 home runs Nashville batters have hit against Round Rock; no other player has more than one. Carroll is not currently active with the Sounds. ... Round Rock faces Nashville's Taylor Green immediately after facing Memphis' Tyler Greene.

EXPRESS STARTER

LHP Martin Perez (1-2, 8.10 ERA)

Last Outing: Suffered least effective outing of professional career in July 26 start vs. Memphis ... Took loss in 10-4 Redbirds win ... Surrendered eight runs on 11 hits over 5.0 innings with two walks and four strikeouts ... Second Express starter to suffer worst career start at The Dell Diamond this season (Michael Kirkman, April 7 vs. Iowa) ... Also balked once ... Career highs in runs allowed and earned runs allowed; matched career high in hits allowed (previous start) ... Surrendered on home run - Nick Stavinoha three-run shot with one out in the fourth ... Allowed two runs in the first, one run in the third and five runs in the fourth ... Did not have an unblemished inning ... Used inning-ending double play to escape fifth-inning jam ... Two strikeouts in the second, two in the fourth ... Used 89 pitches, 60 strikes.

2011: Widely considered top prospect in Rangers organization entering the season ... Began season with Double-A Frisco ... Made 17 starts and one relief appearance with RoughRiders ... Posted a 4-2 record with a 3.16 ERA ... Logged 88.1 innings with 83 strikeouts, 36 walks and a .245 opponents' average ... Surrendered six home runs, two of which came in a June 17 start at Corpus Christi ... Recorded nine-plus strikeouts three times, including 10 whiffs over 7.2 innings May 16 vs. Midland ... Tossed rain-shortened, five-inning perfect game April 19 at Arkansas ... 1-0 with eight no-decisions through May 21 before winning three straight starts ... 0-2 with two no-decisions and one non-factoring relief outing since ... Allowed more than three earned runs three times in 16 starts - yielding four twice and five once ... Worked at least 5.0 innings 13 times and at least 6.0 innings eight times ... Enjoyed a stretch of six consecutive starts with at least 6.0 innings from May 10 through June 6 ... Toiled past the sixth inning twice, including seven shutout innings May 26 in win against Northwest Arkansas ... First-inning ERA was 3.38 (6 ER / 16.0 IP) ... Held opponents to a .194 average (7-for-36) with runners in scoring position and two outs and a .228 mark (18-for-79) when leading off an inning ... Surrendered one hit - a three-run double - and one sacrifice fly in seven bases-loaded situations with three strikeouts and no walks ... Assigned to Express prior to July 16 start at Memphis ... Earned victory in first career Triple-A start, holding Memphis to one run on six hits over 5.0 innings with no walks and four strikeouts ... Took loss in second start July 21 at The Dell Diamond in a 7-3 Express loss to New Orleans ... Allowed six runs - three earned - on 11 hits and two walks with one strikeout over 3.1 innings.

2011 vs. Nashville: First meeting.

2010: Spent entire season with Double-A Frisco, going 5-8 with a 5.96 ERA and a .290 opponents' average ... Started 23 games with one relief appearance ... Logged 99.2 innings with 50 walks and 101 strikeouts ... Led Frisco staff in strikeouts.

Notable: Signed by Rangers as a non-drafted free agent in 2007 ... Began professional career with short-season Spokane in 2008 ... Split 2009 between Class-A Hickory and Frisco.

LAST NIGHT'S GAMES

Eric Farris ripped a two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning that propelled the Sounds to a 3-1 victory over the Express. Leonys Martin's two-out RBI single in the top of the fifth snapped a scoreless tie. Nashville quickly responded in the bottom of the inning on Logan Schafer's two-out RBI double. Joey Butler doubled and scored on an error in the ninth. Sam Narron worked six innings for the Sounds and earned the win. Ryan Tucker suffered the loss for the Express, allowing all three runs on seven hits and three walks over 5.2 innings with four strikeouts. Butler had three of Round Rock's seven hits.

ROUND ROCK AMONG TOP PCL TEAMS

The Express (63-45, .583) own the PCL's third-best record behind Sacramento (65-43, .602) and Reno (63-44, .589). The Express are four-and-a-half games ahead of Omaha (58-49, .542) in the overall American Conference standings. Only five of 16 PCL teams are above .500.

DIVISION STANDINGS UPDATE

Round Rock (63-45, .583) maintained its seven-game lead over Albuquerque (56-52, .519) in the American Southern Division last night. While the Express lost 3-2 at Nashville, the Isotopes lost 2-1 in 10 innings at New Orleans. It marked just the second time in the last 11 games that Round Rock and Albuquerque had the same result. Round Rock is 26-14 since June 18, during which time Albuquerque is 17-23. The Express have at least shared the division lead following 86 of 108 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 (53-55, .491) trails Round Rock by 10 games, while Oklahoma City (48-60, .449) is 15 games back.

ROUND ROCK vs. AMERICAN NORTHERN DIVISION

The Express are 37-20 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 four series (Omaha, Nashville, at Memphis, Memphis) and split two series (Memphis, at Omaha) for an 18-8 record in that time. The Express have clinched the season series against Omaha (9-3) and Nashville (9-4). Round Rock has concluded its season series against Iowa (9-7) and Memphis (10-6). 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 1,492 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... 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 five games with two homes and 10 RBI; he 10-for-21 (.476) with four doubles and four 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 6-0 in eight starts since his return to the mound June 20 against Omaha, winning each of his last five starts. Furthermore, the Express have won each of his last nine starts, including the game in which he sustained the skull fracture. Hurley has pitched at least into the sixth inning in five of his last six starts, going seven innings in two of the last three. He is 4-0 with a 2.52 ERA (7 ER / 25.0 IP) and a .265 opponents' average in four starts since the All-Star break; five of the seven runs scored in his July 19 start against New Orleans.

SNEAKY THIEF

Esteban German is second on Round Rock's single-season list with 33 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 15 of his last 16 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 34-22 (.607) at home, winning 17 of 23 home games since June 18. The Express own the league's third-best home record behind Reno (34-18, .654) and Albuquerque (34-21, .618). Round Rock has won six 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 (29-23, .558) owns the best road record in the American Conference and the PCL's second-best road record behind only Sacramento (35-16, .686). The Express and Omaha (26-25, .510) 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 nine 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 11-7 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 (148). Round Rock was the first PCL team to 100 home runs this season and has nine more homers than any other American Conference team (Albuquerque). The Express clubbed 59 homers over the last 40 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 1.31 home runs per game and are on pace to hit 189 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 108 games this season, going 47-23 in those games. However, Round Rock is 16-22 when failing to hit at least one home run. The Express average 3.82 runs per game (145 total) when failing to homer. 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 50 games and scored a total of 54 runs in the other 17 games (3.00 runs per game), getting shutout three times and scoring one run four 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. ... Round Rock has scored more than six runs without the benefit of a home run only once since June 3 - a 10-1 victory July 29 over Memphis. ... The Express have won 20 of their last 25 games when hitting at least one home run. ... 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. ... Round Rock has homered multiple times in 14 road games, going 11-3 in those games. ... The Express are 17-2 when hitting at least three home runs and 7-0 when hitting at least four home runs. ... 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). ... 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 22-6 this season when scoring at least four runs in an inning and 41-39 when failing to do such. However, the difference in record is even more pronounced based upon what the opponent does. The Express are 57-25 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 52-14 this season when scoring at least five runs, going 11-31 when scoring fewer than five runs. Meanwhile, Round Rock is 39-14 when allowing fewer than five runs and 24-31 when allowing five or more, losing 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 and matched the wins total from the 2009 season (63). They can match the 2008 total with a win tonight. 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.

EXPRESS LEAD PCL IN ATTENDANCE

Round Rock leads the PCL in attendance, averaging 8,510 fans per game. Sacramento is second with an 8,064 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 and the 11th time in franchise history (12 seasons). The Express have finished second or third in the PCL each season since joining the league in 2005.

Check out the Round Rock Express Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 31, 2011


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