PCL1 Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express Rally Past Iowa Cubs 6-5

Published on July 26, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK, Texas - Matt Kata's one-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth scored Wladimir Sutil and gave the Round Rock Express a 6-5 victory over the Iowa Cubs in Monday night's series finale at The Dell Diamond. The Express (43-60) snapped a three-game skid and posted its first victory when trailing after seven or eight innings this season. The Cubs (57-46) still claimed the series 3-1 and won 11 of 16 meetings on the season.

Round Rock's comeback began in the eighth when Drew Locke's leadoff homer pulled the Express to within a run at 5-4. Oswaldo Navarro led off the ninth with a double off the base of the wall in left-center, and Collin DeLome followed with a groundout to second that advanced Navarro to third. With the infield in, Sutil lined an RBI single off the glove a leaping Matt Camp at shortstop. Brian Bogusevic drew a walk to push Sutil to second, and Kata followed with the game-winner.

The Express had lost 49 consecutive games when trailing after eight innings and 44 when trailing after seven. It was Round Rock's seventh victory in its final at bat - the second in five-day span - against 17 such losses. The Express also claimed their 11th one-run victory of the season in their Pacific Coast League-leading 36th one-run game.

Dan Meszaros (2-1) picked up the victory in relief for the Express. He tossed 2.0 scoreless frames on one hit and a walk with one strikeout. Starter Leandro Cespedes, making a spot start from Class A-Advanced Lancaster, allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks with one strikeout over 6.0 innings.

David Cales (0-1) suffered his second blown save of the season and took the loss for the Cubs, retiring only one batter in the ninth. Iowa starter Jeff Samardzija worked 6.0 innings and surrendered three runs, only one of which was earned, on two hits and five walks with seven strikeouts.

Samardzija essentially accounted for each of the game's first four runs. He walked the bases loaded with one out in the first. Sutil scored the game's first run on Drew Locke's RBI fielder's choice, and Edwin Maysonet drew a bases-loaded walk for another run. Samardzija belted a two-run homer in the top of the third to tie the game at 2-2.

The Express reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth on two hits and an error. Maysonet opened the frame with a single, took second on Samardzija's errant pickoff throw and moved to third on German Duran's flyout to center. Brian Esposito scored Maysonet with an RBI single.

That lead was short-lived, though. Micah Hoffpauir led off the sixth with a walk, and Ty Wright followed with a bunt single. Bryan LaHair then belted a three-run homer to give the Cubs a 5-2 lead.

Seven different Express batters had one hit each. Locke had two RBI, and Sutil scored twice. Bogusevic walked three times and scored a run; Maysonet also walked twice.

Ty Wright had three hits, and Samardzija was 2-for-3 at the plate.

Round Rock hits the road for an eight-game road trip, starting with a four-game series at Oklahoma City. That series begins Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at The Dell Diamond. Southpaw Andy Van Hekken (6-6, 4.31 ERA) toes the slab for the Express, while right-hander Guillermo Moscoso (6-3, 4.52 ERA) gets the nod for the RedHawks.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 26, 2010


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