Royals Game Notes
June 18, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
JUNE 18, 2007, 12:00 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (33-37) at Nashville Sounds (41-29)
HOME: 24-12 (31-41 in '06) AWAY: 9-25 (22-50 in '06) vs. Nashville: 6-5 (7-9 in '06)
TODAY: The Royals visit Greer Stadium for a 12:00 p.m. game vs. the Nashville Sounds. It's the finale of a 4-game series, which Nashville leads 3-0. Omaha is 1-6 on this 16-game road trip. Air-time is 11:40 a.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.Oroyals.com.
LAST NIGHT: R.A. Dickey and Grant Balfour combined to limit the Royals to 4 hits and Nashville beat Omaha 4-2 for the Sounds' 5th straight win. Dickey (5-4), who was making his 1st start since May 13, allowed just 2 runs - 1 earned - on 4 hits over 7.0 innings. Craig Brazell led off the 4th inning with a home run and the Royals added an unearned run in the frame to take a 2-0 lead. But, Joe Dillon cut the lead in half with an RBI single in the bottom of the 4th and Laynce Nix belted a 2-run homer in the 6th off Thad Markray to put Nashville ahead for good. Markray (3-3) took the loss, yielding 3 runs on 3 hits over 2.2 frames. Balfour fired 2.0 hitless innings for his 2nd save.
ROYALS REPORT: Nate Hoelscher made a spot start yesterday in place of right-hander Ben Hendrickson, who's expected to miss just 1 turn in the rotation due to tightness in his left side. Hoelscher, in his 1st start since 2005 and just the 4th of his 6-year professional career, gave up only 1 unearned run on 5 hits in 4.1 innings, walking 2 and fanning 4. In his last 8 outings, the 27-year old lefty is 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA (3 ER in 22.1 IP) and 1 save. *** Brazell's home run was his 16th in 38 games with Omaha and his minor-league leading 23rd dinger in 68 games on the season. That's just 1 shy of his career high of 24 homers, set in 2004. He has also hit in 7 of the past 8 games, batting at a .394 pace (13-33, 2 HR, 5 RBI). *** Billy Butler was 0-for-3 with a walk last night, halting his hitting streak at 6 games. He's still batting .320 (8-25) over the past 7 contests, with 2 homers and 6 RBI. *** Mitch Maier saw a 5-game hit string cut Sunday, as he went hitless in 4 at-bats. Maier hit .417 (10-24) during the streak, with 2 RBI and 5 runs scored. *** Matt Tupman has gone 0-for-11 over his last 3 starts behind the plate. That follows his 6-game hitting streak, when he batted .500 (11-22) with a homer and 4 RBI. *** Bill McCarthy has hit in all 4 games with Omaha, since coming from the Braves to complete an earlier trade for Graham Koonce. He's hitting .294 (5-17), driving in a run and scoring once. *** The Royals, who have lost 10 of their last 13 games and now trail 1st place Nashville by 8.0 games in the PCL's American Conference North, are trying to avoid getting swept in a 4-game series for just the 2nd time this season. It happened April 21-24 at New Orleans.
STARTERS: LH Tyler Lumsden (5-4, 5.18) vs. LH Zach Jackson (7-3, 4.85)
Lumsden makes his 13th start and 14th appearance of the season. The 24-year old lefty's last start was last Wednesday at Iowa, when he blanked the Cubs for 8 innings and left with Omaha leading 3-0. He had to settle for a no-decision after Iowa rallied for 3 runs in the 9th and another in the 11th off Ryan Braun for a stunning, 4-3 victory. Lumsden's previous outing was on June 8 vs. Nashville and he took the loss in an 8-2 defeat (4.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR). That ended a streak of 6 consecutive solid starts, when he went 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA. He's 2-2 with a 6.52 ERA in 6 games at home and is 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA in 7 starts on the road. Lumsden was ranked by Baseball America as KC's #5 prospect and 2nd-best pitching prospect entering this season. He was acquired by KC along with right-hander Daniel Cortes from the Chicago White Sox last July, in a trade for reliever Mike MacDougal. After missing the entire 2005 season following surgery on his left elbow, Lumsden was terrific in 2006. He began the campaign with Double-A Birmingham, going 9-4 with a 2.69 ERA in 20 starts. His 2.69 ERA ranked 4th-best in the Southern League. Following the trade to KC, Lumsden made 7 appearances (6 starts) for Double-A Wichita, going 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA to help the Wranglers win the 2nd half title and advance to the Texas League Championship series. Lumsden was selected by the White Sox as a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds (34th overall) of the 2004 draft, out of Clemson. He compiled a 17-7 record in his 3 seasons at Clemson and pitched for the Tigers in the 2002 College World Series.
PROBABLES FOR SERIES AT NEW ORLEANS:
Wed., 7:00: RH Billy Buckner (5-2, 4.76) vs. RH Mike Pelfrey (2-1, 2.87)
Thur., 7:00: RH Jason Shiell (0-2, 3.76) vs. RH Philip Humber (7-5, 4.87)
Fri., 7:00: RH Matt Wright (3-3, 4.19) vs. LH Jason Vargas (5-4, 4.77)
Pacific Coast League Stories from June 18, 2007
- 'Topes Down Express, Complete Sweep - Albuquerque Isotopes
- E-Train Update: Live Auctions - Round Rock Express
- Tony Gwynn Optioned To Sounds - Nashville Sounds
- Zephyrs/Redhawks Suspended - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Sounds Sweep Away Royals With 6-2 Win - Nashville Sounds
- George Named PCL Pitcher Of The Week - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Grizzlies Return Home For Eight Games, Locked In Battle For First - Fresno Grizzlies
- ChukchansiPark.net Launches as Official Website of Fresno's Downtown Stadium - Fresno Grizzlies
- Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2007 Announced - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Royals Game Notes - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Oklahoma Redhawks game notes - Oklahoma City Comets
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