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PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

June 29, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


JUNE 29, 2007, 7:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (39-42) vs. New Orleans Zephyrs (43-37)

HOME: 26-12 (31-41 in '06) AWAY: 13-30 (22-50 in '06) vs. New Orleans: 8-5 (8-8 in '06)

TONIGHT: The Royals host the New Orleans Zephyrs in a 7:05 p.m. game at Rosenblatt Stadium. It's the finale of a 3-game series, which Omaha leads 2-0. It's a Werner Enterprises Fireworks Friday, also presented by KETV-Channel 7 and KAT 103! Air-time is 6:45 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.Oroyals.com.

THURSDAY: Rehabbing KC right-hander Scott Elarton and two relievers combined on a 2-hitter, as the Royals crushed New Orleans 9-0 in front of 8,332 fans at Rosenblatt. Elarton (2-2) retired the 1st 12 batters of the game and 18 of 20 on the day, allowing just 2 singles and recording 1 strikeout. Kenny Ray fired 2.0 hitless innings and Gabe DeHoyos finished with 1.0 hit-free frame. Bill McCarthy gave the Royals all the runs they would need with a solo homer in the 2nd. Matt Tupman and Mike Aviles delivered 2-run singles in the 4th and 5th innings, respectively, off loser Jose Santiago (3-4), who gave up 5 runs on 7 hits over 5.0 stanzas.

ROYALS REPORT: Congratulations to Craig Brazell. The Royals 1B/DH was selected yesterday as a reserve on the Pacific Coast League's All-Star team, which will face the International League's best at the 20th annual Triple-A All-Star Game, slated for July 11th at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Brazell leads the PCL with 22 home runs. Combined with the 7 round-trippers he smacked in the 1st month of the season for Wichita, Brazell's 29 homers are most in professional baseball - 1 ahead of the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. He has also been invited to participate in the Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby on July 9th. Brazell went 0-for-4 yesterday, halting a 9-game hitting streak. Over the past 10 tilts, he's hitting .410 (16-39) with 6 homers and 11 RBI. In 13 games vs. the Z's, he's batting .298 (17-57) with 6 dingers and 11 RBI. *** Elarton, who was 2-3 with a 9.17 ERA in 8 starts for KC before spraining his right foot, ran the streak of quality starts by Omaha pitchers to 4. Over those last 4 games, Royals starters are 3-0 and have allowed just 3 runs in 24.0 innings, for a 1.13 ERA. *** Beginning rehab assignments with Omaha tonight are lefty John Bale (more info below) and 1B/OF Ross Gload, who is reportedly expected to need only 4-5 games here before being ready to return to the big leagues. Gload went on the DL on May 14, a day after tearing his quadriceps. He hit .284 with 2 home runs and 17 RBI in 30 games with KC. *** One of the parent club's top prospects, outfielder Chris Lubanski, is being promoted to Omaha today from Double-A Wichita. The 22-year old Lubanski was KC's 1st round pick (5th overall) in the 2003 draft out of Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School in Pennsylvania. In 64 games for Wichita this season, he hit .295 with 9 home runs and 34 RBI. He represented the Wranglers at the Texas League All-Star Game this Tuesday at Corpus Christi, Texas. He was 1-for-4 at the plate, while playing left field for the Texas League North, which lost to the South, 5-4 in 10 innings. Lubanski was rated by Baseball America as KC's 4th-best prospect prior to both last season and this campaign. He hit .282/15/70 for Wichita in 2006. *** Angel Berroa has hit in 7 straight games. During the streak, which is his longest of the season, he's hitting .450 (9-20) with 3 doubles and 2 RBI. *** Yesterday's victory marked the largest winning margin of the season for the Royals and improved Omaha's record at home to 26-12, tying the Royals with Nashville for the best home record in the PCL. The Royals are also 14-9 in day games this year, compared to 25-33 at night.

STARTERS: RH Brian Lawrence (4-4, 5.71) vs. LH John Bale (0-0, 0.00) Bale, who has not pitched for KC this season, begins a 3rd rehab assignment for KC, his 2nd with Omaha. The 33-year old lefty, trying to rebound from tightness in his left shoulder, began a rehab assignment with Wichita on April 30. He was shut down after 3 starts (0-0, 4.50) due to a recurrence of the shoulder injury. Bale began a 2nd rehab assignment on May 27 with Omaha, tossing 7 pitches that day in a hitless inning vs. New Orleans. He compiled 6.0 scoreless innings in 4 games (2 starts) through June 5, before suffering a torn glute while long tossing in the outfield. Bale was signed by KC as a minor league free agent in the off-season after pitching in Japan for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp the past 3 seasons. In 2006 for Hiroshima, Bale made 30 appearances, including 5 starts, and was 1-2 with a 2.93 ERA and 6 saves. Bale last pitched in this country in 2003, when he opened the season with the Mets' Triple-A club, Norfolk, going 0-1 with a 3.29 ERA in 8 relief outings. He was released in May and signed within days by the Reds. After going 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA and 4 saves in 26 games for Triple-A Louisville, Bale finished the '03 campaign with Cincinnati, going 1-2 with a 4.47 ERA in 10 games (9 starts). Bale spent part of the 2001 season with Baltimore and parts of the 1999 and 2000 seasons with Toronto. He's 2-2 with a 4.69 ERA in 27 games (9 starts) in his big league career. Bale attended Jefferson Davis Community College in Alabama and the University of Southern Mississippi. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 12th round of the 1994 draft, but did not sign. He signed with Toronto after being selected by the Blue Jays in the 5th round of the 1996 draft.

PROBABLES FOR SERIES VS. OKLAHOMA:

Sat., 6:05: LH Mark Redman (1-3, 6.06) vs. RH Billy Buckner (7-2, 3.86)

Sun., 1:35: RH Eric Hurley (0-1, 7.20) vs. RH Leo Nunez (0-0, 1.50)

Mon., 7:05: RH Alfredo Simon (3-6, 6.41) vs. RH Matt Wright (5-3, 3.58)

Tue., 6:05: LH John Koronka (6-4, 4.41) vs. RH Scott Elarton (2-2, 4.18)

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