PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

Published on July 31, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


JULY 31, 2007, 8:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (54-56) @ Colorado Springs Sky Sox (56-53)

HOME: 33-18 (31-41 in '06) AWAY: 21-38 (22-50 in '06) vs. Colorado Springs: 2-1 (1-3 in '06)

TONIGHT: The Royals visit Security Service Field for an 8:05 p.m. game with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. It's the finale of a 4-game series, which the Royals lead 2-1. Omaha is 5-2 on the road trip. Air-time is 7:45 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.Oroyals.com.

MONDAY: Ryan Shealy's grand slam helped the Royals to a 9-5 win over the Sky Sox. Shealy's slam highlighted the Royals' 6-run 3rd inning that wiped out a 2-0 deficit and gave Omaha the lead for good. Justin Huber had 2 hits and 2 RBI and Shane Costa and Chris Lubanski each scored a pair of runs. Nate Hoelscher (4-1) got the win in a spot start, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits over 5.0 innings, striking out 3. Ryan Braun struck out 5 over 3.0 frames of 1-hit relief to notch his 9th save. Sox starter Jorge De Paula (8-6) took the loss after being tagged for 7 runs on 10 hits over 3.1 innings.

ROYALS REPORT: Omaha's win yesterday assures the club of its' 1st winning road trip this season. The Royals, who had been 16-36 on the road prior to this trip, have gone 5-2 on the trek with only tonight's game left. Monday's victory also assured the Royals of their 2nd winning month this season. Omaha, which went 16-13 in May, is now 15-12 in July. The win also improved the team's record in day games to 18-12. The Royals are just 36-44 under the lights this season. *** Shealy's slam was the 3rd hit by a Royal in 2007. Billy Butler and Huber have the others. Royals pitchers have not yielded a grand slam so far this season. Shealy had just 2 RBI in 11 games over 2 rehab assignments with Omaha, prior to his 4-RBI effort yesterday. *** Huber has hit in 5 straight games, going 10-for-21 (.476). He has driven in 7 runs during that streak. *** Costa's 2 runs Monday give him 16 runs scored over the past 16 contests. Over that span, he's batting .373 (25-67). *** Mike Aviles, meanwhile, has compiled 16 RBI over the past 13 games. During that stretch, he's hitting at a .389 (21-54) pace, with 5 doubles, 2 triples and 5 home runs. *** In 10 tilts since being optioned to Omaha by KC, Joey Gathright has a .405 average (15-37), scoring 11 runs and driving in 5. He was caught stealing and picked off in Monday's game. *** In his 3 relief appearances prior to yesterday's start, Hoelscher had allowed 11 earned runs over 4.2 innings for a 21.22 ERA. The lefty is 1-1 and has a 3.65 ERA in his 3 spot starts, while posting a 5.01 ERA out of the bullpen. *** In 2 games since coming back from KC, Braun has hurled 4.1 scoreless stanzas, walking 1 and fanning 8. Braun has allowed no earned runs in 22 of his 23 appearances for Omaha, as all 4 of the earned runs off him came in 2.1 innings on June 13 at Iowa. *** Matt Tupman has hit in 4 straight and in 7 of his past 8 games. Over the longer span, he's 12-for-31 (.387) with 4 doubles and 3 RBI. *** Derek Wathan also owns a 4-game streak, going 6-for-15 (.400) with 2 RBI and 4 runs scored.

STARTERS: RH Luke Hochevar (1-1, 3.94) vs. RH Bobby Keppel (6-7, 6.30)

Hochevar, who was KC's 1st-ever number one overall pick in the 2006 draft, makes his 4th start for Omaha. The 23-year old right-hander's last outing was last Thursday at Salt Lake, when he recorded his 1st Triple-A win in the Royals' 4-2 victory (6.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K). Hochevar began the season with Double-A Wichita, going 3-6 with a 4.69 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) for the Wranglers (94.0 IP, 110 H, 26 BB, 94 K, 13 HR). At the time of his promotion, his 94 strikeouts led the Texas League. His best month was June, as he posted a 3.23 ERA in 5 starts, although he had an 0-1 record to show for it. On June 26, Hochevar started for the North team in the 2007 Texas League All-Star Game. He also pitched for the U.S. team at the All-Star Futures Game in San Francisco, firing a scoreless inning. After signing with KC on August 4, 2006, Hochevar made 4 starts for Class-A Burlington (IA), going 0-1 with a 1.17 ERA. He also made 2 starts for Wichita in the playoffs last season, going 1-1 with a 9.82 ERA. Hochevar made just 3 starts in the Arizona Fall League for Grand Canyon before being shut down with shoulder soreness; he was 0-0 with an 8.64 ERA in those 3 outings. Entering this season, he was ranked by Baseball America as KC's #2 prospect, behind only Alex Gordon, and was tabbed as having the Best Curveball in the Royals' system. A Colorado native, he was a 3-year standout at the University of Tennessee, finishing his college career with a 25-10 record and a 3.05 ERA and 287 strikeouts, which ranked 2nd in school history. As a junior in 2005, he was 15-3 with a 2.26 ERA, helping lead the Vols to the College World Series. Following the season, he won numerous honors, including the Roger Clemens National Pitcher of the Year award. He was a supplemental 1st round pick of the Dodgers in the 2005 draft, but did not sign. His father, Brian, played pro basketball with the Denver Nuggets in 1979.

PROBABLES FOR SERIES VS. LAS VEGAS:

Wed., 7:05: RH Spike Lundberg (6-4, 5.46) vs. LH Tyler Lumsden (7-5, 6.25)

Thur., 7:05: RH William Juarez (4-5, 5.66) vs. RH Matt Wright (6-3, 4.11)

Fri., 7:05: RH Miguel Pinango (7-5, 4.11) vs. RH Billy Buckner (7-6, 4.48)

Sat., 6:05: LH Eric Stults (5-5, 7.05) vs. RH Ben Hendrickson (9-5, 5.49)

Check out the Omaha Storm Chasers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 31, 2007


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