Royals Game Notes
April 30, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
APRIL 30, 2008, 1:35 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (14-9) at Sacramento (13-12)
HOME: 9-5 (45-27 in '07) AWAY: 5-4 (28-44 in '07) vs. Sacramento: 1-1 (2-2 in '07)
TODAY: The Royals face the River Cats in game 3 of a 4-game series at Raley Field in Sacramento. The series is tied 1-1. It's also the 3rd game of Omaha's 8-game road trip, which also includes a 4-game set in Fresno.
LAST NIGHT: The Royals bashed 5 home runs to in a 12-4 shellacking of Sacramento. Mitch Maier set the tone, by leading off the game with a home run off River Cats lefty Danny Borrell (2-1). Borrell also yielded 2nd inning solo shot to Mike Aviles, which snapped a 3-3 tie and put the Royals on top for good. Ryan Shealy and Jason Smith each went deep for solo homers off reliever Brad Knox in the 5th inning to hike the lead to 7-3. The Royals iced the game with a 5-run 7th, capped when Shane Costa greeted Jesus Silva with a 3-run blast. Kyle Davies (3-1) picked up the win, after giving up 3 runs on 6 hits in 5.0 innings, walking 4 and striking out 6.
ROYALS REPORT: The 5 home runs for Omaha last night equaled the team's season high and gave the Royals 41 homers in 23 games. That figure is tops in the PCL, as the Royals now have hit 1 more home run than Albuquerque. Last night's game also set a team season-high mark in hits (16) and tied season standards for runs and margin of victory. *** The leadoff homer for Maier was the 1st for a Royal since he did it last August 30th at Nashville in a game Omaha wound up losing 6-2. *** Shealy has gone deep in back-to-back games and in 3 of the past 4 contests, giving him a team-leading 7 home runs. He has hit in 4 of the past 5 tilts, going 7-for-18 (.389) with 4 RBI and 6 runs scored, upping his average from .169 to .217. *** Aviles posted his team-leading 13th multi-hit game last night, collecting 3 hits including his 5th homer and 11th double, tying him with Costa for the club lead and tied for 3rd in the PCL in two-base hits. Aviles is riding a team-high, 11-game hitting streak, batting .408 (20-for-49) with 3 home runs and 11 RBI over that span. Costa, who now has 9 multi-hit tilts after his 3-hit effort Tuesday, owns a 6-game hit string (.346, 9-for-26, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 10 runs). *** Smith posted his 1st 3-hit game of the year last night and scored a season-high 3 runs, while knocking in a pair. Over his previous 6 games, he had been in a 2-for-23 (.087) funk at the plate, with no homers or RBI and 11strikeouts. *** Lefty starter Mike Maroth was released today by KC. In 3 starts for Omaha, Maroth went 0-2 with a 12.91 ERA and he was on the disabled list from April 9-20 with a sore left shoulder. Right-hander Brandon Duckworth will take Maroth's spot in the rotation. Duckworth, who is 1-1 with a 3.92 ERA in 6 relief outings for Omaha, will make his 1st start of the season Saturday night at Fresno. *** Entering last night's game, Davies ERA stood at 0.90 and ranked 2nd in the PCL. Following the start, his ERA is 1.80, which is tied for 5th. *** The Royals face LH Lenny DiNardo today, who was optioned by Oakland last Saturday after going 1-1 with a 10.57 ERA in 4 games (2 starts). Tomorrow night, RH Rich Harden (1-0, 0.82 in 2 GS with the A's) makes his 1st rehab start vs. Omaha.
STARTERS: LH Tyler Lumsden (1-1, 9.56) vs. LH Lenny DiNardo (NR)
Lumsden makes his 5th start of the season. The 24-year old lefty's last outing was last Thursday vs. Nashville, when he was roughed up but received a no-decision as Omaha rallied for a 12-11 win (3.1 IP, 9 H, 9 R-8 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 3 HR). The outing jumped his ERA from 6.39 to 9.56. Lumsden, who was acquired by KC along with right-hander Daniel Cortes from the White Sox in exchange for Mike MacDougal in July 2006, spent all of last season with Omaha. He was 9-6 with a 5.88 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) during his 1st season at the Triple-A level. He was effectively wild in his 1 start vs. Sacramento, on May 11 at Rosenblatt, when he pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit but 5 walks (1 intentional), while striking out 4; he did not get a decision in the Royals' 3-0 victory. Lumsden pitched for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League and was 1-0 with a 6.00 ERA in 7 relief appearances. He is ranked by Baseball America as KC's #13 prospect entering 2008, after being rated #5 prior to 2007. The same publication named him as having the Best Slider in the White Sox organization entering the 2006 season. In '06, he was 9-4 with a 2.69 ERA in 20 starts for the White Sox Double-A club, Birmingham. Following the trade to KC, he finished the '06 campaign at Wichita, going 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 7 games (6 starts). He missed the entire 2005 season after undergoing surgery on his left elbow. Lumsden was selected by the Chisox as a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds (34th overall) of the 2004 draft after compiling a 17-7 record in 3 seasons at Clemson. He graduated from Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, Virginia, where he lettered all 4 years in baseball and basketball and was a hoops teammate of J.J. Redick, who went on to star at Duke. Out of high school, Lumsden was selected in the 5th round of the 2001 draft by the Marlins, but did not sign.
PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:
Thur., 9:05: RH Matt Wright (0-1, 6.00) vs. RH Rich Harden (NR)
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