Royals Game Notes
Published on May 12, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
MAY 12, 2008, 6:35 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (17-18) vs. Tacoma Rainiers (19-17)
HOME: 11-9 (45-27 in '07) AWAY: 6-9 (28-44 in '07) vs. Tacoma: 0-2 (2-2 in '07)
TONIGHT: The Royals host the Tacoma Rainiers at Rosenblatt Stadium in game 3 of a 4-game series. Omaha is 0-2 in the series and 2-4 on the home stand. Enjoy $1 hot dogs, courtesy of 89.7 The River and The Daily Nonpareil. 1st pitch is 6:35 p.m., with the pre-game show on the air at 6:15 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.
SUNDAY: Tacoma swept the Royals in a doubleheader, rallying for a 3-2 victory in the top of the 7th in the nightcap when Shawn Garrett belted a 3-run home run off Neal Musser in the top of the 7th. Musser (0-3) walked the 1st 2 batters of the frame, before rebounding to strike out Bryan LaHair. But, Garrett sent a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall to erase the Royals' 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the 7th, Mitch Maier doubled with 2 outs and Mike Aviles followed with a single up the middle. However, Tacoma 2nd baseman Tug Hulett made a diving attempt to field the ball, which deflected to shortstop Oswaldo Navarro. He threw home in time to nail Maier, who bowled over catcher Korey Feiner in an unsuccessful attempt to jar the ball loose. Jon Huber (2-0) picked up the win for Tacoma, with 2.0 innings of scoreless relief. In the opener, the Royals were hold to 4 hits in a 3-1 loss. Ryan Feierabend (4-1) gave up a run on 3 hits over 6.0 stanzas and Eric O'Flaherty earned his 1st save with a scoreless 7th inning. Jeremy Reed snapped a 1-1 tie in the 5th by smacking a solo homer off Tyler Lumsden (1-4), who gave up 2 runs on 4 hits over 5.0 frames.
ROYALS REPORT: The last inning comeback by Tacoma Sunday marked the 3rd time in the Royals' last 6 games - all on this home stand - that their opponent has pulled off a victory in its last at-bat. Omaha is 0-6 this season in games decided in the final at-bat. *** Today the Royals find themselves in 2nd place in the PCL's American Conference North, a half-game behind Iowa. It's the first time Omaha has not had at least a share of 1st place since the Royals lost their 2008 season opener, 7-6 vs. Albuquerque. *** The Royals, now 0-1-1 in doubleheaders this season, have lost 9 of their last 12 and 11 of their last 16 games. *** Maier had 1 hit in yesterday's opener and 3 hits in the 2nd contest, running his hitting streak to 15 games - tied with Aviles for the longest hit string on the club this year. The streak is tied for the 4th-longest this season and is the 2nd-longest string currently in the PCL. During the streak, Maier is hitting .385 (25-for-65) with 3 homers, 8 RBI and 12 runs scored. He has hit in 16 of his 17 games played this season, batting .378 on the year, which would rank 5th in the PCL if Maier had enough plate appearances to qualify. *** Aviles was 0-for-3 in yesterday's opener to end a 5-game hit streak, but went 3-for-4 in the nightcap, including his 18th double. Aviles ranks 2nd in the PCL in hits (55) and doubles and leads the loops with 30 extra-base knocks. Over the past 23 tilts, he's hitting at a .390 pace (39-for-100) with 12 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs, 18 RBI and 22 runs scored. *** Angel Berroa smacked his 6th home run of the season in the 4th inning of game 2 Sunday, breaking a 0-0 tie. *** Matt Wright fired 6.0 scoreless innings in game 2 yesterday, allowing just 3 hits and no walks, fanning 3 batters. His record stayed at 0-1 after Musser failed to protect the lead. It was Musser's 1st official blown save in 7 chances, although he did surrender 2 runs in the 9th inning to Portland last Thursday in a game that was his to win, and he wound up taking the loss in an 8-7 setback. *** Lumsden has absorbed the loss in 3 consecutive starts, but he has a 3.27 ERA over his last 2 outings (4 ER in 11.0 IP). The Royals have scored a total of 1 run in those 2 defeats. *** Brian Buchanan went 1-for-2 with a sac fly RBI in game 1 yesterday to extend his hit string to 5 games, but went 0-for-3 with 2 K's in game 2 to bring it to a halt. *** Damaso Espino caught game 2 Sunday, seeing his 1st action since making his only other start for Omaha behind the plate in game 2 of an April 5 twin bill vs. Albuquerque. He was 0-for-3 yesterday. *** The Rainiers' 3 stolen bases in game 1 yesterday was a new season high, while their 4 hits in game 2 matched a season low for an Omaha opponent. *** The Royals had not lost 2 straight games at home this year, until yesterday. *** Former Royal lefty Chris George was part of an historic no-hitter tossed yesterday in the PCL. George was 1 of 4 Colorado Springs pitchers involved in a combined no-hitter in a 5-1 win vs. Albuquerque. It was the 2nd no-hitter in the history of the franchise, but the 1st one ever thrown in the history of professional baseball in Colorado Springs - the most beautiful city in America, but one with a hitter-friendly altitude of 6,035 feet.
STARTERS: RH R.A. Dickey (1-4, 3.25) vs. RH Jeff Fulchino (1-0, 2.66)
Fulchino makes his 3rd consecutive start, after his 1st 5 appearances with Omaha came in relief. The 28-year old right-hander took the rotation spot of Jorge De La Rosa, after he was traded by KC to the Colorado Rockies. His last outing was last Wednesday vs. Portland, when he got the win in the Royals' 7-1 victory (5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K). Fulchino was signed by KC as a minor league free agent on February 7, 2008 and opened this season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. In 2 relief outings for the Naturals, he had no record, a 5.40 ERA and 1 save. Prior to this season, Fulchino spent the 1st 7 years of his professional career in the Marlins organization, pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque in each of the last 3 years. In 2007, he was 6-2 with a 5.83 ERA in 16 starts for the Isotopes, before being placed on the disabled list on July 2 and missing the rest of the season with a right shoulder strain. Fulchino has seen one "beam of moonlight" in the big leagues, working one-third of an inning in his only relief appearance for the Marlins on June 22, 2006 at Baltimore. He entered that game in the 8th inning with 2 runners on base and, after walking Kevin Millar to load the bases, he snared a Ramon Hernandez line drive to end the inning. Four days later, he was optioned back to Albuquerque. In 2005, Fulchino set an Isotopes franchise record with 11 wins, tied for 2nd-most in the PCL. Fulchino was selected by the Marlins in the 8th round of the 2001 draft out of U-Conn.
PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:
Tue., 12:05 p.m.: LH Robert Rohrbaugh (3-2, 6.44) vs. RH Brandon Duckworth (2-1, 6.04)
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