PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

Published on May 13, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


MAY 13, 2008, 12:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (17-19) vs. Tacoma Rainiers (20-17)

HOME: 11-10 (45-27 in ‘07) AWAY: 6-9 (28-44 in '07) vs. Tacoma: 0-2 (2-2 in '07)

TODAY: The Royals host the Tacoma Rainiers at Rosenblatt Stadium in the finale of a 4-game series. Omaha is 0-3 in the series and 2-5 on the home stand. The home stand wraps up today with another Business Person Special, brought to you by 1110 KFAB and Strictly Business, featuring ½-price Omaha Steaks burgers! 1st pitch is 12:05 p.m., with the pre-game show on the air at 11:45 a.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.

LAST NIGHT: Tacoma took its 3rd straight from the Royals, as Victor Diaz cranked 2 home runs and had 3 RBI in a 6-4 Rainiers win. Diaz' 1st base-circler was a 2-run shot to left off Jeff Fulchino in the top of the 3rd, putting the Rainiers on top 5-0. Fulchino (1-1) took the loss, allowing 5 runs on 10 hits over 4.0 innings. Diaz greeted Royals reliever Roman Colon with his 2nd homer leading off the 5th inning, making it 6-1 Tacoma. That was the only run and 1 of just 2 hits surrendered by Colon in 4.0 innings of relief. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (2-4) got the win, although he allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 10 hits in 6.2 frames. He was lifted shortly after yielding the Royals' 10th hit - a 2-run homer by Mitch Maier in the 7th inning that cut Tacoma's lead to 6-4. Cesar Jimenez fired 1.0 inning of scoreless relief, chalking up 3 strikeouts and Roy Corcoran finished with 1.1 scoreless stanzas for his 3rd save.

ROYALS REPORT: The Royals' 3-game losing skid ties their longest of the season; it's the 1st time it's happened at home. *** Tacoma's 13 hits last night equaled the season high for an Omaha foe. The 10 hits surrendered by Fulchino marked a new season high for a Royals pitcher. His ERA rose from 2.66 to 4.07. *** Maier's home run last night extended his hitting streak to 16 games. It's the longest hit string of the year for an Omaha batter, is the longest current streak in the PCL and 4th-longest in the league this season. During the streak, Maier is hitting at a torrid .382 clip (26-for-68) with 4 home runs, 11 RBI and 14 runs scored. He has hit in 17 of his 18 games on the season, batting .377, which would rank 6th in the PCL if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. *** As it is, Mike Aviles ranks 6th in the loop with a .368 average. Aviles went 2-for-5 Monday night, posting his 20th multi-hit effort out of 36 games. Over his last 24 tilts, Aviles is batting .390 (41-for-105) with 12 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs, 18 RBI and 22 runs scored. *** Mike Stodolka played in his 1st game last night since last Wednesday, due to a leg injury. He was 2-for-4 and scored 2 runs. Stodolka has hit in 3 straight, going 5-for-13 (.385) with 3 RBI and 4 runs scored. *** Matt Tupman went 2-for-4 last night, recording his 7th multi-hit game of the year. The Omaha catcher has hit in 5 of his last 6 starts behind the plate, going 7-for-23 (.304) with 1 homer, 4 RBI and 4 runs scored. *** Damon Hollins, dropped to 9th in the batting order Monday night, was 0-for-3. Over his last 21 contests, Hollins is in a .155 funk (11-for-71) that has dropped his average 40 points to .186, although he has hit 3 home runs and knocked in 11 runs over that span. Hollins did collect his 19th walk of the season last night. After coaxing 12 free passes in his 1st 9 games, Hollins has walked 7 times over the past 22 games. *** In his 1st 2 relief appearances with Omaha since being promoted from Northwest Arkansas, Colon has worked 7.0 innings and allowed just 4 hits and 1 run, for a 1.29 ERA. *** Devon Lowery finished on the hill Monday night for the Royals, tossing 1.0 shutout stanza to trim his ERA to 0.87 after 5 relief outings since coming up from Double-A. *** Omaha turned 4 double plays last night, matching a season high that has now happened 3 times in 36 games. The Royals nearly turned a 5th twin-killing in the 9th, but Stodolka could not hang onto a low throw to 1st base by Aviles. *** The Royals were last swept in a 4-game series August 18-21, 2007 vs. Albuquerque here at home.

STARTERS: RH Robert Rohrbaugh (3-2, 6.44) vs. RH Brandon Duckworth (2-1, 6.04)

Duckworth makes his 3rd start, after opening the season in Omaha's bullpen and making 6 relief appearances. The 32-year old right-hander took the rotation spot of Mike Maroth, who was released by KC after going 0-2 with a 12.91 ERA in 3 starts for Omaha. Duckworth's last outing was last Thursday vs. Portland; he was not involved in the decision in the Royals' 8-7 loss (2.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 HR). In that start, he threw 70 pitches in 2.0-plus innings, only 31 for strikes. In 2007, Duckworth made KC's Opening Day roster after being a non-roster invitee at Spring Training, and went 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA and 1 save in 26 games (3 starts). The sinkerballer allowed just 3 home runs in 46.2 innings. Duckworth tore his left oblique last June 13 vs. St. Louis and was placed on the D.L. the next day. He made rehab stints with Wilmington and Omaha, combining for 20 strikeouts and 3 walks in 19.0 innings. He was activated by KC September 1. After opening the 2006 season with the Pirates' Triple-A club, Indianapolis, Duckworth was acquired by KC in exchange for cash on June 10. He went 1-5 with a 6.11 ERA in 10 games (8 starts) for KC, but his ERA jumped from 4.85 to 6.11 in his final 2 appearances, both in relief, before he underwent season-ending elbow surgery on August 15. Duckworth has spent at least parts of the last 7 seasons in the Majors with the Phillies, Astros and Royals. He struck out the 1st 6 batters of the game in his start for the Phillies on August 5, 2002 vs. the Dodgers, becoming the 1st big league pitcher to fan that many batters to begin a game since Jim Deshaies struck out a Major League record 8 in a row on Sept. 23, 1986, also vs. the Dodgers. Duckworth was originally signed by the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 13, 1997, after pitching collegiately at Cal State Fullerton.

PROBABLES FOR SEIRES AT ALBUQUERQUE:

Thur., 7:35 p.m.: RH Kyle Davies (4-2, 2.43) vs. TBA

Fri., 8:05 p.m.: TBA vs. TBA

Sat., 8:05 p.m.: RH Matt Wright (0-1, 4.41) vs. TBA

Mon., 2:35 p.m.: LH Tyler Lumsden (1-4, 6.82) vs. TBA

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 13, 2008


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