Royals Game Notes
June 1, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
JUNE 1, 2008, 2:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (27-27) @ Oklahoma (30-26)
HOME: 15-15 (45-27 in '07) AWAY: 12-12 (28-44 in '07) vs. Oklahoma: 3-2 (8-8 in '07)
TODAY: The Omaha Royals visit Bricktown Ballpark for game 2 of a 4-game series vs. the Oklahoma RedHawks. Omaha leads the series 1-0. 1st pitch is 2:05 p.m. and the pre-game show is on the air at 1:45 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.
LAST NIGHT: The Royals scored 7 runs with 2 outs in the 1st inning, added 4 more runs in the 2nd, and went on to a 13-9 win in the series opener. With 2 outs in the 1st, Omaha strung together 6 straight hits - the final 5 for extra bases - chasing rehab starter Luis Mendoza (1-2) after just two-thirds of an inning. Jason Smith had a pair of 2-run doubles in the 1st 2 frames and wound up with 3 hits and 5 RBI. Matt Tupman added 3 hits to the Royals' 19-hit attack, knocking in 2 runs and scoring 3 times. Jason Ellison had 4 hits and scored 3 runs for Oklahoma. Roberto Giron (2-3) got the win despite allowing back-to-back homers to Ryan Roberts and Nelson Cruz in the 6th inning that cut Omaha's lead to 13-7. Brad Salmon came on in the 8th and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits - including Chris Davis' 2-run single for his 2nd and 3rd RBI of the game - but Salmon rebounded to pitch a perfect 9th inning.
ROYALS REPORT: The Royals batted around in each of the 1st 2 innings last night, sending 10 men to the plate in the 1st and 9 in the 2nd. Omaha had batted around 7 times in the season's 1st 53 games. *** The Royals set a season high with 19 hits last night and tied season-bests with 13 runs in the game and 7 runs in the 1st inning. *** Smith's 5 RBI matched the season high for a Royals batter in a game this year. Damon Hollins also drove in 5 runs on April 22 vs. New Orleans in Omaha's 12-4 win. Over his last 17 contests, Smith is batting .333 (21-for-63) with 4 home runs and 17 RBI. He's batting .293 with 8 homers and 22 RBI in 24 road games, while hitting .240 with 4 dingers and 15 RBI in 28 tilts at Rosenblatt. *** Ed Lucas made his Triple-A debut with Omaha last night, entering the game as a defensive replacement for Smith at 3rd base in the 7th inning. Lucas, who joined the Royals from Double-A Northwest Arkansas yesterday, struck out in the 8th inning. *** Kyle Davies, called up by KC yesterday, helped the parent club end its 12-game skid last night. Davies got the win in his 1st Major League start of this season, allowing 1 run on 5 hits over 5.0 innings, with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts in KC's 4-2 victory vs. Cleveland. *** Playing in his 3rd game with Omaha last night since coming down from KC, Billy Butler was 3-for-5 with a double and 2 runs scored. *** Chris Lubanski, who was 2-for-5 with a triple and 2 RBI Saturday night, is hitting .357 (10-for-28) over his last 8 games, with a home run and 5 RBI. *** Batting in the leadoff spot in Omaha's lineup for the 3rd consecutive contest last night, David Matranga matched his season high with 3 hits. He has hit in 5 of his past 6 games, going 8-for-20 (.400) with 4 RBI. The hot stretch has jumped his average from .235 to .282. *** Mitch Maier swiped another base last night, his 3rd stolen base in as many games. He also had 1 hit for a 6th straight game, but over the past 7 contests, he's just 6-for-27 (.222), dropping his average 24 points to .331. *** Tupman matched his season high with 3 hits last night, after going 1-for-14 (.071) at the plate in his previous 6 games. *** Last night's game lasted 3:24 and also had an 18-minute delay due to a power outage. The crowd of 12,471 was the biggest that the Royals have played in front of on the road this year. The biggest crowd to see a Royals game this season was 17,277 at Rosenblatt on April 22. *** After posting a 14-10 record in April, Omaha went 13-17 in May. The Royals hit .272 as a team, with 31 home runs and 146 runs scored last month, for an average of 4.87 runs per contest. The pitching staff posted a 4.57 ERA in May and surrendered 40 round-trippers. *** Shane Costa missed a 3rd straight game Saturday night due to tendonitis in both of his wrists. He'll likely return to action late next week when the Royals return to Omaha.
STARTERS: RH Carlos Rosa (2-1, 6.00) vs. RH Eric Hurley (2-4, 5.49)
Rosa makes his 4th Triple-A start, in a rematch of 2 of the top pitching prospects in the Royals and Rangers organizations. The 23-year old right-hander won his 2nd straight start last Tuesday vs. Oklahoma in the Royals' 5-2 victory (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K). Rosa began this season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, going 4-2 in 8 starts and leading the Texas League with a 1.20 ERA. In 45.0 innings, he gave up just 30 hits and 7 walks, striking out 42 batters. The native of the Dominican Republic is in the 6th season of his professional career, after being signed by KC as a non-drafted free agent on November 29, 2001. Entering this season, Rosa was ranked by Baseball America as the #7 prospect in the Royals' organization. In 2007, he opened the season with Class-A Wilmington and was 2-1 with a 0.39 ERA in 4 starts before being promoted to Double-A Wichita. He went 6-6 with a 4.36 ERA and 1 save in 21 games (17 starts) with the Wranglers. He struggled for Wichita early, but was 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 10 starts after the All-Star break, posting a 0.83 ERA in 4 August starts. After missing the entire 2005 season following Tommy John surgery, Rosa bounced back in 2006 to be named the Royals Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the Burlington (IA) Pitcher of the Year. He went 8-6 in 24 starts for the Bees and his 2.53 ERA was 4th in the Midwest League. He was promoted to High Desert for 3 starts at the end of the '06 season. He resides in San Francisco de Macoris, D.R.
PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:
Mon., 12:05 p.m.: RH Matt Wright (1-2, 4.99) vs. LH Kason Gabbard (0-0, 0.00)
Tue., 7:05 p.m.: TBA vs. LH A.J. Murray (2-2, 4.00)
Pacific Coast League Stories from June 1, 2008
- Seddon Sensational In 6-1 Isotopes Win - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Z's snap L Streak - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Beavers Get Four Homers In Win - Portland Beavers
- Harper, Grizzlies, Walk Off With 2-1 Win Over Tucson - Fresno Grizzlies
- Grizzlies Walk Off On Sidewinders - Tucson Sidewinders
- Brad Hawpe To Rehab With Sky Sox - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Sky Sox shut out Sacramento, 4-0 - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Sounds Drop Second Straight To I-Cubs, 8-3 - Nashville Sounds
- Oklahoma RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Royals Game Notes - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Fresno comeback falls short against Sidewinders - Fresno Grizzlies
- Sidewinders pick off 4th straight win - Tucson Sidewinders
- Solid Outing For Hernandez All For Naught - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Hensley, Gonzalez keep Las Vegas down in series opener - Portland Beavers
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