PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

Published on July 8, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


TONIGHT: The Royals host the Nashville Sounds in a 5:05 p.m. doubleheader at Rosenblatt Stadium. The twin bill was scheduled after their scheduled game on April 25 was postponed due to cold. It's game 2 of a 5-game series, which Nashville leads 1-0. Omaha is 1-3 on the home stand. The Royals lead the season series vs. the Sounds 4-3. It's $2 2uesday, with $2 G.A. tickets and $2 malts, courtesy of Valpak and The Reader! The pre-game show airs at 4:45 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.

LAST NIGHT: Trailing 4-2, the Royals had runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th inning when rain forced the umpires to halt play. After a 40-minute delay, the game was called official and the Sounds claimed a rain-shortened victory. Brendan Katin's 2-run homer in the 5th gave Nashville a 4-0 lead before the Royals had their 1st hit. Mark DiFelice (4-0), who had a no-hitter going until Brian Buchanan singled leading off the 5th, wound up allowing 2 runs on 3 hits over 5.0 frames. Roman Colon (2-3) took the loss, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits over his 5.0 innings. Randy Choate allowed Ryan Shealy's double leading off the bottom of the 6th and hit Buchanan with a pitch, but wound up getting 2 outs and recording his 1st save.

ROYALS REPORT: Mother Nature has been the big winner at Rosenblatt this year. The Royals have now had 7 home games postponed by rain, cold, threat of severe weather and a power outage due to high winds. Two contests, including last night's, were delayed by rain and then called as official games before 9 innings with the Royals trailing, but rallying in both when play was halted. Not that nature was to blame, but another game was suspended when the stadium was evacuated due to a hydrochloric acid spill in the vicinity of the ball park. *** Omaha has lost 9 of its last 11 games, a stretch that follows a 7-game winning streak. The Royals are 3-11 in their last 14 tilts at home, dating back to a May 30 doubleheader when they were swept by Oklahoma. *** KC reliever Leo Nunez was able to begin a rehab assignment with Omaha last night, tossing a scoreless 6th inning, giving up 1 hit and striking out 1. He has not pitched for KC since May 27 due to a strained lat. *** Shealy's double last night extended his hitting streak to 8 games. During his season-high hit string, he's batting .500 (15-for-30) with a home run and 5 RBI. *** Angel Sanchez has hit in 3 straight, going 3-for-10 with a double, home run, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. *** Buchanan and Chris Lubanski also have 3-game strings. Buchanan is 5-for-8 with a homer, 5 RBI and 4 runs scored, while Lubanski is 4-for-12 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored in his last 3 contests. *** In his 5 starts this season, Colon is 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA. *** Mitch Maier has walked 11 times in his last 11 games, after picking up 12 free passes in his 1st 59 games. Over the past 9 contests, he's hitting ..343 (12-for-35) and has scored 9 runs. *** Gookie Dawkins has knocked in 9 runs over his last 11 contests, hitting .308 (12-for-39) with 2 home runs during that stretch. *** In his last 7 games, Brayan Pena is 10-for-25 (.400) and has driven in 6 runs.

GAME 1 STARTERS: LH Lindsay Gulin (4-4, 3.02) vs. RH Carlos Rosa (3-2, 4.89)

Rosa makes his 8th start with Omaha, his 1st vs. Nashville. The 23-year old right-hander's last start was at Iowa last Thursday, when he took the loss in the Royals' 9-6 defeat (5.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR). That was Rosa's 2nd start for Omaha since June 7, as he was promoted to KC last month and made his 1st 2 Major League appearances, both in relief. He was 0-0 with a 2.70 ERA for KC. Prior to allowing 7 runs over 5.0 innings in his start last week at Iowa, Rosa had surrendered just 7 earned runs in his previous 29.0 Triple-A innings for a 2.17 ERA. He 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 his 6th professional season, after being signed by KC as a non-drafted free agent on November 29, 2001. Entering 2008, 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, before he was promoted to High Desert for 3 starts at the end of the '06 season. Rosa was signed by KC as a non-drafted free agent on November 29, 2001.

GAME 2 STARTERS: LH Steve Hammond (0-2, 8.10) vs. LH Tyler Lumsden (3-8, 7.09)

Lumsden makes his 16th start (17th appearance) of the season. The 25-year old lefty's last outing came in relief at Iowa last Tuesday; he was not involved in the decision in the Royals' 10-4 loss (5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K). Tonight marks Lumsden's 3rd start vs. Nashville; he's 1-0, but has a 12.96 ERA (12 ER in 8.1 IP) in his 2 previous outings vs. the Sounds. He picked up his 1st win of the season at Greer Stadium on April 17 (4 ER in 5.0 IP), but was roughed up by Nashville here at Rosenblatt in a no-decision on April 24 (8 ER in 3.1 IP). In 7 starts at home this year, he's 0-5 with a 10.74 ERA. He's 3-3 with a 4.72 ERA in 9 games (8 starts) on the road. Lumsden was acquired by KC along with right-hander Daniel Cortes from the White Sox in exchange for Mike MacDougal in July 2006. He spent all of last season with Omaha, going 9-6 with a 5.88 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) during his 1st year at the Triple-A level. Following the season, Lumsden pitched for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League and was 1-0 with a 6.00 ERA in 7 relief outings. He was 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 future Duke star J.J. Redick. 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:

Wed., 12:05 p.m.: LH Chris Narveson (2-11, 5.64) vs. RH Brandon Duckworth (3-8, 4.43)

Thur., 7:05 p.m.: RH Richie Gardner (6-2, 4.13) vs. LH Dusty Hughes (1-0, 4.32

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 8, 2008


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