Royals Game Notes
Published on July 13, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
JULY 13, 2008, 1:35 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (45-51) at Memphis (53-44)
HOME: 20-26 (45-27 in '07) AWAY: 25-25 (28-44 in '07) vs. Memphis: 4-6 (8-8 in '07)
TODAY: The Royals visit AutoZone Park, facing the Memphis Redbirds in a 1:35 p.m. game. It's the finale of a 4-game set, which Memphis leads 2-1. The Redbirds lead the season series 6-4. The pre-game show airs at 1:15 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.
SATURDAY: The Royals and Redbirds split a split doubleheader, with Memphis winning the day game 3-2 and Omaha taking the nightcap by the same score. In the opener, the Royals trailed 3-1 entering the 9th inning when Kelvin Jimenez came on in relief for Memphis. He allowed 3 consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out, before Brian Buchanan grounded into a double play to score a run and move the tying run to 3rd. Jimenez struck out Gookie Dawkins to notch his 11th save. Anthony Reyes (2-2) got the win, giving up 1 run over 6.0 innings and chalking up 7 strikeouts. Roman Colon (2-4) took the loss, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits over 7.0 frames. In the nightcap, Memphis starter Tyler Norrick walked 4 and struck out the side in the 1st inning of his Triple-A debut as the Royals took a 1-0 lead they would never relinquish. Norrick (0-1) wound up allowing just 1 hit in 4.0 innings, but walked 6 and fanned 8. Jose Capellan got a no-decision in his Omaha debut, allowing 1 run in 4.0 frames. The win went to Greg Atencio (1-0) in his 1st appearance of 2008 with the Royals, as he tossed 3.1 stanzas of 1-run ball. Brad Salmon recorded the final 5 outs to earn his 3rd save.
ROYALS REPORT: The Royals won Saturday's nightcap despite being held to just 3 hits and striking out 15 times. The 15 K's equaled Omaha's season high, set on June 20 in a 13-inning contest at Round Rock, also won by the Royals 3-2. Memphis pitchers racked up 27 strikeouts in yesterday's twin bill. Dawkins tied a team, season high by fanning 4 times in as many at-bats in the opener. Dawkins, who entered Saturday's action hitting .310 (13-for-42) with 3 homers and 10 RBI in his previous 12 games, was 0-for-2 in the nightcap, but walked twice and scored a run. *** Buchanan's home run Saturday was his 7th in 45 games with Omaha and his 2nd in 7 contests vs. Memphis. He has driven in 11 runs over his last 9 games, going 9-for-30 (.300) with 2 homers, both off the Redbirds, in that span. *** With Shane Costa on the D.L., catcher Brayan Pena batted 2nd in the Royals' lineup for the 1st time this season in game 1 yesterday. He was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Pena is batting .385 (15-for-39) over his last 11 contests, knocking in 9 runs. *** Ryan Shealy had 2 hits, including a double, in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader. Shealy has hit in 5 straight games and in 12 of the last 13 tilts. Over that longer stretch, he's hitting .440 (22-for-50) with 2 home runs and 7 RBI. *** The Royals are now 0-3-6 in twin bills in 2008. *** Colon's 7.0-inning effort yesterday was his longest outing of the season in his 6th start for Omaha, after opening the year in Northwest Arkansas' bullpen. He turned in his 2nd quality start, but is still looking for his 1st win as a starter; he's 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA in that role. *** Leo Nunez followed Colon to the hill and fired a perfect 8th inning in the opener, striking out 2 batters in the 3rd appearance of his rehab assignment for a strained lat. *** Salmon has picked up a win and a save in his last 2 outings, tossing 1.2 hitless frames in both. *** In Capellan's Omaha debut last night, he allowed 3 hits in his 4.0 innings, walking 4 and striking out 4. Of his 72 pitches, 38 were strikes. *** In Saturday's nightcap, Matt Tupman was 0-for-4 with 2 K's. He's in the midst of a 2-for-46 (.043) slump. Tupman is just 3-for-26 (.115) in 7 games vs. Memphis. *** The Redbirds set a season high for an Omaha foe yesterday, by turning 4 double plays in game 1. *** Saturday afternoon's contest was the shortest 9-inning game the Royals have played in this season, lasting just 2:01.
STARTERS: RH Carlos Rosa (4-2, 4.32) vs. RH Mitchell Boggs (6-1, 3.14)
Rosa makes his 9th start with Omaha, his 1st vs. Memphis. The 23-year old right-hander's last start was vs. Nashville last Tuesday, when he got the win in the Royals' 5-1 victory in game 1 of a twin bill (6.2 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K). That was Rosa's 3rd 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. Rosa opened 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.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 13, 2008
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- Oklahoma RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
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- Royals Game Notes - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Portland Sneaks by Tucson 8-7 - Tucson Sidewinders
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