PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

Published on August 4, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


TONIGHT: The Royals host the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in a 7:05 p.m. game at Rosenblatt Stadium. It's game 2 of a 4-game series and an 8-game home stand. Omaha is 1-0 in the series and 2-3 on the home stand. It's $1 hot dogs tonight, courtesy of 89.7 The River and The Daily Nonpareil. The pre-game show airs at 6:45 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.

SUNDAY: The Royals blanked the Sky Sox 4-0. Roman Colon, Greg Atencio and Brad Salmon combined on the 6-hitter. On a scorching afternoon when the heat index was at 103 degrees at 1st pitch, Colon (3-5) lasted 5.0 innings, allowing 4 hits and a walk, while striking out 5. Atencio, just promoted from Northwest Arkansas, fired 3.0 scoreless stanzas, giving up just 1 hit and a walk and fanning 6. Salmon finished the gem, working around a walk and a single in the 9th, by inducing a ground ball double play to end the contest. Kila Kaaihue gave the Royals all the run they would need with a solo homer in the 2nd off Sean Smith (4-4), who allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in 7.0 innings. Chris Lubanski had an RBI single and a run-scoring triple in the win.

ROYALS REPORT: Yesterday's shutout was the 4th posted by Omaha's staff this season. The Royals have been blanked 5 times. Prior to Sunday, the Royals were just 15-48 this year when scoring 4 runs or less. *** After leading the Texas League with 26 home runs in 91 games, Kaaihue has belted 3 round-trippers in his 1st 5 games with Omaha. His 29 homers on the year is tied for 5th-most in the minors. Albuquerque's Dallas McPherson leads the minors, as well as the PCL, with 39 home runs. *** Mike Aviles went 4-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI in KC's 14-3 thumping of the White Sox on Sunday. In 52 games with the parent club, Aviles is hitting .340 with 7 homers, 31 RBI and a .550 slugging percentage. In 51 games with Omaha to open this season, Aviles hit .336 with 10 home runs, 42 RBI and a .631 slugging percentage. The shortstop he replaced in KC's starting lineup, Tony Pena, is currently batting .148 with a .196 slugging percentage in 73 contests. *** Ryan Shealy was 0-for-2 yesterday before being ejected for arguing a called 3rd strike to end the 6th inning. Shealy is in a 3-for-22 (.136) funk over the past 6 games, after hitting at a .389 clip (35-for-90) in his previous 25 contests, including 4 home runs and 17 RBI. *** Mike Stodolka picked up a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 5th Sunday and wound up scoring. It was the 9th walk he accepted in the past 5 games. Over his last 19 tilts, Stodolka is hitting .403 (27-for-67) with 2 round-trippers and 7 RBI. *** Gookie Dawkins was 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly yesterday, snapping his season-best hitting streak at 10 games. In his past 11 contests, he's batting .288 (15-for-52) with 2 homers and 4 RBI. *** Lubanski's triple Sunday was his 6th this season, 1 shy of the club lead, held by Jason Smith. Over his last 14 games, Lubanski is batting .333 (17-for-51), including 2 doubles, 3 triples, 5 home runs and has 12 RBI. *** The 12 strikeouts compiled by Omaha pitchers yesterday was 2 shy of the team's season high. *** Josh Labandeira is still looking for his 1st hit as a Royal, after going 0-for-12 in his 1st 3 contests. *** In the past 6 games, Angel Sanchez has gone 8-for-22 (.364) and has driven in 4 runs. *** Matt Tupman has put together a season-long, 8-game hit string. During the streak, he's hitting .359 (14-for-39), banging out 5 doubles and knocking in 6 runs.

STARTERS: LH Franklin Morales (7-4, 5.69) vs. LH John Bale (0-1, 3.00-rehab)/RH Matt Wright (3-7, 5.89)

Bale makes his 4th start (7th appearance) for Omaha, as he continues a rehab assignment he began on July 15 with Northwest Arkansas. The 34-year old lefty's last outing was in relief vs. Salt Lake last Friday. He was not involved in the decision as the Royals lost 5-1 (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K). In 2 rehab starts with Northwest Arkansas, he was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA. Bale opened this season in KC's rotation, going 0-3 with a 7.63 ERA in 3 starts before being placed on the disabled list April 17 with left shoulder fatigue. While on the D.L., he broke his left hand May 2, after punching a door at KC's team hotel in Cleveland. In 2007, Bale's 1st season in the Royals' organization was also marred by injuries. He spent the 1st 89 games of KC's '07 season on the D.L., initially sidelined in Spring Training with a tight left shoulder. He began a rehab assignment with Wichita on April 30, but was shut down after 3 starts due to a recurrence of the injury. Bale began a 2nd rehab assignment on May 27 with Omaha and compiled 6.0 scoreless innings over 4 games (2 starts) through June 5, before suffering a torn glute while long tossing in the outfield. He began a 3rd rehab stint for KC - his 2nd with Omaha - on June 29 and made 4 appearances (2 starts) before finally being recalled by KC and reinstated from the D.L. on July 14. He wound up making 26 relief appearances for KC last year, going 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA. Bale was signed by KC as a minor league free agent prior to the 2007 season after pitching in Japan for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 2004-2006. Besides KC, he has pitched in the big leagues for Toronto, Baltimore and Cincinnati. Bale attended Jefferson Davis Community College in Alabama and the University of Southern Mississippi. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 12th round of the 1994 draft, but did not sign. He signed with Toronto after being selected in the 5th round of the 1996 draft.

Wright makes his 22nd appearance of the season, his 2nd in relief of Bale. The 26-year old right-hander also piggy-backed with Bale on July 25 at Las Vegas. Wright's last outing was a start vs. Salt Lake last Wednesday, when he took the loss in the Royals' 5-4 defeat (6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR). Wright has given up 23 home runs this season, tied for 2nd-most in the PCL, after yielding just 3 gopher balls in 46.2 innings with KC last season. He was signed by KC as a minor league free agent prior to 2007 and spent the entire campaign with Omaha, going 10-5 and ranking 7th in the PCL with a 4.06 ERA. He did not pitch against the Sky Sox last year. After winning 6 of his 7 decisions at Rosenblatt last season, Wright is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA at home so far in 2008. Following the 2007 campaign, he was a member of the gold-medal winning USA Baseball Team at the World Cup in Chinese Taipei, going 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in 2 games (1 start). Prior to 2007, Wright spent his 1st 7 professional seasons in the Braves organization. He was named to the Carolina League All-Star team in 2004, when he ranked 6th in Atlanta's system with 133 strikeouts for Myrtle Beach. Wright was selected by the Braves in the 21st round of the 2000 draft out of Robinson High School in Texas.

PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:

Tue., 7:05 p.m.: LH Mark Redman (6-3, 5.04) vs. RH Jose Capellan (4-0, 3.00)

Wed., 12:05 p.m.: RH Josh Hall (0-2, 4.50) vs. LH Jimmy Gobble (0-0, 0.00)

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 4, 2008


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