PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Game Notes

Published on August 18, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


AUGUST 18, 2008, 12:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (54-75) at Oklahoma (70-59)

HOME: 25-38 (45-27 in '07) AWAY: 29-37 (28-44 in '07) vs. Oklahoma: 7-7 (8-8 in '07)

TODAY: The Royals visit Bricktown Ballpark, facing the Oklahoma RedHawks in a 12:05 p.m. game. It's game 3 of a 4-game road trip to Oklahoma City. Oklahoma leads this series 2-0, while the season series is tied 7-7. The pre-game show airs at 11:45 a.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.

LAST NIGHT: Brandon McCarthy pitched 7.0 scoreless innings to lead Oklahoma to a 4-1 win. McCarthy (1-1), making his 5th start of the season for the RedHawks after beginning the year on the Texas Rangers' disabled list, allowed just 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 7. Oklahoma scored a run in the 1st on Nate Gold's RBI double, adding 2 more in the 2nd on a 2-run double by Joaquin Arias. Omaha starter Dusty Hughes (2-2) took the loss, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits over 2.1 innings. The Royals avoided being shutout by scoring an unearned run in the 9th, aided by Arias' 23rd error of the season.

ROYALS REPORT: Hughes, in just his 2nd start after missing time due to an arm injury, was limited to 65 pitches Sunday, a night after rehabbing KC lefty Jimmy Gobble started for Omaha. In the 1st 2 games of this series, Royals starters have worked 4.0 innings, giving up 8 earned runs. *** Devon Lowery finished last night's contest with 2.0 shutout stanzas, extending his scoreless streak to 7.2 innings over his last 4 appearances. *** Neal Musser is being activated from the disabled list for today's contest, bringing Omaha's roster up to the limit of 24 players. Musser, who went on the DL July 12, is 2-4 with a 4.01 ERA and 6 saves in 30 relief outings for Omaha. He has made 1 relief appearance with KC, tossing a scoreless inning on May 29 vs. Minnesota. *** KC infielder Alberto Callaspo began a rehab assignment last night. Starting at 2nd base and batting 2nd in Omaha's lineup, he was 0-for-4. Callaspo was placed on the DL June 28 for the evaluation and treatment for an unspecified medical condition, a day after he was arrested for driving under the influence. In 42 games with KC, he hit .290 (29-for-100) with no home runs and 4 RBI. *** Joey Gathright played in the 6th game of his rehab assignment Sunday night. He was hitless in 3 at-bats, ending a 3-game hitting streak. During the string, he was 4-for-12. *** Chad Spann has hit in all 4 games he played with Omaha, going 7-for-17 (.412) and driving in 3 runs, including the only run scored by the Royals last night. ***

Damon Hollins went 0-for-4 last night, halting a 5-game hit streak. Over his last 9 contests, Hollins is hitting .294 (10-for-34) with 3 home runs, 9 RBI and 7 runs scored. *** Ryan Shealy had a 4-game streak snapped last night, when he went 0-for-3. During the streak, he was 6-for-16 (.375) with 2 homers and 6 RBI. *** Chris Lubanski, who went 0-for-3 Sunday night, is in a 4-for-41 (.098) slide that has seen his average dip from .245 to .229. *** Matt Tupman has hit in 6 of his last 7 contests, going 8-for-26 (.308) with 5 RBI. *** Brayan Pena has hit in 4 straight, going 6-for-18 (.333), hitting a home run and knocking in 3 runs. Pena had scored a run in 6 consecutive games until the streak was ended Saturday night. *** The Royals have lost 20 of their last 26 games and 37 of the last 51. *** Musser's activation from the DL today Omaha's 100th roster transaction this season.

STARTERS: RH Brandon Duckworth (4-11, 4.93) vs. RH Luis Mendoza (2-2, 5.04)

Duckworth makes his 18th start (27th appearance) of the season. The 32-year old right-hander opened 2008 in Omaha's bullpen, before taking the rotation spot of Mike Maroth, who was released by KC on April 30. His last outing was in relief last Wednesday vs. Albuquerque (5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 7 K). He left the game after the 7th in line for the win, with the Royals leading 7-5. However, the Isotopes rallied for 4 runs in the top of the 9th leaving him with a no-decision. In his last start on August 8 at Nashville, Duckworth picked up his 1st win since June 10, after losing 6 straight decisions. In 129.2 innings this season, he has surrendered 23 home runs - tied for 3rd most in the PCL - after allowing just 3 homers in 46.2 innings for KC last year. In 2007, Duckworth made KC's Opening Day roster after being a non-roster invitee at Spring Training, and was 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA and 1 save in 26 games (3 starts). He tore his left oblique last June 13 vs. St. Louis and was placed on the D.L. the next day. In rehab stints with Wilmington and Omaha, he combined for 20 strikeouts and 3 walks in 19.0 innings, before being 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, before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery on August 15. Duckworth has spent at least part of the last 7 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Phillies, Astros and Royals. On August 5, 2002 vs. the Dodgers, he struck out the 1st 6 batters of the game, 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. He was originally signed by the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent in August 1997 out of Cal State Fullerton.

PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:

Tue., 7:05 p.m.: RH Kyle Davies (6-2, 2.06) vs. RH Elizardo Ramirez (10-5, 4.21)

Check out the Omaha Storm Chasers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 18, 2008


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