Royals Game Notes
August 26, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
AUGUST 26, 2008, 7:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (60-77) vs. New Orleans (63-74)
HOME: 29-40 (45-27 in '07) AWAY: 31-37 (28-44 in '07) vs. New Orleans: 10-3 (8-6 in '07)
TONIGHT: The Royals host the New Orleans Zephyrs in a 7:05 p.m. game at Rosenblatt Stadium. It's game 2 of a 4-game series - the final home series of the season. Omaha leads the series 1-0 and is 4-2 on the home stand. The Royals lead the season series vs. New Orleans 10-3. It's $2 2uesday with $2 G.A. tickets and $2 medium Cokes, courtesy of Valpak, Z-92 and The Reader! Following the game, enjoy live music with The Whipkey Three, presented by Two Fine Irishmen! The pre-game show airs at 6:45 p.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.
LAST NIGHT: The Royals scored 4 runs in the 1st inning and 3 more in the 2nd, winding up with a big, easy 8-2 win over New Orleans. Gookie Dakwins led off the 1st inning with his 9th home run for Omaha and Damon Hollins stroked a 2-run douible. Dawkins added a run-scoring double in the 2nd and Ryan Shealy's 2-run homer chased Zephyrs starter Ruddy Lugo (7-12), who gave up all 7 runs on 6 hits over 1.1 innings. Chris Lubanski had 3 hits for the Royals, including an RBI single in the 5th to cap the game's scoring. Roman Colon (5-5) picked up the win, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits over 6.0 frames, striking out 6. He walked 5 batters, but was helped by the Royals turning 4 of their 6 double plays behind him. Greg Atencio tossed 3.0 scoreless stanzas to earn his 1st save.
ROYALS REPORT: The 6 double plays turned by Omaha last night were 1 shy of the PCL record of 7, set back in 1956 by Seattle in a game vs. San Diego. The 8 twin-killings turned Monday night by the Royals and Zephyrs combined also missed a league mark by 1, with the record of 9 double plays for 2 clubs set in 1993 and matched in 1995. Last night marked the 1st time this decade that the Royals turned 6 double plays in a 9-inning contest, although they did have 6 in a 15-inning game last July vs. Iowa. *** Kila Ka'aihue was named Monday as the Texas League's Player of the Year, as well as the 1st baseman on the AA loop's postseason All-Star team. He hit .314 with a still league-leading 26 home runs and 79 RBI with Northwest Arkansas. Ka'aihue, who sat out Sunday's game vs. Memphis after taking a pitch off his right wrist Saturday night, returned to Omaha's lineup last night. He was 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and 2 more walks. Ka'aihue leads the minors with 96 walks and a .460 on-base percentage. *** Shealy did not coax a walk last night, ending his streak with a free pass at 7 games. Over his last 12 contests, he's picked up 12 bases on balls. The home run was his 1st in 10 games. *** The Royals are 10-3 vs. New Orleans this season and have won 8 straight. *** Colon is 3-0 with a 3.76 ERA in 5 games this month. *** In 2 appearances this home stand, Atencio has fired 7.1 scoreless innings, dropping his ERA from 3.07 to 2.05, after 8 games for Omaha. *** Dawkins' leadoff home run Monday night was his 1st home run in 23 games, since August 2 vs. Salt Lake, when he also led off the bottom of the 1st with a round-tripper. He smacked 8 homers in his 1st 39 games with Omaha. Dawkins has been a Z's killer this year, hitting .406 (13-for-32) vs. New Orleans, with 1 home run and 10 RBI in 8 contests. *** Brayan Pena is riding a season-best, 9-game hitting streak. During the string, he's batting .375 (12-for-32) with 2 homers and 6 RBI. *** Lubanski, who entered this home stand in a 4-for-45 (.089) funk, is hitting .429 (9-for-21) on the home stand, including 3 doubles, a triple, a home run and 4 RBI. *** Brett Bigler is batting .300 (9-for-30) in his 1st 10 Triple-A tilts, after hitting .197 in 54 games with Wilmington this season. *** The Royals added catcher Todd Balduf and shortstop Jorge Gutierrez to their roster yesterday and will add reliever Brett Richardson today to get back to the 24-player limit. The 24-year old Balduf hit a combined .193 with 1 homer and 3 RBI in 28 games between high-A Wilmington and low-A Burlington (IA). Gutierrez, 23, hit .233 with no homers and 11 RBI in 38 games with Burlington (NC), after being signed by KC as a non-drafted free agent June 11 out of Lipscomb. Richardson, 20, was 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA and 4 saves in 14 games with the AZL Royals. He was selected by KC in the 34th round of this June's draft out of Wenatchee Valley Community College in Washington.
STARTERS: RH Bobby Parnell (1-2, 7.43) vs. LH Neal Musser (2-5, 4.53)
Musser makes his 2nd start (34th appearance) of the season with Omaha. The lefty, who turned 28 years old on Monday, made his 1st start for Omaha since May 29, 2006 last Saturday vs. Memphis. He took the loss in the Royals' 9-4 defeat (0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 0 K). It was his 3rd appearance since being activated from the disabled list. Musser was placed on the DL July 12. He made 3 starts for the Arizona League Royals this month, going 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA (1 ER in 2.2 IP) and was added back to Omaha's roster on August 18. In 3 relief outings vs. New Orleans this season, Musser is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA. His only appearance with KC this year came on May 28, when he pitched a hitless inning vs. Minnesota, walking 1. Musser was a dominant reliever for Omaha last season. He did not allow an earned run over his 1st 45.2 Triple-A innings through August 10, 2007. He wound up going 4-1 with a 0.49 ERA and 8 saves in 32 appearances for Omaha, allowing just 32 hits and 11 walks in 55.1 innings, with 47 strikeouts. In 17 games over several stints with KC last year - his 1st season in the big leagues - he was 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA. He fractured his right hand on September 10 and missed the remainder of the 2007 season. In 2006, Musser was sent to Double-A Wichita following his May 29 start for Omaha. He made 11 more starts for the Wranglers, before being converted to a reliever and posting a 2-0 record with a 2.49 ERA and saves in 7 appearances. Musser was signed by KC as a minor league free agent on May 24, 2006 after being released by the Diamondbacks. He was originally selected by the Mets in the 2nd round of the 1999 draft out of Benton Central High in Oxford, Indiana.
PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:
Wed., 7:05 p.m.: LH Willie Collazo (4-8, 4.03) vs. LH Dusty Hughes (3-2, 4.89)
Thur., 7:05 p.m.: RH Nelson Figueroa (4-7, 4.43) vs. LH Tyler Lumsden (3-12, 6.88)
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