Royals Host Nashville Sounds Tonight
July 9, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
TONIGHT: The Royals host the Nashville Sounds in a 12:05 p.m. game at Rosenblatt Stadium. It's game 4 of a 5-game series, which Nashville leads 2-1. Omaha is 2-4 on the home stand. The Royals lead the season series vs. the Sounds 5-4. It's Business Person Special/Summer Day Camp game, brought to you by Strictly Business and featuring ½-price Omaha Steaks burgers! The pre-game show airs at 11:45 a.m. on News Talk 1420 KOTK and at www.oroyals.com.
LAST NIGHT: The Royals and Sounds split a doubleheader, with both teams using 3-run 1st innings to take control. Omaha won the opener, 5-1. Brian Buchanan's 2-out, 3-run double in the 1st gave Carlos Rosa all the run support he would need. Rosa (4-2) scattered 8 hits over 6.2 innings, giving up just 1 run, with Devon Lowery getting the final out. Mitch Maier had 2 hits and scored twice, while Brayan Pena added 2 hits, including a 2-run single in the 5th. Nashville took the nightcap 3-1, with Lindsay Gulin (5-4) tossing a 1-hitter. The Sounds scored all of their runs with 2 outs and the bases full in the 1st when Adam Heether delivered a 2-run single to center and a 3rd run scored when Maier bobbled the ball for an error. Maier atoned with a solo homer in the bottom of the 1st for the only hit off Gulin, who pitched a 7-inning complete game, walking 1 and striking out 6. Tyler Lumsden (3-9) took the loss, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits over 4.0 innings.
ROYALS REPORT: Gulin's 1-hitter was the 1st vs. the Royals since May 13, 2006 at Rosenblatt, when Sun-Woo Kim and Steve Colyer of Colorado Springs combined on a 1-hit shutout, 9-0. Gulin's gem was the 1st 1-hitter by a single opposing pitcher since Nashville's Salomon Torres fired one on August 19, 2002 in a 4-0 shutout of the Royals at Greer Stadium. Omaha was recently no-hit in a 7-inning game here at home, with Oklahoma's Dustin Nippert turning the trick on June 29 in game 1 of a twin bill. *** Rosa's effort in Tuesday night's lid-lifter was his 3rd quality start in 8 outings at the Triple-A level. It was a nice rebound from his previous start at Iowa on July 3, when he was roughed up for 5 runs in 5.0 innings. Last night's game lowered Rosa's ERA from 4.89 to 4.32. *** The Royals are 0-3-5 in doubleheaders this season. *** Maier's home run off Gulin was his 1st since June 2 at Oklahoma, a span of 34 games. He hit 6 homers in his 1st 38 contests this year. While Maier did not pick up a walk last night, he has collected 11 walks in his last 13 games, after picking up just 12 free passes in his 1st 59 contests. Maier is batting .366 (15-for-41) over his last 11 tilts, scoring 12 runs. *** Buchanan's big hit in last night's opener extended his hitting streak to 4 games, but it was snapped when he went 0-for-3 in the nightcap. In his past 5 games, he's 6-for-14 (.429) with a home run, 8 RBI and 4 runs scored. *** Pena was 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI in game 1 last night. It was the 10th multi-hit effort for Pena in his 19 games with Omaha. Over his past 9 contests, he's hitting .387 (12-for-31) with 5 doubles, a triple and 8 RBI. The hot stretch has jumped Pena's average from .279 to .324. *** Ryan Shealy was 0-for-2 with a walk in game 1 last night, snapping an 8-game hitting streak, and sat out game 2. In the past 9 games, Shealy is batting .469 (15-for-32) with a homer and 5 RBI. *** Matt Tupman, who was 0-for-2 in Tuesday's nightcap, is in a 2-for-35 (.057) funk over his last 11 games, dropping his average 40 points to .222. *** Yasuhiko Yabuta fired 3.0 scoreless innings of relief in game 2 last night, allowing 2 hits and striking out 2. In his last 2 appearances, the right-hander has allowed 1 earned run over 7.0 innings, lowering his ERA from 6.75 to 3.65. *** Gookie Dawkins has driven in 9 runs over his last 11 contests, hitting .308 (12-for-39) with 2 home runs during that stretch. *** The Royals turned 5 double plays in last night's doubleheader. Omaha leads the PCL with 111 twin killings turned in 91 games.
STARTERS: LH Chris Narveson (2-11, 5.64) vs. RH Brandon Duckworth (3-8, 4.43)
Duckworth makes his 13th start (20th 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 start came in on the 4th of July vs. Memphis, when he took the loss in the Royals' 4-2 defeat (7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR). Duckworth's previous outing was in game 1 of a doubleheader on June 29 vs. Oklahoma, when he pitched a complete game, allowing just 2 runs (1 earned), but took the loss as the RedHawks' Dustin Nippert tossed a 7-inning, no-hitter to defeat the Royals 2-0. He has faced Nashville once this season, pitching in relief on April 17 at Greer Stadium; he was not involved in the decision as Omaha won 6-5 (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R-0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K). The sinkerballer has surrendered 16 home runs in 89.1 innings this season, 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 he underwent 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 on Aug. 13, 1997, after pitching collegiately at Cal State Fullerton.
PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:
Thur., 7:05 p.m.: RH Richie Gardner (6-2, 4.13) vs. LH Dusty Hughes (1-0, 4.32)
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