COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- J.R. House of the Round Rock Express posted a .556 batting average, slugged five doubles, and knocked in 11 runs en route to being tabbed as the PCL's Batter of the Week just ten days after being promoted to Triple-A. Las Vegas 51s hurler Hong-Chih Kuo was selected as the PCL Pitcher of the Week after pitching ten scoreless innings and striking out ten batters in two appearances during the period stretching from July 31st to August 6th.
House has hit safely in eight of the nine games he has appeared in this season for the Express and has collected multiple hits on six occasions. The Charleston, West Virginia native highlighted his week with four, three-hit performances, including a 3-for-5 showing against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on August 4th in which he hit two doubles while knocking in three runs.
Hailing from Tainan City, Taiwan, Hong-Chih Kuo picked up a win and had two near identical performances during his award winning week while facing the Iowa Cubs and the Oklahoma RedHawks. Kuo went five innings, tallied five strikeouts, and gave up just one walk in both of his outings, while surrendering five hits to the I-Cubs and just four to the RedHawks. The 25 year-old lefthander now holds a record of 2-and-3 on the season with a 3.93 ERA.
AUGUST 7, 2006, 7:05 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (45-71) vs. Tacoma Rainiers (61-53)
HOME: 27-30 (35-37 in '05) AWAY: 18-41 (37-35 in '05) vs. Tacoma: 0-1 (3-1 in '05)
TONIGHT: The Royals host the Tacoma Rainiers in a 7:05 p.m. game at Rosenblatt Stadium. It's game 2 of a 4-game series, which Tacoma leads 1-0. It's Dollar Dog Night and Military Monday, courtesy of Nebraska Wesleyan and the Bellevue Leader/OmahaNewsstand.com. Hot dogs are just $1 and get $2 off the price of a ticket with a military I.D. Air time is 6:45 p.m. on Magic 1490 and at www.Oroyals.com.
SUNDAY: Former Bellevue University standout T.J. Bohn was 2-for-5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored, while former Marshalltown (IA) High School star Jeff Clement belted a 2-run homer, helping Tacoma take the series opener 6-3. Bohn delivered an RBI single and then scored on Clement's home run as the Rainiers scored 3 runs in the 3rd inning to take a 4-0 lead. Jon Nelson had 3 hits, including a 2-run single in the 7th inning that put Tacoma on top 6-3. The Royals brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 9th, but Emiliano Fruto picked up his 9th save by inducing Mike Coolbaugh to ground into a force play at 3rd base. Scott Atchison (3-0) picked up the win with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. Royals starter Andy Van Hekken (1-3) suffered the loss, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits over 6.0 innings.
ROYALS REPORT: Mike Sweeney, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI double Sunday, will be recalled by KC today and after the Royals open date today should be back in KC's lineup as the DH tomorrow night vs. Boston. In 5 rehab assignment games with Omaha, Sweeney hit .333 (5-15) with 2 doubles, 1 home run, 4 RBI and 5 walks. In 11 games overall on his rehab assignment for Burlington, Wichita and Omaha, Sweeney batted .314 (11-35) with 4 homers and 10 RBI. Sweeney has not played for KC since leaving the May 1 game at Detroit due to a bulging cervical disc in his upper back. *** Coolbaugh collected 1 hit yesterday. His single to the hole at short in the 4th inning extended his hitting streak to 15 games. He's hitting .294 (20-68) with 2 homers and 8 RBI during the streak, which is 1 game shy of the longest of the season by a Royal (set by Shane Costa). *** Jeff Keppinger had his hit string halted at 13 games, as he was 0-for-3 Sunday, reaching base on a catcher's interference call and a walk. Keppinger hit .481 (26-54) with 14 RBI and 13 runs scored during his steak. In 17 games with Omaha, he's batting .412. *** Kerry Robinson posted his club-leading fourth 4-hit game yesterday. Robinson, who has compiled 28 multi-hit games this season, has 7 hits in his last 8 at-bats. *** Donovan Osborne fired a perfect 9th inning Sunday, striking out 2 Rainiers. In 5 appearances at Rosenblatt, Osborne owns a 2.92 ERA. However, his ERA is 9.15 over his 8 outings on the road. *** Justin Huber, who missed 19 previous games due to a tight right hamstring, is 0-for-6 in 2 games since returning to action. *** Tacoma turned 3 double plays in Sunday's contest. The Royals have hit into 7 twin killings over the past 2 games.
Middleton makes his 8th start for Omaha, after beginning this season with Double-A Wichita, where he spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The 26-year old right-hander's last start came against Portland last Wednesday, when he took the loss in a 9-4 defeat (7.0 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR). Middleton is 0-4 with a 7.01 ERA in 5 starts at home, while losing both of his starts on the road and posting a 6.35 ERA. In 16 games (15 starts) for Wichita this season, Middleton went 5-3 with a 4.17 ERA and 1 save (86.1 IP, 108 H, 29 BB, 63 K, 8 HR). Middleton was named to the 2005 Texas League All-Star team. He was 10-9 with a 5.31 ERA in 28 starts for the Wranglers last season, ranking 3rd in the league with 171.1 innings pitched. This is Middleton's 7th season in the Royals' organization. He was KC's 49th round pick in the 1999 draft out of Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton, Alabama.
PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:
Tue., 7:05: RH Francisco Cruceta (10-7, 4.23) vs. RH Seth Etherton (1-2, 5.61)
Wed., 12:05: RH Cha Seung Baek (11-4, 2.80) vs. RH Pat Mahomes (0-0, 6.35)
HEADLINES: Hart ties home run record ... Big inning dooms RedHawks ... Tejeda start tonight
TODAY'S OPPONENT: The Tucson Sidewinders are the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They have been a member of the Pacific Coast League since 1969. Last year they were 68-76 and finished second in the PC South.
TODAY'S GAME: The RedHawks continue their eight-game homestand against Tucson. This is their 117th game, 57th home game and second game against Tucson. The RedHawks are on a stretch where they will play 21 of 29 games at home.
LAST GAME: Tucson scored nine runs in the eighth inning to beat the RedHawks 11-8. It was the most runs scored in one inning against the RedHawks this season. The RedHawks had 17 hits, tying their season high. RedHawk starting pitcher John Danks went six innings and gave up two runs, one earned on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. Jason Hart was four-for-five with a home run and four RBIs to lead the RedHawks offensively.
VS. TUCSON: The RedHawks are 24-24 all-time against Tucson and 13-8 against them at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. Tucson has not been to Oklahoma City since 2003 when they split a four-game series with the RedHawks. Tucson has never won a series in Oklahoma City (0-3-2) and the RedHawks have never won a series in Tucson (0-3-4). The RedHawks have not won a season series against Tucson since 2001 when they went 5-3 against the Sidewinders (0-2-2 since).
PITCHING MATCHUP: Starting pitcher Robinson Tejeda makes his 14th start of the season for the RedHawks. He was won his last four decisions. His last loss came April 21 at Memphis (nine starts w/o). This is Tejeda's first start at home since July 5 vs. Omaha. He had been on the DL (ankle) until his last start, Aug. 1 at Tacoma. Edgar Gonzalez is scheduled to start for Tucson .
SHUTOUT STREAK: Tucson's run in the first inning last night stopped the RedHawks shutout streak at 30 innings.
HART WATCH: First baseman Jason Hart is tied for the most career home runs in RedHawks history with 57. Scott Sheldon hit 57 in 1998 and 1999. Hart's last home run was a solo homer Aug. 6 against Tucson off Mike Bacsik.
JAMIE BURKE: Catcher Jamie Burke has hits in 14 of his last 16 games. In his last 16 games, he is 23-for-61 (.377) with five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 13 RBIs. Burke had three doubles Aug. 2 vs. Las Vegas, the first RedHawk with three doubles in a game since Ed Sprague 5/2/02 vs. Nashville.
JOAQUIN ARIAS: Shortstop Joaquin Arias has hits in 12 of his last 15 games. In his last 15 games, he is 20-for-60 (.333) with five doubles, a triple and eight RBIs.
LATE LOSS: The RedHawks loss last night was their first when leading after seven innings. They became the last team in the league to lose when leading after seven. The RedHawks are 47-1 when leading after seven. Every other team in the PCL has at least four losses when leading after seven. The RedHawks and Tacoma are the only two teams in the PCL that has not lost when leading after eight innings.
CLOSE GAMES: Forty-eight of Oklahoma 's 58 wins this season have come by four runs or less, including 25 one-run wins. Also, 43 of Oklahoma's 58 losses this season have come by four runs or less, including 17 by one run.
ONE-RUN WINS: The RedHawks lead the PCL in one-run wins with 25. Tucson is second with 23.
RADIO UPDATE: The RedHawks' flagship station for most games is KEBC 1340 AM. However, there are a few dates the flagship station will change due to scheduling conflicts. The RedHawks will be on AM 1000 KTOK Aug. 12, 19 and 26 and Sept. 2. They will be on KFXY 1640 AM Aug. 13, 20, 27 and Sept. 3.
DOT-DOT-DOTS: The RedHawks are 49-35 since Mike Boulanger took over as manager May 11 ... The RedHawks tied their season-high with 17 hits in last night's game ... Tucson's nine-run eighth inning was the most in one inning against the RedHawks since Memphis scored nine in the ninth Aug. 26, 2004 in a game the RedHawks won, 17-14.
PITCHING PROBABLES
Date Opponent RedHawks pitcher vs. Opposing pitcher
Mon., Aug. 7 Tucson RH Robinson Tejeda (4-2, 3.57) vs. RH Edgar Gonzalez (2-5, 4.16)
Tue., Aug. 8 Tucson RH R.A. Dickey (6-7, 5.17) vs. RH Micah Owings (7-0, 4.69)
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno Grizzlies will hand out a total of $2,000 in cash for their new promotion "Two K Tuesday" before the Grizzlies game against the Memphis Redbirds Tuesday.
The first 1,000 fans through the gates at Grizzlies Stadium Tuesday will receive envelopes with different increments of cash, ranging from $1 to $20, with one lucky fan receiving the grand prize of $500.
"I can't think of another giveaway at a baseball game with more universal appeal than cold, hard cash," said Brian Glover, Fresno Baseball Club General Partner. "We want to show our thanks to our fans and give them as many reasons as possible to come out to a Grizzlies game in August."
Tuesday's game is also Two-For-Tuesday, presented by Carl's Jr., where fans can pick up a buy one, get one Field Level Reserved ticket free at participating Carl's Jr. Coupons must be redeemed at the Grizzlies ticket office.
For more information on Two K Tuesday, please contact Ryan Alexander at 559-994-6261 or e-mail ralexander@fresnogrizzlies.com.
The Oklahoma RedHawks held the Tucson Sidewinders to two hits in their 2-0 win Monday at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.
It was the lowest hit total of the year for Tucson. The Sidewinders came into the game leading the Pacific Coast League in runs, hits, home runs and batting average. It was the 10 th shutout of the season for the RedHawks and their fourth in five games.
RedHawk starting pitcher Robinson Tejeda went seven innings and gave up one hit with three walks and season-high 11 strikeouts. It was the second time this season a RedHawk pitcher had struck out 11 batters in a game. Edinson Volquez did it July 28 at Portland.
Relief pitcher Erasmo Ramirez pitched the last two innings to pick up his fifth save of the season. He gave up one hit, walked none and struck out two.
Joaquin Arias led the RedHawks offensively, going two-for-three with a double and an RBI.
Both RedHawk runs came in the sixth inning. Aarom Baldiris and Freddy Guzman led off the inning with singles. A sacrifice bunt by Adrian Brown put runners at second and third with one out.
Arias then hit a squib single half-way down the first base line to score Baldiris. A ground out by Adam Hyzdu brought home Guzman.
Tucson starter Edgar Gonzalez pitched an eight-inning complete game. Both runs he gave up were earned on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
The RedHawks and Sidewinders meet again at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. R.A. Dickey is scheduled to start for Oklahoma and Micah Owings for Tucson.
DES MOINES, Iowa - Geovany Soto was 2-for-2 with a homer and three RBI's and Jae Kuk Ryu pitched eight strong innings as the Iowa Cubs came from behind to beat the Portland Beavers 4-2 Monday night at Principal Park.
Paul McAnulty was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer to lead the Beavers.
The Beavers (56-60), who have lost three straight games, have not beaten the Cubs since July 31, 2005 at PGE Park.
Iowa, who has won five of its last seven games, improves to 60-56 on the season.
Ryu (6-6) allowed just two runs over eight innings to get the win, striking out seven while allowing just one walk.
Roger Deago (4-4) took the loss for the Beavers, giving up three runs on eight hits over six innings. Deago also walked four while striking out three before being replaced by Steve Andrade in the bottom of the seventh.
The Beavers got on the board in the fourth inning when Manny Alexander led off by reaching base on a fielding error, then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Ryu. After Terrmel Sledge struck out, McAnulty hit his sixteenth homer of the season over the right field fence to put the Beavers up 2-0.
The Cubs took the lead in the bottom of the inning when Micah Hoffpauir scored on a double down the left-field line by Casey McGhee. Soto followed McGhee's RBI double with a homer to left to give Iowa a 3-2 lead.
Iowa added an insurance run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Soto that scored Hoffpauir from third.
The Beavers continue their four-game series against the Iowa Cubs tomorrow at Principal Park. First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. (Pacific).
NOTES: Beavers infielder Justin Leone was given the night off ... Iowa starting pitcher Jae Kuk Ryu struck out the first four Beavers he faced ... San Diego Padres General Manager Kevin Towers was in attendance for tonight's game ... the Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the sixth but failed to score a run.
Oklahoma City - Robinson Tejeda and two relievers combined on a two hit shutout as the Oklahoma Redhawks beat the Sidewinders 2-0 on Monday night in Oklahoma City. Tejeda allowed just one hit and struck out 11 over seven innings to improve his record to 5-2. The shutout marked just the fourth time this year that the Sidewinders had been blanked.
Edgar Gonzalez was the tough luck loser for Tucson. Gonzalez (2-6) went eight innings and allowed just two runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked two.
The game was scoreless in the bottom of the sixth inning when Aarom Baldiris led off with a single. Freddy Guzman followed with a base hit and Adrian Brown sacrificed the runners to second and third. Joaquin Arias hit a roller up the first base line that died in fair territory for a single and plated the game's first run. Adam Hyzdu followed with a fielder's choice to bring home the second run.
Erasmo Ramirez pitched the final two innings and allowed just one hit for his fifth save of the season.
The Sidewinders and Redhawks play game three of their series on Tuesday night at Bricktown Ballpark. Right-hander Micah Owings (7-0 4.69) will start for Tucson against right-hander R.A. Dickey (6-7 5.17) for Oklahoma. First pitch is at 5:05 Tucson time. The game will air on a tape delayed basis on COOL 1450 beginning at 6:00.
The Albuquerque Isotopes (56-60) mounted a furious two-out ninth inning comeback that just fell short as the Colorado Spring Sky Sox (53-64) held on for the 8-6 win in another rain drenched contest Monday night at Security Service Field. Outfielder Eric Reed extended his hitting streak to a team and career high 14 games with a triple in the third.
Trailing 8-4 and down to their final out in the ninth, Mike Kinkade singled to give the ‘Topes life. Jason Wood then followed with a single of his own before Chris Aguila recorded a base hit that scored Kinkade to bring Albuquerque to within three at 8-5. Former Sky Sox player Tom Wilson then added another single to chase home Wood to make the score 8-6. Edgar Gonzalez, the seventh batter of the frame, drew a walk to load the bases, but Colorado Springs reliever David Cortes struck out Chris Ashby to end the game.
The ninth-inning near comeback was a microcosm of how Albuquerque kept fighting back throughout the contest. After spotting the Sox a 4-0 lead in the very first inning on a solo homer by Kaz Matsui and a three-run bomb by Jeff Baker, the ‘Topes got on the board when Reed roped a triple to right center with two outs in the third before trotting home on an RBI single by Robert Andino to put the Isotopes on the board 4-1. Reed's three-bagger extended his hitting streak to 14 games, longest by an Isotope hitter this season and tied a career long for the outfielder set in 2001.
Albuquerque added another run in the fourth on an RBI double by Ashby to cut the advantage to 4-2 before Gonzalez plated Aguila with a run scoring single in the sixth to cut the Sky Sox lead to just one at 4-3.
As the rain, which began in the fourth inning and only increased in intensity as the game progressed, worsened, the contest got wilder as Colorado Springs scored a run in the bottom of the seventh when the ball slipped out of Andino's hand as he was attempting to throw to first on a tailor-made double play ball off of the bat of Ryan Spilborghs that allowed Jeff Salazar to score from second. Carlos Rivera then plated Matsui on an RBI fielder's choice to give the home team a 6-3 lead.
Once again, the ‘Topes came back, as Wilson reached on a fielder's choice in the eighth, advanced to third on a wild throw from third baseman Tommy Whiteman on a ground ball by Gonzalez, and scored on a wild pitch to bring Albuquerque back to within two at 6-4. Colorado Springs would add two more insurance runs in the home half of the eighth, however, on an RBI single by former ‘Tope Josh Wilson and a run-scoring double by Spilborghs to take an 8-4 lead heading into the ninth.
The Isotopes will attempt to dry off and break their two game losing streak tomorrow behind Jeff Fulchino (3-9, 4.58) who will face Sox righty Mike Esposito (5-10, 6.75) in a 7:05 PM scheduled first pitch but with more rain in the forecast.
After a couple more games in soggy Colorado Springs, the ‘Topes return home on August 11 for four games against the Nashville Sounds that will include the Isotopes' special Back To School Celebration and Fireworks Spectacular on August 13, a bonus pyrotechnics display that will bring the total number of fireworks shows at Isotopes Park to a whopping 12. Tickets can be purchased at the Isotopes Park Box Office, www.albuquerquebaseball.com, Ticketmaster outlets, or at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, please call (505) 924-2255.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Nashville Sounds suffered a heart-breaking 5-4 loss to the Sacramento River Cats on Monday evening at Raley Field, allowing five runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Sacramento right fielder Hiram Bocachica belted the first pitch he saw from Sounds closer Alec Zumwalt over the left field wall for a game-ending three-run homer.
The River Cats had been down to their final out against Sounds reliever Allan Simpson before Mike Rouse broke up Nashville's shutout bid with a two-out, two-run homer to right-center. Nate Espy, who had walked, scored on the blast, Rouse's sixth of the year.
The rally continued as Sacramento put the potential tying run on base against Simpson as Doug Clark singled and Keith Ginter was hit by a pitch before Sounds manager Frank Kremblas lifted the right-hander in favor of Zumwalt, who threw only one pitch.
The loss, which snapped the Sounds' four-game winning streak, marked the first time in 23 tries this season that Nashville (63-54) failed to protect a ninth-inning lead on the road. The Sounds' lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division fell to 2 ½ games over Iowa, which has won three in a row.
For the second straight outing, Nashville starter Dana Eveland had a victory taken away due to a blown save. The left-hander was in a groove all night, allowing only two hits, one of which was an infield single, and striking out seven batters over seven scoreless innings. The outing was his sixth quality start of the campaign.
The Sounds were one out away from their league-leading 11th shutout of the year the late Sacramento rally.
The recently red-hot Nashville offense banged out a double-digit hit total (11) for the fourth straight contest but finished the evening only 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position, leaving 11 men on base including eight of those on second or third.
Four Sounds finished with two hits on the night. Laynce Nix went 2-for-4, his seventh multiple-hit effort in nine games for Nashville. The outfielder has now produced at least one hit in 17 of his last 18 contests.
Sacramento sent a pair of rehabbing Oakland A's hurlers to the hill to begin the contest and both performed flawlessly. Left-hander Joe Kennedy worked two innings and allowed only one baserunner on a Graham Koonce walk. Former Sound Scott Sauerbeck followed with two scoreless frames of his own, fanning a pair of batters but didn't put up the second of his two zeroes without a bit of drama.
Nashville loaded the bases with none out in the fourth against the veteran southpaw on singles by Chris Barnwell and Nix followed by Koonce's second walk of the evening. After Brent Abernathy lined out to second, Sauerbeck induced a comebacker 1-2-3 double play grounder from Vinny Rottino to escape the jam unscathed and keep the contest scoreless.
Barnwell's fourth-inning single extended the shortstop's hitting streak to six games.
Left-hander Adam Pettyjohn, the projected River Cats starter, took over in the fifth and the Sounds broke the scoreless deadlock against the southpaw an inning later.
Zach Sorensen led off the Nashville sixth with a single, moved to second on a Barnwell sacrifice, and scored the game's first run when Nix followed with an RBI single to right. With two outs in the frame, Abernathy plated Nix with a single to left and Andrew Beattie wrapped up the inning's scoring two batters later with an RBI single to left to bring in Abernathy for a 3-0 Sounds lead.
The Sounds tacked on a run in the seventh against Pettyjohn on Koonce's bases-loaded sacrifice fly to left that brought home Dave Krynzel for a 4-0 advantage.
Nashville left the bases loaded for the second time in the contest in the eighth. With one out, Beattie singled before Pettyjohn offered only two strikes in a 10-pitch stretch to Chad Moeller and Krynzel to fill the bags. River Cats skipper Tony DeFrancesco summoned reliever Shawn Kohn from the bullpen and the right-hander responded by striking out Sorensen and inducing an inning-ending grounder from Barnwell to escape the jam.
Rottino went 1-for-3 for Nashville to extend the team's longest active hitting streak to seven games, one short of his best effort this year. Jermaine Clark made a pinch-running appearance in the ninth and swiped his team-leading 27th stolen base of the year, three shy of the PCL lead.
Steve Bray returned from a week-long stint on the disabled list to work the eighth for Nashville and struck out two of the three batters he faced.
River Cats reliever Matt Roney (4-2) was the beneficiary of the late River Cats heroics, earning the win after tossing one scoreless inning.
Zumwalt (0-1) took the loss after surrendering the game-deciding homer on the only pitch he threw.
The teams continue their series with a 1:35 p.m. CT matinee on Tuesday afternoon. Right-hander Justin Lehr (3-5, 3.42) takes the hill for the Sounds to face his former club for the first time in his career. Lehr appeared in 86 games for Sacramento over parts of three seasons from 2000-04.
The River Cats will counter with undefeated right-hander Jason Windsor (10-0, 3.79), who has won 14 consecutive minor-league decisions since an Opening Day loss for Double-A Midland.
Pacific Coast League news 8/08
Pacific Coast League news 8/08
