Royals Game Notes
August 24, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
AUGUST 24, 2007, 5:35 p.m.: OMAHA ROYALS (65-66) vs. Round Rock Express (55-74)
HOME: 41-26 (31-41 in '06) AWAY: 24-40 (22-50 in '06) vs. Round Rock: 5-8 (5-11 in '06)
TONIGHT: The Royals host the Round Rock Express in a 5:35 p.m. doubleheader at Rosenblatt Stadium. It's the opener of a 5-game series. Omaha is 3-5 on the final homestand of the season. It's the final Werner Enterprises Fireworks Friday, also presented by KETV-Channel 7 and KGOR 99.9 FM! Air-time is 5:15 p.m. with both games aired in their entirety at www.Oroyals.com. The 1st game will be aired on News Talk 1420 KOTK until 6:40 p.m. and part of the 2nd game is expected to be aired live following high school football.
LAST NIGHT: The Royals were rained out for the 2nd straight night and 3rd time in 4 days.
ROYALS REPORT: KC 1B/DH Mike Sweeney will begin a rehab assignment with Omaha tonight. The 5-time American League All-Star is expected to be in the lineup in only the 1st game of the doubleheader. Sweeney hasn't played in a game since June 17th due to a knee injury. He underwent surgery on July 5th to correct a cartilage problem in his right knee. Prior to the injury, the Royals' team captian batted .245 with 7 homers and 31 RBI in 57 games. *** The Royals have lost 4 in a row, equaling their longest losing skid of the season. It's the 1st time this season Omaha has lost 4 straight at Rosenblatt. Prior to being swept by Albuquerque in Tuesday's doubleheader, the Royals had swept 2 of the 3 twinbills they had played this season, splitting the other one. *** Robert Andino's 8th inning home run in Tuesday's opener was the Isotopes' 2nd homer of the contest and 14th in the 1st 3 games of the series, 1 shy of the PCL record for most round-trippers in 3 consecutive games. The Topes wound up bashing 15 home runs, while the Royals hit 8 in the 4-game series. *** Scott Seabol's grand slam off John Thomson was the 1st allowed by an Omaha pitcher this season. Ironically, the last opposing batter to hit a slam off the Royals had been Graham Koonce, helping the Sounds to a 6-2 win over Omaha on June 15, 2006 at Nashville. Koonce began this season with the Royals. *** While Thomson struggled Tuesday in his 1st rehab start for Omaha, Brandon Duckworth was terrific in his 2nd rehab outing in the opener. In 6.0 innings, Duckworth allowed just 3 hits and 1 run - coming on Valentino Pascucci's league-leading 33rd home run - with no walks and 6 strikeouts. Thomson and Duckworth are among 5 KC pitchers who've made rehab outings with Omaha. In their combined 17 starts, the rehabbers are 2-7 with a 6.94 ERA (55 ER in 71.1 IP). *** Mike Aviles was 0-for-3 in Tuesday's opener to halt a 5-game hitting streak, when he had gone 8-for-23 (.348). His at-bat in game 2 marked just the 2nd pinch-hit appearance for a Royal this season. *** Craig Brazell has hit in 8 straight games. During the streak, he's batting .323 (10-31) with 3 homers and 5 RBI. *** Richard Lewis' infield single in the 5th inning of Tuesday's finale ended an 0-for-15 slide.
STARTERS: RH Brandon Backe (1-2, 6.23) vs. RH Luke Hochevar (1-2, 6.23)
Hochevar, who was KC's 1st-ever #1 overall pick in the 2006 draft, makes his 8th start for Omaha. The 23-year old right-hander's last start was last Thursday vs. Iowa; he was not involved in the decision as the Royals won 6-4 in 11 innings (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR). Hochevar began the season at Double-A Wichita, going 3-6 with a 4.69 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts (94.0 IP, 110 H, 26 BB, 94 K, 13 HR). At the time of his promotion, his 94 strikeouts led the Texas League. His best month was June, when he posted a 3.23 ERA in 5 starts, although he went 0-1. On June 26, Hochevar started for the North team in the 2007 Texas League All-Star Game. He also pitched for the U.S. team at the All-Star Futures Game in San Francisco, firing a scoreless inning. After signing with KC on August 4, 2006, Hochevar made 4 starts for Class-A Burlington (IA), going 0-1 with a 1.17 ERA. He also made 2 starts for Wichita in the playoffs last season, going 1-1 with a 9.82 ERA. Hochevar made just 3 starts in the Arizona Fall League for Grand Canyon before being shut down with shoulder soreness; he was 0-0 with an 8.64 ERA in those 3 outings. Entering this season, he was ranked by Baseball America as KC's #2 prospect, behind only Alex Gordon, and was tabbed as having the Best Curveball in the Royals' system. A Colorado native, he was a 3-year standout at the University of Tennessee, finishing his college career with a 25-10 record and a 3.05 ERA and 287 strikeouts, which ranked 2nd in school history. As a junior in 2005, he was 15-3 with a 2.26 ERA, helping lead the Vols to the College World Series. Following the season, he won numerous honors, including the Roger Clemens National Pitcher of the Year award. He was a supplemental 1st round pick of the Dodgers in the 2005 draft, but did not sign. His father, Brian, played pro basketball with the Denver Nuggets in 1979.
GAME 2: RH Jared Gothreaux (5-8, 5.18) vs. LH Tyler Lumsden (8-5, 6.37)
Lumsden makes his 23rd start and 24th appearance of the season. The 24-year old lefty's last start was last Friday vs. Iowa, when he picked up the win in a 9-5 victory (5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R-4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K). Lumsden has walked 16 batters in 12.0 innings over his last 3 starts - he's 1-0 despite posting an 8.25 ERA over that span. He has won his last 3 decisions, with his last loss coming on June 18. In 3 starts vs. Round Rock, he's 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA (16 ER in 10.2 IP). Lumsden is 4-2 with a 6.19 ERA at home, while going 4-3 with a 6.52 ERA on the road. Entering this season, he was ranked by Baseball America as KC's #5 prospect and 2nd-best pitching prospect. Lumsden was acquired by KC along with right-hander Daniel Cortes from the Chicago White Sox last July, in a trade for reliever Mike MacDougal. After missing the entire 2005 season following surgery on his left elbow, he was terrific in 2006. In 20 starts for Double-A Birmingham, he was 9-4 with a 2.69 ERA, which ranked 4th in the Southern League. After the trade to KC, he made 7 appearances (6 starts) for Double-A Wichita, going 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA. Lumsden was selected by the White Sox as a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds (34th overall) of the 2004 draft, out of Clemson. He compiled a 17-7 record in his 3 seasons at Clemson and pitched for the Tigers in the 2002 College World Series.
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