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Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express - Game Notes at Nashville Sounds

August 2, 2011 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (65-45) at NASHVILLE SOUNDS (53-57)

GAME 111 | 2 AUGUST 2011 | 7:05 P.M. CDT | HERSCHEL GREER STADIUM | NASHVILLE, TENN.

TONIGHT'S GAME

Round Rock concludes a four-game road series against the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers). First pitch is scheduled 7:05 p.m. CDT at Herschel Greer Stadium. The Express are 7-3 in their last 10 games, winning five of their last six after last night's 9-4 win. The Sounds are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Round Rock is 31-23 on the road, while Nashville is 33-25 at home.

RADIO BROADCAST INFORMATION

Tonight's game airs on 104.9 FM The Horn ESPN Radio Austin. Online audio also is available at www.espnaustin.com. Express Director of Broadcasting Mike Capps handles play-by-play duties.

EXPRESS-SOUNDS SERIES

Round Rock and Nashville conclude their season series tonight; the Express lead the season series 11-4. The Express won all eight meetings at The Dell Diamond, sweeping four-game series in early May and early July, and dropped three of four at Nashville in mid-June. SERIES NOTES: Only four of 15 meetings have been decided by more than three runs, all of which were Express wins. ... The teams have played eight one-run games; Round Rock has won four of those games - all walk-off wins. ... The teams have played three extra-inning games with the Express winning twice. ... Despite all the close games, Round Rock has out-scored Nashville 107-74 largely on the strength of 18-9 and 10-2 wins May 8 and 9, respectively. The Express established a franchise record for runs in the 18-9 victory. ... Round Rock and Nashville have combined for 43 home runs on the series with the Express owning a five-homer edge. Doug Deeds, Mike Napoli, Taylor Teagarden and Chad Tracy all have homered three times against the Sounds. Only Tracy is currently active with the Express. ... Esteban German is 17-for-35 (.486) with three doubles, two triples, nine runs scored and eight walks in nine games against the Sounds. ... Matt Kata has been hit four times by Nashville pitchers, while Tracy has been plunked three times. ... The winning pitchers in four of Round Rock's 11 wins are no longer with the team - Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter, Seth McClung and Zach Phillips, the last three of which are no longer in the Rangers organization. ... Mark Hamburger is 2-0 in four relief appearances and has not allowed a run over 6.1 innings against the Sounds. ... Mat Gamel has feasted on Round Rock pitching, going 19-for-47 (.404) with six home runs and 12 RBI in 11 games. ... Gamel, Caleb Gindl (four) and Brett Carroll (five) have combined for 15 of Nashville's 19 home runs against Round Rock. Carroll currently is not active with the Sounds. ... Tonight's starter, right-hander Frankie De La Cruz, is 0-0 with a 6.55 ERA and a .304 opponents' average in two starts against the Express, both of which were Round Rock wins at The Dell Diamond.

GAME 108 | SATURDAY, JULY 30

Sounds 3, Express 2

WP: Narron (5-4). LP: Tucker (2-3). SV: McClendon (6).

GAME 109 | SUNDAY, JULY 31

Express 8, Sounds 4

WP: Perez (2-2). LP: Butler (6-6). SV: None.

GAME 110 | MONDAY, AUG. 1

Express 9, Sounds 4

WP: Jackson (9-4). LP: Rivas (7-11). SV: None.

GAME 111 | TUESDAY, AUG. 2 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Brett Tomko (5-3, 6.65)

Sounds: RHP Frankie De La Cruz (5-6, 3.96 ERA)

EXPRESS STARTER

RHP Brett Tomko (5-3, 6.65 ERA)

Last Outing: No-decision in July 28 start vs. Memphis at The Dell Diamond, an 11-inning, 9-8 Express win ... Allowed six runs - five earned - on nine hits over 6.0 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts (season high) ... Also hit one batter and uncorked three wild pitches ... Five of nine hits allowed were for extra bases (two doubles, one triple, two home runs) ... Home runs both were leadoff shots - Matt Carpenter (second inning), Tyler Greene (third inning) ... Left game trailing 6-4 ... Redbirds were 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-8 with two outs ... Leadoff batter reached in three of six innings ... Used 103 pitches, 66 strikes.

2011: Makes 15th appearance, 12th start with Express tonight ... Logged 65.0 innings with 22 walks, 44 strikeouts and a .311 opponents' average ... Surrendered 17 home runs ... At least one home run allowed in 11 of 14 appearances, including eight of last nine ... Surrendered two homers in four of last five starts ... Won each of last four decisions (eight appearances, five starts) and five of last six decisions ... Express has won seven of his last eight outings ... Wins June 3 at Oklahoma City (start), June 18 vs. Omaha (start), June 21 at New Orleans (relief), June 28 vs. Oklahoma City (relief) and June 9 vs. Memphis (start) ... Losses April 10 vs. Iowa (start), April 15 at New Orleans (start) and June 13 at Nashville (start) ... 3-3, 6.87 ERA, .315 opponents' average as a starter ... 2-2, 6.39 ERA (22 ER / 31.0 IP), .287 opponents' average in five starts and two relief appearances on the road ... First-inning ERA is 6.55 (8 ER / 11.0 IP) ... Third inning is least effective with a 13.50 ERA (18 ER / 12.0 IP), .421 opponents' average ... Opponents hit .303 (10-for-33) with one home run, two walks and six strikeouts with runners in scoring position and two outs ... Leadoff batters hitting .365 (23-for-63) with eight home runs ... Also made eight relief appearances with Texas Rangers, going 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA.

2011 vs. Nashville: Suffered loss in June 13 start at Nashville, a 7-6 Sounds win ... Allowed seven runs on nine hits, including three home runs, over 3.0 innings with one walk and two strikeouts ... Also hit two batters and had one wild pitch ... Surrendered leadoff homers to Brandon Boggs (first inning) and Mat Gamel (second inning) ... Yielded five third-inning runs, including a Gamel two-run homer ... Left game trailing 7-2.

2010: Saw limited action due to injury ... Split season between AZL Athletics (rookie), Stockton Ports (A-Advanced) and Sacramento River Cats (AAA) ... Combined 2-3 record with a 7.18 ERA in 14 outings, all starts; tallied 50 strikeouts against 16 walks in 62.2 innings.

Notable: Prepped at El Dorado High School in Placentia, Calif., which also produced Bret Boone (1987), Phil Nevin (1989) and Dan Petry (1976) ... Attended El Dorado with musicians Jason Freese (Green Day) and Josh Freese (Weezer) ... Los Angeles Dodgers 20th-round draft pick in 1994 out of Mount San Antonio [Calif.] College but did not sign ... Cincinnati Reds second-round draft selection in 1995 out of Florida Southern ... Named Reds top prospect by Baseball America prior to the 1996 season ... Most MLB service of any current Express pitcher (389 games) ... MLB debut May 27, 1997 with Reds vs. Phillies ... Traded to Mariners in Ken Griffey Jr. deal prior to 2000 season ... Signed minor league Feb. 19, 2011, with Rangers, his 10th organization ... Celebrated 38th birthday on Opening Day.

LAST NIGHT'S GAMES

Brad Nelson hit a two-run home run in the first inning and the Express never looked back as they beat Nashville 9-4. Round Rock added two runs in the third inning on Chad Tracy's two-RBI single. Nick Green added a two-out RBI double to drive in the fifth run of the game for the Express. Zach Jackson allowed a run in the second and three runs in the fourth, but recovered to shut down the Sounds in the fifth and sixth innings to earn his ninth win of the season. Matt Kata and Leonys Martin each had an RBI single in the fifth inning to extend Round Rock's lead. Val Majewski had an RBI single and Kata added another RBI on a sacrifice fly in the eighth to put the game out of reach. Six of the nine Express starters had multi-hit games.

ROUND ROCK AMONG TOP PCL TEAMS

The Express (65-45, .591) own the PCL's second-best record behind Sacramento (67-43, .609). Reno (63-46, .578) has the third-best record right behind Round Rock. The Express are four-and-a-half games ahead of Omaha (60-49, .550) in the overall American Conference standings. Only six of 16 PCL teams are above .500.

DIVISION STANDINGS UPDATE

Round Rock (65-45, .591) added to its lead over Albuquerque (56-54, .509) in the American Southern Division last night, setting the season's largest lead at nine games. While the Express won 9-4 at Nashville, the Isotopes lost 4-2 at New Orleans. Only twice in the last 13 games have Round Rock and Albuquerque had the same result. Round Rock is 28-14 since June 18, during which time Albuquerque is 17-25. The Express have at least shared the division lead following 88 of 110 games this season and have led the division outright since June 25. New Orleans (55-55, .500) trails Round Rock by 10 games, while Oklahoma City (48-62, .436) is 17 games back.

ROUND ROCK vs. AMERICAN NORTHERN DIVISION

The Express are 39-20 against the American North Division so far this season. Round Rock has not lost a series to a cross-division foe since dropping three of four at Nashville in mid-June. Since then, the Express have won four series (Omaha, Nashville, at Memphis, Memphis) and split two series (Memphis, at Omaha) for a 20-8 record in that time. The Express have clinched the season series against Omaha (9-3) and Nashville (11-4). Round Rock has concluded its season series against Iowa (9-7) and Memphis (10-6). The Express play their final series against an American Northern Division foe Aug. 29-Sept. 1 at Omaha.

JONES APPROACHING MILESTONE

Express manager Bobby Jones enters tonight's game with 1,494 career managerial wins - all of which have come in the Texas Rangers organization. His tally includes stints with Class-A Charlotte (1988-1990), Double-A Tulsa (1991-1992, 1996-2000), Triple-A Oklahoma City (1993-1994, 2002-2010) and Round Rock. Jones' most successful season at the Triple-A level was 2004 when he led Oklahoma City to 81 wins and the PCL American Southern Division title. He owns 12 division titles and guided the 1998 Tulsa squad to a Texas League championship.

KATA POWER SURGE

Matt Kata clubbed his 11th home run of the season Sunday night, matching his career high set during the 2001 season. This is his first season with double-digit home runs since hitting 10 between Arizona (seven) and Tucson (three) in 2003. He is hitting .366 (26-for-71) with six home runs, nine doubles and 24 RBI in 18 games since the All-Star break.

MY, MY... MAJEWSKI

Val Majewski (my-ESS-kee) signed free-agent contract July 25 with the Rangers and was assigned to the Express. It marked his first Triple-A stint since patrolling the outfield for the Express in 2008 while a Houston Astros farmhand. Majewski has enjoyed quite the return, hitting safely in each of his first seven games with two homers and 11 RBI; he is 13-for-29 (.448) with four doubles and six runs scored. Majewski began the season with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. He was a third-round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 2002 and played nine games with the O's in 2004.

HURLEY COMEBACK STORY REMARKABLE

Eric Hurley lost his first start of the season April 8 vs. Iowa and missed his next scheduled start due to a viral infection. He sustained a skull fracture on the fourth pitch of his second start April 18 at New Orleans and spent the next two months on the disabled list. Hurley is 6-0 in eight starts since his return to the mound June 20 against Omaha, winning each of his last five starts. Furthermore, the Express have won each of his last nine starts, including the game in which he sustained the skull fracture. Hurley has pitched at least into the sixth inning in five of his last six starts, going seven innings in two of the last three. He is 4-0 with a 2.52 ERA (7 ER / 25.0 IP) and a .265 opponents' average in four starts since the All-Star break; five of the seven runs scored in his July 19 start against New Orleans.

SNEAKY THIEF

Esteban German is second on Round Rock's single-season list with 34 stolen bases. He trails only Josh Anderson (40, 2007) on the list. German also is in the PCL and was successful on 16 of his last 18 stolen base attempts.

SLUMP STOPPERS

Round Rock has lost consecutive games only 15 times, going 13-2 in subsequent games. The Express have only one skid of more than two games - a four-game slump in mid-July; Round Rock is 6-2 since then. Furthermore, the Express have lost consecutive games to the same team only five times. New Orleans is the only team to accomplish the feat twice.

NO REST FOR THE WEARY

The Express continue a 29-game, 28-day stretch tonight. With only one off-day between the All-Star break and the end of the regular season, Round Rock will play 54 games in 54 days. The Express are 13-7 in that time.

HOME SWEET HOME

After struggling at The Dell Diamond early in the season, the Express have been strong at home over the past month. Round Rock is 34-22 (.607) at home, winning 17 of 23 home games since June 18. The Express own the league's third-best home record behind Reno (34-18, .654) and Albuquerque (34-21, .618). Round Rock has won six home series, lost three and split five. The Express have swept three home series (Omaha once, Nashville twice) and have not been swept at home.

EXPRESS STRONG ON THE ROAD, AS WELL

Round Rock (31-23, .574) owns the best road record in the American Conference and the PCL's second-best road record behind only Sacramento (35-16, .686). The Express and Omaha (28-25, .528) are the only American Conference teams at or above .500 on the road; in fact, each of the other six American Conference teams is at least eight games under .500 on the road. Round Rock has won five road series, lost four and split four. Two of the four road series losses were three-game sets (1-2 in each); the Express swept a four-game series at Oklahoma City in mid-April and have not been swept on the road.

BIG-FLY GUYS

The Express enter today's game with 145 home runs on the season - second in the league behind only Reno (151). Round Rock was the first PCL team to 100 home runs this season and has 11 more homers than any other American Conference team (Albuquerque). The Express clubbed 62 homers over the last 42 games after being shutout in consecutive games.

EXPRESS ON RECORD HOMER PACE

Round Rock already has eclipsed the franchise's season home-run totals from 2007 (134), 2009 (97) and 2010 (108). The Express hit 170 home runs in 2006, an average of 1.18 per game and still the club's Triple-A era (since 2005) record. The 2011 Express average 1.32 home runs per game and are on pace to hit 190 on the season. Since the Express joined the PCL in 2005, only one team has eclipsed 190 homers in a season - Albuquerque hit 197 in 2008. Tacoma led the PCL with 185 home runs last season despite finishing 15th out of 16 teams in the league in team batting average (.264).

OFFENSE STRUGGLES WITHOUT HOMERS

The Express have homered in 72 of 110 games this season, going 49-23 in those games. However, Round Rock is 16-22 when failing to hit at least one home run. The Express average 3.82 runs per game (145 total) when failing to homer. Meanwhile, Round Rock averages 6.40 runs per game (461 total) when hitting at least one home run. The Express have homered in 35 of their last 52 games and scored a total of 54 runs in the other 17 games (3.00 runs per game), getting shutout three times and scoring one run four times.

MORE HOME-RUN NUMBERS

Only twice this season has Round Rock gone more than two straight games without a home run - a four-game stretch in mid-April, and a three-game stretch in early July. ... Round Rock has scored more than six runs without the benefit of a home run only once since June 3 - a 10-1 victory July 29 over Memphis. ... The Express have won 22 of their last 27 games when hitting at least one home run. ... Round Rock has homered at least twice 44 times, going 34-10 in those games. The Express have won 15 of their last 17 games when hitting multiple homers. ... Round Rock has homered multiple times in 15 road games, going 12-3 in those games. ... The Express are 17-2 when hitting at least three home runs and 7-0 when hitting at least four home runs. ... Round Rock has four four-homer games (June 18 vs. Omaha, June 19 vs. Omaha, July 2 vs. Nashville and July 28 vs. New Orleans), two five-homer games (May 15 at Las Vegas, June 28 vs. Oklahoma City) and one six-homer game (April 9 vs. Iowa). ... The six-homer game was the second-best game total in franchise history, a single-game Dell Diamond record and one homer shy of the club record set at Albuquerque in 2006.

BIG-INNING THEORY

Round Rock is 22-6 this season when scoring at least four runs in an inning and 43-39 when failing to do such. However, the difference in record is even more pronounced based upon what the opponent does. The Express are 59-25 when not allowing an inning of at least four runs but 5-20 when the opponent posts such an inning. Round Rock posted an inning of at least four runs in three of the five victories when allowing an inning of at least four runs. Likewise, the opponent had an inning of at least four runs in four of Round Rock's six losses with an inning of at least four runs. Express pitchers have not allowed four-plus runs in an inning since a five-run fourth inning in a 10-4 loss July 26 against Memphis - a span of 51 consecutive innings. Round Rock is 5-1 since the July 26 game.

COMEBACK KIDS

The Express have 35 comeback wins this season (trailing at any point in the game). Round Rock has won 13 times when trailing after five innings, nine times when trailing after six innings, nine times when trailing after seven innings and five times when trailing entering the ninth inning.

FIVE IS THE KEY

Round Rock is 54-14 this season when scoring at least five runs, going 11-31 when scoring fewer than five runs. Meanwhile, Round Rock is 41-14 when allowing fewer than five runs and 24-31 when allowing five or more, losing seven of their last 10 in that situation.

ROUND ROCK ECLIPSES 2010 WIN TOTAL

The Express have surpassed win totals from the 2008 (64), 2009 (63), 2007 (61) and 2010 (57) seasons. The 2010 Express - then the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros - posted their 57th and final victory Sept. 4 in the season's antepenultimate game. Round Rock finished above .500 only twice since joining Triple-A in 2005. The Express won the American Southern Division title in 2006 with an 85-59 record and finished 74-70 in 2005.

EXPRESS LEAD PCL IN ATTENDANCE

Round Rock leads the PCL in attendance, averaging 8,510 fans per game. Sacramento is second with an 8,027 per-game average, while Albuquerque (7,862) is third. Round Rock is on pace to eclipse the 600,000 plateau for the sixth time in seven Triple-A seasons and the 11th time in franchise history (12 seasons). The Express have finished second or third in the PCL each season since joining the league in 2005.

TEAM NOTES

* Round Rock has surpassed win totals from 2007 (61), 2008 (64), 2009 (63) and 2010 (57).

* The Express have 32 triples, tied for the third-best total in franchise history (Triple-A era). However, no Express batter has tripled since July 10.

* Round Rock has lost more than two consecutive games only once, dropping four straight. The Express are 13-2 following consecutive losses.

* The Express have stranded 115 runners over the last 13 games despite hitting .354 (58-for-164) with runners in scoring position during that stretch.

* The Express are 20-12 in one-run games and 32-21 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

* Opponents have scored first in 60 of 1110 games this season. The Express are 29-31 in those games, going 13-13 when responding with at least one run in their next at bat.

* Round Rock has produced at least 15 hits 19 times.

* The Express have produced at least 10 hits in 11 of their last 14 games.

* Round Rock is hitting .319 (204-for-640) over the last 17 games.

* The Express have 17 last-at-bat wins, including nine walk-off victories and three game-ending homers.

* Round Rock is 9-3 in extra-inning games, including a 4-0 mark at The Dell Diamond.

* The Express are 49-15 when holding the opponent to fewer than six runs.

* Round Rock is 35-14 when scoring first and 26-13 when scoring in the first inning.

* The Express are 22-15 when allowing a first-inning run.

* Round Rock is 43-9 when out-hitting the opponent.

* The Express are 50-7 when leading after six innings, 48-6 when leading after seven innings and 48-4 when leading after eight innings.

* Round Rock has won eight of 12 games when tied after eight innings.

* The Express have out-scored their opponents 286-197 in innings four through six, including a 107-62 advantage in the sixth.

PLAYER NOTES

JOEY BUTLER

* Snapped nine-game hitting streak Sunday night in ignominious fashion, going 0-for-5 with five strikeouts

* 10 strikeouts with no walks over last four games

* Hit .514 (19-for-37) during nine-game streak

* Hitless in consecutive games only twice with no three-game hitless streaks

* Has not gone hitless in consecutive games since June 16-17

* Eight hitting streaks of at least five games, four of at least nine games, two of at least 10 games

* Seven multiple-hit games in the last nine games - one multiple-hit outing in previous 12 games

* Second on team with 29 multiple-hit games

* Hit safely in 20 of last 23 games (.360, 32-for-89)

* Recorded at least one hit in 15 of 17 games with at least five at bats

* Hit safely in 71 of 82 games with at least one at bat

* Hitting .356 (53-for-149) at The Dell Diamond with hits in 37 of 41 games

* Five of seven home runs were hit in the sixth inning

* Reached 100-plus hits for third consecutive season

* 60 of 103 hits (58.3 percent) have come with bases empty

KEVIN CASH

* Snapped an eight-game hitting streak last night, going 0-for-3 with a walk

* Hit .469 (15-for-32) with six multiple-hit outings during his eight-game hitting streak

* Hit safely in 12 of last 14 games (.426, 23-for-54) with nine multiple-hit games

* Hitless in nine consecutive at bats prior to last 13 games

* Raised average 60 points over last 14 games

* Reached safely in 16 straight games

* Scored 11 runs over last 10 games with at least one run scored in all but two games during that time

* At least one run scored in four of last five games

* 6-for-31 (.194) with runners in scoring position and less than two outs but 12-for-36 (.333) with runners in scoring position and two outs, producing 14 RBI

* Three of five home runs were leadoff shots

* .714 on base percentage with bases loaded, going 2-for-4 with three walks and nine RBI

ROBINZON DIAZ

* Has not gone hitless in consecutive games, collecting at least one hit in 21 of 27 games with the Express

* 11 multiple-hit games

* Hit safely in nine of 10 games with at least one plate appearance at The Dell Diamond

* Hitting .432 (16-for-37) at home

* Each of first 16 hits with Express were singles

* Hitting .365 (19-for-52) when batting ninth; .268 (15-for-56) elsewhere in the order

CODY EPPLEY

* 10 walks against 10 strikeouts over last 10 appearances

* At least one walk in 16 of last 18 outings, including nine walks in last seven

* Converted eight of nine save opportunities

* Six of eight saves were on the road

* Stranded 11 of 18 inherited runners, including nine of 11 at home

* Issued nine leadoff walks against six strikeouts

* Opponents hitting .179 (5-for-28) with runners in scoring position and two outs

ESTEBAN GERMAN

* Riding 11-game hitting streak (.417, 20-for-48) with six multiple-hit outings

* Hit safely in 12 of last 13 games after season's first three-game skid

* Scored 14 runs in last nine games with at least one run scored in all but one game in that span

* At least one stolen base in six of last eight games, seven of last 10 with nine swipes in that time

* Tied Express single-game record with three stolen bases July 28 vs. Memphis

* Second in PCL with 34 stolen bases

* Second on Express single-season stolen base list (Triple-A era) - six shy of tying record

* Successful on 16 of last 18 stolen base attempts

* Leads team with 31 multiple-hit games, 13 games of three-plus hits, and three games of four-plus hits

* Hitting .243 (9-for-37) after eighth inning

NICK GREEN

* Hit .208 (64-for-308) with 10 home runs and 46 RBI in 87 games with Norfolk Tides of the International League

* Acquired July 19 from Baltimore Orioles for Zach Phillips in waiver trade

* Singled in first Express at bat July 21

* Clubbed first home run with Express (solo) July 23 at Omaha

* Hitting .211 (4-for-19) over last four games

MARK HAMBURGER

* One earned run allowed over last five outings (8.1 innings) with six strikeouts against one walk in that time

* 4-1, 2.76 ERA (9 ER / 29.1 IP) since June 6

* Allowed three-plus earned runs five times - 1.85 ERA (7 ER / 34.0 IP) in other 19 appearances

* One home run allowed (solo) in last 17 appearances (29.2 innings)

* Holds opponents to a .227 average at The Dell Diamond, .302 on the road

* Opponents are 7-for-38 (.211) leading off an inning with one home run

DEREK HANKINS

* One win since May 12 (at Memphis, July 15)

* Tied for fourth in PCL with 18 home runs allowed

* At least one home run surrendered in 12 of 21 appearances

* Has not allowed a home run over last four outings

* Opponents hitting .385 (15-for-39) with runners in scoring position and two outs

ERIC HURLEY

* Express are 9-1 in his starts, winning nine straight

* Won six of last seven starts - five straight

* 3.05 ERA (15 ER / 44.1 IP) through fifth inning - 8.53 ERA (6 ER / 6.1 IP) thereafter

* 2-0, 0.68 ERA, .196 opponents' average in three road starts

* Holds opponents to a .143 mark (3-for-21) with runners in scoring position and two outs

* All six home runs allowed were solo shots

ZACH JACKSON

* Won seven of last 10 decisions

* Express are 14-5 in his starts, best of any pitcher on staff

* Round Rock has won nine of his last 11 starts

* Averages staff-best 6.84 runs of support

* Opposing batters hit .284 on the road, .324 at The Dell Diamond

* 10 of 15 home runs allowed were at home

* All five home runs allowed on the road were solo shots

BEAU JONES

* 16 strikeouts, 11.0 innings over last eight outings

* Snapped streak of six consecutive outing with at least one walk in last appearance

* Allowed more than one earned run five times

* 1.83 ERA (7 ER / 34.1 IP) in other 23 outings

* Opponents are 3-for-16 (.188) with runners in scoring position and two outs

MATT KATA

* Matched career high with 11 home runs

* Most home runs in season since hitting 10 between Arizona (seven) and Tucson (three) in 2003

* Hitting .366 (26-for-71) since All-Star break with six home runs and 24 RBI in 18 games

* Seven multiple-hit outings in last 15 games, including a trio of three-hit outings

* Nine multiple-hit performances in last 23 games after going 18 straight games without a multiple-hit outing

* Has not gone hitless in consecutive games since June 1-2

* Hit safely in 29 of last 32 games (.344, 43-for-125)

* 12 multiple-RBI outings in last 30 games with 32 RBI in that time

* Reached safely in 45 of last 48 games, including 19 straight

* Struck out looking three times in a seven-at-bat stretch July 22-24 at Omaha after striking out looking only twice in season's first 256 at bats

* Hitting .331 (40-for-121) when second or eighth in the lineup - hitting .266 (46-for-173) elsewhere

* Hitting .188 (12-for-64) when leading off an inning

* Produced 22 of 56 RBI with runners on base and two outs, hitting .423 (22-for-52) in that situation

* Hitting .389 (14-for-36) with runners in scoring position and two outs

MICHAEL KIRKMAN

* Optioned to Round Rock from Texas prior to July 3 game

* Third stint with Express this season

* 16 of 35 runs allowed were in two outings - April 7 vs. Iowa (10), July 5 at Albuquerque (6)

* 2.96 ERA (16 ER / 48.2 IP) in other 16 appearances

* Allowed 11 walks in 8.0 innings over last four outings

* Averaging 13.69 strikeouts per nine innings (37 K / 24.1 IP) as a reliever

VAL MAJEWSKI

* Began season with York of the Independent Atlantic League

* Earned Midseason All-Star honors with York

* Signed to minor league contract July 25 and joined Express following day

* Also played for Express as a member of Astros organization in 2008

* Hit safely (double) in third at bat with Express

* First Triple-A hit (double) since Aug. 30, 2008, with Express

* Home run July 27 was first at Triple-A level Aug. 21, 2008, also with Express

* Hit safely in each of first seven Express games with four multiple-hit outings

* 3-for-7, two home runs leading off an inning

LEONYS MARTIN

* Signed as a non-drafted free agent May 4, 2011

* Hit .348 with four homers and 10 stolen bases in 29 games with Double-A Frisco

* Assigned to Express prior to July 9 game

* Seven multiple-hit games, including one three-hit game and one four-hit game

* Hitting .139 (5-for-36) over last eight games after hitting .395 (17-for-43) in first 10 games with Express

* Hitting .500 (12-for-24) with runners in scoring position

* 9-for-14 (.643) with runners in scoring position and two outs

BRAD NELSON

* Went 2-for-5 with a home run last night after going hitless in previous two games

* Has not gone hitless in three straight games since June 5-7

* Nine strikeouts over last five games with at least one strikeout in each game

* Seven home runs in last 53 at bats after hitting two in previous 122 at bats

* Hitting .304 (35-for-115) as designated hitter, .259 (60-for-232) when playing in the field

* 9-for-51 (.176) with runners in scoring position and two outs

* Hitting .344 (11-for-32) after the eighth inning

* Tied for third on team with 28 multiple-hit games

DARREN O'DAY

* No runs allowed in 10 of 12 appearances with the Express

* All three runs allowed were on home runs - June 30 vs. Nashville (Brett Carroll, two runs) and July 28 vs. Memphis (Bryan Anderson solo)

* Walk issued July 28 vs. Memphis was first since first batter faced in an Express uniform (June 22 at New Orleans)

* Opponents are 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position (0-for-6 with two outs)

MARTIN PEREZ

* Widely considered to prospect in Rangers organization

* Began season with Double-A Frisco

* 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 16 starts and one relief appearance with RoughRiders

* Tallied 83 strikeouts against 36 walks over 88.1 innings with a .245 opponents' average at Frisco

* Pitched in 2011 MLB Futures Game

* Assigned to Round Rock prior to July 14 game

* Earned victory in first career Triple-A start July 16 at Memphis

* 2-0, 4.50 ERA (5 ER / 10.0 IP) in two road starts

* 0-2, 11.88 ERA (11 ER / 8.1 IP) in two starts at The Dell Diamond

* Holds opponents to a .113 average (2-for-15) with runners in scoring position and two outs

GUILDER RODRIGUEZ

* Began season with Double-A Frisco

* Assigned to Round Rock prior to July 9 game

* Recorded first Triple-A hit this season July 10 vs. Memphis (single)

* Hitting .227 (5-for-22) over last seven games

* Seven walks against three strikeouts in last nine games

PEDRO STROP

* 1.83 ERA (4 ER / 19.2 IP) in 15 road outings - 5.40 ERA (12 ER / 16.2 IP) in 16 home appearances

* Allowed three earned runs in 17.2 innings over last 17 outings (1.53 ERA)

* 1.17 ERA (1 ER / 7.2 IP) in eight outings since All-Star break

* Snapped streak of eight consecutive appearances with at least one strikeout in last outing

* Stranded nine of 16 inherited runners

* One home run allowed over 82.0 innings at the Triple-A level since surrendering two homers May 3, 2009

* Opponents hitting .340 (17-for-50) with runners in scoring position

BRETT TOMKO

* Credited with win in each of last four decisions

* Express are 7-1 in his eight outings

* At least one home run allowed in 11 of 14 appearances

* Season high seven strikeouts vs. Memphis in last start (July 28)

* At least three runs allowed in six consecutive outings

CHAD TRACY

* 4-for-9 in last two games after three-game hitless streak

* Sunday night was first multiple-hit game since two-hit outing July 20 vs. New Orleans

* Fourth in PCL with 85 RBI

* Tallied six RBI since four-RBI game July 19 vs. New Orleans

* Fifth on Express single-season RBI list (Triple-A era)

* Seven home runs, 39 RBI with runners on base and two outs

* Leads the team in hits with runners in scoring position (49)

* Also leads team with 41 two-out hits and 46 two-out RBI

* Tied for third on team with 28 multiple-hit games

* Leads team with 26 multiple-RBI games

RYAN TUCKER

* Has not allowed more than one run in any of last nine relief appearances

* 1.98 ERA (3 ER / 13.2 IP) with 11 strikeouts against two walks in those outings

* Three of four home runs allowed were solo shots

* Opponents are 3-for-6 with six RBI with bases loaded

* Win July 25 at Omaha was first since April 25

NEXT SERIES

Round Rock returns home for the season's final multiple-series home stand. The Express open the eight-game stand with a four-game series against the Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). The series starts Wednesday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch and continues Thursday at 7:05 p.m., Friday at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday at 6:05 p.m.

GAME 112 | WENDESDAY, AUG. 3 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Eric Hurley (6-0, 3.73 ERA)

Bees: RHP Jerome Williams (5-2, 4.35 ERA)

GAME 113 | THURSDAY, AUG. 4 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: RHP Ryan Tucker (2-3, 4.75 ERA)

Bees: RHP Matt Palmer (6-9, 7.30 ERA)

GAME 114 | FRIDAY, AUG. 5 | 7:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Martin Perez (2-2, 7.36 ERA)

Bees: RHP Eric Junge (6-8, 4.98 ERA)

GAME 115 | SATURDAY, AUG. 6 | 6:05 p.m. CDT

Express: LHP Zach Jackson (9-4, 5.86 ERA)

Bees: RHP Ronald Bay (7-7, 4.73 ERA)

Check out the Round Rock Express Statistics

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