…but I LOVE it.
Kila Kaaihue hit a homer last night, and has yet another one tonight. (But Omaha still trails the Sounds, 5-3, at this writing.)
KILA NOW!
I have nothing to say about the Kansas City game, because I was outdoors and came inside just in time to hear things get really ugly in the 6th. Yes, I missed part of a Royals game, but I could not justify sitting at my computer listening to baseball when it’s 80 degrees and slightly breezy outside. So I went outside with a picnic blanket and wrote in a journal for two hours. Yay for fresh air! And not getting stung by wasps!
But anyways, back to Omaha. The roster is already all kinds of messed up, with Shane Costa and Dave Matranga each rehabbing injuries in Arizona. Mike Stodolka had an injury scare the other night, but should be good to go. But still, it says something when Brayan Pena has been playing the outfield for a few games and Brian Buchanan has taken over the backup catcher’s duties (not in games yet, but I have seen Buch catching out in the bullpen). Things seem to have gotten even hairier, as Angel Sanchez came out of tonight’s game after his groundout ended the top of the 3rd. I can only assume this was because of an injury, but Sanchez’s removal from the game necessitated a bunch of defensive moves. Gookie Dawkins switched from 3B to SS, Pena moved from RF to 3B (?), and Buchanan came off the bench to play RF and bat in Sanchez’s spot in the lineup.
As I typed all of that, the 5-3 Nashville score became final (in 7 innings – tonight is a DH to make up for a rainout in April). More significant than the potential loss of Sanchez (and the inevitable increase in playing time for Josh Labendeira, ugh) was the fact that tonight was Carlos Rosa’s first outing since July 13. He’s had some tightness and pain in his pitching arm. When I asked him a few days ago how the arm was feeling, he did say it was feeling good, but I hadn’t heard that he’d be pitching tonight.
In 1 inning (plus 3 batters) Rosa allowed 4 hits, 3 earned runs, and a walk. He did strike out two batters in the 1st, which is the kind of thing I have come to expect from him. I imagine he was on a tight pitch-count; the organization is being understandably careful with this potentially golden prospect, so I’m not too discouraged by tonight even though it didn’t produce a pretty line. If his arm really was feeling “good” (that’s a word he uses a lot), he’ll be back to his regular studly self soon, and a bit of order might be restored to Omaha’s chaotic pitching rotation.
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Other stuff I’ve done this weekend:
– Thoughts about the murder in Beijing, over at Getting to First Base
– My predictions for last-place finishers at Ladies…
Labels: baseball, linkage, Omaha Royals, prospects, Royals
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