Blog favorite* Lenny DiNardo took the mound for Omaha tonight, and delivered exactly the kind of outing for which I was hoping: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7K. Omaha won, 2-0.
*one of several
That one walk didn’t come until the 7th inning, when DiNardo walked Luis Maza with two men on and one out. I was glad to see Mike Jerschele leave DiNardo in at that point, even though Omaha was only leading 1-0. Jersch’s confidence in Lenny paid off – he got the next batter to ground into a double play to end the threat and keep the shutout intact.
Tonight was DiNardo’s 4th start of the year with a Game Score higher than 70. He started the year in the ‘pen, but since joining the rotation he’s been pretty good. Tonight was a good indicator of how good his control is – he walks just 1.71 per 9 innings, one of the best walk rates in the league, and the best among O-Royals starters (min. 60 IP).
Carlos Rosa came in to try and hold the Royals’ lead in the 8th, and ended up closing out the game, preserving the shutout, and earning his 3rd save. He allowed one hit, but erased that baserunner by inducing a double play from Blake DeWitt to end the 8th inning.
John Buck, rehabbing from a herniated disc, was 1-4 at the plate, with a single and a strikeout. He also reached on an error, which I sort of captured in a photo to be posted later (the famous PTBPL). UPDATE: The pics are up here.
- I meant to mention this yesterday, but didn’t get to it – I finally got to see Disco Hayes pitch in person Sunday, and it was awesome. He pitched the 8th and 9th innings, struck out two, and didn’t allow a hit. His 2 Ks brought the Royals’ total for the game to 7, allowing one lucky fan to win a Sonic gift card. How heroic. I have also had the opportunity to visit with Mrs. Disco, who is awesome, and also probably reading this. (Hi Tracy!) It’s a delight to have the Hayeses here in Omaha, and it was funny to listen to the fans react to Chris’ submarine style when he came into Sunday’s game. Some people hadn’t heard about him before, so there were a number of audible gasps from the stands.
- Monday was the 2nd consecutive day where both the Kansas City Royals and the O-Royals won. Both teams are well below .500, so their wins don’t line up often. You can bet I’ll figure out exactly how many times it has happened this year, but not right now.
- I took a bunch of pictures at tonight’s game, and will be uploading them shortly. I’ll post a link to the album when I’m finished.
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