Tamayo dabbles in perfection

Danny Tamayo flirted with perfection, but settled for allowing two hits over 8 1/3 innings as Omaha defeated Tacoma, 6-0, on Monday night.

Tamayo retired the first 19 batters he faced before issuing a walk to Chris Snelling with one out in the seventh inning. After a strikeout, Greg Dobbs spoiled the no-hit bid with a single up the middle. Second baseman Justin Gemoll ranged far to his right and knocked the ball down, but was unable to make the play at first.

Tamayo (6-7) struck out nine and walked one in his best start of the season, lowering his ERA to 5.61. Tamayo tired in the ninth, giving up a one-out single to Shin-Soo Choo and then hitting Snelling with a pitch. Jaime Cerda came in and walked Abraham Nunez to load the bases, but retired the final two batters to preserve the shutout.

Scott Walter, Chris Truby and Justin Huber each had consecutive run-scoring singles against Tacoma starter Bobby Livingston in the fourth inning as Omaha took a 3-0 lead. Livingston (2-1) gave up six runs -- four earned -- on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

The Royals took advantage of three Tacoma errors in the fifth to score three more runs. Adrian Brown reached when Dobbs made a fielding error at third base to lead off the inning. After Denny Hocking singled, first baseman Aaron Rifkin made an error on a grounder by Aaron Guiel that allowed Brown to score. Catcher Ryan Christianson made an error on a fielder's choice by Matt Diaz, allowing Hocking to score.