Omaha vs. Tucson at Tucson Electric Park, 9:00 p.m.
LAST NIGHT: The Royals rallied for 2 runs in the top of the 9th to edge Tucson 5-4. Chris Lubanski led off the 9th and reached on an error by Sidewinnders 2nd baseman Wilkin Castillo. After Gookie Dawkins struck out, Brayan Pena and Jason Smith delivered back-to-back RBI doubles to put Omaha on top. Yasuhiko Yabuta (2-3) got the win, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits over 3.0 innings. Tucson scored 2 runs off the Japanese right-hander in the 7th to take a 4-3 lead. Jeff Fulchino picked up his 4th save by hurling a perfect 9th inning, striking out Tim Raines, Jr. to end the game. Reid Mahon (0-1) gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in 2.0 frames to take the loss.
ROYALS REPORT: Prior to Sunday's come-from-behind victory, the Royals were 1-36 this season when trailing after 8 innings. Last night marked Omaha's 17th comeback win of the year and improved the Royals' record in games decided in the final at-bat to 8-18. *** Lubanski broke a 2-2 tie in the 7th inning last night with his 11th home run of the season and his 3rd in the past 4 contests. The homer extended his hitting streak to 7 games, matching his longest of the season. During the string, he's hitting .385 (10-for-26) with a double, 2 triples, 3 home runs and 5 RBI. *** Fulchino's save was the 1st for a Royals reliever since July 12 and just the 2nd since June 24. Omaha's bullpen is just 2-for-8 in converting save opportunities in July. *** Smith had 3 hits last night, posting his 25th multi-hit effort of the year. The double was his 20th of the season and he knocked in 2 runs to give him a team-best 61 RBI. *** Mike Stodolka is batting at a .426 clip (20-for-47) over his last 12 games, hitting 2 homers and driving in 6 runs. *** Over his last 24 tilts, Ryan Shealy owns a .395 average (34-for-86) with 4 home runs and 16 RBI. *** After 217 relief appearances between the minors and big leagues in his 5-year professional career, Josh Newman made his 1st career start Sunday night. The 26-year old lefty gave up 2 runs on 3 hits over 2.2 innings, walking 2 and striking out 1. His ERA after his 3rd game with Omaha climbed 45 points to 2.45, matching his ERA in 20 games earlier this season with Colorado Springs. *** Devon Lowery's 2.2 scoreless stanzas on Sunday lowered his ERA in 11 road games for Omaha to 1.80. He has a 3.10 ERA in the same number of outings at Rosenblatt. *** Dawkins and Damon Hollins each had 1 hit last night as both extended their hit strings to 5 games. Hollins is 5-for-19 (.263) with a homer and 4 RBI, while Dawkins is 6-for-24 (.250) with no RBI. *** Matt Tupman has put together a 4-game hit streak, matching his longest of the year. In his last 6 games, he's 10-for-24 (.417) with 4 doubles and 6 RBI.
STARTERS: RH Brandon Duckworth (3-11, 5.04) vs. LH Evan MacLane (5-6, 4.86)
Duckworth makes his 16th start (23rd appearance) of the season. The 32-year old right-hander opened 2008 in Omaha's bullpen, before taking the rotation spot of Mike Maroth, who was released by KC on April 30. His last start was at Las Vegas last Wednesday, when he took the loss in the Royals' 11-6 defeat (5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 BB, 2 K, 1 HR). Duckworth has lost 5 consecutive starts, 6 decisions in a row and 10 of his last 11 decisions. In 105.1 innings this season, he has surrendered 21 home runs - tied for 2nd-most in the PCL - after allowing just 3 homers in 46.2 innings for KC last year. In 2007, Duckworth made KC's Opening Day roster after being a non-roster invitee at Spring Training, and was 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA and 1 save in 26 games (3 starts). He tore his left oblique last June 13 vs. St. Louis and was placed on the D.L. the next day. In rehab stints with Wilmington and Omaha, he combined for 20 strikeouts and 3 walks in 19.0 innings, before being activated by KC September 1. After opening the 2006 season with the Pirates' Triple-A club, Indianapolis, Duckworth was acquired by KC in exchange for cash on June 10. He went 1-5 with a 6.11 ERA in 10 games (8 starts) for KC, before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery on August 15. Duckworth has spent at least part of the last 7 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Phillies, Astros and Royals. On August 5, 2002 vs. the Dodgers, he struck out the 1st 6 batters of the game, becoming the 1st big league pitcher to fan that many batters to begin a game since Jim Deshaies struck out a Major League record 8 in a row on Sept. 23, 1986, also vs. the Dodgers. He was originally signed by the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent in August 1997 out of Cal State Fullerton.
PROBABLES FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES:
Tue., 9:00 p.m.: LH Dusty Hughes (2-0, 3.67) vs. RH A.J. Shappi (1-3, 6.37)