After a rough 2-6 stretch during their season-opening eight game road trip, the Round Rock Express are hoping to return to last season’s winning form. The defending American South division champions will finally get their home schedule underway with a series against the Iowa Cubs this weekend.
Having squandered a couple of leads in the first 3 games against Omaha, the Round Rock Express had a rally come up short in Thursday’s series finally in route to getting swept by the Storm Chasers four games to none.
Trailing 5-0 in the 7th inning and managing just one hit against Omaha starter Nate Adcock, the Express offense came to life with the help of some arrant fielding by the Storm Chasers. Michael Bianucci drove in his 11th run of the season on a line drive single to center to bring the Express within 5-2.
He would then drive in Julio Borbon for his 12th RBI in the 9th inning on a groundball single to right. Joey Butler hit into a double play to end the comeback threat and leave the Express reeling with a 5-game losing streak.
The Express were swept for the first time since August 2010 and their 5-game losing streak is their longest since the same stretch in 2006.
The opening series at the Dell Diamond will be a rematch of the season opening series between the Cubs and Express that ended up tied at two games apiece.
Round Rock had the opening series in hand, but was unable to hold a 5-2 eighth inning lead against the Cubs. Brett Jackson’s walk-off double in Sunday’s 6-5 victory over the Express earned the cubs the series split.
Round Rock’s home-opener marks the start of an eight game home stand including a four-game set against the Iowa Cubs. The first pitch at the Dell Diamond is set for 7:05 p.m. and the Express will send right-hander Greg Reynolds to the mound. Reynolds will try to follow up on his first start of the season, where he gave up just two earned runs in six innings.