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Express limp into All-Star break By Scott Joiner After a big extra innings win on Independence Day, the Express and the Omaha Royals combined for 32 hits and 25 runs on Thursday, with Round Rock coming out on top with a 15-11 victory. Travis Driskill came on to preserve the win with a save by forcing a ground out to one of the Pacific Coast League's most dangerous hitters, Craig Brazell, to end the game. Seven Express players had multiple hits in the game and Cody Ransom, Mark Saccomanno and Tim Raines Jr. all connected for three hits. Ransom hit his 14th home run of the season in the fifth inning. He was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. The Express fell one run shy of their own single game record of 15 runs, which was against Iowa on April 23, 2006. The lead changed hands three times until the seventh inning, when the Express pulled away. Ransom got on base on an error and was brought home by singles from Josh Anderson and Saccomanno. Jesse Garcia then hit the third Express home run of the game to put Round Rock in control. Friday night the Express' youngest player, Troy Patton, 21, gave up three hits over four innings to lead the Express to a 3-1 win. Patton is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Houston Astros system and was just called up to Round Rock from Corpus Christi a few days prior to his Dell Diamond debut. Brooks Conrad gave the youngster some run support in the fourth inning with a solo home run, his 12th of the year. Patton retired six of the last seven batters he faced and gave up one run in the fourth inning. Round Rock broke the 1-1 tie in the sixth as Mike Rodriguez and Brooks Conrad each singled off Royals right -handed pitcher Bill Buckner. Raines Jr. hit an RBI-single to left field to put the Express in front. In the bottom of the seventh, Anderson, Saccomanno and Humberto Quintero singled off of John Bale and Garcia hit a sacrifice pop out to give the Express a 3-1 lead, which they held on to for the win. Saturday night, the Royals stopped Round Rock's four game winning streak, dealing the Express an 8-2 loss. Cody Ransom went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, marking his sixth multi-hit game in the last seven. Starting pitcher Chan Ho Park carried a no-hitter through three innings but gave up a lead-off home run to Mike Aviles. The home run started a three run rally that gave the Royals just their second win over the last nine games. Park finished with six earned runs on nine hits, three strikeouts and two walks. Juan Rodriguez hit a double to the left field corner in the sixth inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Raines Jr., but the Express still trailed 4-1. Jason Lane hit a single to right field and was brought home by a Ransom double for the only two runs of the night for the Express. In Sunday's last game before the PCL All-Star break, the Express had a ninth inning meltdown that led to a 5-4 loss to Omaha. Starting pitcher Juan Gutierrez gave up 10 hits with two earned runs over six inning, earning a no decision. Jason Lane led the way at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Rodriguez scored on an error to start the game and Danny Klassen made it 2-0 after Lane's first RBI of the game. Ransom made it a 3-0 lead with a grounder to third that scored Raines Jr. Rodriguez led the second inning off with a walk, and later scored on Lane's second RBI for a comfortable 4-0 lead. In the fifth inning, Omaha fought back with four singles, cutting the Express' lead to 4-2. Brazell doubled in the seventh to pull within one run. In the ninth inning, reliever Stephen Randolph walked Derek Wathan and an error put runners at first and third. Jace Brewer then hit a grounder to shortstop Jessie Garcia but his throw to home was late as the Royals tied the game. Randolph walked the next batter to load the bases and a Bill McCarthy sacrifice fly to center field put the Royals in front. The Royals came up with acrobatic plays in the ninth to preserve their lead and send the Express into the All-Star break with a loss.
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