Ariel Pena takes the hill tonight against Round Rock. The righty is 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA in two appearances with the Sky Sox this season. (Bobby Stevens/MiLB.com)

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox return home and open up an 8-game homestand with the first of four against the Round Rock Express tonight at Security Service Field. The Sky Sox will welcome in the Oklahoma City Dodgers for the final four games later in the week. The Sky Sox enter play today at 9-12, tied for 3rd place in the PCL American Northern Division, 4.5 games behind first place Omaha. The Express enjoy a 12-10 record and sit atop the PCL American Southern Division by 1.0 game over the New Orleans Zephyrs. Tonight marks the first of of 16 matchups between the two clubs in 2016.

Before we dive into tonight’s game the Brewers and Sky Sox have announced a few roster moves:

SUMMARY:
ADD: RHP Taylor Jungmann transferred from Milwaukee to Colorado Springs

Jungmann began the season in the Brewers starting rotation, but struggled in his first five starts going 0-4 with a 9.15 ERA. In 20 2/3 innings the righty gave up 22 runs (21 earned) on 27 hits, 13 walks and 13 strikeouts. Jungmann made 11 appearances (9 starts) with the Sky Sox in 2015 and tallied a 2-3 record with a 6.37 ERA in 59 1/3 innings. He is scheduled to get the start tomorrow against Round Rock.

DEL: RHP Junior Guerra recalled to Milwaukee

Guerra departs the Sky Sox and heads to Milwaukee for the first time of his career and to The Show for the second after making three appearances with the White Sox. The righty was arguably the best starter for the Sky Sox. In four starts he went 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA in 23 1/3 innings he allowed 12 earned runs on 17 hits, 9 walks and a team-high 23 strikeouts.

Today’s Game Notes / Listen Live at 6:00 MDT / Lineups

Colorado Springs Sky Sox (8-11) vs. Round Rock Express (12-10) – 6:35 p.m. – Security Service Field – Colorado Springs, Colorado

Pitching Matchup: RHP Ariel Pena (0-0, 3.18) vs. RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (1-2, 4.09 )

Sky Sox Pitcher: RHP Ariel Pena continues to get stretched out after beginning the season in Milwaukee’s bullpen. The righty is slated to make his third start with the Sky Sox and is still in search of the fourth inning. Over his first two turns, Pena has logged 5 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He threw 37 pitches (23 strikes) in the first outing against Nashville at home and 55 pitches (33 strikes) the second on the road against Omaha.

Pena is 2-1 with a 5.59 ERA in seven MLB outings, all of them coming with the Brewers.

Last Time Out: 4/24/16 at Omaha – Pena got the start in Sunday’s game against the Storm Chasers and went 2 2/3 innings. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout, but couldn’t make it out of the 3rd inning. He’s reassuming the role of a starter here in 2016 and looks to make it 4 or 5 innings in game one.

2016 Game Log:

Express Pitcher: RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez is scheduled to make his fifth start of the season with Round Rock tonight against the Sky Sox. Through his first four outings the righty is 1-2 with a 4.09 ERA. in 22 innings he’s allowed 10 runs on 18 hits, 10 walks and 14 strikeouts, opponents are hitting .234 against the 24-year old. Gonzalez went 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA in 16 games with the Express last year, and earned the win in his lone start against the Sky Sox on April 23, 2015.

He made his MLB debut on 5/30/15 against the Red Sox and earned the victory with 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Gonzalez went 4-6 with a 3.90 ERA in 14 games (10 starts) to start his big-league career with the Texas Rangers.

Last Time Out: 4/26/16 at Memphis – Gonzalez earned the first win of his season with 7-innings against the Redbirds. He gave up a run on 2 hits, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. He tossed 90 pitches, 54 for strikes.

2016 Game Log:

Dan Karcher (@SkySoxKarch) continues his 27^th season behind the mic for Sky Sox games, he and I will both have the call of the first pitch from Security Service Field at 6:35 p.m. Sky Sox Warmup fires up at 6:00 MDT on XTRA Sports 1300.

Brewers Family Roundup

The Brewers walloped the Marlins 14-5 and salvaged the series finale yesterday at Miller Park…Chris Carter had two homers in the win…Milwaukee welcomes in former manager Ron Roenicke and the Los Angeles Angels into town for a three-game interleague series…The Shuckers had their game against the Smokies postponed yesterday and are set to play a doubleheader today at MGM Park in Biloxi…Brevard County doubled up the Tampa Yankees 4-2 yesterday…Eric Handhold went 6 2/3 innings and allowed 2 unearned runs on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts.…Wisconsin lost 5-3 to the Lansing Lugnuts…Jon Perrin struck out 8 in the loss…Max McDowell and Carlos Belonis had two hits each.

Thanks for reading! See you on the radio,

Dan

@Dan_Acheson