Rosenblatt goes out with a bang

• Photo Showcase: Final night of baseball at Rosenblatt Stadium

• Photo Showcase: Rosenblatt Stadium through the years

• Box Score: Omaha Royals 6, Round Rock 2

• Buy the book: Rosenblatt Stadium: Omaha's Diamond on the Hill

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Mike Moustakas hit the last homer, Jordan Parraz scored the last run, Jarrod Dyson had the last hit, and Brandon Barnes made the last out.

And baseball at Rosenblatt Stadium is no more.

The Omaha Royals' 6-2 victory Thursday night before a nostalgic and increasingly festive announced crowd of 23,795 at Rosenblatt signaled the likely end to baseball in the 62-year-old ballpark, which still has a few football games scheduled for this fall and an uncertain future beyond that.

The Royals (78-62), mired in mediocrity for most of the last 11 playoff-less years, at least gave fans an entertaining and competitive final 13-game homestand which each game carrying playoff implications.

Rosenblatt, which played host to Hall of Famers like Bob Gibson and George Brett in earlier eras, and contemporary stars like Zack Greinke and Billy Butler in more recent years, may have seen one more future star prepare for the final step before the major leagues.

Moustakas continued his red-hot hitting in what could well be a minor-league player of the year season.

Moustakas homered for eighth time in eight games in the bottom of the first, a line drive to right center that also scored Dyson, who had led off the inning with the first of his four singles.

Round Rock took a brief lead in the first, as Oswaldo Navarro doubled, moved to third on a single by Drew Locke and scored on a wild pitch.

After Moustakas' homer, the Royals pushed it to 4-1 in the third, with Scott Thorman driving in a run with a sacrifice fly and Irving Falu adding another by scoring on a wild pitch.

Round Rock scored off reliever Edgar Osuna (1-3) on an RBI single by Edwin Maysonet in the top of the fourth. But Omaha got it back in the bottom half of the inning as Cody Clark drew a leadoff walk and eventually scored on another infield single by Dyson, making it 5-2.

Round Rock, the PCL's worst team at 55-85, lost its ninth straight game.

Luke Hochevar, in his second injury rehabilitation appearance with Omaha because of an elbow strain, gave up one run on two hits in three innings, with no walks and three strikeouts. He threw 28 of his 42 pitches for strikes, though he did have two wild pitches — including one that set up Round Rock's first run.

Contact the writer:

444-1027, rob.white@owh.com

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