Royals on the Farm 6/13

AAA: Oklahoma pitchers kept the O-Royals in check and the RedHawks took the series opener from Omaha, 4-1. Omaha's only run came in the 2nd on a solo homer by DH Calvin Pickering (his 5th). The O-Royals scraped together only 6 hits in the game. SP Shawn Camp dropped to 1-4 as he allowed 2 ER on 5 hits over 2 1/3 IP to bump his ERA to 4.60. RP Dennis Tankersley gave up 1 ER on 2 hits with 4 Ks over 3 2/3 IP to lower his ERA to 5.17. RP Stephen Bray made his first Omaha appearance and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits and a BB with 4 Ks over 2 IP to establish a 4.50 ERA. 2B Justin Gemoll was 0-4 to drop to .316. Pickering was 2-4 with the HR and RBI to improve to .175 and C Paul Phillips was 2-3 to improve his BA to .250.

Omaha is 28-37 and 6 1/2 games back of Memphis now. Tonight's pitching matchup is Danny Tamayo (3-4, 5.68) against Redhawk LHP Wilfredo Rodriguez (0-0).

AA: Wichita swept a twinbill from division-leader Tulsa as the Wranglers overcame a 7-run Tulsa 4th in game 1 and rode the pitching of Barry Armitage to a win in game 2. In game 1, Tulsa took an early 1-0 lead but Wichita scored once in the 2nd on an RBI single by 3B Brennan King that scored SS Mike Aviles, who led off the inning with a triple. The Wranglers added 4 in the 3rd on an RBI single by DH Josh Pressley, an RBI single by Aviles, an RBI force out by C Mathew Tupman and an RBI double by King. Tulsa scored its touchdown in the 4th to take a 8-5 lead but Wichita scored 2 in the 5th on a throwing error on a King sac bunt that scored Aviles and an RBI single by CF Mitch Maier. Aviles hit his 8th homer in the 6th and King followed two batters later with his 4th to give Wichita a 9-8 lead. RP Shawn Sonnier set the Drillers down in order in the 7th to seal the win. SP Kyle Middleton was rocked for 8 ER on 10 hits and 4 BB over 3 2/3 IP and K'd 3 as his ERA rose to
3.41. RP Thad Markray got the win to move to 2-2 as he pitched 2 1/3 nearly perfect innings (he hit one batter) to drop his ERA to 5.20. Sonnier picked up his 4th save with the perfect 9th to drop his ERA to 2.32. Maier was 2-4 with an RBI to improve his BA to .262, 1B Justin Huber was 2-4 to raise his average to .332 and Pressley was 1-3 with a BB and RBI to drop to .306. Aviles had a great game, going 4-4 with a triple, HR, 2 RBI and 3 RS (double short of the cycle) to hike his BA to .293; and King was 3-3 with a double, HR and 3 RBI (triple short of cycle) to improve to .264.

In game 2, Wichita scored 2 in the 2nd and the pitchers took it from there in a 2-1 win. The Wranglers scored their runs on an RBI single by C John Draper and an RBI force out by RF Wilkin Ruan. Wichita pitchers 3-hit the Drillers led by SP Barry Armitage, who went 5 IP and allowed 2 hits and 3 BB with 3 Ks to improve to 1-1 and lower his ERA to 4.08. RP Jonah Bayliss got his 4th save as he went 2 IP and allowed 1 ER on 1 hit with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 2.98. Huber DH'ed and went 1-3 to hang at .332. Pressley was 0-3 to drop to .301 and Aviles was 1-3 to improve to .293. Ruan stole 2 bases to move to 9 for the season.

Wichita is 32-32 and 6 games back of Tulsa as the Drillers need one win to clinch the first-half title. RHP Ryan Baerlocher (0-0, 8.31) will make his second start, this time against Tulsa righty Jon Asahina (7-3, 2.62).

High-A: High Desert SP Chris Coughlin allowed 3 early runs and the Mavs couldn't get in front as they lost, 3-2, to Rancho Cucamonga. The Quakes scored 1 in each of the 1st through 3rd innings and High Desert didn't score until the 6th when 2B Adam Keim cracked a 2-run homer for his 12th of the year to make it a 1-run game. The Mavs got a runner in the 9th but couldn't score to drop the game. Coughlin dropped to 0-6 as he allowed the 3 ER over 7 2/3 IP on 4 hits and 3 BB with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 5.65. RP Chris Demaria pitched 1/3 of an inning to drop his ERA to 2.90. 1B Kila Kaaihue was 0-2 with 2 BB to drop his BA to .335 (his OBP is still very healthy at .433) and DH Brandon Powell was 1-4 to drop to .327. I'd like to see Kaaihue get sent to Wichita if and when Huber moves up to Omaha or KC.

High Desert is 31-32 and 4 games back of Lake Elsinore. SP Kahi Kaanoi (3-6, 5.63) goes for High Desert tonight in the first of a 3-game home set with Visalia (25-39).

Low-A: A 7-run 4th was all Burlington needed as the Bees defeated Cedar Rapids, 8-3. The game was scoreless entering the 4th when the Bees put together a 7-spot on a wild pitch that scored 3B Mario Lisson, a bases-loaded walk to DH Rusty Brown, a sac fly by 2B Eddie Solis, an RBI single by CF Geraldo Valentin and a 3-run triple by 1B Edward Lucas. The Bees tallied their last run in the 8th on an RBI single by SS Irving Falu. SP Daniel Christensen earned his first win to move to 1-3. He allowed 1 ER on 4 hits and 5 BB with 3 Ks over 5 IP to drop his ERA to 3.74. RP Justin Sherman worked 3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 3 hits with a K to move his ERA to 1.93. RP Chad Blackwell pitched the 9th and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits to bump his ERA to 2.37. Lucas was 2-4 with a triple, BB and 3 RBI to improve to .319. RF Brian McFall was 2-4 with a double and walk to improve to .224 and LF Pete Maestrales was 0-3 with 2 BB to drop to .296. Falu was 2-4 to improve to .219.

Burlington is 32-32 and 4 games back of Wisconsin. RH Luis Cota (2–3, 2.43) takes the mound for the Bees in game 2 of the series tonight.