Royals on the Farm 7/23

AAA: Nine late runs helped Omaha to a 14-6 win over Nashville Saturday. Omaha got off to a good start with a run in the 1st on a solo homer by RF Aaron Guiel (his 23rd) but Nashville scored 2 in the 2nd off SP Dennis Tankersley to take the lead. Omaha tied it in the 2nd on an RBI single by SS Denny Hocking and, after the Sounds scored 2 in the 5th to make the score 4-2, Omaha scored 3 that inning on a bases-loaded walk by 2B Justin Gemoll and 2-run double by C Paul Phillips. Nashville tied it at 5 in the 6th but Omaha had a 4-run 7th on a grand slam by 3B Chris Truby (his 14th). Nashville made it 9-6 Omaha in the 8th but the O-Royals came back with 5 runs on an RBI double by LF Matt Diaz, a 2-run single by DH Calvin Pickering and a 2-run single by 1B Chad Santos. Tankersley went 5 innings and allowed 4 ER on 7 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to make his ERA 4.94. RP Shane Nance blew his 4th save but got the win with 3 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to improve to 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA. RP Santiago Ramirez went an inning and allowed 1 hit with 1 K to lower his ERA to 5.62. Everybody got a hit and only Gemoll didn't have at least a 2-hit game. Guiel was 3-4 with a BB, HR, RBI and 3 RS to improve to .271 and Diaz was 3-4 with a BB, double, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .343. CF Adrian Brown stole his 25th base.

Omaha is 45-56 and 11 games back of first. Today's pitching matchup: Sounds RH Rick Helling (8-3, 4.26) vs. LH Chris George (6-6, 5.25). When Snyder was called up yesterday, SP J.P. Howell was demoted to Omaha, but he may move back up when Runelvys' suspension is finalized.

AA: Wichita got to the Springfield bullpen for 5 in the 8th to key an 8-5 win over the Cardinals Saturday and take a 3-2 series win into a homestand. The Wranglers put up 1 in the 1st on a solo homer by DH Justin Huber (his 14th) but Springfield took the lead with 3 in the 3rd. Wichita scored again in the 6th on a Huber sac fly but Springfield took a 5-2 lead into the 8th. The Wranglers loaded the bases with 0 outs to chase 2 pitchers in the inning before Huber singled home two (although LF Shane Costa was thrown out at third) and 3B Brennan King drove home 2 with a double. SS Mike Aviles completed the rally with an RBI single and the Wranglers had a 7-5 lead. They poured on a run in the 9th on a Costa RBI single. SP Brian Bass pitched long enough to get the win with 7 IP of 5 ER on 9 hits on 2 BB with 5 Ks to move to 9-4 with a 5.58 ERA. RP Juan Cedeno got his first AA hold with 1 IP of 1 hit and 1 BB with 1 K to keep his ERA at 0.00. RP Barry Armitage got his 6th save with a hitless IP with 1 BB. His ERA is 4.02. Costa was 1-3 with 2 BB and an RBI to improve to .274; Huber was 2-4 with a HR, 4 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .348; and only 2B Brett Groves went without a hit on the day. Aviles made his 27th error.

Wichita is 16-12 and 1 1/2 games up on first. Tulsa (12-17) comes to town for 5 starting this afternoon. The mound matchup in game 1: Drillers RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2, 6.55) vs. RHP Ryan Baerlocher (3-2, 2.70).

High-A: High Desert snapped a 4-game skid with a 6-3 win over San Jose Saturday. The Mavs started the scoring with 3 in the 2nd on a 3-run homer by DH Jared Price (his 8th -- he's been the hottest hitter on the team lately) and added 2 in the 4th on an RBI double by RF Bernard Stephens and a sac fly by 3B Brandon Powell. The final run came across in the 5th on a solo shot by 1B Kila Kaaihue (his 13th). SP Devon Lowery went 5 IP and allowed 1 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to move to 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA. RP Nate Moore went 3 IP and allowed 3 hits with 1 BB and 2 Ks to lower his ERA to 4.55 and RP Chris Demaria gave up 2 UER (thanks to SS Angel Sanchez's 22nd error, in part) in 1 IP with 1 hit and 1 K to drop his ERA to 2.35. 2B Pete Maestrales was 1-5 with a triple to drop to .318; LF Billy Butler was 0-4 with a BB to drop to .335; CF Chris Lubanski was 1-5 to drop to .273; Kaaihue was 2-3 with a HR, RBI, HBP and 3 RS to improve to .317; Price was 2-4 with a double, HR, 3 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .338; Stephens was 2-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI to improve to .282; and Powell was 0-2 with a BB and RBI to drop to .309. Lubanski stole his 13th base.

High Desert is 15-14 and a game back of Rancho Cucamonga. The series with San Jose is wrapping up as I write with this matchup: Giants SP Jesus Reina (1-3, 4.37 ERA) vs. SP Cesar Herrera (4-5, 6.28 ERA).

Low-A: Burlington held off Kane County for a 6-5 win Saturday to move the Bees' winning streak to 9 games -- the team's longest in at least 7 seasons. The Bees started the scoring in the 2nd on an RBI single by 1B Eddie Solis and, after Kane County tied it in the 5th, the Bees regained the lead on a sac fly by SS Irving Falu. Kane County took a 4-2 lead with a 3-run 6th but Burlington got back ahead with a 4-run rally in the 6th as LF Kenard Springer hit an RBI ground out and Solis smacked a 3-run homer (his 5th). The Cougars scored in the 8th to make it a 1-run game but the Bees' bullpen held them off for the win. SP Luis Cota went 5 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits with 3 BB and 7 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.49; RP Yovany Damico blew his 3rd save but got the win with 1 IP of 3 R (2 ER) on 3 hits to move to 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA; RP Kraig Schambough got his 1st A hold with 1 2/3 IP of 1 ER on 2 hits with 2 Ks to make his ERA 7.20; and RP Chad Blackwell got his 10th save with 1 1/3 IP of 2 hits to drop his ERA to 2.31. 3B Edward Lucas was 0-4 to drop to .304; C Damaso Espino was 2-3 with a BB to improve to .270; 2B Geraldo Valentin was 2-4 with a double to improve to .261; Solis was 3-4 with a double, HR, 4 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .204; and CF Cody Cure was 0-3 to drop to .329. Springer's hitting streak was snapped at 17 games.

Burlington is 18-11 and tied with Quad Cities atop the division. The series finale pitching matchup with Kane County: LH Danny Christensen (2-4, 3.63) vs. Cougars RH Ryan Webb (4-9, 4.64).

Rookie: Idaho Falls snapped a 5-game skid with a 6-4 win over Great Falls Saturday. The Chukars scored 2 in the 1st on an RBI double by 3B Gary Perez and an RBI single by RF Felix Peguero and tacked on a run in the 3rd on a Perez solo blast (his 2nd). The White Sox tied the game going into the 7th before Idaho Falls scored 2 on a 2-run White Sox throwing error on a sac bunt by LF Ethien Santana. Idaho Falls added its final run in the 8th on an RBI single by CF Andrew Larsen. SP Ryan Dipietro went 5 1/3 IP and allowed 3 R (2 ER) on 5 hits and a BB with 6 Ks to make his ERA 6.84. RP Jacob Eckley blew his 3rd save but vultured the win with 1 2/3 IP of 0 ER on a hit to move to 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA; and RP Matt Kniginyzky got his 3rd save with 2 IP of 1 ER on 1 hit with 1 K to move his ERA to 2.31. SS Chris McConnell was 1-5 with a triple to drop to .357; Perez was 3-4 with a double, HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to bump his BA to .340; Larsen was 2-3 with a BB and RBI to improve to .310; and C Brady Everett was 0-3 with a HBP to drop to .388.

Idaho Falls is 15-17 and 2 games back of first. The series with Great Falls wraps up today.

The ASL Royals broke out of their funk in a big way Saturday with a 13-2 rout of the A's. The Royals had a 3-run 1st on an RBI single by DH Joseph Dickerson, an RBI double by RF Oscar Gonzalez and an RBI single by LF Jose Duarte and added a run in both the 3rd and 4th on a Duarte RBI single and fielding error on a ball hit by 2B Valentino Arce. The Royals added 4 in the 5th on an RBI ground out by 3B Pedro Lopez, a 2-run single by SS Joshua Johnson and an RBI single by Arce before scoring 3 in the 6th on an RBI double by C Nicholas Doscher, a Lopez RBI single and Johnson RBI double. The final run came in the 7th on a Duarte sac fly. SP Juan Abreu got the win with 6 IP of 1 UER on 3 hits with 6 Ks to move to 2-2 with a 6.28 ERA; RP John Sokoll went 2 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 3.86; and RP Tim Rice pitched 1 inning and gave up nothing with 1 K to drop his ERA to 10.38. Everybody in the lineup hit for the Royals Saturday. Johnson was 4-4 with 2 BB, a double, 3 RBI and 2 RS to up his BA to .272; Arce was 2-6 with 2 RBI to drop to .358; Dickerson was 2-5 with an RBI to move to .303; Duarte was 4-4 with 3 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .383; Lopez was 2-5 with 2 RBI and 2 RS to move to .338; and LF Alvi Morel was 1-3 with 2 BB and a double to move to .377. SS Jeff Bianchi missed another game with what's being called a minor back strain.

The ASL Royals are 17-9 and 2 games back of first. The Padres play the Royals today before the Brewers hit the schedule tomorrow.