Royals on the Farm 7/24

AAA: Omaha got down thanks to a grand slam by Nashville DH Prince Fielder in the 1st and didn't get back as the Sounds took a 12-3 win over Omaha Sunday. Omaha scored 1 in the 1st on an RBI force out by C Scott Walter and added another run in the 2nd on an RBI single by LF Matt Diaz. The final run scored in the 9th on an RBI single by DH Cal Pickering. SP Chris George was all but Charlie-Browned (you know, heels over head in midair with his socks and shoes flying off after a liner through the middle) as he got rocked for 9 ER on 9 hits (3 longballs) and 4 BB with 2 Ks over 6 IP to drop to 6-7 with a 5.68 ERA. RP Jaime Cerda went 2 IP and allowed 1 ER on 1 hit with 2 BB and 3 Ks to move his ERA to 7.06. RP Nate Field came back off the DL in time to give up 2 ER on 2 hits and 2 BB with 1 K over 2/3 IP to move his ERA to 4.50. He's back in top form, I see. RP Justin Huisman pitched 1/3 of an inning and gave up 1 hit with 1 K to drop his ERA to 4.23. Diaz was 3-5 with an RBI to improve to .354; 2B Justin Gemoll was 2-5 with a double to up his BA to .292; and 3B Chris Truby was 3-4 with a double to improve to .259. RF Cory Aldridge's trip downhill (or would it be uphill?) continued as he was 0-4 with 3 Ks to drop to .195.

Omaha was 45-57 entering today and already lost to the Sounds in today's game, 7-1. A report on that will be forthcoming tomorrow. Shawn Camp started today's loss. In other O-Royals news, OF Aaron Guiel was named the Pacific Coast League’s Batter of the Week. He became the first O-Royals player in 2005 to receive either the Batter or Pitcher of the Week award. In seven games against Round Rock and Nashville, Guiel hit 5 home runs and had 10 RBI. He amassed a .407 average for the week, going 11-for-27 with 2 doubles and 9 RS.

AA: Wichita fought back after losing a lead to defeat Tulsa, 4-2, in the series opener. The Wranglers scored in the 3rd on a sac fly by LF Shane Costa but Tulsa took a 2-1 lead with 2 in the 6th. Wichita regained the lead later that inning on a sac fly by DH Josh Pressley after a triple by 1B Justin Huber, and an RBI triple by CF Mitch Maier. The Wranglers got some insurance in the 8th on a solo shot by Pressley (his 15th). SP Ryan Baerlocher went 7 IP and allowed 2 ER on 7 hits and a walk with 6 Ks for another quality start. He is 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA. RP Stephen Bray got his 2nd hold with 1 IP of 2 hits and a BB with 1 K to drop his ERA to 3.29. RP Barry Armitage got his 7th save with 1 hitless IP that included 1 K to drop his ERA to 3.96. RF Mel Stocker was 2-4 with a triple to improve to .246; Costa was 2-3 with an RBI to improve to .281; Huber was 1-4 with a triple to drop to .347; and SS Mike Aviles was 2-3 with a BB to improve to .296. Stocker stole his 14th base.

Wichita is 17-12 and 1 1/2 games up on first. Tulsa and Wichita have a doubleheader tonight. Game 1 starters: RH Kyle Middleton (9-6, 4.04) vs. Tulsa RH Enmanuel Ulloa (4-3, 3.09). No game 2 starters announced.

High-A: High Desert got pounded by San Jose in the series finale, 13-3. The Mavs took a short-lived 2-0 lead in the 1st on a double play ball by C Jared Price that scored a run and an RBI single by 1B Kila Kaaihue. Their final run scored in the 3rd on a Price solo homer (his 9th) but by then it was 6-3 and San Jose took off from there. SP Cesar Herrera picked up the loss with 3 2/3 IP of 8 R (6 ER) on 9 hits and a BB with 4 Ks to drop to 4-6 with a 6.64 ERA. RP Chris Coughlin went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 5 ER on 7 hits with 5 Ks to bump his ERA to 7.56 and RP Stephen Chamberlain went 1 hitless IP and walked 1 with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 7.94. Both of those guys have been a liability lately for the Mavs. High Desert got only 2 hits in the loss and committed as many errors -- both by SS Angel Sanchez for 24 on the season. DH Pete Maestrales was 0-3 with a BB to drop to .315; LF Billy Butler was 0-3 with a BB to drop to .332; 3B Brandon Powell was 0-2 to drop to .307; Price was 1-4 with a HR and RBI to drop to .333; Kaaihue was 1-3 with a BB and RBI to improve to .317; and IF Michael Gaffney was 0-3 to drop to .301.

High Desert is 15-15 and 1 1/2 games out of first. They have today off after losing 5 of 6 to San Jose and Visalia.

Low-A: Burlington got its winning streak to double digits with a 4-2 win over Kane County to complete a 4-game sweep Sunday. Kane County took a 1-0 lead in the 1st and rode it into the 7th before the Bees took the lead for good on a 2-run throwing error off a sac bunt by DH Brian McFall, a sac fly by LF Kenard Springer and
an RBI double by C Felipe Del Rosario. SP Daniel Christensen went 5 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits with 3 BB and 4 Ks to move his ERA to 3.49; RP Kyle Crist got the win with 3 IP of 2 hits and a BB with 3 Ks to move to 8-2 with a 4.45 ERA; RP Zane Carlson made his first Burlington appearance and went 2/3 IP, giving up 1 ER on 1 hit and 2 BB to get his 1st hold and establish a 13.50 ERA; and RP Gabe DeHoyos got his 3rd save with 1/3 IP to drop his ERA to 1.48. CF Cody Cure was 1-4 to drop to .325; 3B Edward Lucas was 2-4 to improve to .307; and Del Rosario was 2-3 with a double and RBI to improve to .265. Lucas stole his 20th base.

Burlington is 19-11 and tied with Quad Cities for first. The Bees travel to West Michigan (17-13) for 4 starting tonight. Pitchers: The Bees' Patrick Green (5-7, 4.30) vs. the Whitecaps' Joshua Kauten (4-1, 2.91).

Rookie: Idaho Falls collapsed late in a 6-5 loss to Great Falls Sunday. The Chukars fell behind, 3-0, in the 5th but came back with 2 in the 6th on a sac fly by 3B Gary Perez and RBI double by DH Jase Turner. Great Falls took a 4-2 lead into the 7th, when the Chukars scored 1 on a double play ball by 2B Joshua Colafemina. The game remained 4-3 White Sox into the 9th when Idaho Falls took the lead on a 2-run single by LF Antonio Sabatini. RP Matt Kniginyzky came in to try and close it out but a Perez error helped him blow it as Great Falls got a walkoff single. SP Bennett Cromer went 4 2/3 IP and allowed 3 R (1 ER) on 4 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to make his ERA 4.07; RP Adam Kalkhof went 2 1/3 IP and gave up an UER on 4 hits with 1 K to drop his ERA to 3.86; RP Travis Trammell pitched a hitless inning with 1 K to keep his ERA at 0.00; and Kniginyzky blew his 1st save and got the loss with 2 R (1 ER) on 2 hits with 2 BB in 1/3 IP to move to 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA. SS Chris McConnell was 0-3 to drop to .349; Perez was 1-3 with a double and RBI to drop to .340; Turner was 2-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .282; Sabatini was 2-4 with 2 RBI to improve to .301; and C Kiel Thibault was 2-3 to improve to .333. Perez's error was his 10th and one of 3 Chukars errors in the game.

Idaho Falls is 15-18 and 3 games out of first. Ogden (18-15) comes to town for 3 starting tonight.

The ASL Royals demolished the Padres, 11-2, Sunday, for their second straight double-digit run game. The Royals had a 6-run 3rd as 1B Willie Matos hit an RBI single, SS Andres Blanco hit a 3-run homer for his first in the ASL, RF Oscar Gonzalez hit an RBI triple and DH Alvi Morel hit an RBI single. The Royals added 2 in the 4th on a 2-run triple by CF Joseph Dickerson and 1 in the 5th on a wild pitch. The final 2 scored in the 9th on a 2-run shot by Dickerson (his 2nd). SP Rayner Oliveros stayed perfect with 6 IP of 1 ER on 9 hits with 2 Ks to move to 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA. RP Gilbert De la vara gave up 1 hit in 1 IP with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.24 and RP Henry Barrera went 2 IP and allowed 1 ER on 3 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 7.53. Blanco was 2-3 with a HR and 3 RBI to improve to .500; Dickerson was 3-5 with 2 triples, a HR, 4 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .317; Gonzalez was 2-4 with a BB, triple and RBI to improve to .291; Morel was 2-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .386; LF Jose Duarte was 0-5 to drop to .354; and Matos was 2-4 with a BB and RBI to improve to .192.

The ASL Royals were 18-9 entering today's play. They played the Brewers today and have a day off Tuesday.