Royals on the Farm 7/5

AAA: Omaha surged late but couldn't get over the top in a 9-7 loss to Memphis Tuesday. Omaha scored 2 in the top of the 1st on a 2-run homer by RF Aaron Guiel (his 18th) but Memphis tied it up in the bottom of the frame and scored 6 off SP Danny Tamayo in the 2nd to blow it open. The score was 9-2 entering the 8th when Omaha rallied for 5 runs on RBI singles by 3B Chris Truby and 1B Chad Santos, a sac fly by SS Luis Ugueto and a 2-run homer by LF Cory Aldridge (his 3rd). So Omaha was down 2 with 0 out in the 8th and had the potential tying run come to the plate twice but crapped out for the loss. Tamayo went 2 innings and was torched for 8 ER on 9 hits (including 3 jacks) to drop to 4-6 on the season with a 5.79 ERA. RP Matt Ford pitched 3 innings of hitless relief and walked 1 with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 1.04. He's been a good pickup at Omaha. RP Jeremy Affeldt made another appearance and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits and a BB with a K in 1 IP to move his ERA to 6.48. (Just what the Royals should want out of their self-appointed bullpen stud. Trade him while the getting may be good.) RP Dennis Tankersley also went an inning and K'd 1 to drop his ERA to 4.80. RP Shawn Sonnier did some mopping up late with an inning of 1 BB and 1 K to drop his ERA to 5.19. CF Adrian Brown was 2-5 with a double to improve to .271 on the season; Guiel was 2-5 with a double, HR and 2 RBI to improve to .260; Truby was 2-3 with 2 BB and an RBI to up his BA to .271; and Aldridge was 1-4 with a HR and 2 RBI to drop his BA to .318.

Omaha is 39-47 and 8 1/2 games out of first in the basement of the PCL American North division. Tonight's matchup: RH Kyle Snyder (0-1, 1.61) vs. Redbirds RH Chris Gissell (6-5, 2.85).

AA: Wichita's scoring outbursts were matched by Springfield two out of three times but a 2-run 5th made the difference in a 6-4 win for the Wranglers. Wichita started the scoring in the 3rd with 3 runs on a solo homer by SS Donnie Murphy (his 5th) and a 2-run shot by 1B Justin Huber (his 10th). Springfield got a 3-run homer from 2B Aaron Herr in the 4th to tie it up but Wichita came back with 2 in the 5th on a 2-run double by DH Josh Pressley to reclaim a 5-3 lead. The Wranglers tacked on another run in the 6th on an RBI single by C Mathew Tupman and Springfield scored again in the 7th but went down pretty quietly in the 8th and 9th to lose. SP Brian Bass went 6 2/3 IP and allowed 4 R (3 ER) on 6 hits and 2 BB with 2 Ks to improve to 7-4 with a 5.67 ERA. RP Stephen Bray got his 1st AA hold with 1 1/3 hitless IP in which he K'd 2 to keep an 0.00 ERA and RP Nate Hoelscher got his 2nd save with a hitless 9th that included 1 walk and 2 Ks as his ERA sagged to 5.91. Tupman was 2-5 with a double and RBI to improve to .309; Murphy was 2-4 with a double, HR and RBI to improve to .283; and Huber was 1-1 with a HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB and 2 RS to improve to .340. RF Wilkin Ruan stole 2 bases to get to 15 on the season. Huber also made his 9th error on a dropped pop foul in the 9th.

Wichita is 7-4 and still atop its division by a game over Tulsa. RHP Ryan Baerlocher (2-0,1.61) starts for Wichita tonight as the Wranglers open a 5-game set at Arkansas (4-8).

High-A: High Desert tied the game in the 7th and took the lead on a 9th inning single before RP Chris Demaria shut the door on a 5-4 win over Inland Empire. High Desert scored runs in the 1st and 2nd on RBI singles by 1B Kila Kaaihue and SS Angel Sanchez but Inland Empire scored 4 in the 3rd and 4th to grab a 4-2 lead and Mavs manager Billy Gardner Jr. was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. 4-2 remained the score until the 7th when the Mavs got back into it with a 2-run shot by 2B Adam Keim (his 16th). The game was tied at 4 into the 9th when Keim walked with 2 outs and advanced to second on a wild pitch. CF Chris Lubanski drove him home with a single and two Mavs walked to load the bases but the 66ers escaped with only the run allowed. Demaria gave up a 2-out single in the 66ers' last chance but RF B.J. Garbe popped out to end the game. SP Dusty Hughes went 5 innings and allowed 4 R (3 ER) on 5 hits and 3 BB with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 5.89. RP Devon Lowery made a rare appearance count by going 3 hitless innings and allowing only 1 BB with 2 Ks to keep his ERA at 0.00. Demaria picked up his 10th save with his 1 IP of 1 hit and 1 K to drop his ERA to 2.68. Sanchez was 2-5 with an RBI to improve to .284; LF Billy Butler was 0-4 with a BB to drop to .352; Kaaihue was 2-4 with a BB and RBI to improve to .316; Lubanski was 2-5 with a double and RBI to improve to .264; DH Brandon Powell was 1-4 with a BB to drop to .305; and 3B Michael Gaffney was 2-4 to improve to .316. The Mavs won despite leaving 13 runners stranded. Kaaihue also made his 13th error and Butler had an outfield assist at second. He's still error-free (knock on wood) in left.

High Desert is 7-5 and still a game back of Rancho Cucamonga. Tonight's mound matchup: IE LHP Jason Mackintosh (4-6, 3.81) vs. RHP Billy Buckner (2-2, 5.14).

Low-A: Burlington rallied late to snap a 3-game losing streak with an 8-7 win over South Bend Tuesday. South Bend took an early 5-1 lead as the Bees scored their run in the 1st on a solo homer by 2B Geraldo Valentin (his 2nd). Burlington scored another in the 3rd on an RBI ground out by Valentin and both teams scored once in the 5th -- Burlington on a solo homer by LF Kenard Springer (his 1st). Burlington closed the gap to 1 with 2 in the 6th on an RBI single by DH Rusty Brown and an RBI double by RF Brian McFall but South Bend scored again in the 7th to take a 7-5 lead. The Bees fought back with 3 in the 7th on a 2-run homer by 3B Mario Lisson (his 6th) and a fielding error on a ball hit by CF Darwinson Salazar that scored Valentin, who tripled after Lisson's shot. South Bend had multiple base runners in the 8th and 9th but were held scoreless and Burlington pulled out the win. SP Luis Cota had another shaky outing in giving up 6 ER on 9 hits and 2 BB with 5 Ks over 5 IP to bump his ERA to 3.95. RP Justin Sherman got the win to move to 1-2. He went 2 innings and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits and 2 BB with 1 K to make his ERA 1.95. RP Chad Blackwell picked up his 5th save with 2 IP of 2 hits and 3 BB with 2 Ks but 0 ER to drop his ERA to 2.31. SS Irving Falu was 1-5 with a double to extend his hitting streak to 23 games and lower his BA to .263; Lisson was 2-4 with a triple, homer, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .245; and Valentin was 3-4 with a triple, homer, 2 RBI and 3 RS to improve to .262 (a double short of the cycle).

Burlington is 5-8 and 4 games out of first. Tonight's pitchers: South Bend SP Ross Ohlendorf (6-5, 4.72) vs. the Bees' Kyle Crist (6-1, 3.89).

Rookie: A 5-run third and an 8th-inning insurance run helped Idaho Falls to its 4th straight win in a 6-5 triumph over division-leading Ogden Tuesday night. Ogden took an early 1-0 lead but the Chukars scored 5 in the 3rd on RBI doubles by DH Brady Everett and 1B Blake Adkison and RBI singles from 2B Joshua Colafemina, 3B Jeremy Jirschele and RF Felix Peguero. Ogden came right back with 3 in the 3rd to make the score 5-4 and it stayed that way until the 8th when the Chukars pushed across a run on an Everett RBI single. Ogden scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the 8th but closer Zane Carlson got a double play and a swinging K to end the game in the 9th. SP Brandon Brantley went 2 2/3 IP and gave up 4 ER on 8 hits and 2 BB with 2 Ks to bump his ERA to 5.79. RP Eliszer Garcia hurled 2 1/3 innings and allowed a hit and 2 BB with 3 Ks but 0 ER to get the win and move to 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA. RP David Henninger got his 1st hold with 3 IP of 1 UER on 3 hits and a BB with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to a miniscule 0.59. Carlson got his 3rd save in allowing 2 hits and K'ing 1 in 1 IP to keep his ERA at 0.00. Adkison was 2-5 with a double and RBI to improve to .312; Peguero was 2-4 with an RBI to up his BA to .311; CF Andrew Larsen was 2-3 with a BB and double to improve to .271; LF Antonio Sabatini was 1-4 to drop to .381; C Jeffery Howell was 0-3 with a BB to drop to .333; and Everett was 2-3 with an HBP, double and 2 RBI to improve to .300.

Idaho Falls is 8-7 and 2 games back of Ogden. The two teams continue their series tonight.

The ASL Royals won their 8th straight with an 11-6 win over the Brewers Tuesday. The Royals scored 3 in the 2nd on 2 balks (Brewers pitcher Amaury Rivas had 4 in 2 1/3 IP -- what is this, Little League?) and an RBI single by 3B Pedro Lopez. They poured on 5 in the 3rd on a balk, an RBI triple by RF Oscar Gonzalez, an RBI single by LF Alvi Morel and a 2-run single by Lopez. Another run scored in the 4th on a Gonzalez RBI single and a solo homer by 1B Willie Matos (his 2nd) in the 5th made it a 10-0 ball game. The Royals' final run came in the 9th on a Morel sac fly. SP Brent Fisher got the win despite giving up 6 R (5 ER) on 10 hits and a BB with 5 Ks over 8 2/3 IP. He is 2-1 with an 8.31 ERA. RP Troy Garrett got the final out on a K to lower his ERA to 6.23. 2B Joshua Johnson was 3-5 in the win to up his BA to .347; SS Jeff Bianchi was 1-4 to lower his average to .476; CF Joseph Dickerson was 1-4 with a BB and 2 RS to lower his average to .386; Gonzalez was 3-4 with a BB, triple, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .375; Morel was 2-4 with 2 RBI to improve to .393; Matos was 3-5 with a HR, RBI and 3 RS to improve to .364; and Lopez was 2-4 with 3 RBI to improve to .370.

The ASL Royals are 9-3 and in first by a game over the Giants. They have today off before taking on the Angels tomorrow.

Also, if you scroll down to the Royals links on the left, I have added a "Royals Schematic" depth chart of the organization from the majors to rookie leagues. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome as the idea is borrowed, I guess you could say, from http://www.ussmariner.com, an M's site.