Royals on the Farm 7/7

AAA: After losing a lead midway through the game, Omaha hung tough but the bullpen couldn't get the job done in an 8-7 loss to Memphis Thursday that gave the Redbirds a 4-game sweep. Omaha scored first in the 3rd on a Memphis fielding error on a ball hit by RF Aaron Guiel and added 3 in the 5th on RBI singles by Guiel and 3B Justin Gemoll and an RBI ground out by C Paul Phillips to take a 4-0 lead. Memphis got to starter Chris George for 3 of its own in the 5th and, after Omaha scored in the 6th on an RBI single by SS Luis Ugueto, the Redbirds tied the game with a 2-run shot by DH Tim Hummel in the bottom of the frame. Omaha came back with 2 in the 7th on a 2-run shot by 1B Calvin Pickering (his 10th) but this time RP Shane Nance couldn't hold the Redbirds as they scored 3 in the bottom of the inning to take the 8-7 lead. Omaha got a runner on in the 9th but PR Adrian Brown was thrown out stealing second to end the game. George went 6 IP and allowed 5 ER on 8 hits and 3 BB with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 4.82. Nance got his 2nd blown save and the loss with 1 IP of 3 ER on 3 hits and a BB with 1 K to drop to 2-3 with a 4.09 ERA. RP Santiago Ramirez also pitched an inning and allowed only 1 hit with 1 K to drop his ERA to 5.84. Pickering was 2-5 with the HR and 2 RBI to improve to .222; Gemoll was 3-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .286; RF Jaime Jones was 2-4 with 3 RS to improve to .248; and LF Cory Aldridge was 0-3 with a BB to drop to .314. Jones and Guiel had outfield assists in the loss.

Omaha is 39-49 and 10 games out of first. The O-Royals start a 3-game home set with Oklahoma (44-44) tonight. The pitching matchup for game 1: RedHawks RH Josh Rupe (1-3, 9.74) vs. RH Dennis Tankersley (5-6, 4.80).

AA: Wichita went nuts for 16 runs on 17 hits Thursday in a 16-2 win over Arkansas to avenge a 9-1 loss in the series opener. Eight of Wichita's hits were doubles and that's what started the scoring in the 3rd -- RBI doubles from CF Mitch Maier and 1B Justin Huber. Arkansas tied it later that inning with two doubles but Wichita took off starting with 3 in the 5th on a 3-run homer by DH Josh Pressley (his 8th). The Wranglers scored 6 in the 7th on Maier's second double, an RBI double by 2B Mike Aviles, a 2-run single by Pressley and a 2-run homer by LF Mel Stocker (his 1st of the season). Wichita polished it off with 5 in the 9th on a Stocker RBI single, a sac fly by SS Donnie Murphy, Maier's third RBI double of the game and a 2-run single by Huber. SP Kyle Middleton pitched well in going 7 IP and allowing 2 ER on 6 hits and a BB with 6 Ks to move to 8-6 with a 3.97 ERA. RP Ambiorix Burgos pitched a hitless inning and walked 1 to drop his ERA to 5.91. RP Nate Hoelscher also pitched a hitless inning with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.73. C Mathew Tupman was 2-6 with a double to improve to .308; Maier was 4-6 with 3 doubles, 3 RBI and 4 RS to improve to .272; Huber was 3-3 with 3 BB, 2 doubles, 3 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .344; Aviles was 2-6 with a double and RBI to improve to .291; Pressley was 2-4 with a BB, HR, 5 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .277; and Stocker was 2-5 with a HR, 2 RS and 3 RBI to improve to .227.

Wichita is 8-5 and now 2 games up on first. Tonight's pitching matchup: Arkansas RHP Kasey Olenberger (2-4, 4.22 ERA) v. RHP Thad Markray (4-3, 4.13 ERA).

High-A: If not for a 10-run 3rd from Inland Empire Thursday night's High Desert game may have been a different story, but that's a big "if not." The inning, including Billy Butler's first error in LF, propelled the 66ers to a 12-7 win and helped them avoid a sweep at the hands of the Mavs. High Desert scored first in the 2nd on a solo homer by 3B Adam Keim (his 17th) and that remained the score until the disastrous third in which SP Chris Coughlin and RP Drew Endicott were touched up for 10 runs (only 4 earned) as Butler made a fielding error that could have ended the inning with only the 4 runs allowed. High Desert scored 2 in the 4th on a 2-run double by C Jared Price and the Mavs added their final 4 in the 8th on a Price grand slam (his 2nd homer of the season). Coughlin was credited with 8 R (4 ER) on 11 hits and 0 BB with 1 K over 2 2/3 IP to drop to 1-8 with a 7.05 ERA. Endicott was marked for 4 R (2 ER) on 7 hits with 2 Ks over 3 1/3 IP to move his ERA to 4.89. RP Greg Atencio pitched 2 hitless innings with 3 Ks to lower his ERA to 4.01. 2B Pete Maestrales had a good game in going 4-5 with a double to improve to .318; Butler's bad night carried to the plate as he was 0-5 with 3 Ks to drop to .354; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 1-5 with a double and 4 Ks to drop to .310; Keim was 3-5 with a homer and RBI to improve to .293; DH Brandon Powell was 2-4 with 2 RS to improve to .308; and Price was 2-4 with a double, HR and 6 RBI to improve to .310. Butler's error was his 19th and Maestrales also made his 11th.

High Desert is 8-6 and 1/2 a game back of Rancho Cucamonga. A 3-game set at 4-10 Lancaster starts tonight. No listed starters on either team's site at this time.

Low-A: Burlington came back from an early 4-0 deficit to take the lead midway through Thursday's game against South Bend but couldn't hold on as the Silver Hawks came back for an 8-7 win. South Bend scored 4 off Bees SP Daniel Christensen in the 1st thanks in part to 2 Christensen errors but Burlington came back with 4 in the 2nd on a 2-run double by LF Darwinson Salazar, an RBI single by DH Felipe Del Rosario and a sac fly by SS Irving Falu. South Bend scored runs in the 3rd and 4th to reclaim a 2-run lead but the Bees scored once in the 5th on an RBI single by RF Brian McFall and twice in the 6th on an error on a ball hit by C Damaso Espino and a bases-loaded walk by 1B Eddie Solis to take a 7-6 lead. South Bend tied the game in the 7th and Bees 3B Mario Lisson left the game that inning with a shoulder/neck injury after diving for a ball. The Silver Hawks scored with 2 out in the 9th to take the lead and the Bees got a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the 9th but couldn't get him home. Christensen went 3 innings and allowed 6 R (2 ER) on 6 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to bump his ERA to 3.71. RP Gabe DeHoyos allowed 0 ER on 1 hit and 2 BB with 4 Ks over 3 IP to drop his ERA to 1.56. RP Justin Sherman got his 1st blown save and the loss as he allowed 2 ER on 6 hits with 2 Ks over 3 IP to fall to 1-3 with a 2.35 ERA. Falu was 0-3 with a walk and RBI to snap his hitting streak at 24 games; Espino was 3-5 to up his BA to .261; Del Rosario was 2-5 with an RBI to improve to .263; and CF Cody Cure was 2-5 with a double to improve to .216. The Bees left 11 on base.

Burlington is 6-9 and 4 games back of first. The Bees start a 4-game series at 8-7 Beloit tonight. RH Patrick Green (3-7, 4.66) gets the start. This series is an appropriate time for IF and team batting leader Edward Lucas to be activated from the DL, as he was Thursday, as it was during the brawl with Beloit in late June that he got his nose broken. He is serving a 3-game suspension stemming from that incident and will return to the lineup when that suspension ends. No word yet on whether Lisson will be put on the DL.

Rookie: Idaho Falls had a big 2nd inning to take the lead but watched it go away in a 7-4 loss to Ogden Thursday. The Chukars scored on a 2-run triple by RF Andrew Larsen and RBI singles by C Brady Everett and SS Christopher McConnell for 4 in the 2nd but a 5-run Ogden 3rd was all the Raptors needed. SP Ryan Dipietro got the loss after giving up 6 ER on 5 hits and 2 BB with a K in 2 2/3 IP to fall to 0-2 and bump his ERA to 7.07. RP Mitch Goins went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits with a K to move his ERA to 8.40. RP Adam Kalkhof pitched the final 2 innings and allowed 1 hit and 2 BB with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.89. CF Ethien Santana was 2-4 to improve to .347; McConnell was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .359; 1B Blake Adkison was 3-4 to improve to .345; LF Antonio Sabatini was 0-4 to drop to .320; and Everett was 2-3 with a BB and RBI to improve to .348.

Idaho Falls is 8-9 and 4 games back of Ogden. The Chukars face Orem (7-10) for the third time this season in a 2-game road set starting tonight.

The ASL Royals kept their winning streak going Thursday with their 9th straight in a 9-2 win over the Angels in which the Royals scored in 6 of the 9 innings. They started it off with 2 in the 1st on an RBI triple by CF Joseph Dickerson to score SS Jeff Bianchi (who had doubled) and a wild pitch to score Dickerson. They added a run in the 4th on an RBI single by 3B Pedro Lopez and 2 in the 6th on a 2-run single by Bianchi. The Royals scored 2 in the 7th on a 2-run triple by LF Jose Duarte, 1 in the 8th on an RBI double by DH Felix Peralta and 1 in the 9th on a Lopez sac fly. SP Phillip Davidson went 4 innings and allowed 1 UER on 3 hits and 2 BB with 5 Ks to drop his ERA to 1.80. RP Gilbert De la vara got the win with 4 IP of 1 ER on 3 hits and a BB with 5 Ks to move to 1-0 with a 5.59 ERA. RP Tim Rice pitched a hitless 9th and walked 1 with 1 K to drop his ERA to 13.50. Bianchi was 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .489; Dickerson was 2-5 with 2 triples, an RBI and 2 RS to improve to .388; Peralta was 3-5 with a double and RBI to improve to .375; Duarte was 2-5 with a triple and 2 RBI to improve to .367; and Lopez was 2-4 with 2 RBI to improve to .387.

The ASL Royals are 10-3 and atop the league. They play the Giants today and the Mariners tomorrow.