Royals on the Farm 8/3

AAA: Omaha (51-60) had Wednesday off as they headed back to Nebraska to start a 4-game set with the Las Vegas 51's (47-64). Game 1 is set to pit 51's RH Scott Erickson (0-0, 0.00) vs. RH Dennis Tankersley (7-6, 4.91) tonight. The O-Royals are 9 games out of first.

AA: Wichita got shut down by two Tulsa pitchers in a 4-hit 5-0 shutout from the Drillers. The Wranglers only had 6 base runners and didn't put up much of a threat in any inning. SP Brian Bass got the loss with 5 1/3 IP of 5 ER on 9 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to drop to 10-5 with a 5.49 ERA; RP Barry Armitage went 1 2/3 IP and K'd 3 with 0 hits and 0 BB allowed to drop his ERA to 4.11; and RP Jonah Bayliss made his first appearance after some minor heel problems to go an inning and allow 1 hit and 1 BB with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.98. Pitchers Sandy Nin and Jentry Beckstead did the trick for Tulsa. LF Shane Costa was 0-4 to drop to .274; SS Mike Aviles was 2-4 to improve to .286; and CF Mitch Maier was 0-3 to drop to .236.

Wichita is 20-19 and 1 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The Tulsa series continues tonight. Pitchers: SP Ryan Baerlocher (5-2, 2.84) vs. the Drillers' SP Jon Asahina (11-6, 3.36).

High-A: High Desert let Rancho Cucamonga have a chance at a split tonight after dropping Wednesday's game with the Quakes, 10-7. Both teams didn't waste any time getting going as the Mavs scored 1 in the 1st on an RBI double by 1B Kila Kaaihue. The Quakes came back to score 2 in the 1st off SP Cesar Herrera but High Desert took the lead back with 4 in the 2nd on RBI doubles by CF Alan Moye, 3B Walter Sevilla and a 2-run two-bagger by 2B Pete Maestrales. A Mavs run in the 4th on an RBI single by SS Angel Sanchez made it a 6-4 game but Rancho Cucamonga tied it in the 6th. The score remained knotted at 6 into the bottom of the 8th when the Quakes got to the High Desert pen for 4 runs. The Mavs loaded the bases with 0 outs in the 9th but couldn't get the magic going as Kaaihue hit an RBI ground out but the next two batters struck and flew out to end it. Herrera went 5 IP and allowed 5 ER on 7 hits with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 7.04; RP Stephen Chamberlain blew his 1st save with 1 IP of 1 ER on 4 hits with a K to move his ERA to 8.15; RP Nate Moore got the loss with 1 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits and a BB with a K to drop to 2-5 with a 4.81 ERA; and RP Greg Atencio went 2/3 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on a hit and BB with a K to move his ERA to 4.57. Maestrales was 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .324; Sanchez was 3-5 with an RBI to improve to .293; LF Billy Butler was 0-3 with a HBP and walk to drop to .349; Kaaihue was 1-5 with a double and 2 RBI to drop to .312; DH Jared Price was 1-5 with 3 Ks to drop to .327; Moye was 2-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .286; C Adam Donachie was 2-4 with 2 RS to improve to .278; and Sevilla was 2-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI to improve to .240. Kaaihue made his 14th error.

High Desert is 22-17 and up a game on Rancho Cucamonga. The Quakes series ends tonight. Pitchers (again courtesy rcquakes.com): RHP Patrick Green (0-1, 1.29) vs RHP Chris Hunter (6-7, 4.86).

Low-A: Burlington got on the board early and often in taking down Lansing, 7-1. The Bees scored 2 in the 1st on an RBI single by DH Rusty Brown and RBI fielder's choice by RF Brian McFall; added 1 in the 2nd on a solo homer by SS Gary Perez (his 2nd in 2 games with the Bees); scored 2 more in the 3rd on a Brown RBI single and McFall sac fly; and padded the lead with runs in the 4th and 5th on an RBI single by 2B Geraldo Valentin and RBI force out by Perez. SP Daniel Christensen had a good start with 6 2/3 IP of 1 ER on 8 hits with 9 Ks and 0 BB to improve to 3-5 with a 3.43 ERA. RP Kraig Schambough finished the game with 2 1/3 IP of 1 BB and 0 hits allowed to drop his ERA to 3.18. 3B Edward Lucas was 2-3 with 2 BB and 2 RS to improve to .310; C Damaso Espino was 3-4 with a walk and 2 RS to improve to .280; Brown was 2-5 to up his BA to .286; and Perez was 2-4 with a HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to keep his BA at .500.

Burlington is 23-17 and in a three-way tie for first with Quad Cities and Wisconsin. The series with the Lugnuts continues tonight. Pitchers: SP Kyle Crist (9-2, 3.99) vs. Lansing SP Chi-Hung Cheng (5-6, 2.88).

Rookie: Idaho Falls grabbed an early lead but couldn't hang on in a 7-4 loss to get swept by Ogden. The Chukars scored 2 in the 1st on a 2-run homer by CF Andrew Larsen (his 7th) and, after Ogden scored once in the 1st, the score remained that way until the 5th when Ogden stepped on the gas. The Raptors scored 6 that inning off SP Ryan DiPietro and RP Brandon Brantley and the Chukars didn't recover. Idaho Falls scored in both the 6th and 8th innings on a Larsen RBI ground out and RBI double by SS Chris McConnell. DiPietro got the loss with 4 1/3 IP of 5 ER on 6 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to drop to 0-4 with a 6.63 ERA; Brantley went 1 2/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to bump his ERA to 6.99; RP Adam Kalkhof went 1 hitless IP with 1 K to drop his ERA to 3.91; and RP Travis Trammell went an inning of perfection to drop his ERA to 6.75. McConnell was 3-4 with a double, triple and RBI to improve to .342; 1B Brady Everett was 0-4 to drop to .366; and C Jeff Howell was 1-4 to drop to .392. 3B Joshua Colafemina made 2 errors to get to 8 on the season.

Idaho Falls is 0-4 and 4 games out of first in a thus-far dismal second half. A 3-game home set with Orem (1-3) starts tonight.

A day after no score reported with the Cubs, the ASL Royals were supposed to play the A's Wednesday but no score was reported again in any of the league games at the MiLB site.

The ASL Royals were 2-2 entering Tuesday before the phantom games with the Cubs and A's. They play the Pads tonight and have a day off tomorrow.