Royals on the Farm 4/20

AAA - Omaha: Nashville 7, O-Royals 2

Huber 1-2, 2 BB, RS -- .378
Aviles 2-4, K, E (6) -- .205, adjusting somewhat
Robinson 2-4, BB, RBI (7), SB (6) -- .310
Guiel 0-4, BB, 3 K -- .235, another triple sombrero
Gotay 0-5, K -- .254
Blanco 0-3, BB, K, E (5) -- .320
Phillips 1-3, BB, 2B -- .214
Ambres 0-3, BB, RS -- .163

Bass 2 IP, 7 R (2 ER), 6 H, BB, K, WP, balk -- L, 0-2, 6.92 ERA
Tamayo 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, BB, 4 K -- 2.31 ERA

*** All of Nashville's damage was done in the first two innings and Omaha left 11 runners on base in the loss, which was their second straight. A Bass wild pitch and Aviles fielding error helped the Sounds score 1 of 2 1st inning tallies. Bass balked in a run in the 2nd, which led to the ejection of Royals manager Mike Jirschele. A Blanco fielding error with 2 out in the inning was a killer as the Sounds pushed 4 more runs across the plate before the inning came to a merciful end with a 7-0 Nashville lead. The Royals had baserunners in each of the first 4 innings but couldn't score a run until the 6th, when Huber scored on a Nashville fielding error and Robinson singled home a run. Omaha got 2 on with no out in the 8th but again stranded both runners and then went down quietly in the 9th. The O-Royals are now 9-6 and tied with Nashville for the division lead. Nashville starter Dennis Sarfate allowed only 2 unearned runs but walked 6 over 5 IP to drop his ERA to 3.38. Gwynn Jr. was 1-3 with a double to improve to .293, 2B Jermaine Clark was 1-3 with 2 RS to up his BA to .327 and SS Chris Barnwell was 1-4 to drop to .354.

The series wraps up tonight. Pitchers: Omaha RH Kyle Snyder (0-0, 0.73) vs. LH Justin Thompson (0-0, 7.94).

AA - Wichita: Springfield 2, Wranglers 1

Gordon 0-4, K -- .322
Butler 2-4, 2B (5), 2 K -- .274
Lubanski 2-2, BB, HR (2), RBI (2), CS -- .180, maybe starting to come around?
Senreiso 1-3, K -- Wichita debut, .333
Tupman 1-3 -- .324
Maier 0-4, K -- .217
Murphy 1-3, BB, K -- .286

Cedeno 6 IP, ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 6 K, HRA -- ND, 5.02 ERA, more walks

*** Starters Juan Cedeno and Mike Parisi got into a pitchers' duel Thursday but neither got the decision as Wichita RP Nate Hoelscher gave up a walk-off homer in the 9th to give Springfield the series win. Lubanski homered to lead off the 3rd and give Wichita a 1-0 lead after Cedeno worked out of a 2-on, 0 out 2nd inning jam. Butler doubled with 1 out in the 4th but then had baserunning problems as he was doubled off the bag on a fly out by 1B Kila Kaaihue. Cards CF Reid Gorecki tied the game with a leadoff homer off Cedeno in the 4th and the game remained tied at 1 into the 9th. Cards RF Nick Stavinoha led off the inning with his 2nd homer of the season, this one off Hoelscher, to give Springfield the 2-1 win. The Wranglers are 3-11 and now 7 games back of Tulsa, as the Drillers swept a 5-gamer from Arkansas. Parisi allowed an ER over 6 2/3 IP with only 1 walk and 6 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.32. Gorecki's homer was his only hit of the day as his BA dropped to .367. 3B Rico Washington was 1-1 with 2 walks to improve to .396.

The Wranglers start a 5-game set at Arkansas (6-8, AA Angels) tonight. Pitchers: Travs RH Jesse Smith (0-0, 4.86 ERA) vs. Wichita RH Junior Herndon (1-1, 1.80 ERA).

High-A - High Desert: San Jose 13, Mavs 5

Falu 2-4, BB, 3B (2), 2 RS -- .269
Lucas 1-4, RBI, RS, SF, E (4) -- .235
Stodolka 1-2, 2 BB, 2B (6), RBI, E (1) -- .364
Galloway 1-3, BB, RBI, RS, HBP -- .300
Valentin 0-4 -- .324
Gaffney 1-4, HR (1), RBI -- .375

Hicklen 5 2/3 IP, 7 R (6 ER), 8 H, BB, 6 K, WP -- L, 0-2, 9.77 ERA, at least he didn't walk many
Barnes 1 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 2 K -- 7.45 ERA

*** San Jose actually went scoreless for four innings at one point in the game but broke out with a 4-run 6th and went on to crush the Mavericks in the series finale. The Giants jumped on Hicklen for 3 in the 1st but High Desert scored 3 runs of its own in their portion of the inning as Galloway hit an RBI single, Stodolka smacked an RBI double and C Adam Donachie singled home a run. Falu tripled with 1 out in the 2nd and was driven home on a Lucas sac fly to give the Mavs a 4-3 lead. High Desert loaded the bases with 1 out in the 3rd but didn't score a run as Valentin hit into a DP. Hicklen had little to no problems in the 2nd through 5th as he gave up 1 hit over that stretch. He gave up a walk and single after getting the leadoff guy out in the 6th and then gave up an RBI single and a wild pitch before getting the 2nd out with the game tied. An RBI single by San Jose C Todd Jennings drove home 2 runs and resulted in Hicklen being pulled in favor of Barnes. A Lucas throwing error allowed another run to score before the Mavs got out of the inning behind, 7-4. Giants RF Brian Horwitz homered with 1 out in the 7th and San Jose got 2 more runs off Hicklen in the inning. Gaffney homered for his first of the season in the bottom of the frame to provide High Desert's final run and the Giants added 3 more runs in the 8th and 9th off RP C.J. Woodrow to put the game out of reach. High Desert threatened in the 8th to make the game closer but didn't. The Mavs are 7-7 and still 1 1/2 games back of first place. The Giants got 3 hitless IP out of reliever Adam Gardner, who picked up the win. Horwitz was 2-4 to improve to .400 and DH Guillermo Rodriguez was 4-5 for San Jose to improve to .667. Five other players had multi-hit games for the Giants, including three 3-hit games. The Giants pounded out 20 hits in all.

The Mavs move on to a 4-game home set with Lancaster (4-10, High-A D'backs) tonight. Starters: JetHawks' SP Matt Green vs. High Desert's Kyle Crist.

Low-A - Burlington: Fort Wayne 3, Bees 0

CF Jose Duarte 2-3, 2B, outfield assist -- .250
McConnell 1-4 -- .100
DH Jeff Howell 1-2, BB, K -- .172
C John Lowen 1-4, K -- .242

Rosa 3 2/3 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K -- L, 1-2, 3.46 ERA
Schambough 3 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, BB, 5 K -- 3.00 ERA

*** The Bees got 5-hit by SP Josh Geer and 3 Wizards relievers in dropping back to .500. Bees SP Carlos Rosa and three relievers scattered Fort Wayne's runs but the offense could get nothing going. The Wizards scored their first run in the 3rd and Duarte doubled with 1 out that inning for the Bees but nothing came of it. Fort Wayne scored its first run off Schambough in the 5th and their 3rd overall run in the 6th. The Bees never seriously threatened and didn't get a runner past second. Burlington is 7-7 and 3 games back of first. Geer went 6 IP and allowed 4 hits and a walk in moving to 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA. 2B Seth Johnston was 3-5 with 2 RS to improve to .333.

A 4-game set at Peoria (5-9, Low-A Cubs) starts tonight. Bees RH Chris Nicoll, the Royals' 2005 third-round pick out of UC-Irvine, makes his A debut tonight vs. Chiefs RH Mitch Atkins (0-0, 1.80).