Royals on the Farm 4/23

AAA - Omaha: Memphis 6, O-Royals 4

Huber 0-4, 2 K, E (3) -- .328
Blanco 1-3 -- .361
Aviles 2-4, HR (2), 2 RBI (7), 2 RS -- .235
Robinson 2-4, 2 RBI (11), CS, picked off -- .347
Guiel DNP
Gotay 1-4 -- .247
Allen 1-2, 2 BB -- .314
Ambres 1-4, RS -- .167
Bell 1-4, RS -- .346

Howell 5 IP, 6 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 3 K -- L, 3-1, 4.50 ERA
Andrade 3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, 4 K -- 2.57 ERA
Brooks IP, 0 ER, H -- 0.00 ERA

*** Memphis put together 2 3-run innings off Howell and Omaha couldn't come back. The game was scoreless entering the 4th when Memphis RF Prentice Redman hit a 2-run double and was singled home to give the Redbirds a 3-0 lead. DH Michel Hernandez and 1B John Gall provided RBI doubles for Memphis in the 5th and Redman singled home another run to make the lead 6-0. Aviles hit an RBI single and Robinson hit a 2-run single in the bottom of the 5th to cut the lead in half for Omaha and Aviles hit his 2nd AAA homer in the 7th to cut the lead to 2. Omaha didn't get another baserunner. Andrade and Brooks held the Redbirds down in relief. The O-Royals are 10-8 and a game back of Nashville. Redman was 3-4 to improve to .297 and Gall and Hernandez had 2-hit games to up their BAs to .387 and .348, respectively.

The series continues Monday evening. Starters: Memphis RH Dennis Tankersley (0-2, 7.71) vs. Omaha RH Adam Bernero (0-0, 4.82).

AA - Wichita: Arkansas 6, Wranglers 5

Gordon 1-4, K, RS -- .324
Butler 2-4, 2B, 2 RS -- .320
Lubanski 2-4, 2B, RBI, RS -- .222
Sanchez 1-3, BB -- .327
Maier 1-3, RBI (17!), K, SF -- .229
Tupman 1-4, 2 RBI (9), E (2) -- .348
Murphy 0-5, 2 K -- .233

Snare 4 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- 8.83 ERA
RP Cody Smith 2 IP, 0 ER, H, BB, K -- 2.70 ERA

*** Wichita got down early and didn't get all the way back in dropping their 13th game of the season. Snare loaded the bases without giving up a hit in the 1st via a HBP and 2 BB and Arkansas got 2 runs out of the situation. Butler doubled to lead off the 2nd and scored on a Lubanski ground out to cut the lead to 2-1 but Arkansas scored twice more in the 3rd and again in the 4th to make the score 5-1. Arkansas SP James Holcomb retired 14 straight Wranglers at one point but Wichita broke through in the 7th. Gordon and Butler singled to start the inning, Maier drove Gordon home with a sac fly, Lubanski doubled, 3B Adam Keim singled home Butler and Tupman singled home Lubanski. The Wranglers loaded the bases with only the 1 out but didn't score any more to break what was then a 5-5 tie. RP Derrick DePriest entered the game in the 7th and was solid until giving up a leadoff double in the 9th. He walked the next batter intentionally and the two runners were sacrificed over to second and third. RP Nate Hoelscher came in and intentionally walked another batter to load the bases but, in a microcosm of the Wrangler season thus far, hit Travs RF Jason Aspito with a pitch to bring the winning run home. Wichita is 4-13 and 7 games back of first. Travs 1B Mike Eylward was 2-4 to improve to .371 and SS Brandon Wood was 2-3 to move to .333. The Wranglers' pitchers hit 5 Travs batters with pitches in the game.

Monday, Travs RH Rafael Rodriguez (3-0, 0.53 ERA in the Cal League) makes his Class AA debut vs. Wichita RH Kyle Middleton (0-1, 5.17 ERA).

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 8, Lancaster 2

Stodolka 0-3, BB, K, RS, HBP, picked off -- .419
Brown 4-5, 2B, RBI, RS -- .310
Galloway 3-5, 2 RS, K -- .321
Melgarejo 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K -- .273
Lucas 2-5, RS, K -- .238
Gaffney 2-3, 2 RBI, BB, E (2) -- .391
Valentin 1-3, RBI, BB, RS -- .325

Cota 8 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 6 K -- W, 1-2, 7.17 ERA

*** The Mavs got Cota's first good start of the year and pounded out 15 hits to set themselves up for a sweep of the JetHawks. Brown knocked home a run on a 1st inning single and Melgarejo drove home a run with a 2nd inning single to put the Mavs up, 2-0. Cota gave up a 2-run, 1-out homer in the 3rd to allow Lancaster to tie the game but the Mavs loaded the bases with no out in the bottom of the inning. C Adam Donachie and Gaffney sandwiched RBI singles around a Valentin RBI ground out and Gaffney's drove home 2 runs. Melgarejo drove Gaffney home with a double and the Mavs were up, 7-2. The Mavs scored again in the 4th as Galloway scored on a fielding error on a ball hit by Stodolka. Cota gave up 1 hit after the homer but then retired 13 straight into the 7th. The JetHawks got one more runner but that was it. High Desert is 10-7 and 1/2 a game back of first. Lancaster managed only the 4 hits off Cota.

The series wraps up Monday. The Mavs send LH Danny Christensen to the hill vs. Lancaster LH Greg Smith.

Low-A - Burlington: Peoria 13, Bees 11

Santana 1-4, BB, K, SB (4) -- .312
Howell 3-4, 2B, RBI, 2 RS, HBP -- .250
1B John Lowen 3-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SF, E (1) -- .297
Arroyo 3-5, 2 RBI, RS -- .265
LF Antonio Sabatini 2-4, 3B, 3 RBI, outfield assist -- .188
Thibault 2-5, 2 2B, RBI, 3 RS, HBP -- .275
Lisson 1-5, BB, K, RBI -- .222

DiPietro 3 2/3 IP, 8 R (5 ER), 6 H, 4 BB, K -- ND, 3.27 ERA, not a pretty line
Oliveros 3 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, balk -- L, 2-1, 2.87 ERA

*** It's feast or famine for the Bees. After three games with one combined run, they score 11 only to allow 13 to the Chiefs and lose to drop their 4th straight. Two walks and then a Lisson RBI single started the game right for Burlington and a Lowen sac fly made the score 2-0 Bees after half an inning of play. Peoria manufactured a run off DiPietro in the bottom of the 1st but Burlington loaded the bases with 1 out in the 3rd before Arroyo hit an RBI single and Sabatini followed with a 2-run single to make the score 5-1 Bees. The Chiefs fought back with 2 in the bottom of the inning, one on a solo homer, to cut the lead to 2 but Burlington looked to be in good shape after a 5-run 4th. All of the runs came with 2 out as Thibault doubled home a run, Lowen hit a 2-run blast to right for his 2nd of the season, Arroyo singled home a run and Sabatini tripled Arroyo home to make the score 10-3. In a fine example of organizational pitching, Burlington proceeded to give up 7 runs in the bottom of the 4th to allow the Chiefs to tie the game. A Howell passed ball, a fielding error by SS Valentino Arce with 2 out that would have saved 5 runs and a balk on Oliveros were all lowlights of the inning for Burlington. Peoria broke the tie with 2 in the 5th off Sabatini to make the score 12-10 Chiefs. The teams actually went scoreless until the 8th when Thibault led off with a double and scored on a Howell ground out to cut the lead to 1. The Bees got another runner to third but Santana struck out to end the threat. Of course, Bees RP Cody Harkcom came in and allowed an insurance run to Peoria in the 8th. The Bees got a runner to second with 1 out in the 9th but that was as far as he went. Burlington is now 7-10. Chiefs 2B Robinson Chirinos was 3-5 with a double, homer and 3 RBI in improving to .273. C Mark Reed was 2-3 with a walk and RBI to improve to .393.

The teams finish the series tonight. Pitchers: Bees RH David Henninger (1-0, 4.50) against Chiefs RH Scott Taylor, who is making his team debut.