Royals on the Farm 4/8

AAA - Omaha: G1 O-Royals 2, Nashville 0 (7 inn.)

DH Chad Allen 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, K
Huber 0-1, HBP, E
Blanco 1-2
Ambres 0-3, K
Gotay 1-3, RS
Guiel 0-2, BB, RS

J.P. Howell 6 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Elder 1 IP, 2 H, K

*** Howell didn't give up a hit until the 4th and got a 2-out, 2-run double from Allen in the 6th to give Omaha a late lead in the truncated 7-inning game because of the doubleheader. RP Dave Elder allowed a couple runners in the top of the 7th but no runs to close it out. The game took 1:41 to play. Gwynn Jr. was 0-3.

G2 O-Royals 3, Nashville 2 (8 inn.)

Huber 0-2, BB -- .000 BA
CF Kerry Robinson 0-2, 2 BB, 2 RS, SB, K
Gotay 1-3, K
Guiel 1-3, 2 RBI
Allen 1-3 -- .300 BA
Ambres 1-3, HR (1), RBI
Blanco 0-3, E

Kyle Snyder 5 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 7 K !!!, 0 BB, balk
Justin Huisman 2 2/3 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 1-0

*** The O-Royals are in position for the season-opening sweep as they came back from being down 2 early to send the game into extras and winning in 8. Blanco's throwing error led off the game and Nashville used the mistake in scoring 2 in the 1st and putting SP Kyle Snyder down early. Ambres homered to lead off the 2nd and Snyder settled down to hold the Sounds in check. In the 6th, Robinson reached on a throwing error and got to third on a wild pitch. Guiel came through with a single to tie the game, which stayed tied at 2 into the bottom of the 8th. Robinson walked, was sacrificed to second by Gotay, stole third and scored on a Guiel sac fly to end the game. The O-Royals are now 3-0. Gwynn Jr. was 1-4 with a K.

Omaha goes for the sweep Sunday as RHP Runelvys Hernandez goes up against Nashville RH Dennis Sarfate.

AA - Wichita: Tulsa 7, Wranglers 4

Gordon 3-5, 2B, K -- .438 thru 3 games
Butler 0-4, 3 K -- .294
Murphy 1-5, HR, 4 RBI, 3 K, E
Maier 0-5, K
Ruiz 1-3, BB, 2B, K
Lubanski 0-3, BB, RS -- .091 yeesh
Sanchez 1-3, BB, 2B

SP Kyle Middleton 4 IP, 5 R (2 ER), 8 H, 2 K, 0 BB -- 0-1

*** The Wranglers fell behind 3-0 in the 2nd and never contended. Looks like my Wranglers prediction of 80-60 may be way off, unless Tulsa is again a league power. Two of the 3 2nd inning Tulsa runs scored on an error and passed ball on C Mat Tupman. 1B Brett Groves made an error in the 3rd that cost the Wranglers another run as part of a 2-run inning. Tulsa added runs in the 6th and 7th with the 7th-inning run coming partly because of a Murphy error to make the score 7-0. Murphy cranked a grand slam in the 9th off RP Joshua Newman but Maier struck out and Gordon flew out to end the game. The Wranglers are 0-3. SS Troy Tulowitzki was 2-5 for Tulsa and Czarniecki again did damage with 2 doubles. Tulsa SP Juan Morillo held the Wranglers to 4 H through 5 IP with 7 K and a BB.

The Wranglers will try to avert the sweep today as LHP Juan Cedeno will square off with Tulsa's Mark Kaiser.

High-A - High Desert: Inland Empire 9, Mavs 0

CF Ransel Melgarejo 2-4, 2 Ks
SS Irving Falu 2-3
3B Ed Lucas 0-3, E, HBP
1B Mike Stodolka 0-4, 3 Ks -- .000 at new position thus far
2B Wilver (formerly Gary) Perez 0-4, 3 Ks, E

SP Luis Cota 4 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 7 H, 2 BB, K -- 0-1
RP C.J. Woodrow 2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, BB, K
RP Adam Rowe 2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 4 K!

*** Cota's High Desert career got off to a rough start as the 66ers got 2 runs in the 1st and another in the 2nd before driving Cota out of the game with 2 in the 4th to stake a 5-0 lead. Inland Empire added 2 in the 5th and another run in the 6th off Woodrow. Meanwhile, the Mavs strung out 7 hits off four IE pitchers but couldn't push a run across the plate in falling to 1-1. 66ers 2B Yung Chi Chen was 4-5 with 2 2B and 2 RBI from the leadoff spot. 66ers SS Matt Tuiasosopo was 1-3 with a double, RBI, walk and 2 RS.

The teams end their series today. No announced starters, but if I had to guess I'd pick Daniel Christensen as the Mavs' starter.

Low-A - Burlington: G1 Clinton 1, Bees 0 (8 inn.)

McConnell 0-3, HBP
Lisson 1-4, K, E
Thibault 1-4, 2 K, SB

SP Ryan DiPietro 6 2/3 IP, O ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K

*** It was a pitchers' duel between DiPietro and Clinton's Zachary Phillips as DiPietro allowed only 3 hits while Phillips only allowed 4 hits as the game, shortened to 7 innings for the doubleheader, went into extras. Bees RP Chris Hayes gave up a run in the 8th and the Bees loaded the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th but couldn't tie or win the game as Lisson was called out on strikes and Thibault went down swinging to end it. Burlington left 7 on base in the loss. The Bees moved to 1-1. Clinton CF Truan Mehl and SS Matt Smith were 2-4 in the win.

G2 Clinton 2, Bees 0

Thibault 1-3, K
Lisson 0-1, 2 BB, K
McConnell 0-3 -- .000 thus far

SP Gilbert de la Vara -- 4 IP, 0 H, BB, 3 K (must have been on pitch count)
RP Yovany Damico -- 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K -- 0-1

*** The Bees nearly got no-hit by Clinton in the nightcap as a 1st inning single was Burlington's lone hit off SP J.B. Diaz or RP Jose Marte. The Bees did draw 5 walks and 2 Clinton errors but the offense struggled to score. Clinton's offense wasn't much better but the LumberKings scraped together runs in the 6th and 7th as Damico walked in a run in the 6th and Clinton got a sac fly in the 7th. The Bees went down with a whimper in the bottom of the 7th to end it and drop to 1-2. Clinton RF Terry Blunt was 2-3.

The Bees end the series with Clinton today. RH David Henninger takes the mound against Clinton RH Jacob Rasner.