Royals on the Farm 4/30

AAA - Omaha: Round Rock 7, O-Royals 3 (7 innings)

1B Huber 0-3, 2 K -- .290, .417 OBP
2B Gotay 2-3, HR (1), RBI, K, 2 RS -- .256
SS Blanco 0-2, E (9) -- .329
RF Guiel 1-3, HR (7), 2 RBI (20) -- .225, alltime team leader in RBI now, passing Kit Pellow
DH Allen 0-3 -- .294
CF Ambres 1-3, 2B -- .191

Howell 5 IP, 6 ER, 10 H, BB, 6 K, 2 HRA -- L, 3-2, 5.67 ERA, lit up second straight time

*** In what was supposed to be the first game of a doubleheader, Round Rock scored in each of the 4th through 7th innings and dropped Omaha again. J.P. Howell struck out the first two Express batters in the first then gave up a solo homer to Round Rock LF Luke Scott. Gotay tied the score with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the 1st and Guiel cracked a 2-run shot in the 3rd to give Omaha a 3-1 lead and set the franchise record for career RBI with 338. His 98th homer as an O-Royal put him 1 behind Jed Hansen for 2nd on the franchise's all-time list. The Express rolled over Howell in the 4th as a leadoff walk was followed by a 2-run homer by 1B Royce Huffman and Round Rock added another run in the inning for a 4-3 lead. Round Rock added runs in the 5th and 6th off Howell for a 6-3 lead and Joe McEwing homered to lead off the 7th for the Express to cap the scoring. Omaha had 1 base runner after Guiel's homer. The O-Royals are 12-10 and now 3 1/2 games back of Nashville. McEwing was 2-4 to up his BA to .240, DH Alan Zinter was 2-3 to up his BA to .355 and Scott was 2-3 to move to .269. CF Charlton Jimerson was 0-4 with 4 Ks to drop to .278.

The second game was rained out and will be made up July 22. Omaha moves on to Albuquerque for a 4-game set with the Isotopes (17-7, AAA Marlins) starting tonight. Pitchers: Omaha RH Adam Bernero (0-0, 3.86) vs. RH Jeff Fulchino (1-0, 3.71).

AA - Wichita: Midland 4, Wranglers 2

1B/3B Gordon 0-4, BB, 2 K -- .326
RF Butler 0-3, 2 BB, outfield assist at third -- .312
LF Lubanski 2-5, RBI (5) -- .279
CF Maier 3-4, RBI (20), K, CS, outfield assist at home -- .297
C Tupman 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, PB -- .333
SS Sanchez 1-4, BB, K -- .266
DH D. Brown 0-4, BB, RS -- .000

Cedeno 4 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 9 H, BB, 3 K -- L, 0-2, 5.96 ERA
Markray 2 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, BB, 3 K, pickoff -- 2.60 ERA

*** Midland tagged Cedeno for 3 runs on 5 hits and a passed ball in the 1st and that was all 4 Rockhounds pitchers needed in a 4-2 Midland win. Lubanski hit an RBI single in the 2nd to get Wichita on the board but Midland got the run back off Cedeno in the 3rd for a 4-1 lead. Maier hit an RBI single in the 5th for his 20th ribbie of the season and cut the Rockhound lead to 4-2. The Wranglers got runners in scoring position in the 6th and 7th but could do nothing with them and went down in order in the 8th and 9th to end the game. Wichita is 7-16 and couldn't take much advantage of 7 walks drawn in the game. Midland C Kurt Suzuki was 2-4 to improve to .362, 2B Kevin Melillo was 1-4 to drop to .319 and RF Jason Perry was 2-3 to improve to .426.

Wichita moves on to a 3-game home set with the Frisco Rough Riders (10-11, AA Rangers) starting tonight. No announced starters on either team site.

High-A - High Desert: San Jose 10, Mavs 4

2B Valentin 1-4, RBI (11) -- .344
DH R. Brown 2-3, RBI (11), RS -- .321
1B Stodolka 0-4, K -- .339, coming down to earth
LF Galloway 0-2, 2 BB -- .319
RF McFall 1-4, 2 RBI (14), 2 K -- .200
3B Lucas 1-3, BB, 2B (7), K, RS, SB (3), E (5) -- .232

Hicklen 6 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- L, 0-4, 8.77 ERA
Rowe 1 1/3 IP, 6 R (4 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, K, E (1) -- 4.15 ERA

*** Two 4-run innings did in the Mavs as San Jose swept High Desert on the Giants' home field. DH Rusty Brown hit a sac fly in the 1st to give the Mavs a 1-0 lead but San Jose DH Brian Horwitz struck back with a 3-run homer in the 3rd after a fielding error by SS Irving Falu had already allowed 1 run to score. The score remained 4-1 Giants into the 7th as High Desert couldn't generate a rally. Rowe came in and gave up 2 runs that inning and, after Valentin singled home a run in the 8th to make the score 6-2 San Jose, Rowe gave up 4 in the 8th, including a 3-run homer by Giants 2B Tim Hutting, to put the game away. McFall drove home 2 runs with a 2-out single in the 9th but that was all the Mavs could muster. High Desert dropped to 13-11 and is 1/2 a game back of first. Giants SP Alex Hinshaw dropped his ERA to 0.77 with 4 scoreless IP and RP Brooks McNiven got the win and dropped his ERA to 0.68 with 3 scoreless and hitless IP. Horwitz was 2-4 to move to .350, 1B Julio Cordido was 1-4 to drop to .300 and LF Michael Wagner was 3-4 to move to .233.

The Mavs move on to play 3 home games with the Bakersfield Blaze (11-13, High-A Rangers) starting tonight. Starters: Blaze SP Michael Schlact vs. Mavs SP Kyle Crist.

Low-A - Burlington: double rain out Sunday

*** The Bees and Dayton Dragons had a twinbill rained out Sunday and will try to make up the series with doubleheaders both Monday and Tuesday. Today's starters are: G1 - Bees RH Carlos Rosa (1-2, 2.14) vs. LH Phillippe Valiquette (1-0, 1.13) and G2 - Bees RH Chris Nicoll (1-1, 1.80) vs. RH Carlos Fisher (2-1, 3.74). Their record remains 9-13.