Royals on the Farm 5/18

AAA - Omaha: Sacramento 3, O-Royals 2

3B Teahen 2-2, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, E (1) -- .250, AAAA player???
C Phillips 2-4, 2B, K, RS -- .275
2B Gotay 0-4, BB, 2 K, picked off -- .233, not getting it done, ejected in 9th
SS Blanco 0-5, K -- .282, Berroa Jr.
RF Allen 1-3, BB, K, RS, SB -- .303
LF D. Brown 0-3, BB -- .043, avg says it all

Bernero 6 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 4 K, HRA -- ND, 3.32 ERA, has done all right as a starter
Brooks 2 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K -- L, 0-2, 8.36 ERA, better than other recent outings

*** Omaha got one inning of scoring offense Thursday and it wasn't enough as the O-Royals dropped the opener with the River Cats. Following the example of their big league brethren, the O-Royals loaded the bases with 0 out in the 2nd but failed to score after 2 Ks and a pop out. Sacramento 3B Scott McClain went solo in the 2nd to give the River Cats an early lead and the River Cats manufactured another run in the 5th to take a 2-0 lead. Omaha finally got the offense going in the 6th as Teahen doubled home a run and CF Chip Ambres, who had been one of the bases-loaded Ks in the 2nd, hit a sac fly to tie the game. After a Dee Brown walk loaded the bases, Gotay popped out to end the inning. Frank Brooks came in to pitch the 7th for Omaha and the River Cats pushed the lead run across. After Gotay was called out on strikes for the second out of the 9th, he was tossed and Blanco K'd to end the game. Omaha is 17-22 and 4 1/2 games back of first. River Cats SP Dan Meyer, the on-again, off-again A's pitching prospect, got a no decision with 2 ER over 5+ IP to make his ERA 4.46. CF Doug Clark was 3-3 to improve to .335, DH Nathan Espy, who haunted Wichita at Midland earlier this season, was 2-3 to improve to .403, A's hot prospect 1B Daric Barton was 0-4 to drop to .265, Moneyball C Jeremy Brown was 1-4 to drop to .333 and RF Jason Perry, another Wrangler nemesis at Midland, was 0-4 to drop to .053, so he isn't doing so hot at AAA.

Game 2 of the series is tonight. Pitchers: Omaha RH Danny Tamayo (3-1, 2.35) vs. RH Juan Dominguez (2-5, 6.69). The team site reports SP Brian Bass was demoted to Wichita. Over 7 starts, the 24-year old was 1-5 with a 7.59 ERA and allowed 49 hits in 32.0 innings, with 14 walks and 11 strikeouts. Bass had given up 16 earned runs in 7.0 innings for a 20.57 ERA in his last two starts. Also the site speculates 1B Justin Huber will return to town when Shane Costa is called up any day now.

AA - Wichita: Tulsa 8, Wranglers 7

3B Gordon 2-5, 2B (12), RBI (21), K, RS, SB (10) -- .314
RF Butler 0-3, BB, RS -- .281
LF Lubanski 1-4, 2B (12), RBI (16), RS -- .272
CF Maier 1-4, 2B (11), 2 RBI (28), RS -- .286
DH Costa 1-4, K -- .375, rehab game 2
2B Murphy 2-3, 2 RBI (15), HBP, RS, CS, E (3) -- .259, heating up back from DL
SS Sanchez 0-4, BB, RS, E (12) -- .270

Middleton 6 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K, HRA -- ND, 3.78 ERA
Hoelscher 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, K, HRA -- BS, 2, 4.50 ERA
DePriest 2 2/3 IP, ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- L, 0-3, 3.44 ERA

*** A 7-run 5th gave Wichita a 7-3 lead but the Wrangler pen couldn't hold the Drillers down. Middleton gave up 3 runs in the 4th thanks in part to errors by Murphy and Sanchez to give Tulsa a 3-0 lead. The Wranglers exploded in the 5th as C Damaso Espino and Lubanski had back-to-back RBI doubles, Gordon followed two batters later with an RBI double, Maier came through with a 2-out, 2-run double and Murphy followed with a 2-run single to make the score 7-3 Wichita. Middleton gave up a run in the 6th and, after Hoelscher came in for the 7th, the reliever gave up a 3-run homer to Drillers C Alvin Colina to tie the game. As the Wrangler offense sputtered, Tulsa pushed a run across on a sac fly in the 9th to take the 8-7 lead and Gordon struck out with a runner at second in the 9th to end the game. Wichita is 17-23 and 7 games back of first. Tulsa RP Manuel Corpas picked up his 10th save with a scoreless 9th to drop his ERA to 1.69, SS Troy Tulowitzki was 1-6 to drop to .293, RF Joe Gaetti was 2-3 to improve to .329, 3B Ian Stewart was 1-5 to drop to .252 and CF Jordan Czarniecki was 2-4 to move to .297.

The teams match up for a doubleheader tonight. No announced pitchers for the Wranglers. According to the Eagle, Shane Costa is slated to head back to KC today. I also assume Bass will take Ryan Snare's vacated spot in the rotation.

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 3, Lancaster 2 (7/game 1)

RF Valentin 1-4, HR (4), RBI (18) -- .312
1B Stodolka 2-3, BB, K, RS, E (6) -- .330
CF Senreiso 2-4, RBI (15), K -- .275
LF Galloway 0-3, BB, K, RBI (16)
3B Lucas 0-2, BB, K, SB (5) -- .277

Buckner 6 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 3 K, HRA -- W, 5-0, 2.39 ERA, great start to '06
DeHoyos IP, BB, 2 K -- SV, 7, 1.17 ERA

*** Buckner didn't keep Lancaster totally quiet but did enough to get the W and move to 5-0 on the season as the Mavericks opened a Thursday twinbill with a narrow win over the JetHawks. Two walks followed by an RBI force out by Galloway gave High Desert a 1-0 lead in the 1st and, after Valentin struck his 4th homer to lead off the 3rd, Senreiso singled home a run that inning to make the score 3-0. Buckner didn't have completely smooth sailing in any inning and the JetHawks finally got to him in the 5th for an RBI double. Buckner gave up a solo homer in the 6th to shrink the lead to 1 but got out of the inning. DeHoyos came in to pitch the 7th and sandwiched a walk between 2 Ks before getting a fly out to end the game. Lancaster CF Chris Rahl was 2-3 with 2 doubles (17 on the season) and his 27th RBI to improve to .370 and DH Mark Reynolds was 0-3 to drop to .321.

Mavs 6, Lancaster 3 (7/game 2)

C Donachie 3-3, HR (2), 2 RBI (8), 3 RS -- .283
1B R. Brown 3-4, HR (4), RBI (17) -- .292
RF McFall 2-2, 2B, SF, 3 RBI (19) -- .200
DH Galloway 0-3, BB, K -- .276
3B Lucas 0-2, BB, RS -- .273
Stodolka DNP

Crist 6 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- W, 1-0, 4.50 ERA
Barnes IP, BB, 3 K! -- SV, 2, 4.09 ERA

*** Crist got his 1st High Desert win thanks to some steady offense from the Mavericks. Crist gave up a run in the 1st but High Desert retaliated with 3 in the 2nd on a Donachie 2-run shot (his 2nd) and an RBI double by McFall. The Mavs added a run in the 4th on a McFall sac fly to take a 4-1 lead but Crist gave up a 2-run double that frame to close the gap to 1. A Brown solo homer (his 4th) and a McFall RBI single in the 6th gave the Mavericks some insurance and RP Justin Barnes allowed two baserunners in the 7th but struck out the side to end the game. High Desert is now 21-19 and 1 1/2 games back of first after taking 3 of 4 from the cellar-dwelling JetHawks. Rahl was 1-4 with a K to drop to .367, Reynolds was 0-2 to drop to .315 and RF Carlos Gonzalez was 2-3 with his 28th RBI to improve to .277.

A 3-game home set with the division-leading Lake Elsinore Storm (22-17, High-A Padres) starts tonight. No announced starters.

Low-A - Burlington: Bees 2, Lansing 1 (12)

CF Santana 3-5, 2 CS -- .290
1B Vega 2-4, BB, 2 K -- .267, hot streak continues
SS Arce 2-4, BB, RBI -- .209

Nicoll 5 2/3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 7 K -- ND, 1.93 ERA!
Schambough 2 1/3 IP, BB, 3 K -- 1.29 ERA
de la Vara 4 perfect IP, 3 K -- W, 2-1, 2.54 ERA
*6 1/3 combined hitless IP out of the pen!

*** Burlington had a great day on the pitcher's mound as three hurlers held the Lugnuts to 3 hits over 12 IP but the offense was another story as the Bees finally pushed the winning run across in the 12th. RF Carlos Arroyo hit an RBI fielder's choice to get Burlington started in the 3rd but the Bees couldn't buy a run otherwise. Lansing tied the game in the 6th thanks in part to a missed catch error by Bees 2B Josh Johnson and Nicoll exited the game. The teams took turns shutting each other down on offense with 1-2-3 innings the norm for the latter part of the game. Vega led off the Bees' 12th with a single and PR Jeremy Jirschele stole second with 2 outs to get into scoring position. Santana singled him to third and after Johnson walked to load the bases, Valentino Arce came through with a clutch single to win the game for Burlington. The Bees are 17-21 and on a 5-game win streak. Lugnuts SP Russell Savickas allowed only 1 ER over 6 IP to drop his ERA to 2.68, 2B Sean Shoffit was 0-4 to drop to .303 and 3B Anthony Hatch was 2-4 to move to .279.

The Bees will try to break out the brooms on Lansing Friday. Pitchers: Bees SP Matt Kniginyzky (3-2, 3.10) vs. Lugnuts RH Billy Carnline (3-1, 2.43). I gotta say, the Bees starting rotation gives me some hope for the future. Rosa, Nicoll and Kniginyzky especially have been great thus far.