Royals on the Farm 5/4

AAA - Omaha: Albuquerque 9, O-Royals 8

RF Allen 4-5, 2 3B (4), 4 RBI (23), RS, CS -- .314
CF Guiel 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 RS, HBP -- .262
3B Aviles 2-4, K, RS -- .262
1B Alejandro Prieto 2-5, HR (1), RBI (1), 2 K, 2 RS, 2 E (2) -- .250
2B Gotay 1-5, K, RS -- .266
SS Blanco 1-4, 2B, K -- .318
LF Ambres 0-4, 2 K -- .157

Keppel 6 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, BB, K, 3 HRA! -- ND, 5.20 ERA
Brooks 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K -- BS, 1, 4.05 ERA
Nelson 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), H, 2 BB, K -- L, 1-1, BS, 1, 1.46 ERA

*** Shoddy defense in the 9th and some shaky relief pitching killed Omaha Thursday in a see-saw loss to the Isotopes to split the 4-game set. Keppel got run support at the start as the Royals rallied with 2 outs and got a 2-run double from DH Rick Bell for a 2-0 lead on old Royals buddy Chris George, who left after the 1st with an apparent injury. Keppel gave up a solo homer in the 4th to cut the Omaha lead in half but the Royals got the run back in the 6th on an Allen RBI triple. Keppel got blistered in the 6th as he gave up a 3-run homer and then a solo homer but stayed in the game as the Isotopes took a 5-3 lead. Omaha responded with 4 in the 7th to regain the lead as C Jared Price hit an RBI double and, with 2 out and the bases loaded, Allen came through again with a bases-clearing triple to make the score 7-5 O-Royals. RP Frank Brooks came in for the bottom of the 7th and, with 2 out, gave up a walk, single and 2-run double to allow Albuquerque to tie the game. Prieto put the Royals back ahead in the 9th with a solo homer for his 1st of the year since taking over 1B for Huber. RP Joe Nelson came in to try and shut the door but walked the leadoff batter and a passed ball on Price gave the runner second. A sac bunt attempt resulted in a Prieto missed catch error that allowed the tying run to score. Nelson hit the next batter, intentionally walked the ensuing batter to load the bases and got a strike out before Albuquerque 3B Scott Seabol hit a walk-off single to end the game. Omaha is 14-12 and now 4 1/2 games back of first-place Nashville. George is staying true to his KC roots with a 7.65 ERA. Albuquerque RP Buddy Carlyle pitched 3 hitless innings in relief to drop his ERA to 2.50, DH Jason Wood was 3-4 with his 5th homer and 5 RBI to move to .319, LF Mike Kinkade was 2-4 to move to .318 and RF Mark Little was 1-2 with 3 RS to move to .333.

Omaha moves on to a 4-game set at Round Rock (15-10, AAA Astros) starting tonight. Round Rock is on a 6-game win streak.SP Ed Yarnall (0-0, 3.27) takes the mound for Omaha in a spot start tonight. It was supposed to be J.P. Howell's start but he's skipping a start because of "shoulder stiffness".

AA - Wichita: Midland 4, Wranglers 3

3B Gordon 2-4, 2 K -- .330
RF Butler 1-2, BB, HBP -- .309
LF Lubanski 1-5, 3 K -- .279, triple sombrero
SS Sanchez 1-5, RBI (12), RS -- .250
CF Maier 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI (21), RS -- .292
DH D. Brown 0-4, K -- .115
C Espino 2-4 -- .289
The Wranglers turned 4 double plays.

Song 3 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 1-3, 5.02 ERA
Markray and Hoelscher 3 IP scoreless relief
Nunez 2 IP, ER, 0 H, 3 BB, 4 K -- 4.26 ERA

*** A lackluster start by Song and Wichita's inability to generate many runs resulted in yet another Wrangler loss Thursday. Song gave up a 2-run homer to 2B Kevin Melillo in the 2nd but the Wranglers got a run back on an RBI ground out by Sanchez in the 3rd. Song gave up an RBI single before getting pulled without getting an out in the 4th as Midland took a 3-1 lead. Markray and Hoelscher got the job done for 3 innings in relief and Wichita got an RBI triple from 2B Walter Sevilla in the 7th to cut the lead back to 1. Nunez came in for the 7th and allowed a run to score on a wild pitch with 2 outs to give Midland a needed insurance run as Wichita scored in the 8th on a Maier RBI double. 1B Kila Kaaihue struck out with 2 in scoring position to end the inning. The Wranglers got 2 on with 1 out in the 9th but a Sanchez double play ball ended the game. Wichita is 8-19. SP Jason Windsor gave up 1 ER over 5 IP to move to 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA. Midland CF Jason Perry was 0-3 to drop to .405, C Kurt Suzuki was 0-4 to drop to .329 and 1B Vasili Spanos was 2-2 to improve to .308.

The teams continue their series tonight. Pitchers: Wichita SP Juan Cedeno (0-2, 5.96) vs. Midland's Benjamin Fritz (0-2, 4.33).

High-A - High Desert: off day

The Mavs start a 3-game home set with Modesto tonight. No announced pitchers.

Low-A - Burlington: West Michigan 7, Bees 3

SS McConnell 2-4, K, RS -- .175
DH Arce 2-3, K -- .200
C Thibault 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .265
3B Lisson 0-4, K, RBI (22) -- .202

Penn 2 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, BB, 2 K -- L, 0-1, 12.27 ERA
Damico 3 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 4 K -- 5.02 ERA
Hayes 2 IP, 0 ER, H, K -- 3.86 ERA

*** Penn had a poor first start for the Bees and the Burlington offense bookended 3 runs to drop a 7th straight game. Lisson hit an RBI ground out in the 1st to score 2B Joshua Johnson and give Burlington a 1-0 lead. The Whitecaps struck back with 3 in the 1st on 4 straight 2-out hits to grab a lead they wouldn't lose. West Michigan added 2 in the 3rd to chase Penn and scored 2 in the 5th off Damico to make the score 7-1. Meanwhile, the Bees went scoreless until the 9th when PH John Lowen hit an RBI single and 1B Miguel Vega hit a sac fly to bring in another run before CF Jose Duarte popped out to end the game. The Bees are 9-18. Manager Jim Gabella was ejected in the 2nd. West Michigan starter Lucas French gave up only 1 unearned run over 7 IP with 6 Ks to move to 4-1 with a 2.75 ERA. C Dusty Ryan was 3-4 with 3 RBI to move to .375, CF Cameron Maybin was 2-4 to move to .333 and DH Ryan Roberson was 2-4 with 3 RBI to improve to .269.

Game 2 of the 4-game set is tonight. Pitchers: Bees RH David Henninger (1-1, 4.57) vs. LH Ramon Garcia (4-1, 1.45).