Royals on the Farm 5/9

AAA - Omaha: Salt Lake 5, O-Royals 2

RF Allen 2-4, 2B (9), K -- .306
2B Gotay 1-3, HR (4), 2 RBI (12), BB, SB (3), E (2) -- .254
CF Ambres 1-1, 2B (6), 3 BB -- .183
SS Blanco 0-5, 2 K, E (11) -- .282, iron glove
3B Teahen 0-4, K -- .125
DH Aviles 1-3, BB, 2B (6) -- .268

Keppel 6 IP, 5 R (2 ER), 6 H, BB, K, WP, pickoff -- L, 2-3, 4.89 ERA
Baerlocher 3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K -- 2.25 ERA, nice outing out of the pen

*** Consistency was the key for Salt Lake as the Bees scored a run in 5 of the first 6 innings and got a good start from Kasey Olenberger to drop Omaha to its 6th straight loss. A Gotay error helped Salt Lake score its 3rd inning run and a passed ball on C Jared Price led to a run in the 4th. It was Blanco's turn to screw up in the 5th as he missed the ball on a pickoff attempt to help the Bees score another run. That's why only 2 of Keppel's 5 runs allowed were earned. Meanwhile, Omaha was impotent on offense despite getting runners on throughout the game. The O-Royals ended up leaving 9 on base. They finally broke through in the 8th as Gotay smacked a 2-run homer for his 4th of '06 but that was all she wrote for the O-Royals' offense as far as scoring went. Omaha is 14-17 and still 5 1/2 games back of Nashville despite the 6-game losing streak. Olenberger went 6 IP and gave up only 3 hits and 3 walks to move to 2-0 with a 2.91 ERA. Salt Lake SS Erick Aybar was 1-4 with his 12th SB to drop to .301, 1B Kendry Morales was 1-4 to move to .250, C Jeff Mathis (recently down from the Angels) was 2-4 to move to .368 and CF Reggie Willits was 1-2 to move to .319.

Game 2 of the 4-game set is Wednesday. Omaha LH J.P. Howell (3-2, 5.67) takes the mound.

AA - Wichita: Wranglers 5, Frisco 3

3B Gordon 2-5, 2B (11), K, RS -- .312
RF Butler 2 2B (9), 2 RBI (17), BB, K, RS -- .308
LF/CF Lubanski 1-5, K -- .291
CF Maier 1-4, 2B (8), RS -- .289
SS Sanchez 1-5, 2 K, RS -- .269
C Tupman 0-5 -- .337
2B Sevilla 2-3, 2B, BB, K, RS -- .275
1B Kaaihue 2-4, 3 RBI (9) -- .173

Song 5 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K -- W, 2-3, 4.28 ERA
Nunez 1 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, K -- SV, 3, 3.86 ERA

*** The Wrangler offense put on an early surge and the bullpen held on for Song to get Wichita another win. Butler hit an RBI double in the 1st and Kaaihue added an RBI single in the 2nd to give Wichita a 2-0 lead. Kaaihue got back up in the 3rd and hit a 2-run single to make the lead 4-0 and Butler hit his 2nd RBI double in the 4th to give Wichita a 5-0 lead. Song let some runners on but allowed no runs through 5 before giving way to the pen. RPs Cody Smith and Thad Markray allowed runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th to cut the lead to 2 but Nunez shut the door for the win. Wichita is 11-21 and threatening to move out of the cellar in the TL North. Frisco RP Wes Littleton allowed only 1 hit over 3 IP to drop his ERA to 0.48, DH Jim Fasano was 1-5 to drop to .325 and 3B Travis Metcalf was 2-4 to move to .250.

The teams finish the set Wednesday. No announced pitchers yet.

High-A - High Desert: Bakersfield 3, Mavs 2

DH Stodolka 2-4, HR (4), 2 RBI (15), 2 K -- .310
LF Valentin 1-3, 2 K, CS -- .310
3B Lucas 0-3, 2 K -- .283
2B Perez 1-3, 2B (6), 2 K -- .277
C Donachie 0-3, 2 K, 2 CS against -- .297
* all but one Mavs batter (SS Irving Falu) had at least 2 K

Cota 7 IP, UER, 6 H, BB, 7 K, E (1) -- ND, 6.51 ERA, that's more like it
Rowe 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB -- BS, 2, L, 2-1, 5.28 ERA

*** The Mavs had only 4 hits as Blaze SP Eric Hurley K'd 15 batters en route to his 3rd win of the season. Despite Hurley's performance, the Mavs still led late before Rowe screwed up a good start from Luis Cota. Stodolka singled home a run in the 1st to put the Mavericks up early but the Blaze took advantage of an error on HD CF Ransel Melgarejo to match the run in the bottom of the 1st. Stodolka smashed his 4th homer in the 4th to put High Desert up, 2-1, and Cota locked down through 7 as the contest settled into a pitchers' duel. He gave up 2 hits and made a throwing error in the 7th to load the bases with 0 out but got out of the jam, including 2 Ks and the third out on a caught stealing at home. RP Adam Rowe came in to pitch the 8th and promptly gave up a single, triple and sac fly to blow the lead. He gave up a double and walk before getting mercifully pulled and RP Gabe DeHoyos got the remaining 2 outs in short order. The Mavs went down in order in the 9th. High Desert is 17-15 and now 1 1/2 games out of first. Hurley went 8 IP to move to 3-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.06. He had 0 walks to go along with his 15 Ks. Blaze CF Jayce Tingler was 2-4 to move to .312, DH Ben Harrison was 2-4 to move to .284 and LF Roberto Valiente was 2-3 to move to .421.

The teams wrap up the series Wednesday as High Desert tries to avert the sweep. Pitchers: Mavs LH Danny Christensen vs. Bakersfield RH John Bannister.

Low-A - Burlington: Bees 2, South Bend 0

DH Howell 2-4, K -- .211
1B Vega 2-4 -- .205
SS McConnell 1-3, BB, RBI (9), CS -- .191
C Thibault 0-4, K -- .245
3B Lisson 1-3, 2B (9), BB, K, SB (6) -- .194

Penn 6 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- W, 1-1, 4.66 ERA, first pro win, in style
Hayes and de la Vara 3 IP hitless relief, de la Vara's 3rd save

*** Three Bees pitchers led by SP Michael Penn stifled the Silver Hawks and the Bees scraped enough offense together to get the victory. McConnell's 3rd inning RBI single put the Bees up, 1-0, and they added a run in the 6th on a Lisson double and steal of third followed by a wild pitch that allowed him to score. South Bend threatened several times but couldn't break through. In the 6th, the Silver Hawks got a 2-out 2B from 3B Steve Mena and DH Ricardo Sosa tried to score from 1st but was cut down at the plate by RF Carlos Arroyo via cut off man 2B Josh Johnson. South Bend wouldn't get another base runner. Burlington is 12-20 and 6 games out of first. Silver Hawks CF Justin Upton was 1-4 to drop to .309 and Sosa was 2-3 with a double to move to .571.

The series continues this morning and the Bees are up, 5-0, in the 4th. Starters: Bees RH David Henninger (1-2, 4.50) against RH Ramon Sanchez (0-6, 9.95). Looks like Sanchez's luck is continuing.