Royals on the Farm 6/1

NOTE: I'll be leaving for a 7-day vacation tomorrow (6/3) so will be incommunicado for the most part until June 10. I haven't decided what I'll do about the RoF reports, but I guess I can always catch up when I get back. Just wanted to explain the oncoming RoF/Pipeline blackout period.

AAA - Omaha: New Orleans 7, O-Royals 3

2B Gotay 2-4, BB -- .274
3B Teahen 1-1, 4 BB!!!, 3B (3), 2 RS -- .387, where is all this stuff at the MLB level???
LF Huber 0-5, K -- .262
RF Guiel 1-5, 2B (10), K -- .258, welcome back to AAA
CF Robinson 0-5, K -- .319
DH Ambres 1-3, BB, HR (3), 2 RBI (15), K -- .202

Snyder 6 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- L, 0-4, 3.88 ERA
Andrade and Brooks -- 3 IP, 4 ER

*** New Orleans finally got to Omaha for a win with rallies in the 6th and 7th. The Zephyrs scored first in the 2nd but Omaha matched the run with one of their own that inning as Teahen led off the inning with a triple and scored on a single by SS Mike Aviles. Huber was the third out twice with runners in scoring position and the score remained 1-1 into the 6th when New Orleans scored 2 off Snyder and then added 3 off Andrade in the 7th. Ambres homered to lead off the Omaha 7th for his 3rd of 2006 and was walked with the bases loaded in the 8th to make the score 6-3 but that was all as the Zephyrs added a gravy run in the 9th off Brooks. Omaha is 22-32. Zephyrs 2B Brendan Harris was 4-5 with 2 doubles to move to .340, 1B Larry Broadway was 1-4 with his 41st RBI to move to .335, 3B Brandon Larson was 2-5 to move to .241 and C Wiki Gonzalez was 2-4 to move to .298.

The teams wrap up the series tonight. Pitchers: Zephyrs RH Nelson Figueroa (2-0, 5.73) vs. RH Brian Boehringer (0-0, 1.35).

AA - Wichita: Corpus Christi 11, Wranglers 3

3B Gordon 0-3, BB, RBI (27) -- .312
RF Butler 0-3, BB -- .297
LF Lubanski 1-3, BB, RS, SB (3) -- .260
CF Maier 1-4, 2B (13), RS -- .265
C Tupman 3-4, RBI (18), RS, CS -- .339
SS Sanchez 1-5, RBI (22) -- .297
2B Murphy 1-4, BB -- .211

Herndon 6 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA -- L, 4-3, 4.84 ERA
DePriest 1/3 IP, 7 ER!!, 7 H, 2 BB -- 7.43 ERA, yikes
Hoelscher 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 K -- 3.48 ERA

*** So much for that doubleheader sweep. Corpus Christi creamed DePriest with a 7-run 7th to put the game away and take the series finale. Hooks RF Hunter Pence hit his 16th homer -- a 2-run shot -- in the 1st to set the tone and the Hooks added a run in the 3rd on an RBI double for a 3-0 lead. As Wichita got some runners but could get no runs, Corpus Christi added a run in the 6th and got a single, walk and then 4 consecutive hits off DePriest to start the 7th and score 5 runs. Two singles and a walk after the first out of the inning added 2 more runs and sent DePriest to the showers with Wichita behind, 11-0. The Wranglers broke through too late as Tupman and Sanchez singled home runs in the 7th and Gordon drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 11-3. Two singles to start the 9th were for naught. Wichita is 23-31. Hooks SP Chance Douglass went 6 1/3 IP and gave up 2 ER to move to 4-1 with a 3.99 ERA. Pence was 2-6 and got to 45 RBI in improving to .299, LF Jorge Cortes was 3-4 with 3 doubles to move to .300, 1B J.R. House was 2-5 with his 37th RBI to move to .350, SS Ben Zobrist was 2-4 with his 19th double to move to .328 and CF Josh Anderson was 3-6 with 2 RBI to move to .307.

A 3-game home set with the San Antonio Missions (20-31, AA Mariners) starts tonight. Everyone's favorite Royals' head case SP Zack Greinke gets the rehab start for Wichita. In other news, SP Brian Bass has been suspended by the organization for undisclosed reasons and P Devon Lowery will take his roster spot.

High-A - High Desert: Lake Elsinore 3, Mavs 2

1B Stodolka 0-3, BB, 2 K -- .303
2B Perez 1-3, BB, SB (4), CS -- .292
CF Senreiso 1-4, HR (9), RBI (25), K -- .248
C Donachie 1-3, 2 PB -- .291
3B Lucas 0-3, RS, E (7) -- .251
RF McFall 1-3, 2B, RBI (24), K -- .233

Gragg III 6 1/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 8 H, 0 BB, 3 K -- L, 0-3, 7.47 ERA, better start than last couple, tho

*** The Storm salvaged the series finale with 2 late runs. Lake Elsinore generated a run off Gragg in the 1st but the Mavs tied it in the 2nd on a McFall RBI double. At one point, 20 straight outs were made in the game and the score remained tied at 1 into the 7th when the Mavs moved ahead on Senreiso's leadoff solo blast for his 9th of the season. A Lucas throwing error opened the door for the Storm in the bottom of the 7th and it cost the Mavs as Lake Elsinore pushed across 2 runs in the inning, also thanks in part to 2 wild pitches by RP Justin Barnes. High Desert went down 1-2-3 in the 8th and 9th to end it. High Desert is 25-29. Storm SP Cesar Ramos went 7 IP and allowed only 2 ER in moving to 4-3 with a 3.02 ERA. RP Neil Jamison got his 12th save with a perfect 9th and dropped his ERA to 1.74. CF Brett Dowdy was 3-4 to move to .500 and 3B Chase Headley was 1-4 with his 26th RBI to move to .273.

A 3-game home set with the Visalia Oaks (24-30, High-A D-Rays) starts tonight. Billy Buckner gets the start.

Low-A - Burlington: Wisconsin 7, Bees 6 (11)

2B Johnson 2-4, BB, SF, RBI (11) -- .259
DH Lisson 2-5, BB, 2B (14), 2 K, 2 RS, 2 SB (13) -- .212
RF Arroyo 2-3, K, RBI (16), RS, SB (5), OF assist at home -- .255
1B Everett 1-2, 2B, RBI, RS, 2 HBP -- .394

Henninger 3 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, K, HRA, WP -- ND, 4.73 ERA
Damico and Hayes 6 1/3 IP, UER
de la Vara IP, ER, 2 H, 2 K, WP -- L, 3-3, 3.57 ERA, tough run lately

*** Four errors helped the Rattlers take the series finale. Henninger gave up a 2-run homer in the 2nd but the Bees came back with 3 in their half of the inning on RBI singles by LF Antonio Sabatini and OF Ethien Santana and a Johnson sac fly. Wisconsin tied it in the 3rd but the Bees scored 2 to move ahead again that inning on a 2-out RBI double by Everett and Arroyo RBI single. Henninger left with 2 out and the bases loaded in the 4th and Damico gave up a 2-run double to the first batter he faced to allow another tie. A Sabatini error and wild pitch by Damico helped Wisconsin take the lead in the 5th and the scoring slowed. The Bees tied the game in the 7th on a bases-loaded walk by OF Jose Duarte but Everett got beaned in the inning and had to leave the game. There was no report on his status after the game. The game went into extras from there and de la Vara allowed the game breaking run on a wild pitch with 2 out in the 11th. Rattlers RP Joseph Woerman struck out the Bees' side with a walk mixed in to end the game. The Bees are 26-25. Woerman got his 5th save and dropped his ERA to 1.71. Rattlers 1B Bryan Sabatella was 3-5 with his 2nd homer to move to .180 and 2B Jeff Dominguez was 2-5 to move to .279.

A 4-game set at the Cedar Rapids Kernels (25-29, Low-A Angels) starts tonight. Pitchers: RH Chris Nicoll (3-2, 1.93) vs. Kernels RH Tommy Mendoza (2-5, 5.18).