Royals on the Farm 7/23

AAA - Omaha: Round Rock 14, O-Royals 2

RF Allen 2-3, 2 BB, K, RS -- .324
DH Coolbaugh 2-4, BB, RBI -- .182
1B Cortez 2-3, BB -- .219
2B Keppinger 0-4, BB -- .182
3B Clapinski 1-2, BB, HBP, 2B, RBI, K, E (5) -- .179
CF K. Robinson 0-3, 2 BB, RS, SB (15), CS (9) -- .285
C Tupman 0-5, K -- .259
SS Blanco 0-4 -- .231
* 13 left on base

Middleton 4 IP, 11 R (10 ER), 11 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 4 HRA -- L, 0-4, 6.39 ERA, YIKES, ERA jumped 3 runs
Braun, Peralta and C Jared Price 4 IP scoreless relief -- why Price was used I don't know

*** Kyle Middleton got hammered like Charlie Brown on the mound and the Express steamrolled the Royals. Middleton gave up an RBI double and 3-run homer in the 1st and another homer in the 2nd for a 5-0 Express lead. Omaha's early highlight was the ejection of 3B Mike Aviles after arguing a strikeout in the 1st as the Royals drew 3 walks in the inning but didn't score. They got on the board in the 3rd on a Mike Coolbaugh RBI single but Round Rock scored 3 runs on 4 straight hits in the 4th and erupted for 6 runs off Middleton and Shane Loux in the 5th to make it 14-1. Chris Clapinski doubled home the Royals' other run in the 5th before three Omaha relievers held the Express to only 2 more hits, including catcher Jared Price's 2 innings of 1-hit pitching. The Omaha World-Herald reports it was his first pitching appearance since high school and he was hurling some 70-mph warmth. Omaha is 40-62. Express RP Philip Barzilla pitched 4 2/3 innings of 3-hit, 3-walk baseball to improve to 7-3 with a 3.58 ERA, RR DH Mike Rodriguez was 4-5 with his 5th homer and 2 RBI (27) to improve to .273, 3B Joe McEwing was 2-4 with a double and his 31st RBI to move to .278 and CF Jason Lane was 2-5 with a double and his 1st AAA homer after spending most of the season with the Astros. He had 6 RBI in moving to .300.

The series ends Monday. Pitchers: RR RH Ezequiel Astacio (4-2, 4.59) vs. RH Ryan Baerlocher (4-4, 3.82).

AA - Wichita: Wranglers 10, Tulsa 7 (10)

3B Gordon 1-4, BB, K, RS -- .301
RF Butler 0-5 -- .321
CF Maier 4-5, 2B (21), HR (11), 2 RBI (66), 2 RS -- .285, when he has big games, he has big games
LF Lubanski 1-5, HR (7), 3 RBI (45), K -- .265
SS Sanchez 2-4, BB, RBI (43), K, RS, CS, E (20) -- .283
DH D. Brown 2-4, BB, K, 2 RS -- .283
2B Murphy 0-5, K -- .234
1B Kaaihue 1-3, 2 BB, walk-off HR (1), 3 RBI (28), 2 RS -- .183
C Donachie 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .185

Song 6 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 4 K, HRA -- ND, 5.74 ERA
C. Smith 3 1/3 IP, 3 R (1 ER), 4 H, 3 K -- W, 9-0, 1.99 ERA, Cody strikes again

*** Kila Kaaihue picked the perfect time and place for his 1st homer as a Wrangler with a walkoff shot in the 10th. Seung Song gave up a run in the 1st but Wichita matched it on a wild pitch that scored a run in the bottom of the 1st. Song gave up a solo homer in the 3rd and Wichita threatened to match it in the 4th but Dee Brown was thrown out at home trying to score from first on a Mitch Maier double. The Drillers scored twice more off Song in the 5th to make it 4-1. One swing of the bat by Chris Lubanski tied it in the 5th as he cranked a 3-run homer to left for his 7th homer of the season. An Angel Sanchez RBI single in the 7th gave Wichita the lead and the Wranglers padded it with 2 in the 8th on a Maier 2-run homer for his 11th of the season. Cody Smith, who took over for Song in the 7th and had been lockdown this season, entered the 9th with a 3-run lead but gave up 3 hits for 3 runs. Two were unearned after a Sanchez error with 1 out. The game went into the bottom of the 10th tied at 7 before Brown and Maier led off the inning with singles. Donnie Murphy flew out but Kaaihue cashed in with a 3-run jack to center for the walkoff blast. I'd say that's his first highlight of the season. Wichita is 17-13 and 2 games up on first. Tulsa DH Joe Koshansky was 2-4 with his 21st double and 2 RBI (82) to improve to .301, 3B Ian Stewart was 2-4 with his 30th double, 6th triple and 2 RBI (52) to improve to .272 and SS Troy Tulowitzki was 1-5 with his 23rd error to drop to .294.

The teams play game 2 of the set Monday night. Zack Greinke starts for Wichita.

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 13, Stockton 5

DH Stodolka 3-5, 2B (22), RBI (51), 3 RS -- .306
CF Valentin 3-5, 2B (13), RBI (42), RS -- .300
3B E. Lucas 3-5, 2 2B (22), 3 RBI (42), RS, SB (11) -- .280, picking it up lately
RF McFall 2-5, HR (13), 3 RBI (51), K -- .245
LF Tomlin 2-4, BB, 2B (14), 2 RS -- .295
2B W. Perez 2-4, SF, RBI (28), K, RS -- .280

Christensen 5 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 2 K, WP -- W, 2-6, 5.66 ERA
Hicklen, Barnes and Plummer 4 IP scoreless relief

*** The Mavericks scored in every inning from the 2nd through the 6th and rolled past the Ports to avoid a sweep. Edward Lucas doubled the first 2 High Desert runs home in the 2nd and HD struck for 4 in the 3rd on a Mike Stodolka RBI single, a wild pitch that scored a run, an RBI double by C Tomas Duenas and another wild pitch that scored Duenas. SS Irving Falu drove home a run with an RBI single in the 4th and a Geraldo Valentin ground-rule double brought Falu home to make it 8-0. Danny Christensen had fought his way through the first 4 innings without damage but gave up 5 runs in the 5th on 6 hits. The Mavs got 2 runs back in the 5th on a solo homer by Brian McFall (his 13th) and a Wilver Perez sac fly and added another run in the 6th on a McFall RBI single. The final 2 HD runs scored in the 8th on a Lucas RBI single and McFall RBI force out. The Mavs got nifty relief from Patrick Hicklen, Justin Barnes and Jarod Plummer to finish the game. High Desert is 15-14 and 2 games back of first. Ports LF Luis Perez was 3-4 with his 10th double to move to .269, 2B Eduardo Cornejo was 2-4 with a triple and RBI to move to .407 and C Landon Powell was 1-4 with his 41st RBI to drop to .256.

The Mavs have Monday off.

Low-A - Burlington: Bees 2, Wisconsin 1 (10)

1B Vega 1-3, HR (12), RBI (49), K -- .242
CF Duarte 1-4, BB, K -- .267
2B Johnson 0-4, BB -- .254
C Everett 0-3, BB, PB (1) -- .252

Cordier 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K, E (1) -- ND, 1.20 ERA, blister put him on pitch count
Henninger 3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K -- 5.81 ERA
Hayes 3 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K, WP -- W, 3-3, 2.12 ERA

*** A Rattler throwing error got the Bees the win in extra innings. Starters Erik Cordier and the Rattlers' David Asher dueled until Cordier left on a pitch count. The Bees took the lead in the 4th on a solo homer by Miguel Vega for his 12th of the season but RP David Henninger gave the run back in the 5th on a 2-out RBI double. The Bees got their first two batters on in the 8th but couldn't cash in and loaded the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th but again didn't score. Valentino Arce singled to lead off the Bees 10th and Jose Duarte walked before Josh Johnson reached on a throwing error that allowed Arce to score the winning run. The Bees are 13-17. Asher allowed only the ER on 2 hits and 2 walks over 7 IP to move his ERA to 3.05. Rattlers LF Kuo-Hui Lo was 1-5 with a double and RBI and his 8th steal to move to .292.

The Bees are set for 4 games at home vs. the Beloit Snappers (16-14, Low-A Twins) starting Monday. Mario Santiago gets the start in game 1. KC DH Mike Sweeney is set to begin a rehab stint with the Bees Tuesday night.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 5, Great Falls 4

C Balduf 3-4, RS -- .233
2B Mertins 0-2, 2 BB, K, RS -- .403
SS McConnell 1-5, K -- .419
LF Morel 2-4, 2B, RBI (21) -- .310
DH Hayes 2-5, 2B, RBI (13), 2 K, RS -- .264
3B Herrera 2-4, 2B (9), RBI (18), K, RS, E (6) -- .281
CF Bigler 2-4, RBI (12), K -- .253
1B Maddox 1-4, RBI (17), K, 2 E (2) -- .280

Teaford 4 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K, WP, 2 pickoffs -- ND, 2.73 ERA
Hartsock 5 IP, ER, H, BB, 5 K -- W, 3-0, 1.78 ERA

*** A big 8th got the Chukars a comeback win. Everett Teaford allowed a White Sox run in the 1st but the Chukars bounced back with 2 in the 3rd on an RBI double by Shawn Hayes and an RBI single by Marc Maddox for a 2-1 lead. Great Falls regained the lead with a 2-run 4th off Teaford and 3-2 was the score entering the 8th when Great Falls padded its lead with a sac fly off Aaron Hartsock to make it 4-2. Brenan Herrera hit a 1-out RBI double in the 8th to cut the Sox lead to 1 and, two batters later, Brett Bigler tied the game with an RBI base hit to left. Todd Balduf singled to load the bases and Alvi Morel had the big hit with a run-scoring single to give the Chukars the lead. Hartsock pitched a 1-2-3 9th to earn the win. Idaho Falls is 20-13 and still tied with Orem for first. GF 1B Vernon Carter was 0-3 with 3 K to drop to .342 and CF Archie Gilbert was 0-3 to drop to .351.

The Chukars and the Ogden Raptors (15-18, Rookie Dodgers) start a 3-game set Monday. No announced starters.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 8, Athletics 0

3B Taylor 1-4, 2B, RS -- .329
RF Van Stratten 2-4, 2 RS -- .267
SS Juan 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI (11), K, E (7) -- .250
CF D. Robinson 1-3, 2 BB, 2B, 2 RS, 2 SB (11) -- .221
1B S. Lucas 1-3, HBP, 3B (7), 2 RBI (31), RS -- .337
OF Dyson 1-4, RBI, CS -- .372

Raglione 6 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 5 K, WP, E (1) -- W, 2-0, 3.57 ERA, great start
Hauff and Chavez 2 2/3 IP hitless relief

*** The Royals got it going in three innings midway through the game and earned their 2nd straight shutout victory. Paul Raglione didn't have an easy inning but kept the A's silent and the Royals took the lead with 2 in the 5th on an RBI single by C Nick Doscher and an RBI double by Manny Juan. The Royals tacked on 4 in the 6th on a 2-run triple by Scott Lucas, an RBI single by 2B Alwin Perez and a Juan RBI single to make it 6-0. The final 2 runs came in the 7th on a Nick Van Stratten RBI single and RBI force out by Jarrod Dyson. The Royals are 16-10. A's SS Angel Corporan was 2-4 to move to .263 and 2B Marcos Luis was 1-4 to drop to .292.

The Royals played the Padres Monday morning and got their 3rd straight shutout win. More on that in the next report.