Royals on the Farm 7/24

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 10, Round Rock 5

DH Coolbaugh 3-5, HR (4), RBI, K -- .211
2B Keppinger 2-3, 2 BB, 2 RBI, RS -- .286, first RBI as Royal product
CF K. Robinson 2-5, 2B (15), 2 RBI (24), 2 RS -- .287
RF Allen 1-4, BB, HR (12), 2 RBI (65), K -- .323
LF Bell 2-5, RBI, K -- .212
1B Cortez 2-5, 2 RS -- .228
SS Blanco 2-4, RS, E (19) -- .235
C Tupman 1-5, RS -- .250

Baerlocher 7 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 2 HRA -- W, 5-4, 4.05 ERA
Etherton 2 IP, 3 H, 3 K -- 4.76 ERA

*** The Royals pounded Round Rock starter Ezequiel Astacio for 7 ER and salvaged the series finale with the 10-5 win. Ryan Baerlocher gave up a solo homer in the 1st but Omaha got the run back in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single by 3B Mike Aviles. The Royals took command with a 5-run 2nd as Kerry Robinson cracked a 2-run double and was singled home by Jeff Keppinger before Chad Allen cranked a 2-run homer to left for his 12th of the season and a 6-1 Royal lead. The Express rallied for 3 runs off Baerlocher in the 3rd to cut the gap to 2 but Omaha scored again in the 3rd on another Keppinger RBI single and twice in the 4th on an Express throwing error that scored Aviles and a Rick Bell RBI single to make it 9-4. Baerlocher gave up another solo homer in the 7th but that was all the damage Round Rock would do Monday. Mike Coolbaugh got the run back in the 8th with a solo homer to left center for his 4th of the season. Omaha is 41-62 and, for the first time in a while, out of the absolute cellar in the division as Memphis has slipped 1/2 a game back. Express 1B Hector Gimenez was 2-4 with his 27th RBI to move to .283, 3B Joe McEwing was 2-5 to move to .280 and 2B Brooks Conrad was 2-5 with his 13th homer and 68th RBI to improve to .253.

The Royals move on for a 4-game set at the Las Vegas 51s (48-55, AAA Dodgers) starting Tuesday. Pitchers: RH Denny Bautista (2-3, 5.35) vs. 51s RH Joel Hanrahan (2-1, 5.21).

AA - Wichita: Tulsa 16, Wranglers 11

3B Gordon 1-5, HR (15), RBI (55), 2 K, 2 E (9) -- .299
RF Butler 1-4, BB, K, RS -- .321
DH D. Brown 3-4, BB, HR (10), 2 RBI (44), 2 RS -- .291
LF Lubanski 2-4, 2 BB, 2 HR (9), 5 RBI (50) -- .268
CF Maier 2-4, BB, RS, CS -- .287
SS Sanchez 1-1, HBP, RS -- .285, pulled in third, hit on 2nd AB in 1st
2B Murphy 1-5, 3 K, RS -- .233
C Donachie 0-4, BB, RBI (3), 3 K, RS -- .161

Greinke 4 2/3 IP, 9 R (8 ER), 8 H, BB, 5 K, 2 HRA, WP -- ND, 5.93 ERA, ugly start
Lowery 3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K, HRA -- L, 2-1, 7.88 ERA

*** Zack Greinke and two relievers helped Wichita cough up an 8-run lead in falling to the Drillers. Twelve Wranglers came to bat in the 1st as they scored 8 runs off Drillers SP Zack Parker, so it wasn't good to be a starter named Zack in Wichita Monday night. The Wranglers loaded the bases with 1 out in the 1st and the first run scored on a Dee Brown walk before 1B Justin Gemoll singled home 2 runs, Adam Donachie hit an RBI fielder's choice that resulted in no outs, and Chris Lubanski cranked a grand slam to right for his 8th homer of the season to make it 8-0. Parker got pulled and RP Alberto Arias got out of the inning with no more damage. Greinke held the Drillers in check until the 4th when Alex Gordon made an error and Greinke gave up a grand slam and RBI single to cut the lead to 8-5. The Tulsa comeback was completed in the 5th when Greinke gave up 3 straight hits, including a 2-run double, to start the inning and a 2-run homer with 2 outs before getting pulled for Devon Lowery with Tulsa now ahead, 9-8. Gordon atoned for his 4th inning error with a solo homer in the 5th for his 15th of the season and the Wranglers regained the lead on a Brown solo homer (his 10th) to lead off the 6th. Lowery gave up a 2-run homer to Tulsa 1B Joe Koshansky in the 7th to give the lead back to Tulsa but Lubanski's second homer of the game to lead off the 8th (his 9th) tied the game at 11. Lowery was pulled for Nate Hoelscher with 2 on and 2 out in the 8th and Hoelscher gave up a go-ahead single before getting touched for consecutive RBI triples and a sac fly in the 9th to give Tulsa the 16-11 lead. The Wranglers didn't put up another rally. Wichita is 17-14 and still a game up on first. Tulsa RF Seth Smith was 3-5 with an RBI and 3 RS to move to .288, Koshansky was 2-4 with his 25th homer, 3 RS and 2 RBI (84) to move to .304, DH Joe Gaetti was 1-4 with the GS (13) and 4 RBI (47) to move to .292 and SS Troy Tulowitzki was 1-4 with 2 RS to move to .294.

The teams recover to play Tuesday night. Neal Musser will start for Wichita. Here's a classic postgame quote from Greinke from the Eagle: "I started off bad (in the fourth)," Greinke said. "I had been in a groove. Then it started out bad. I don't know. After four or five hitters, I lost the feel I had in the first three innings and never got it back. I sucked for two innings. If I would have stayed out there, I would have continued to suck." Sanchez is listed as day-to-day as he was hit by a pitch on the elbow.

High-A - High Desert: off day

*** High Desert is 15-14 and 1 1/2 games back of Lake Elsinore. The Mavericks play host to the Modesto Nuts (10-21, High-A Rockies) for 3 games starting Tuesday night.

Low-A - Burlington: Beloit 11, Bees 0

CF Duarte 1-2, 2 BB, SB (20) -- .269
C Howell 1-3, K -- .244, Bees' only 2 hits
2B Johnson 0-4, K, E (5) -- .250
DH Everett 0-3, 2 K -- .247

Santiago 5 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 9 H, 3 K -- L, 2-3, 5.27 ERA, no walks, tho
Oliveros and Garcia 2 2/3 IP scoreless relief

*** Mario Santiago gave up 6 runs in the top of the 1st and the Bees never recovered. A fielding error by 3B Mario Lisson (his 21st) was sandwiched between a total of 7 straight singles as the Snappers scored their 6 runs in the opening frame. Jose Duarte led off the Bees 1st with a single but the only other hit the Bees had came from Jeff Howell to lead off the 2nd. Duarte reached base twice more on walks but that was it for the Bees. RP Yovany Damico gave up the other 5 ER on a solo homer in the 6th and grand slam in the 7th. The Bees are 13-18. Beloit SP Oswaldo Sosa went 6 IP and allowed 2 hits and a walk with 8 Ks to improve to 8-7 with a 2.74 ERA, DH Eli Tintor was 1-5 with the GS (6) and 5 RBI (36) to drop to .279, 1B Erik Lis was 2-4 with his 50th RBI and 2 RS to move to .315 and SS Paul Kelly was 3-4 with his 48th RBI and 2 RS to move to .280.

The series continues Tuesday as Carlos Rosa pitches for Burlington. Mike "Mr. Brittle" Sweeney starts his rehab outing for Burlington.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Ogden 7, Chukars 4

SS McConnell 2-5, K, RS -- .417
2B Maddox 2-5, 2B (10), RBI (18), 2 K, RS -- .286
C Lance 2-5, RBI, K, picked off runner at third -- .222
LF Morel 1-4, K -- .308
CF Bigler 1-2, 2 BB, RBI (13), picked off -- .258
*13 left on base

Cribb 3 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, BB, 2 K -- ND, 3.06 ERA, by the way, he's a college teammate of new pickup Tyler Lumsden
Gutierrez 3 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 0-2, 6.66 ERA
Casey 2 IP, BB, 2 K -- 5.40 ERA, much better in low-pressure situations

*** The Chukars blew a 4-0 lead as Ogden scored 7 straight to win the series opener. IF got three straight 1-out singles in the 1st with the third being an RBI hit by Marc Maddox for a 1-0 lead. The Chukars padded the lead with a 3-run 3rd as Brandon Lance hit an RBI single, Brett Bigler drew a bases-loaded walk and another run scored on a passed ball. That was the Chukars' last gasp, tho, as the Raptors tied it with 4 in the 3rd off Josh Cribb on 6 singles and a sac fly. Daniel Gutierrez gave up the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the 4th and a 2-run homer in the 6th to make it 7-4. The Chukars had base runners in each inning from the 4th through the 7th but couldn't cash in. Idaho Falls is 20-14 and a game back of first with only 4 games left in the half. Ogden DH Matt Berezay was 3-5 with his 4th homer, 2 RBI (14) and 2 RS to move to .292, CF Thomas Giles was 3-4 to move to .242 and 2B Parker Brooks was 2-4 with a double to move to .370.

The teams match up again Tuesday night. No announced starters.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 2, Padres 0

RF Van Stratten 2-4, RBI (15), K -- .277, hitting well lately
3B Taylor 0-3, BB -- .315
LF Dyson 1-4, K, RS, OF assist at second -- .362
CF D. Robinson 1-4, 2B (5), RBI, K -- .222
1B S. Lucas 0-4, K -- .323

Fisher 4 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K, pickoff -- ND, 1.78 ERA
McLintock 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, BB, K -- W, 2-1, 3.31 ERA
Cummings 2 IP, H, K -- SV, 1, 1.08 ERA

*** Three Royals pitchers combined to shutout the Padres. Brent Fisher got in some minor trouble in the 1st but got out of it and the game settled into a pitchers' duel before the Royals scored twice in the 8th on an RBI double by Derrick Robinson, who was thrown out at home on an ensuing single by Jarrod Dyson, and a Nick Van Stratten RBI single. The Royals moved to 17-10. Pads SP Pablo Menchaca allowed 2 hits and 2 walks with 4 K over 5 IP to drop his ERA to 4.74, 2B Ray Stokes was 2-3 to move to .267 and 1B Jeremy Hunt was 1-4 to drop to .365.

The Royals faced the Brewers and lost Tuesday. More on that in the next report.