Royals on the Farm 7/28

AAA - Omaha: Las Vegas 8, O-Royals 5

2B Keppinger 4-4, BB, 2 2B (3), 3 RBI (9), 2 RS -- .438, hitting slightly better than Gotay was
CF K. Robinson 3-4, 2B (18), RS -- .302
RF Allen 1-4, BB -- .324
DH Cortez 2-5, K, RS -- .254
3B Aviles 2-4, BB, 3B, 2 RBI (35), SB (6) -- .248
* 12 left on base

Middleton 4 2/3 IP, 7 R (4 ER), 8 H, 4 BB, 3 K, WP -- L, 0-5, 6.60 ERA, another poor start
Braun IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 2.35 ERA

*** Six straight hits to start the game set the stage for Las Vegas as the 51s scored in only 2 innings but got enough offense to win. Omaha had runners at second and third with 0 out in the 1st but three consecutive pop outs spoiled the rally. Two singles and two doubles scored 3 runs off Kyle Middleton to start the Vegas 1st and a 2-run single was aided by a throwing error by SS Alejandro Prieto to make it 5-0 51s. Mike Aviles singled home a run in the 3rd and the Royals scored 2 in the 4th on a 2-out, 2-run single by Jeff Keppinger, who had doubled in the 1st and singled to lead off the 3rd. With the lead cut to 2, the Royals took walks to load the bases with 1 out in the 5th but Prieto grounded into a DP to end the threat. Vegas cashed in in the 5th with a 2-out rally helped by another Prieto error that scored 2 runs and an RBI single that brought in another unearned run. Keppinger hit an RBI double and Aviles drew a bases loaded walk to bring 2 more runs home in the 6th and the Royals got a leadoff triple from Aviles in the 9th but couldn't rally as Vegas earned a split of the series. Omaha is 43-64. 51s 3B Andy LaRoche was 3-4 with an RBI to improve to .337, CF Matt Kemp was 1-3 with a double and RBI to drop to .353 and 1B James Loney was 1-4 with his 26th double and 2 RBI (57) to move to .372.

The O-Royals move on to start a 4-game set at the Tucson Sidewinders (68-37, AAA D'Backs) Saturday night. Omaha's starter for the opener wasn't affirmed prior to Friday night's game.

AA - Wichita: Wranglers 18, Arkansas 8

3B Gordon 4-5, BB, 2 2B (28), HR (18), 5 RBI (64), 4 RS -- .310, 4th straight game with homer
RF Butler 1-3, 2 BB, SF, 2 RBI (77) -- .322
DH Sweeney 1-1, 2B, RBI, RS -- first rehab game for Wranglers, left in 2nd, more below
PH/DH Lubanski 2-5, HR (10), 3 RBI (54), 2 RS -- .274
CF Maier 1-6, HR (12), RBI (68), 2 K -- .288
SS Sanchez 2-4, BB, 3 RS -- .287
LF D. Brown 2-5, BB, HR (11), 3 RBI (47), 2 K -- .292
2B Murphy 2-6, HR (9), RBI (32), 2 K, 2 RS -- .232
1B Kaaihue 2-4, HBP, HR (2), 2 RBI (32), 2 RS -- .191
C Donachie 2-4, BB, K, 2 RS -- .200

Buckner 6 IP, 8 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 4 K, HRA -- W, 2-1, 6.96 ERA, not the prettiest start
Song and Cedeno 3 IP scoreless relief -- guess Lumsden took Song's rotation spot

*** Wichita scored in 8 of 9 innings in steamrolling the Travs to pad a first-place lead. Alex Gordon and Mike Sweeney had consecutive RBI doubles in the 1st to get the Wranglers started and Billy Butler added a sac fly before Mitch Maier hit the first of 6 Wrangler homers on the day for his 12th and a 4-0 Wrangler lead. Gordon struck again with a 2-run single in the 2nd to make it 6-0 and Chris Lubanski pinch-hit for Sweeney, who according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette "tweaked his upper back while ducking under a beam in the dugout." What can you say? Now he's been hurt by a AA dugout. Billy Buckner gave up 4 straight hits, including 3 XBH, and a sac fly as the Travs scored 5 in the 2nd to cut the lead to 1. Kila Kaaihue hit his 2nd homer in a week after not hitting one all season for a 2-run shot in the 3rd and an 8-5 Wrangler lead. Buckner struggled again in the 3rd as he gave up 3 runs to allow Arkansas to tie it at 8 but Wichita took the lead again in the 4th on Lubanski's 10th homer and this time it held up. Buckner allowed only 2 more walks before getting pulled after the 6th and the Wranglers added 5 runs in the 5th on a 2-run single by Lubanski and a 3-run homer by Dee Brown for his 11th of the season. Donnie Murphy cracked his 9th homer to lead off the 6th and make it 15-8 Wichita. Gordon led off the 7th with a double and scored on a Butler single and then hit a 2-run homer to left in the 9th to account for the rest of the Wrangler runs. Seung Song and Juan Cedeno finished the last 3 innings to lock down the win. Wichita is 19-15 and 3 1/2 games up on first. Travs SS Brandon Wood was 0-5 to drop to .277, C Bobby Wilson was 1-4 with his 9th homer and 3 RBI (47) to drop to .304 and 2B Eric Rodland was 2-3 with 2 RBI (38) to move to .304.

The series continues with a twinbill Saturday. Zack Greinke pitches game 1 while Tyler Lumsden makes his organizational debut for Wichita in game 2. I guess Frank White said after the game Sweeney would play in one of the games but others involved with the team told the Democrat-Gazette he wouldn't play.

High-A - High Desert: Inland Empire 4, Mavs 2

DH Stodolka 1-4, 2B (23), K, RS -- .301
CF Senreiso 2-4, RBI (49), K, RS, SB (18) -- .275
RF Valentin 1-4, K -- .294
LF Tomlin 1-3, BB -- .311
C Thibault 1-3, SF, RBI (4), 2 K, CS, PB (2) -- .194
3B E. Lucas 0-3, BB, K -- .287

Cota 6 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HRA, pickoff -- L, 4-10, 7.10 ERA, disappointing season
de la Vara 2 IP, H, BB, 4 K -- 2.84 ERA

*** Two homers did all the damage for the 66ers as they took the series opener. Kiel Thibault got HD on the board first with a sac fly in the 2nd but Luis Cota gave up a solo homer with 1 out in the 66er 2nd to tie the game. Cota retired 8 in a row at one point going into the 5th and the Mavs took the lead in the 6th on a Juan Senreiso RBI single. Cota walked 2 with 2 outs in the IE 6th and then gave up a 3-run homer to 66ers RF Casey Craig, who had hit the first homer in the 2nd. The Mavs didn't get another runner past first. HD is 17-16. Craig was 2-4 with his 2 HR (6) and 4 RBI (24) to improve to .369.

Game 2 of the set with IE is Saturday night. No announced starters.

Low-A - Burlington: Lansing 4, Bees 3

CF Duarte 4-5, 2 2B (16), RBI (30), 2 RS, 2 SB (24) -- .282
C Howell 1-2, BB, SF, 2 RBI (27), PB (12) -- .250
2B Johnson 0-4, 3 K -- .245
LF Arce 2-4, 2 K, SB (5) -- .233

Cordier 4 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K -- ND, 1.42 ERA
Oliveros 3 IP, 2 BB, 3 K -- 3.07 ERA
Schambough 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, K, WP -- BS, 4, L, 3-6, 2.60 ERA

*** Kraig Schambough blew his 4th save as Lansing rallied for a 1-run win. The Lugnuts scored twice on an RBI triple and steal of home on a double steal in the 2nd off Erik Cordier but the Bees came back in the 5th as Carlos Arroyo led off with a triple and scored on a Jose Duarte double before Jeff Howell hit a sac fly to tie the game. Rayner Oliveros came in to pitch the 5th and threw 3 hitless innings and the Bees took the lead in the 7th on a Howell RBI single. Chris Hayes pitched a quick 8th but gave up a 1-out double in the 9th to bring in Schambough, who allowed a run on a wild pitch to tie it but got the second out before giving up a walkoff base hit. Burlington is 15-20. Lugnuts CF Luke Hetherington was 2-4 with a triple, RBI and 2 RS to move to .247 and SS Anthony Hatch was 0-3 to drop to .314.

Game 2 of the set is Saturday night. Daniel Cortes makes his organizational debut for the Bees.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Orem 3, Chukars 2 (10)

CF Dickerson 1-4, 2B (9), RBI (19), 2 K -- .325
2B Mertins 0-4, K -- .395
1B Maddox 1-4, HR (1), RBI (20), K -- .300
SS McConnell 0-4, K -- .327
LF Morel 1-4, RS, SB (11) -- .286
DH Morizio 0-4, K -- .275

Teaford 5 IP, ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K -- ND, 2.59 ERA
Hartsock 3 IP, UER, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, balk -- 1.59 ERA
Best 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, K, balk, WP -- L, 5-1, 3.55 ERA

*** Pitching miscues helped cost the Chukars the lead in the 8th and their shot at a first-half title in the 10th as Orem clinched the first-half title with the win. Joe Dickerson got the scoring started with an RBI double in the 4th to make it 1-0 but Everett Teaford gave up a 2-out RBI double in the 5th to tie it. Marc Maddox put the Chukars back in front with a solo homer in the 7th for his 1st pro homer and Aaron Hartsock had the lead in the bottom of the 8th when the first batter reached on an error by IF 3B Brenan Herrera. Hartsock got 2 outs and, with runners at second and third, a wild pitch brought the tying run home. Dan Best came in for the 9th and walked the leadoff batter in the 10th before balking the runner to second and then giving up a 1-out RBI double to end the game. Idaho Falls finished the first half 22-16 and a game back of Orem. Orem SP Sean O'Sullivan went 7 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 hits to move his ERA to 1.85. RP Felipe Arredondo went 3 IP and allowed a hit with 8 Ks to improve to 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA. Orem 1B Abel Nieves was 2-4 with the walkoff double and RBI to move to .233 and LF Chris Pettit was 1-3 with a double and his 25th RBI to move to .299. Two other Owlz had 3-hit games.

The series concludes Saturday night as the teams start the second half. No announced starters.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 8, Giants 5 (10)

LF Francis 3-5, 2B, RBI, RS -- .255
3B Taylor 0-5, 2 K -- .277, has cooled off considerably
1B S. Lucas 2-4, BB, HBP, 2 RBI (33), K, RS -- .324
DH Dyson 0-5, BB, K, CS -- .279, also cooled off
CF D. Robinson 2-4, BB, HBP, 2B (6), RBI (10), K, SB (12), CS (8) -- .225
RF Van Stratten 0-6 -- .262
C Doscher 0-1, 4 BB!, 3 RS -- .282

Bass 4 IP, ER, 5 H, 2 K -- ND, 5.14 ERA
Raglione 5 IP, 4 UER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- W, 3-0, 3.12 ERA
Hauff IP, nothing -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA

*** The Royals rallied for 6 late runs in staying perfect on the second half. Nick Francis got the Royals started with an RBI single in the 2nd but SP Brian Bass gave up a 2-out game-tying single in the bottom of the inning. Paul Raglione came in to pitch the 5th and got 2 outs into the 6th without big problems before a walk, single and run-scoring error on SS Manny Juan were followed by a 2-run triple and RBI single to make it 5-1 Giants. The Giants gave 1 run back in the 7th on a throwing error that scored Nick Doscher to cut the lead to 3, which was the case entering the 9th when Francis and Doscher led off with a single and walk. Another walk loaded the bases and, with 1 out, Derrick Robinson took a bases loaded walk to bring a run home. After Nick Van Stratten flied out for the second out, Scott Lucas hit a clutch 2-run single to tie the game. The game went into the 10th when 2B Alwin Perez reached on a throwing error to start the inning and scored on an RBI single by Carlos Avila. A fielding error on a ball hit by Van Stratten later in the inning brought 2 runs home and gave the Royals an 8-5 lead. Michael Hauff pitched the 10th for his 1st save. The Royals are 2-0 and atop the league standings. Giants SS Sharlon Schoop was 3-5 to move to .424 and C Elio Sarmiento was 1-2 with a triple and 2 RBI to improve to .344.

The Royals are set to play the Mariners Saturday night.