Royals on the Farm 8/18

AAA - Omaha: Albuquerque 12, O-Royals 11

LF Huber 2-4, BB, 2B (17), 3 RBI (37), K, RS -- .289
SS Keppinger 1-3, 3 BB, RBI (16), 2 RS -- .358
RF Costa 2-6, 3B (4), 2 RBI (22), K, RS -- .359
3B Aviles 3-4, BB, 2 RS -- .259
CF K. Robinson 2-6, RBI (38), RS, picked off -- .320
2B Cortez 2-4, BB, RS -- .262
1B R. Bell 1-4, SF, 2B (10), 4 RBI (29), RS -- .210

Middleton 6 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA -- ND, 5.56 ERA
Yan 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, K -- 8.49 ERA
Diaz IP, 3 R (2 ER), H, 3 BB, 2 K, WP -- BS, 3, L, 0-3, 4.57 ERA
Nunez 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, K, HRA, WP -- 2.10 ERA, not a good night for the Royals pen

*** An 8-run 6th went for naught for Omaha as the Isotopes scored 9 runs in the last 3 innings. Kyle Middleton gave up a leadoff homer in the 1st but went on to have a decent start. Omaha matched the run in the bottom of the inning as Jeff Keppinger singled and Shane Costa tripled him home to tie the game. Middleton gave up a run in the 4th but had the bases loaded at one point so 1 run wasn't awful. The Royals loaded the bases with 1 out in the 4th but didn't get anything out of it as Rick Bell flew out to center and Justin Huber was nailed at the plate trying to tag up from third. The Royals ran into 2 outs in the 5th and Albuquerque scored in the 6th on a sac fly off Middleton to make it 3-1. The Royals got the offense going with 1 out and the bases juiced in the 6th as Bell cleared the bases with a double to give Omaha a 4-3 lead, Keppinger took a bases loaded walk, Costa singled home a run and, with 2 out and the bases loaded once more, Huber also cleared the bases with a double to make it 9-3 Royals. Unfortunately, the Royals bullpen must have thought it was BP as Esteban Yan came in for the 7th and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits, including 3 doubles. Jose Diaz got 2 Ks to end the inning but gave up 3 runs in the 8th thanks in part to errors by Mike Aviles and Paul Phillips on the same play and Albuquerque was up, 10-9. Leo Nunez gave up a homer and RBI single in the 9th to make the Isotopes' lead 3 and a Bell sac fly and Kerry Robinson single cut the lead to 12-11. Keppinger walked to load the bases and Costa grounded out on a sharp grounder to third to end the game. Omaha is 46-81. Four Isotopes had 3-hit games led by 2B Edgar V. Gonzalez, who was 3-4 with his 8th double and 2 RBI to move to .423, 3B Jason Wood was 3-5 with 3 RBI (72) and 3 RS to move to .285 and RF Chris Aguila, who was 3-6 with 2 2B (13), his 46th RBI and 3 RS to move to .294.

The Royals started a 4-game home set with the New Orleans Zephyrs (65-61, AAA Nats) Saturday night. Pitchers: Zephyrs RH Anastacio Ramirez (5-8, 4.64) vs. RH Bobby Keppel (4-5, 6.06). Andres Blanco was called up when Adam Bernero was put on the KC DL with elbow inflammation.

AA - Wichita: Corpus Christi 14, Wranglers 4

3B Gordon 1-1, HBP, HR (25), 2 RBI (83) -- .320, pulled in 5th
LF Lubanski 1-5, 3B (10), RS -- .274
CF Maier 1-4, 2B (30), RS, E (6) -- .298
SS Sanchez 3-4, RBI (51), K, RS -- .285
RF D. Brown 2-4, 2B (19), K -- .311

M. Wood 2 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, K, 2 E (2) -- 6.75 ERA
Bass IP, 6 ER, 6 H, BB, K, HRA, WP -- L, 4-1, 4.00 ERA, ejected in 4th along with Frank White
Song 5 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA, WP -- 5.72 ERA

*** The teams slugged it out in the 1st and then the slugs all belonged to Corpus Christi as the Hooks cruised past the Wranglers in the series opener. Two Mike Wood errors on one play in the top of the 1st helped lead to 4 Hooks runs but the Wranglers matched it in their half on an Angel Sanchez RBI single after a Chris Lubanski leadoff triple, a 2-run homer by Alex Gordon (#25 for him) and a Brett Groves RBI single. Brian Bass came in for the 3rd and gave up a 2-out grand slam to put CC up, 8-4. After a Mitch Maier error helped the Hooks to a run in the 4th, Bass hit a batter in retaliation for Gordon getting hit and got ejected along with Frank White. Seung Song came in to give up another run before getting out of the inning. Song gave up 2 more runs on a wild pitch and sac fly in the 5th to make it 12-4 and a 2-run homer given up by Song in the 8th made it 14-4. Wichita only had 5 hits after the 1st. The Wranglers are 32-23 and 5 games up on first. CC 1B Josh Bonifay was 3-4 with his 23rd double, 18th homer and 3 RBI (69) to move to .266, 3B Mark Saccomanno was 1-5 with his 15th homer (the grand slam) and 4 RBI (48) to move to .231 and RF Hunter Pence was 1-3 with his 29th double and 2 RBI (91) to move to .291.

The series continued Saturday night and Wichita won, 5-3. Zack Greinke started and got the win.

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 8, Lancaster 6

1B Stodolka 0-3, 2 BB, RBI (64), K, RS, CS, E (12) -- .306
SS Falu 4-4, BB, 2B (19), 3B (7), RBI (41), 2 RS -- .287
RF Valentin 2-3, HBP, K, OF assist at second -- .282, ejected in 7th
DH Duenas 1-4, BB, 2 RBI (40), K, RS -- .288
C Thibault 1-2, 3 BB, RBI (15), K, RS -- .329
LF Tomlin 0-4, K, CS -- .275

Cota 5 2/3 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 HRA -- ND, 6.94 ERA, lackluster season keeps rolling, ejected in 6th
Pimentel 2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 K, WP -- W, 1-1, 5.56 ERA
Plummer IP, H, BB, K -- SV, 6, 4.34 ERA

*** The Mavs rallied late to beat the JetHawks to open the 4-game set. Tomas Duenas drove home Irving Falu with an RBI ground out to get the Mavs started in the 1st but Luis Cota gave up a 2-run homer in the bottom of the frame to put Lancaster up. Falu doubled home a run to tie it in the 2nd but Cota gave up an inside-the-park homer to start the 4th and put Lancaster back up by 1. Falu tripled with 1 out in the 5th but the Mavericks were unable to get it tied. Cota gave up a bases loaded walk and 2-run single before getting pulled for Julio Pimentel in the 6th and, on the way out of the game, was ejected along with HD manager Jeff Carter. The Mavs nailed a runner trying to steal home during the next AB to end the inning with Lancaster up, 6-2. The Mavs loaded the bases with no outs in the 7th and Geraldo Valentin was ejected after being HBP -- game log doesn't say if he stormed the mound. Mike Stodolka drew a bases loaded walk, Duenas singled home a run, Ed Lucas singled home another and a Juan Senreiso DP ball scored Stodolka before Kiel Thibault singled home another run to make it 7-6 Mavs. Pimentel put 2 in scoring position with no outs in the Lancaster 7th but got out of the jam. The Mavs added a run in the 8th on a Stodolka double play ball and Pimentel and Jarod Plummer finished it to ice the win. HD is 25-28. Lancaster LF Jereme Milons was 3-4 with his 11th homer, 13th SB and 51st RBI to move to .288, 1B Javier Brito was 1-4 with his 13th homer and 2 RBI (41) to move to .343 and CF Chris Rahl was 1-4 to drop to .329.

The series continued Saturday night and HD got the win.

Low-A - Burlington: Quad Cities 7, Bees 1

CF Duarte 1-4, 2B (20), K -- .268
2B Johnson 1-3, BB -- .251
1B Everett 1-3, BB, RBI (20) -- .242

Kniginyzky 3 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, K, 2 HRA -- L, 9-5, 3.51 ERA
Penn 3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 5 K -- 2.58 ERA

*** Quad Cities jumped on top early and the Bees weren't really in the game. Matt Kniginyzky gave up a 2-run homer in the 2nd and another in the 3rd. Kniginyzky and Michael Penn gave up 2 runs in the 4th and the Bees' only run came on a Brady Everett RBI single in the 6th. The Bees moved to 22-33. Swing SP Trey Hearne moved to 11-3 with 5 2/3 IP of an ER on 5 hits and 3 walks to move his ERA to 2.27. SS Tyler Greene was 2-3 with his 12th homer and 2 RBI (39) to move to .287, 3B Dan Nelson was 1-5 with his 7th homer and 2 RBI (43) to move to .251 and '06 Cards draftee LF Jon Jay was 1-4 with his 36th RBI to move to .330.

The teams hooked up again Saturday night and Quad Cities again came out on top. Dan Cortes started for Burlington.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Missoula 6, Chukars 5

SS McConnell 2-4, 2 RBI (21), CS, E (12) -- .265
CF Dickerson 0-4, E (3) -- .297
DH Maddox 2-4, 2B (17), K, 2 RS -- .322
3B B. Herrera 2-4, RS -- .256
C Balduf 2-4, 2 RBI (7), K, RS, picked off runner -- .241
LF Bigler 0-2, BB, RS, SB (13) -- .217

B. Wood 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, K -- ND, 5.50 ERA
Best 2 IP, ER, 3 H -- L, 5-2, 2.97 ERA

*** The Chukars got the game tied late but couldn't complete a comeback in the series finale. Blake Wood gave up a 2-run single in the 3rd and another run in the 4th. The Chukars were 1-hit going into the 5th but scored that inning on a Todd Balduf RBI single. RP Juan Abreu gave up 2 runs in the 7th but the Chukars came back in the bottom of the frame as a Balduf single scored 2 runs thanks in part to an Osprey error. Chris McConnell hit a 2-out, 2-run single to tie the game later in the inning. Dan Best came in for the 8th and gave up a single and RBI double to the first 2 batters to put IF back down and they didn't get up this time. IF moved to 7-12. Missoula RF Dan Perales was 4-5 with 2 2B (10) and 3 RBI (32) to move to .267 and 3B Andy Fie was 2-3 with his 18th double and 2 RBI (23) to move to .271.

The Chukars started a 4-game home set with the Helena Brewers (11-9) Saturday and lost the opener.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 8, Mariners 4

3B Taylor 0-2, 2 BB, K, 2 RS -- .278
2B T. Wilson 3-4, BB, 2 RBI, RS -- .197
SS Al. Perez 2-3, BB, RBI (24), 2 RS, SB (15), CS (5) -- .292
LF/RF Dyson 1-4, BB, RBI (12), K -- .280
RF Van Stratten 1-2, BB, RBI (30) -- .281
1B S. Lucas 0-5 -- .278
C Doscher 1-3, BB, K, RS -- .262
CF D. Robinson 1-3, 2 RBI (21), 2 K, RS -- .240

Fisher 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 8 K -- W, 2-1, 2.28 ERA
Hauff 2 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 K, HRA -- SV, 3, 1.59 ERA

*** The Royals held off the Mariners to stay in the title hunt. A throwing error helped the Royals score a run in the 1st and they added 2 in the 2nd on a Derrick Robinson RBI single and a Tyrone Wilson RBI single. The Royals added 2 in the 6th on bases loaded walks by Wilson and Van Stratten. Brent Fisher was pulled after a great 6 IP and RP Henry Barrera gave up 3 runs in the 7th to make it 5-3. The Royals got 'em back in the bottom of the 7th as Alwin Perez hit an RBI single, Robinson squeezed home a run and Jarrod Dyson singled home a run. Mike Hauff gave up a homer in the 8th but closed out the game. The Royals moved to 13-6. M's 3B Alex Liddi was 0-4 to drop to .324 and C Julian Henson was 2-4 with 2 RBI to move to .193.

The Royals were set to play the 13-6 Angels Saturday.