Royals on the Farm 8/19

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 5, New Orleans 4

SS Keppinger 2-3 -- .367
LF Huber 0-3, BB, 2 K, RS, OF assist at home -- .286
RF Costa 1-3, HBP -- .358
C Phillips 3-4, 2B (9), 2 RS -- .252
3B Aviles 2-4, 2B (20), RBI (40), RS -- .261
CF K. Robinson 1-4, BB -- .320
2B Cortez 1-4, 2 RBI (9), E (8) -- .261

Keppel 6 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 3 K -- W, 5-5, 5.63 ERA, nice start
Braun 1 2/3 IP, BB, 2 K -- SV, 3, 2.33 ERA

*** Omaha withstood a late Zephyr rally to get a narrow win Saturday. Justin Huber threw out the would-be lead run for New Orleans at home in the 2nd and the game stayed scoreless until Omaha scored 3 in the 4th on a wild pitch that scored Huber and a 2-run single by Fernando Cortez that was aided by a Zephyr miscue. Paul Phillips and Mike Aviles opened the Omaha 6th with consecutive doubles and the Royals scored another run in the inning on a Cortez RBI ground out to take a 5-0 lead. Bobby Keppel left after taking a 5-hitter through 6 IP and Shane Loux had a 1-2-3 7th before hitting some rocks in the 8th. Loux loaded the bases with no outs and 2 runs scored on a play that included errors by Cortez and Rick Bell. Ryan Braun relieved Loux and allowed an RBI ground out and a double steal of second and home to close the gap to 5-4. Braun got out of the inning with the lead and had a 1-2-3 9th to end it. Omaha is 47-81. NO DH Brandon Larson was 2-4 with his 11th double to move to .260 and former Royal C Alberto Castillo was 2-3 to move to .269.

Game 2 of the set is Sunday afternoon. Pitchers: NO RH Kip Bouknight (1-0, 3.38) vs. RH Pat Mahomes (0-1, 5.94). Seth Etherton is expected to go on the DL Sunday with an unspecified injury. Mike Wood is set to take his rehab to Omaha with a Monday start.

AA - Wichita: Wranglers 5, Corpus Christi 3

DH Gordon 1-3, BB, HBP, HR (26), 2 RBI (85) -- .320
CF Maier 1-4, K, RS -- .298
LF Lubanski 0-2, 3 BB, RS -- .273, consistently around .275 mark
SS Sanchez 3-5, RBI (52), 2 RS, SB (8), E (23) -- .288
RF D. Brown 2-4, RBI (66), SB (1) -- .313

Greinke 7 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K, HRA, 2 WP -- W, 8-2, 4.22 ERA, solid start
Musser 2 IP, BB, 5 K -- SV, 1, 5.50 ERA

*** Zack Greinke held the Hooks down and the Wrangler offense did enough to even the series with Corpus Christi. Alex Gordon got Wichita started with a 2-run homer (#26) in the 1st but a throwing error by C Damaso Espino helped CC close it to 2-1 in the 3rd. Wichita got the run back in their half of the 3rd on a Hooks error that scored Mitch Maier. Greinke gave up a homer to lead off the 4th but RBI singles by Angel Sanchez and Dee Brown in the 6th made it 5-2. Greinke allowed another run in the 7th and gave way to Neal Musser to start the 8th. Musser retired 6 of 7 batters faced to end it. The Wranglers are 33-23 and 6 games up on first. Hooks LF Tike Redman was 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI to move to .327, DH Jorge Cortes was 1-3 with his 8th homer and 48th RBI to move to .304 and 2B Jonathan Ash was 1-3 to move to .327.

The series goes to the rubber match Sunday afternoon. Tyler Lumsden goes for Wichita vs. Astros top pitching prospect Troy Patton. Donnie Murphy was supposed to come off the DL when Billy Butler left to play for Team USA but that hasn't happened as Murphy's problems with tendinitis in his right wrist have continued.

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 6, Lancaster 2

DH Stodolka 0-5, 2 K -- .302
SS Falu 3-5, RBI (42), RS, 2 SB (27) -- .291, hot last few games
CF Senreiso 2-4, HBP, HR (14), 2 RBI (57) -- .280
2B Gaffney 1-4, BB, 2 RBI (31) -- .260
C Thibault 0-3, BB, RS -- .317
LF Tomlin 1-4, 2B (20), K, RS -- .275

Christensen 7 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 7 K -- W, 5-6, 5.07 ERA, very nice start
Barnes 1 1/3 IP, H -- SV, 4, 4.48 ERA

*** The Mavs turned on the offense in the 7th to take the second of four with Lancaster. Dan Christensen gave up an RBI ground out in the 1st and the score was 1-0 with the Mavs being 3-hit going into the 7th. Brian McFall reached on an error with 2 outs in the inning and a walk and another Lancaster error loaded the bases before Irving Falu singled home the tying run and Mike Gaffney singled home 2 runs to make it 3-1 HD. A Juan Senreiso 2-run shot in the 8th (his 14th) made it 5-1 and Christensen gave up another run in the bottom of the 8th before getting pulled. Rusty Brown singled home Falu in the 9th and Justin Barnes pitched a decent 9th to get his 4th save. HD is 26-28 and a game out of first. Lancaster SP Esmerling Vasquez went 7 IP and allowed 3 UER on 5 hits and a walk to drop to 4-8 with a 5.94 ERA. DH Craig Counsell was rehabbing for the JetHawks and was 3-3, CF Chris Rahl was 1-4 to drop to .329 and 3B Javier Brito was 0-4 with his 42nd RBI and 2 E (5) to drop to .336.

Sunday's twinbill between the teams finishes the series. No announced starters.

Low-A - Burlington: Quad Cities 3, Bees 2

1B Vega 2-4, 2 RBI (69), K -- .247
C Everett 2-4, K -- .246
CF Duarte 1-4, K, RS, SB (28) -- .268
2B Johnson 1-3, BB, RS, SB (17) -- .251

Cortes 7 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 7 K, HRA -- L, 1-2, 7.66 ERA, good start
Oliveros IP, nothing -- 2.89 ERA

*** One inning did in the Bees as the both teams had 7 hits and Quad Cities did more with them. Miguel Vega singled home runs in the 1st and 3rd to make it 2-0 Bees and Dan Cortes took a 3-hitter into the 6th. An RBI triple and 2-run homer for the Swing that inning made it 3-2 and the Bees didn't threaten again. Burlington is 22-34. The Swing got 5 IP of 2-hit pitching from the bullpen. LF Jon Jay was 1-4 with his 3rd triple and 37 RBI to move to .328 and 1B Mark Hamilton was 1-4 with his 2nd homer and 2 RBI (20) to move to .287.

The teams match up again Sunday afternoon. No announced starters.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Helena 8, Chukars 2

2B Mertins 1-3, 2 K, SB (16) -- .359
CF Dickerson 0-3, SF, RBI (30) -- .291
1B Maddox 2-3, BB -- .328
SS McConnell 1-4, RBI (22) -- .264, team only had 4 hits
DH Morel 0-3, 2 K -- .288
LF Bigler 0-2, 2 BB -- .214

Godin 2 IP, ER, H, BB, 3 K, 2 WP -- L, 0-1, 2.89 ERA
Teaford 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, HRA -- 3.67 ERA

*** Brewers SP Luis Ramirez held Idaho Falls in check and Helena coasted to a win over IF in the series opener. The Brewers got a run off Jason Godin in the 1st and Everett Teaford came in to pitch the 5th and walked in a run and gave up a grand slam with 2 outs to make it 6-0 Helena. Idaho Falls stranded 2 in the 4th and Aaron Hartsock gave up another run in the 6th to make it 7-0. Burke Baldwin gave up another run in the 7th and the Chukars once again stranded 2 runners that inning before finally getting 2 runs in the 8th on a Chris McConnell RBI single and Joe Dickerson sac fly. IF stranded 2 more runners in the 9th. The Chukars are 7-13 and 5 games out of first. Ramirez allowed 2 hits and a walk with 5 K over 6 IP to move to 1-0 and keep a 0.00 ERA, CF Stephen Chapman was 2-5 with 2 2B (15) and 2 RS to move to .303, C Andy Bouchie was 2-5 with his 5th homer and 4 RBI (31) to move to .269 and LF Cole Gillespie was 1-3 with his 11th double to move to .331.

Game 2 of the set is Sunday afternoon. No announced starters.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 7, Angels 2

3B Taylor 0-5 -- .267
DH Francis 3-5, HR (1), 5 RBI (20), 2 K, 2 RS -- .283
SS Juan 3-5, RS, CS -- .263
RF Van Stratten 2-4, HBP, 2B (8), 3 RS, E (1) -- .286
LF Dyson 1-5, K -- .277
1B S. Lucas 1-5, 3 K, RS -- .276
CF D. Robinson 2-5, K -- .245
2B Al. Perez 1-4, BB, RBI (25), K, SB (16) -- .291

Damico 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 10 K, HRA, balk -- W, 3-0, 2.25, looking very good as AZL starter
M. Morales and McLintock 3 IP 3-hit relief

*** The Royals took sole possession of first with the win over the Angels. Nick Francis and Alwin Perez hit RBI singles in the 1st to get the Royals an early lead but Yovany Damico gave up a run in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead in half. Francis cranked a 3-run homer in the 5th for his 1st of the season to make it 5-1 and Damico gave up a solo homer in the 6th but that was all the Angels would get. Francis (an '06 15th rounder out of a Florida JuCo) singled home a run and scored on a throwing error later in the inning to make the final score 7-2 Royals. The Royals are 14-6 and 1/2 a game up on first. Angels 2B Chris Lewis was 2-4 with his 9th double, 1st homer and 16th RBI to move to .294, 3B Matt Sweeney was 1-4 with his 16th error, 11th double and 35th RBI to move to .345 and SS Alex Fonseca was 1-4 with his 12th double and 9th error to move to .340.

The Royals have Sunday off.