Royals on the Farm 8/29

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 5, New Orleans 3

LF Huber 0-4, SF, RBI (43), 4 K -- .287, wears the ol' golden sombrero
RF Costa 1-4, BB, 2B (10), 2 RS, SB (3) -- .339
CF K. Robinson 1-3, 2 BB, RS, CS (13) -- .310
3B Aviles 1-4, BB, RBI (46), K, E (22) -- .258
2B Cortez 1-3, BB, RS, E (9) -- .260

Keppel 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 6-6, 5.44 ERA
Diaz 2 IP, H, 3 K, WP -- 4.14 ERA
Nunez IP, UER, 2 H, K -- SV, 5, 1.91 ERA

*** Omaha grabbed the lead in the 6th and held on for the win to snap a 3-game skid. Bobby Keppel gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in the 2nd and Omaha got on the board in the 4th on a Mike Aviles RBI single. The Royals rallied with 2 outs in the 6th as an Alejandro Prieto single scored 2 thanks to a Zephyrs error. Justin Huber took a break from striking out Tuesday to hit a sac fly in the 7th to make it 4-2 Omaha. As Shane Loux and Jose Diaz helped hold the Zephyrs in check, the Royals scored an insurance run on a passed ball in the 9th. A 2-out error by Fernando Cortez in the 9th helped lead to a Zephyr run off Leo Nunez but he shut the door for his 5th save. Omaha is 52-86. NO LF Tyrell Godwin was 2-4 with his 6th triple and 42nd RBI to move to .240, 1B Mike Vento was 1-4 to drop to .374 and RF George Lombard was 2-3 with his 9th double to move to .293.

The series continues Wednesday. Pitchers: rehabbing RH Mike Wood (0-1, 4.76) vs. Zephyrs RH Kip Bouknight (2-0, 4.03). The partnership between KC and Omaha will now run through 2008 as the clubs extended their agreement Tuesday.

AA - Wichita: Springfield 5, Wranglers 3

3B Gordon 1-4, K -- .324
LF Lubanski 2-4, 2B (33), RS, E (7), OF assist at second -- .281
DH Maier 1-4, 2 K, CS (12) -- .302
2B Murphy 2-4, 2 HR (13), 3 RBI (43), 2 K -- .249, hot off the DL
RF D. Brown 0-4, 3 K -- .310

Greinke 6 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K, HRA, WP -- L, 8-3, 4.34 ERA, OK after rough first, gave up another HR
DeHoyos 2 IP, H, BB -- 1.47 ERA

*** Zack Greinke gave up 3 runs before getting an out and the Wranglers never recovered from the Cards 1st. Donnie Murphy continued a hot streak with a solo homer in the top of the 1st for his 12th of the season to make it 1-0 but Greinke allowed a double, single and 3-run homer to the first 3 batters he faced and went on to give up 2 more runs on 2 hits and a walk later in the inning to stake the Cards to a 5-1 lead. Murphy blasted a 2-run homer in the 3rd for his 13th of the season to cut the lead to 5-3 and Greinke settled down to retire 10 straight before being pulled for Gabe DeHoyos to start the 7th. The only problem was Wichita also made 10 straight outs and never threatened again. Wichita is 38-26 and still 4 games up on Tulsa, which makes the magic number 1 for the second-half title as the Wranglers and Drillers face off Wednesday. Cards RF Nick Stavinoha was 1-4 with his 12th homer and 3 RBI (70) to move to .287 and 1B Juan Richardson was 0-3 to drop to .311.

The Wranglers and Tulsa Drillers (34-30, AA Rockies) warm up for their playoff series with a regular-season-ending 5-game set starting Wednesday night in Wichita. Seung Song starts game 1 for Wichita. The Drillers will be without one of their top players as SS Troy Tulowitzki got called up Wednesday by the Rockies. In other news, Alex Gordon was named the Texas League Player of the Year as expected Tuesday. The only other Wrangler to win the award was Johnny Damon in 1995. Billy Butler and Gordon were named to the TL post-season all-star team.

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 6, Inland Empire 3

SS Falu 2-4, 2B (22), 2 RS, SB (29) -- .297
LF Tomlin 2-4, RBI (33), RS -- .295
C Duenas 2-2, 2B (19), RBI (51), RS -- .306, ejected in 3rd
1B R. Brown 3-4, 2B (18), RBI (58), RS -- .265
3B E. Lucas 2-4, 2 RBI (65), RS -- .282
DH Thibault 1-4, RBI (16), K -- .322

Christensen 7 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- W, 6-6, 4.89 ERA, great start
Plummer 1/3 IP, H, K -- SV, 9, 4.09 ERA

*** A bench-clearing brawl and great pitching by Dan Christensen highlighted a clutch Mavs win Tuesday as they kept their foothold on the wild-card lead. The Mavs took command with 3 in the 3rd as James Tomlin singled home a run, Tomas Duenas doubled home Tomlin and then scored on an Ed Lucas single. When Duenas scored, he plowed over 66ers C Omar Falcon, who was blocking the plate. Falcon got pissed and charged Duenas and the benches cleared. Both were ejected along with Mavs RP Justin Barnes and an IE reliever. As Christensen took a 2-hitter through the 7th, the Mavs added 2 runs in the 6th on RBI singles by Lucas and Kiel Thibault and another run in the 7th on a Rusty Brown RBI single. RP Adam Rowe gave up a 3-run double in the 9th and Jarod Plummer got the final out for his 9th save. HD is 31-34 and stretched the wild-card lead back to 1 1/2 games. 66ers backup C J.B. Tucker was 1-2 with his 4th double and 3 RBI (17) to move to .214 and RF Casey Craig was 0-2 to drop to .288.

Carlos Rosa pitches for HD in game 3 of the set Wednesday night. By the way, there's a shot of the fight here -- http://www.vvdailypress.com/2006/115694332033985.html -- shows Duenas getting coldcocked.

Low-A - Burlington: Bees 1, Cedar Rapids 1 (susp. 2/rain)

*** The game will wrap up Wednesday before the regularly scheduled tilt. Rayner Oliveros will start when play resumes. No starter has been announced for game 2 tonight yet. The Bees are 26-37. In other news, Yovany Damico was sent back up to Burlington after starting a few games in the AZL. Angelo Morales was also called up from the AZL to join the shorthanded Bees' pitching staff. SP Matt Kniginyzky has been shut down for the remainder of the season with an undisclosed injury. No mention of it being serious, tho.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Missoula 5, Chukars 3

DH Maddox 3-4, 2B (19), HR (3), 3 RBI (31), RS -- .330
RF Gonzalez 2-4, K, 2 RS -- .269
CF Dickerson 0-4 -- .286
1B Turner 2-4 -- .239
2B Mertins 0-3, K -- .333
C Morizio 0-3, K -- .256
LF Bigler 1-3, K, CS (2), OF assist at second -- .233

B. Wood 5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- ND, 4.98 ERA
Best IP, ER, 3 H -- BS, 2, L, 5-3, 2.92 ERA

*** Idaho Falls held a 2-run lead in the middle of the 6th but fell apart from there as the Osprey took game 3 of the set. Marc Maddox hit a 2-run homer for his 3rd of the season in the 1st and the Chukars had a quick 2-0 lead. Blake Wood gave up a run in the 1st to cut the lead in half but settled down to allow only 2 more hits and a walk through 5 IP. Maddox doubled home a run in the 6th to make it 3-1 and Dan Best came on with 2 on and 0 out in the Missoula 6th. Three straight singles tied the game and a force out brought the lead run home to make it 4-3. Chase Vacek gave up an insurance homer in the 8th and the Chukars got the potential winning run to the plate with 1 out in the 9th before 2 Ks did them in. IF is 13-16 and 4 games back of first. Osprey RF Gerardo Parra was 2-3 with his 3rd triple, 2 SB (22) and 42nd RBI to move to .332 and LF Daniel Perales was 1-3 with his 7th homer and 34th RBI to move to .264.

The series wraps up Wednesday night. No announced pitchers. The Chukars maintain a 2-game lead on Ogden for a wild-card berth.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 9, Mariners 6

2B T. Wilson 3-6, 3 RBI (8), K, RS, E (10) -- .233, finished with .417 OBP
DH Francis 2-4, BB, 2 K, 2 RS -- .303, .792 OPS
LF Dyson 2-5, SF, 3B (6), 2 RBI (19), K, RS, SB (19), OF assist at third -- .273
RF Van Stratten 1-5, RBI (35) -- .292, led regulars with .826 OPS
1B S. Lucas 1-3, 2 HBP, K, SB (11) -- .279, .813 OPS
C Doscher 0-2, 3 BB, K, 2 RS, SB (4) -- .258, finished with .462 OBP!!! in 46 games -- only .298 SLG tho (yikes)
CF D. Robinson 1-3, BB, 2 RBI (24), RS, SB (20) -- .233

Damico 4 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K, balk -- ND, 3.96 ERA, lackluster final AZL start
McLintock 2 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 K -- W, 4-1, 2.97 ERA
Cummings 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, K -- SV, 4, 1.69 ERA

*** The Royals kept their title hopes alive with the regular-season-ending win over the Mariners. Tyrone Wilson singled home a run in the 1st but Yovany Damico gave up single runs in the 2nd and 3rd. The Royals scored 3 in the 4th on a Wilson 2-run single and Nick Van Stratten RBI base hit to take a 4-2 lead. The Ms tied it in their half of the inning off Damico but the Royals regained command with 3 in the 5th on a 2-run single by Derrick Robinson and an RBI triple by Jarrod Dyson. An Alwin Perez sac fly added another run in the 6th but the Mariners scored 2 off Jake McLintock and Tyler Cummings in the 7th to stay somewhat in the game. A Dyson sac fly in the 9th made it 9-6 and Cummings put the Ms down in order to end the game. The Royals finished the regular season 19-9 and in a 3-way tie for first with the 18-8 Padres and Angels. The Royals finished a combined 36-20. Ms RF Jose Graterol was 3-3 with an RBI to move to .250 and C Erwin Jacobo was 2-4 with a double, 2 E (7) and 2 RBI to move to .222.

The Padres and Angels play Wednesday night so I suppose the winner of that game is the second-half champ. If the Padres win, the Royals may still have a shot at the AZL title game since the Padres won the first half and the Royals would be in second alone ahead of the Angels. If the Angels win, the Royals are done.