Royals on the Farm 8/9

AAA - Omaha: Tacoma 12, O-Royals 11

3B Keppinger 3-6, 2B (6), RS -- .402
LF Huber 3-4, BB, 2B (14), HR (14), 2 RBI (30), 4 RS! -- .280, didn't take him long to heat up
RF Allen 3-5, RBI (75), 2 K, 3 RS -- .320
CF Cortez 3-6, 2B, RS, CS -- .250
SS Aviles 3-5, 2B (19), 2 RBI (37), RS -- .257, night of the 3-hit game in Omaha
C Tupman 2-4, BB, 2 RBI -- .273
1B R. Bell 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI (24), 2 K, RS -- .213

Mahomes 4 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, E (1) -- ND, 6.52 ERA
Diaz 1 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K, HRA, WP -- BS, 2, 4.43 ERA
Yan IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB -- L, 0-1, 7.56 ERA, what a night for Omaha's 3 newest pitchers

*** It wasn't a good night to be a pitcher in Rosenblatt Wednesday as the teams combined for 33 runs on 36 hits with 3 errors and a wild 9th decided a 12-11 Tacoma win for the 4-game sweep. The game was all Omaha early as the Royals scored 4 in the 1st on a Chad Allen RBI single, a wild pitch that scored Jeff Keppinger, and RBI singles by Mike Aviles and Rick Bell. The Royals had the bases loaded with 1 out after that and couldn't pour on more runs. Justin Huber homered to lead off the 3rd for his 14th of the season to give Omaha a 5-0 lead. Tacoma woke up in the 4th with 3 runs off Pat Mahomes but Aviles hit a 1-out RBI double in the 5th to stretch the lead back to 3. Shane Loux gave up a 2-out RBI double before getting pulled for Jose Diaz in the 7th and Diaz gave up a 2-run longball to the first batter he faced to tie the game. Allen led off the Omaha 7th with a single and scored on a Huber double and a Matt Tupman single brought Huber home for an 8-6 Royal lead. Diaz gave up a 2-run double in the 8th to tie it and, in the top of the 9th, Esteban Yan gave up 2 run scoring infield singles and a 2-run double all with 2 outs to spot Tacoma a 12-8 lead. Bell doubled home a run and Tupman singled home a run with 0 outs in the Omaha 9th and an Alejandro Prieto DP ball scored Bell to cut the lead to 1 but also put Omaha down to its last out. Fernando Cortez singled to keep hope alive but Keppinger grounded out to end the game. Omaha is 45-74. Tacoma RP Eric O'Flaherty was the only pitcher on either team to not allow an ER as he went 2 scoreless innings (a run he allowed was credited to another pitcher) to get his 1st win of the season in AAA. Tacoma 1B Bryan LaHair was 4-5 with his 5th homer, 2 RBI (34) and 3 RS to move to .315, SS Oswaldo Navarro was 3-5 with a double and 4 RBI to move to .283 and C Jeff Clement was 1-3 with 2 RS to move to .245.

The O-Royals have Thursday off and start a road trip Friday. The Royals are on pace for the worst record in franchise history.

AA - Wichita: Wranglers 3, San Antonio 2

3B Gordon 1-3, BB, 2 K, RS, E (13) -- .314
RF Butler 2-5, 2B (32), RBI (90) -- .328, gotta love that RBI total
CF Maier 2-4, BB, 2B (28), 2 RBI (73) -- .292
LF Lubanski 2-5, K -- .275
SS Sanchez 3-4, HBP, 2 RS, E (22) -- .285
*13 left on base

Greinke 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, BB, 7 K -- ND, 4.64 ERA, will he get moved up to Omaha soon?
Markray 1 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB -- BS, 4, W, 5-0, 2.78 ERA
Lowery 2/3 IP, BB -- SV, 3, 6.00 ERA

*** A pitchers' duel between Zack Greinke and Travis Chick left the game to the 'pens and Wichita scored a late run to earn a 3-game sweep on the Missions' home field. The Wranglers had 2 on with none or 1 out in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd but didn't score and San Antonio did the same in the 4th but Greinke got out of the jam. Wichita again had 2 on with 0 out in the 5th and the bases loaded with 2 out and again couldn't get a run home. The Wranglers loaded the bases with 1 out in the 7th and this time cashed in as Mitch Maier hit a 2-run single. Thad Markray took over for Greinke to start the 8th and gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks. An Angel Sanchez error threatened to hand the Missions more runs but Markray worked out of a jam. Sanchez singled to lead off the Wichita 9th and Billy Butler came through with an RBI double to put the Wranglers back ahead. Markray gave up a 1-out single and was replaced by Devon Lowery, who gave up a 2-out walk but got a fly out to end the game. Wichita is 27-19 and 5 1/2 games up on first. The Wranglers' win streak is now at 6 games. Chick allowed 5 hits and 4 walks over 5 IP to drop his ERA to 1.96. Missions DH Marshall Hubbard was 2-4 with his 21st RBI to move to .264, 2B Yung Chi Chen was 0-3 to drop to .310 and RF Mike Wilson was 1-4 with his 31st RBI to drop to .303.

The Wrangler '06 nemesis Corpus Christi Hooks (24-22, AA Astros) play host to Wichita for 4 games starting Thursday night. In some good news, Tyler Lumsden is set to start Thursday vs. Astros top prospect Troy Patton.

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 7, Lancaster 3

DH Stodolka 2-4, HBP, 2 2B (29), RBI (61), RS, SB (3), CS -- .308, 12-game hit streak
3B E. Lucas 2-4, 2B (23), 3 RBI (51), K, RS, SB (13) -- .272
CF Valentin 1-3, HBP, RBI (46), RS -- .283
LF Tomlin 0-4, RBI (25) -- .287

Weeden 6 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 6 K, HRA -- W, 6-4, 5.33 ERA
Plummer 3 IP, H, 3 K -- SV, 4, 4.50 ERA

*** The Mavs scored 6 unanswered runs and earned at least a split with the JetHawks with Wednesday's win. Brandon Weeden gave up a 2-out, 2-run triple in the 2nd to spot Lancaster a lead but the Mavs got 1 back that inning on an RBI force out by James Tomlin. HD had the bases loaded after that but couldn't get any more runs. Weeden gave up a leadoff homer in the 3rd and Lancaster regained a 2-run lead. Ed Lucas kickstarted a rally in the 4th as he doubled home a run and scored on a Tomlin double play ball to tie the game. Mike Stodolka hit his second double of the game in the 5th to drive home the go-ahead run and the Mavericks added 3 more that frame on a Geraldo Valentin RBI ground out and 2-run single by Lucas to make it 7-3. Mavs pitchers Weeden and Jarod Plummer retired 12 of the final 13 Lancaster batters to nail down the win. High Desert is 22-23 and still 1 1/2 games back of first. Lancaster DH Chris Rahl was 2-3 with his 12th homer and 74th RBI to move to .340, SS Derek Bruce was 1-2 with a triple and 2 RBI to move to .291 and RF Carlos Gonzalez was 0-4 to drop to .297.

The series ends Thursday night as Patrick Green takes the hill for the Mavs.

Low-A - Burlington: off day

*** The Bees are 19-27 and start a 4-game set at the Peoria Chiefs (22-24, Low-A Cubs) Thursday. No announced starters.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 3, Casper 2

CF Dickerson 2-3, BB, HR (6), RBI (24) -- .324
SS McConnell 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB (2), 2 E (9) -- .270
DH Maddox 1-2, BB, 2B (12), RS -- .318
LF Bigler 0-3 -- .222

Gutierrez 3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, 3 K -- ND, 5.68 ERA
Cribb 4 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 8 H, BB, 4 K -- W, 2-2, 3.19 ERA
Casey 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, K -- SV, 5, 4.74 ERA

*** Idaho Falls withstood a late Casper rally to win a 3rd straight 1-run game. Joe Dickerson got the Chukars on the board in the 4th with a solo homer for his 6th of the season and Marc Maddox scored later in the inning on a Brenan Herrera fly out after a Casper throwing error. Jase Turner took a bases loaded hit-by-pitch in the 6th to make it 3-0 Idaho Falls. SP Dan Gutierrez and Josh Cribb got through the 7th unscathed but the Rockies got a single and double to start the 8th with a run and a fielding error by 2B Eduardo Nunez later in the inning allowed another run to score to close the Chukar lead to 1. RP Bryan Casey stranded the tying run at third and then allowed 2 hits in the 9th but got out of the minor jam to end the game. IF is 5-6 and 2 games back of first. Casper 3B Hector Gomez was 1-4 to drop to .333 and LF Jay Cox was 2-4 with his 17th RBI to move to .289.

Rowdy Hardy takes his 2.86 ERA into the series finale Thursday night.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 10, Brewers 4

3B Al. Perez 2-3, 2 BB, 2B (8), 2 RBI (21), K, RS, SB (12) -- .284
DH Francis 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI (12), 2 RS -- .267
LF Dyson 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .280
RF Van Stratten 0-2, HBP, SF, RBI (24), K, RS -- .262
1B S. Lucas 0-4, BB, RBI (39), 2 RS -- .294
CF D. Robinson 1-3, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (18) -- .220

Damico 5 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 1.80 ERA, converting to starter?
Morales and Hauff 3 IP scoreless relief

*** Yovany Damico made his first AZL start of the season and the Royals pounded out 10 runs on only 8 hits to take down the lowly Brewers. A Nick Francis RBI single and Alwin Perez 2-run double got the Royals started in the 1st and the Brewers' only run off Damico came in the 2nd on a sac fly. Scott Lucas got the lead back to 2 with an RBI ground out in the 3rd and the Royals added 2 in the 4th on a wild pitch that scored Perez and a throwing error on a Derrick Robinson steal of second that scored Manny Juan. Two more runs in the 5th made it 8-1 as Francis hit an RBI triple and Juan hit an RBI ground out. The 6th was another 2-run frame for the Royals as Nick Van Stratten hit a sac fly and Tyrone Wilson scored on a fielding error to make it 10-1. Two errors and a homer helped the Brewers to 3 in the 9th off Tyler Cummings but it was too little, too late. The Royals are 9-3 and tied with the Giants for first. Brewers 1B Andrew Lefave was 1-5 to drop to .375, CF Mike Goetz was 2-5 to move to .267 and C Jesse D'Amico was 1-2 with his 1st homer and 3 RBI (7) to move to .205.

The Royals have Thursday off.