Royals on the Farm 4/10

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 8, Round Rock 1

LF Butler 1-5, HR (3), RBI (7), 2 RS -- .250
3B Aviles 3-5, 3B (2), RBI (2), RS -- .421
2B Cortez 3-4, BB, RBI, 2 RS -- .385
CF Gathright 2-4, BB, HBP, 2B, 2 RBI, K, SB (2) -- .217
C Tupman 2-4, HBP, RBI (2) -- .364
DH Costa 0-6, 2 K, SB -- .000, not a good day but at least he's playing again
1B Koonce 1-4, BB, HR (3), RBI (5), 2 K, 3 RS -- .312
RF Maier 1-5, RBI (2), K -- .174
SS Blanco 0-4, BB, K -- .048
*offensive explosion as Omaha still left 12 on base

Bannister 7 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 4 K, HRA, pickoff -- W, 1-1, 2.31 ERA, that's more like it
Ray 2 IP, 3 K -- 5.40 ERA

Omaha broke out of a slump as a team to get a second win on the season by pounding the Express. Omaha stranded 2 in the 3rd but got on the board in the 4th as Fernando Cortez singled a run home for his first 2007 RBI and Matt Tupman and Joey Gathright followed with RBI singles to give Omaha a 3-0 lead. As Brian Bannister threw 2-hit ball over the first 4 innings, Billy Butler led off the 5th with his 3rd homer and, two batters later, Mike Aviles tripled home Graham Koonce to chase Round Rock SP Fernando Nieve. Gathright later drew a bases loaded walk to make it 6-0 Omaha but Shane Costa flew out with the bases juiced to end the rally. Mitch Maier singled home Butler in the 6th to make it 7-0 Omaha and Bannister's only damage came in the 7th when RR RF Hunter Pence hit a solo homer. Koonce padded the Omaha lead with his 3rd homer -- a solo shot -- in the 8th and Ken Ray pitched 2 perfect innings to put a bow on it. Omaha is 2-4 and 2 games back of Memphis in the early division race. Pence was 1-3 with the HR and RBI to move to .158 for Round Rock and Nieve picked up his first loss of the season.

Game 3 of the set is tonight in Texas. Starters: Omaha RH Zach Day (0-0, 5.40) vs. RH Matt Albers (0-1, 12.00).

AA -- Wichita: Wranglers 13, San Antonio 8

RF Padilla 4-5, 2B (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB -- .562
LF Lubanski 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI (3), 2 RS -- .294
OF Joseph 2-4, BB, HR, RBI, K, 3 RS -- .333
DH Brazell 2-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI, K, 2 RS -- .353
3B Lucas 2-4, 2 RBI (3) -- .500
1B Stodolka 2-5, 2 2B (4), 2 RBI, K, 2 RS -- .357, the man can hit doubles
C Espino 0-4, RBI (3), K, PB -- .100
SS Brewer 0-4, 2 K -- .400

Connolly 3 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA -- ND, 9.82 ERA
Santos 2 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, K -- 2.08 ERA
C. Smith 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, K -- W, 1-0, 5.40 ERA
Plummer 1 1/3 IP, ER, H, BB, K, HRA -- SV, 1, 3.38 ERA

Nine late runs salvaged the game for Wichita on a night when no pitcher's ERA was safe, as none of the eight pitchers escaped without an ER allowed. Wichita starter Mike Connolly kicked it off by giving up a 2-run double to Missions 3B Chase Headley in the 1st but the Wranglers got 1 run back when Mike Stodolka doubled to lead off the bottom of the 2nd and scored on a Damaso Espino ground out. Connolly got in and out of trouble in the 3rd and Wichita cashed in with 2 runs to take the lead as Chris Lubanski hit an RBI double and Jorge Padilla singled home a run to make it 3-2 Wichita. The lead lasted exactly three batters as Connolly gave up a solo homer to Missions C Nick Hundley in the 4th and RP Arthur Santos gave up an RBI single to the first batter he faced to make it 4-3 SA. A leadoff homer by Missions CF Drew Macias in the 6th off Santos extended the lead to 2 runs but the Wranglers stayed close as Ed Lucas hit an RBI single off RP Jose Oyervidez in the bottom of the frame. The seesaw swung back San Antonio's way in the 7th as RP Cody Smith allowed an RBI double but went back to Wichita to stay in the bottom of the 7th. The Wranglers got 2 on with 1 out and Lubanski singled home a run, Craig Brazell walked, Padilla hit a 2-run single, Stodolka hit a 2-run double and Lucas singled home a run to give Wichita the 10-6 lead. Smith gave up another run in the 8th but Wichita again answered with 3 runs on a solo shot by Onil Joseph and 2-run homer by Brazell in the 8th for each batter's first roundtripper of '07. RP Jarod Plummer allowed a solo homer to Headley in the 9th but no more damage was done as the Wranglers came away with the 13-8 win. Wichita is 3-2 and maintains a 1/2 game edge atop the division. Four batters had multi-hit games for the Missions, including Headley's 2-5 day with a double and his 1st homer of '07 with 3 RBI to move to .360. RF Mike Sansoe was 3-4 with an RBI to move to .474. Smith got the win despite giving up 2 ER and RP Arturo Lopez took the loss without getting an out for San Antonio.

Wichita is off today before starting a 3-game set at Corpus Christi Thursday.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Kinston 2, Blue Rocks 1

C Thibault 2-3, 3B, RBI (2) -- .308
RF McFall 1-3, 3B, RS -- .118
2B Johnson 1-4, 3 K -- .167
CF Duarte 0-4, 2 K -- .125
1B Vega 0-3, K -- .286
3B Perez and SS Arce -- throwing errors
*12 Ks, no walks

Rosa 5 2/3 IP, UER, 6 H, BB, 5 K -- 0.00 ERA
de la Vara 1 1/3 IP, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Barnes IP, ER, H, K, HRA -- L, 0-1, 3.00 ERA

The Blue Rock offense stagnated once more and a late homer got Kinston the win. The game was scoreless into the 3rd when Carlos Rosa gave up 2 1-out singles. On a double play ball, the Rocks got the force at 2nd but Valentino Arce made a wild throw to first that allowed an unearned run to score and Kinston to grab a 1-0 lead. The Rocks were being 2-hit going into the top of the 5th when Brian McFall led off with a triple and scored on a Kiel Thibault single to tie the game. From there the offense went back into hibernation as the Bees didn't get another base runner. Justin Barnes came in for the 8th and gave up a leadoff homer to Kinston SS Josh Rodriguez to give the Indians the late lead and RP Jeff Stevens closed the door over the last 2 innings for Kinston. Wilmington is 2-4 and 2 games back of Potomac. Rodriguez's homer was his 1st of the season and his only hit of the game as he improved to .154. Indians 2B Chris De La Cruz was 2-3 with a double and RS to establish a .667 BA. Cliff Lee allowed only a Thibault triple in his 2 innings of rehab work and Stevens picked up the win in relief.

Game 3 of the set is tonight. Pitchers: Lefty Rowdy Hardy (0-0, 0.00) vs. Kinston right-hander Frank Herrmann. Blake Johnson is also set to see some mound time for Wilmington tonight. The team BA is now a mighty .160 -- the worst in the league.

A -- Burlington: Peoria 8, Bees 3 (8)

3B Maddox 2-3, 2 RS -- .333
1B Thompson 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, K, RS, E -- .429
SS McConnell 0-3 -- .154
2B Mertins 0-3, 2 K -- .286
LF Dickerson 0-2, BB, K -- .222
C Brady Everett and RF O.D. Gonzalez also made errors -- Everett's was his 2nd

Mozingo 5 IP, 6 R (2 ER), 4 H, BB, 8 K, 2 HRA -- L, 0-1, 3.60 ERA, at least he had 8 Ks
Di Pietro 3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- 6.00 ERA

A rain shortened game was also sloppy in another way for the Bees as 3 errors led to 4 unearned runs in a drubbing by Peoria. A missed catch error by Mike Thompson in the 1st was followed by SP Harold Mozingo giving up a 2-run shot to Chiefs 3B Josh Lansford and a sac fly pushed Peoria's lead to 3-0. Mozingo gave up a solo shot to C Welington Castillo in the 2nd and an Everett throwing error on a steal attempt would lead to another run as Peoria stretched it to 5-0. Thompson atoned for his error with a 2-run shot in the 2nd for his 1st of '07 but Mozingo gave up a 1-out triple in the 3rd and the run scored on an error by Gonzalez to make it 6-2. Two wild pitches and a Castillo throwing error helped Marc Maddox score in the 4th to cut the lead to 3 and the Bees couldn't cut into the lead any farther. RP Ryan Di Pietro got through the 6th and 7th but gave up a 2-run single to Castillo in the 8th to make it 8-3 before rain washed the rest of the game out. Burlington is 2-2 and 1 1/2 games back. Chiefs 1B Russ Canzler was 3-3 with a double, triple and 3 RS to move to .300, Castillo was 2-4 with the homer and 3 RBI to move to .333 and Lansford was 1-4 with the homer and 2 RBI to move to .083. He also had 2 fielding errors. Jose Ceda got the win after an unsteady 5 IP for Peoria. The game also went through a rain delay prior to the one that got the game called.

Today's game has already been snowed out and will be played as part of a Thursday double dip with the Cedar Rapids Kernels (1-2, A Angels). Angelo Morales was set to start today for Burlington. The Kernels' roster features Halos prospects C Hank Conger and IF Ryan Mount.