Royals on the Farm 4/5 -- Opening Day and a snowout

AAA -- Omaha: Albuquerque 9, O-Royals 3

LF Butler 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, RS -- .500, nice AAA debut
SS Berroa 2-3, HBP, RBI, RS -- .667
1B Huber 1-4, 2 K -- .250
RF Maier 1-3, BB, 2B, K -- .333
CF Gathright 0-4
DH Costa HBP in 2nd, left game, no report on status yet
2B Blanco 0-3, BB, K

Bannister 4 2/3 IP, 7 R (2 ER), 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K, HRA, E (1) -- L, 0-1, 3.86 ERA
Ray 1 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, K -- 13.50 ERA
Markray 2 IP, H, BB, balk

Not a great opener for Omaha in New Mexico. Brian Bannister gave up a 2-out, 2-run homer to Reggie Abercrombie in the 2nd to spot the 'Topes the lead. In an Angel special, Berroa had a 2-out RBI single in the 3rd but managed to get thrown out on the basepaths between first and second on the play. Billy Butler grounded out in his first AB but homered to lead off the 4th off Chris George and tied the game at 2. C Paul Phillips had a chance to give Omaha the lead with 2 out and 2 on but flew out. The dam burst on Omaha in the 5th as Albuquerque scored 7 runs thanks in part to a Bannister throwing error on a sac bunt. Ken Ray came in with 2 out, 2 on and 3 runs in and gave up two singles and a double to score 4 more runs. Butler doubled Berroa home in the 8th as the Royals looked to rally but couldn't get any more runs home with runners on second and third and 0 outs. They went down in order in the 9th to end it. George got the win for Albuquerque against his one-time team and 4 players had multi-hit games for the Isotopes, including 3-hit days from C Paul Hoover and DH Chad Hermansen.

Tonight's game 2 features Omaha LH Tyler Lumsden vs. Albuquerque RH Jeff Fulchino. Luckily everyone else in the PCL American North division (Iowa, Memphis, Nashville) lost, so everybody's 0-1.

AA -- Wichita: snowout

The opener will be made up as part of a Friday double dip with Corpus Christi. Uber prospects Luke Hochevar and Troy Patton are slated for game 1 while lefty Danny Christensen and Hooks righty Josh Miller square off in game 2. Both will be 7-inning games.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 2, Myrtle Beach 0

1B Vega 3-4, RBI, K -- .750
2B Johnson 1-3, BB, RBI, CS -- .333
3B Lisson 1-3, BB, 2B, RS, CS -- .333
CF Duarte 1-4, RS, CS -- .250
C Thibault 1-3, HBP, K -- .333
LF Bigler 0-4, K

Rosa 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, nice way to start season
Barnes and de la Vara 4 IP, 0 H, 4 K -- de la Vara got save #1

The Blue Rocks made a triumphant return to the organization Thursday with a shutout win over the Pelicans on the road. Mario Lisson hit a 2-out double in the first and was driven home on an RBI single by Miguel Vega. Carlos Rosa cruised through the first 3 innings, loaded the bases with 2 out in the 4th and got out of the jam. Wilmington rallied for an insurance run in the 8th as a fielding error and wild pitch helped and Josh Johnson singled home Jose Duarte to make it 2-0 Rocks. Justin Barnes and Gilbert de la Vara pitched a perfect 4 innings in relief of Rosa to lock down the 3-hit shutout win. Pelicans prospects Elvis Andrus and Eric Campbell were a combined 0-8 in the loss.

The Blue Rocks are, of course, 1-0. Blake Johnson or Rowdy Hardy is set to open game 2 of the series tonight against Pelicans' P Moises Hernandez.

A -- Burlington: Bees 6, Kane County 3

2B Mertins 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 RS, K -- .500
3B Maddox 2-3, SF, 3 RBI, K -- .667
DH Thompson 2-4, K -- .500
LF Dickerson 1-3, BB, RBI, SB -- .333
CF Dyson 1-4, BB, 2 RS, 2 K -- .250
SS McConnell 1-3, BB, 2B, 2 RS -- .333

Fisher 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- ND, 6.00 ERA
A. Morales 4 IP, ER, 2 H, 5 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 2.25 ERA
Hartsock 2 IP, 0 H, 3 BB, 3 K -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA

The Bees survived a hectic 1st and broke the game open late to get the win. Two walks and a 2-out, 2-run double by Cougars' 1B Greg Dowling got SP Brent Fisher in trouble in the 1st and put the Bees down, 2-0. Jarrod Dyson led off the Bees' 1st with a walk, SS Chris McConnell doubled and 2B Kurt Mertins tripled them both home to tie the game with 0 out. Marc Maddox followed with a sac fly and the Bees took a 3-2 lead. The Bees stranded 2 base runners in the inning. Fisher left after the 3rd, I assume because of pitch count, and RP Angelo Morales allowed the tying run to score in the 4th on a leadoff double, wild pitch and 1-out sac fly. Burlington stranded 2 in scoring position in the 4th but rallied in the 7th as Maddox drove home 2 runs with a 1-out bases loaded single. Joe Dickerson later drew a bases loaded walk to push another run across and the Bees led, 6-3. RP Aaron Hartsock came in for the 8th and loaded the bases with 1 out in the 9th before getting two clutch Ks to end the game. Five different players had 1 hit each for Kane County in the loss.

The Bees are 1-0. Lefty Everett Teaford makes his '07 debut tonight for Burlington vs. Kane County lefty Joe Piekarz. RP Henry Barrera has already been sent back to extended ST to work on his mechanics and former Bee Yovany Damico will take his place on the pitching staff.