Royals on the Farm 4/9

AAA -- Omaha: Round Rock 8, O-Royals 6

LF Butler 1-5, HR (2), 2 RBI (6), K, RS -- .263
3B Aviles 3-4, 2B, RS, CS -- .357
DH Koonce 2-3, BB, SF, HR (2), 2 RBI (4), K, RS -- .333
C Tupman 2-4, RBI, K, E -- .286
SS Berroa 1-4, HBP, K, RS, 2 E (3) (throw, fielding) -- .450, I'm shaking my head right now about Angel
CF Gathright 1-3, 2 BB, RS, OF assist at third -- .158
RF Maier 0-4, BB, 2 K, RS -- .167
2B Blanco 0-3, SF, RBI (3), K, E (1) -- .059

Hendrickson 3 IP, 7 R (6 ER), 6 H, 4 BB, K -- L, 0-1, 18.00 ERA, maybe that's why he was only worth a minor-league FA catcher
Markray 3 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K -- 0.00 ERA
Musser 2 IP, UER, H, K -- 0.00 ERA

Ben Hendrickson got rocked in his first organizational start and the Royals committed 4 errors, including 2 by SS Angel Berroa in yet another loss. Omaha struck first as the Royals loaded the bases with 1 out in the 2nd before Matt Tupman singled home a run and Andres Blanco hit a sac fly to make it 2-0 Omaha. Hendrickson walked the bases loaded with 1 out in the Round Rock 2nd and the dam broke. Express 1B Mark Saccomanno hit a bases-clearing double, Hendrickson gave up another walk and, after getting a visit from the mound, Hendrickson gave up a 2-run triple to Express LF Josh Anderson that Anderson scored on thanks to a Blanco throwing error to make it 6-2 Round Rock. Omaha got back in the game, tho, as Berroa was hit by a pitch to lead off the 3rd and Billy Butler cranked his 2nd homer of the season followed by a solo shot by Graham Koonce (also his 2nd) to cut the lead to 6-5. Berroa made a throwing error while trying to complete a double play in the bottom of the 3rd and Round Rock turned it into an unearned run. The score stayed 7-5 Express into the 8th as both offenses slowed down. A Berroa fielding error gave the Express an insurance run in the 8th but the Royals got their first two batters on versus former KC farmhand Miguel Asencio in the 9th. Butler grounded into a force out and Koonce hit a sac fly before Mitch Maier grounded out to end the game. The Royals are 1-4 and tied with Nashville for last in the division. Anderson was 4-5 with the triple, 2 SB and 2 RBI for Round Rock to boost his average to .333; RF Hunter Pence was 0-4 to drop to .125; Saccomanno was 1-4 with the 3-run double to move to .300; and Express RP Stephen Randolph worked 3 scoreless innings in relief of SP Chance Douglass for the win.

Game 2 is tonight. Pitching matchup: Omaha RH Brian Bannister (0-1, 3.86) vs. RH Fernando Nieve (0-0, 2.25). Shane Costa is still listed as day-to-day with his sore right cheek but hasn't played since getting beaned on opening night.

AA -- Wichita: San Antonio 6, Wranglers 2

1B Stodolka 2-4, 2B (2), K, RS -- .333
DH Brazell 2-4 -- .308
SS Brewer 2-4, RBI (2), 2 E (throw, fielding) -- .545
LF Lubanski 1-4, 2 K, OF assist at home -- .154
RF Padilla 1-3, HBP, K, 2 OF assists (at first, third) -- .455, looking like a nice DM pickup so far
2B Falu 1-4, 2B, RBI -- .143
C Donachie 0-3, HBP, 2 K, RS -- .000

Cromer 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 K, 2 HRA, pickoff -- L, 0-1, 7.36 ERA
Hughes 2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, K, WP -- 9.00 ERA
Atencio 2 1/3 IP, UER, 2 H -- 0.00 ERA
DeHoyos IP, H, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA

The Missions pounded out 13 hits as they evened the series with the win. San Antonio drew first blood with a solo homer by DH Tim Brown off SP Jason Cromer in the 2nd and got a leadoff homer by 1B Michael Johnson in the 4th before adding an RBI double off RP Dusty Hughes with 2 out to make it 3-0. The Missions added 2 runs off Hughes in the 5th as Wichita couldn't generate a rally. The Wranglers got an RBI ground out by Irving Falu in the 5th but, after Greg Atencio got out of Hughes' bases loaded jam in the 6th, the Missions got the run back thanks in part to a Jace Brewer error in the 7th. Chris Lubanski threw out the would-be second insurance run at the plate via Brewer's relay throw to end the inning. Wichita squandered a 2-on, 0-out situation in the 6th and the game went to the 9th with San Antonio leading, 6-1. Mike Stodolka hit a 1-out double off former KC farmhand Frank Brooks in the 9th and Brewer singled him home with 2 outs but a rally wasn't in the cards as Adam Greenberg popped out to end the game. Wichita is 2-2 but a 1/2 game up in the TL North. Missions 3B Chase Headley was 4-5 with a double to move to .350, CF Drew Macias was 2-3 with 2 doubles and his 3rd RBI to move to .167, two other Missions had 2-hit games and SP Josh Geer allowed only an ER with 6 K over 5 2/3 IP to move to 1-0.

Tonight's series finale pits Wichita lefty Mike Connolly versus Missions lefty Sean Thompson.

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

LF Santana 2-3, 2B, SB -- .222
3B Lisson 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, K, RS -- .158
2B Johnson 1-3, BB, RS -- .143
CF Duarte 1-4, K, OF assist at first -- .150
DH Kaaihue 0-4 -- .067
1B Vega 0-4 -- .333
RF Bigler 0-3, K -- .077

Penn 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 8 K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, very nice start
Green 4 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- SV, 1, 2.25 ERA

Michael Penn did the work on the mound, Mario Lisson provided the big punch with his bat and Patrick Green held the line as the Rocks got their 2nd win of the season. The first two batters for both teams reached base in the 1st but neither team scored. Ethien Santana led off the Wilmington 3rd with a double and tried to score on Josh Johnson's 1-out single but was nailed at the plate by Kinston RF Nathan Panther. Lisson followed with a 2-run jack to left to make it 2-0 Rocks off Indians SP Sung-Wei Tseng and provide the team's first homer of 2007. Penn retired 12 straight after the first two Indians batters reached in the 1st. Kinston got a leadoff single in the 5th but Panther followed with a lineout to CF Jose Duarte, who doubled off the base runner at 1st to kill the threat. Green came in for the 6th and gave up a 2-out solo homer in the 7th to cut Wilmington's lead in half. He followed by allowing a single and double but struck out DH Mike Butia to end the rally. He allowed only one more base runner as he had a 1-2-3 9th to end it. The Rocks are 2-3 and a game back of Potomac in the Carolina League Northern division. Indians 3B Wes Hodges was 2-4 with his 1st homer and RBI of the season to move to .250 and 2B Brian Finegan was 1-3 with his 2nd double to move to .300.

The series continues tonight as Carlos Rosa (1-0, 0.00) makes his second start and goes against rehabbing Cleveland lefty Cliff Lee.

A -- Burlington: Peoria 2, Bees 1

2B Mertins 1-4, K, SB (2) -- .364
LF Dickerson 1-4, 2 K, RS -- .286
C Everett 1-4, K -- .250
SS McConnell 0-3, HBP, 2 K, E -- .200
3B Maddox 0-4, K -- .222

Santiago 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 K -- L, 0-1, 3.60 ERA
Campbell 4 IP, H, BB, 4 K -- 0.00 ERA, nice debut after missing '06 for shoulder surgery

The Bees could muster only 3 hits in a pitchers' duel as the Chiefs' 2 runs were enough to win the series opener. Mario Santiago gave up 2 doubles in the 2nd as Peoria jumped out to a 1-0 lead. The Chiefs got a single and RBI double to start the 3rd and make it 2-0 off Santiago. The Bees were getting 1-hit by Peoria SP Rafael Dolis entering the 5th when Joe Dickerson led off the bottom of the inning with a single, advanced to third on a throwing error by Dolis on a pickoff attempt and scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead in half. The Bees couldn't score the tying run as they stranded a runner at second in the 6th and got Kurt Mertins to third with 1 out in the 9th. Jase Turner walked but Dickerson and Brady Everett struck out to end the game. Most notable in the game was the return of P Matt Campbell from missing 2006, as he hurled 1-hit ball over 4 IP in his first appearance since July 2, 2005. The Bees are 2-1 and a 1/2-game back in the MWL West. Peoria 2B Matt Camp was 2-3 with a run scored to move to .571, RF Yusuf Carter was 1-4 with a double and run scored to move to .333 and Dolis allowed only an unearned run on 2 hits with 8 K over 5 IP to get his first win of 2007.

The truncated 2-game set wraps tonight as RH Harold Mozingo starts for the Bees vs. RH Jose Ceda. In another note, Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg is the manager of the Chiefs this season. I guess he was a big hit in Burlington Monday night.