Royals on the Farm 5/10

AAA -- Omaha: Sacramento 5, O-Royals 2

SS Berroa 2-4, BB (4), 2B (5) -- .310
1B Brazell 2-5 -- .222
CF Gathright 1-3, BB, SF, RBI (10) -- .307
RF Padilla 1-5, RBI (4), 2 K, E (1) -- .240
3B Aviles 1-4, S, RS -- .315
LF Maier 1-4, BB, 2 K -- .250
2B Cortez 1-2, 2 BB, RS -- .314
*Omaha left 13 on base.

Hendrickson 5 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HRA -- L, 2-3, 5.88 ERA
Hoelscher 3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, K -- 3.57 ERA
Braun IP, BB -- 0.00 ERA

Sacramento used the middle innings to grab a 2-1 series lead going into Friday's finale. SP Ben Hendrickson gave up a run in the 1st on a leadoff double and a 1-out single that brought the run home as Jorge Padilla made a fielding error on the play. The Royals got runners to second and third with 1 out in the 1st but a ground out and a Padilla K left the bases loaded. Omaha reloaded the bases with none out in the 2nd and a Joey Gathright sac fly tied the game at 1. Hendrickson gave up a 2-run homer to C Kurt Suzuki in the 4th and a leadoff solo homer to SS J.J. Furmaniak in the 5th to make it 4-1 River Cats. Omaha again loaded the bases with none out in the 5th to chase Sac'to starter Dan Meyer but could only squeeze out 1 run off RP Connor Robertson. A Padilla force out cut it to 4-2 but Richie Lewis struck out and Matt Tupman lined out to end the threat. RP Nate Hoelscher came in to pitch the 6th for Omaha and allowed a run on a walk and double to make it 5-2. The Royals couldn't mount a rally thereafter. Omaha is 15-19 and 4 games back. Furmaniak was 2-4 with his 7th HR and 17th RBI to move to .303, Suzuki was 1-4 with his 2nd HR and 2 RBI (21) to move to .305 and LF Nick Blasi was 2-4 with his 2nd double to move to .353. Robertson got the win with 2 hitless IP to move to 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA. RP Jeff Gray got his 2nd save.

The series ends tonight. Probable starters: River Cats RH Brad Knox (0-1, 4.26) vs. O-Royals LH Tyler Lumsden (2-3, 8.14). I guess C Paul Phillips is being kept ready for the call to KC in case Jason LaRue has to miss time because of his shoulder injury suffered in Thursday's Royal shellacking. Of course, Phillips is hitting .154 with a .423 OPS in 16 games while Tupman is hitting .254 with a .635 OPS in 18 games, but Phillips is getting the call. Typical, although it's not that either's gonna light the AL on fire.

AA -- Wichita: Wranglers 6, Springfield 1 (7/G1)

LF Lubanski 3-4, RS, picked off -- .304
DH Eure (who?) 2-3, HBP, 2B (1), 3 RBI (3), K, RS -- .667, new guy Jeff, like his debut
3B Lucas 2-4, RBI (11), K, 2 RS -- .310
SS Brewer 2-3, S, 2B (8), RS -- .289
1B Stodolka 1-2, 2 BB, 2B (9), RS -- .312
RF Valentin 0-3, BB -- .233

Hughes CG, UER, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 K, E (1) -- W, 1-2, 2.88 ERA

Wichita pounded Springfield pitcher Jose Garcia and took the first of a set twinbill Thursday. Springfield started P Eric Haberer, but he had only thrown 3 pitches when a heavy rain began and caused a 2 hour, 50 minute delay. Garcia took over when play resumed and Dusty Hughes likewise took over for starter Mike Connolly, even though Connolly never took the mound. Wichita scored off Garcia in the 2nd as a 2-out Garcia balk brought home newest Wrangler C/IF Jeff Eure, who was DH'ing Thursday after being signed as a free agent. Wichita scored three times in the 3rd as Ed Lucas hit an RBI single, a Cardinal error brought a second run home and Eure singled home another run to make it 4-0. Hughes took a 1-hitter through 4 and the Wranglers scored twice in the 5th on a 2-run Eure double (very nice debut) to take a 6-0 lead. Hughes stranded a runner at third in the 5th but gave up a run on 2 hits, a walk and a throwing error by himself in the 6th. He had little trouble in the 7th to end it. Springfield 3B Juan Lucena was 2-3 with his 1st double to move to .280, 1B Joe Mather was 1-3 to move to .218 and CF Colby Rasmus was 1-2 to move to .281. Garcia took the loss with 6 R (5 ER) on 8 hits and 2 walks with 3 Ks over 4 IP to drop to 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA.

Game 2: rainout

The game was rescheduled as part of a Saturday doubleheader. The series continues today as Springfield P Kevin Ool (1-0, 2.40) and Wichita’s Jason Cromer (2-2, 5.55) square off. Wichita is 17-16 and 1/2 a game back of Tulsa. Eure had been with Milwaukee's AA affiliate in Huntsville before being released May 5, as he was hitting .181 with a .508 OPS in 23 games.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 7, Lynchburg 4

1B Kaaihue 2-4, HR (3), 2 RBI (17), RS -- .208, working for another shot at AA?
DH Perez 2-3, SF, 2B (4), 2 RBI (7), SB (3) -- .281
CF Duarte 2-4, RS -- .287
SS Arce 2-4, K, RS, SB (6) -- .267
2B Maddox 1-4, 2B (2), RBI (8), RS -- .294
3B Lisson 1-3, BB, 2B (8), 2 RS -- .259

Nicoll 5 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K, WP -- W, 1-3, 4.78, not pretty but got the W
Oliveros 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, K -- 1.21 ERA
de la Vara 1 1/3 IP, BB, 3 K -- SV, 3, 0.54 ERA

A 3-run 1st sparked Wilmington's 7th straight victory Thursday as the Rocks completed the 4-game sweep of the Hillcats. SP Chris Nicoll allowed a sac fly for a run in the 1st but the Blue Rocks wasted no time as they scored 3 runs in the bottom of the inning on a Marc Maddox RBI double, RBI single by emerging presence Kila Kaaihue and a sac fly by Wilver Perez to take a 3-1 lead. Kaaihue hit his 3rd homer of the season in the 3rd to bump it to 4-1 but Nicoll allowed Lynchburg to keep pace with a run in the 4th. A Lynchburg error scored Valentino Arce in the Wilmington 4th but Nicoll gave up 2 runs on 2 hits, a walk, a sac fly and a wild pitch in the 5th to make it 5-4 Rocks. Wilmington kept the pressure on as Perez singled home a run in the bottom of the 5th and a Jose Duarte double play ball pushed an insurance run home in the 6th to make it 7-4. From there, the game was in the hands of RPs Rayner Oliveros and Gilbert de la Vara as the two combined for 4 scoreless IP of 2 hits and a walk to nail down Nicoll's first win of the season. Wilmington is 16-17 and 3 games back. Lynchburg LF Jamie Romak was 2-3 with his 4th double to move to .290, DH Jason Delaney was 1-3 with his 6th double and 2 RBI (13) to move to .327 and Hillcats SP Brian Holliday took the loss with 5 R (4 ER) on 7 hits and a walk over 4 IP to drop to 0-1 with a 3.31 ERA.

The sweep marked the second straight such event by Wilmington. The Rocks begin a 4-game set tonight at the Salem Avalanche (16-15, A-Adv. Astros). Probable starters: Rocks RH Julio Pimentel (2-0, 1.82) vs. Avalanche righty Raymar Diaz (1-2, 2.96). The Blue Rocks are 1-1 versus Salem thus far.

A -- Burlington: Bees 4, Clinton 3

3B Mertins 2-3, BB, RBI (14), RS, CS -- .231
1B Turner 1-2, BB, S, RBI (6) -- .143
DH Thompson 1-4, RBI (20), K, RS, SB (1) -- .239
SS Bianchi 0-4, 2 K -- .286
CF Robinson 0-4, K, E (1) -- .222
2B McConnell 0-3, BB, 2 K, RS, SB (4) -- .246
LF Dickerson 1-4, 3 K, RS -- .279

Teaford 5 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, K, balk -- ND, 4.81 ERA
Hartsock 3 1/3 IP, H, BB, 3 K -- W, 1-1, 2.70 ERA

Thursday's Bees win ended in an uncommon way as Burlington took its second straight over the LumberKings. Clinton scored a run off SP Everett Teaford on 2 hits in the 2nd but the Bees evened the score in the bottom of the inning on a Jase Turner RBI single. Clinton moved ahead on a 2-out, 2-run rally in the 4th on 2 hits and a walk, including a 2-run double by C Manuel Pina. Clinton SP Omar Poveda had retired 11 of 12 after Turner's RBI and took the 3-1 lead into the 6th. A Pina error helped lead to a Mike Thompson RBI single and 2-out RBI single by Kurt Mertins in the 6th that tied the game at 3. RP Aaron Hartsock loaded the bases with 2 out in the 7th but escaped without harm before the Bees left 2 in scoring position in the bottom of the inning. Clinton RP Jonathan Hollis came in to pitch the 9th and gave up a single, a sac bunt that turned into another base runner on an error by 3B John Whittleman and got a fly out to bring up O.D. Gonzalez. Scott Lucas was at first and attempted to steal second when Pina jumped in front of home plate to catch the pitch, which by rule calls for a balk, which allowed Mertins to score from third to end the game. Burlington is 14-18 and 5 games back. Whittleman was 3-5 with his 12th double and 5th error to move to .346, RF K.C. Herren was 3-3 with his 7th double, 5th triple and 12th RBI to move to .356 and Pina was 1-4 with his 4th double, 3rd error and 2 RBI (5) to move to .159. Hollis took the loss with an UER on a hit to drop to 1-1 with a 2.04 ERA. Poveda allowed 3 ER on 4 hits and 3 walks with 6 K over 6 IP to make his ERA 2.51.

The series wraps up tonight. Probable starters: Bees LH Matt Campbell (1-1, 2.78) and Clinton LH Zach Phillips (3-1, 2.96).