Royals on the Farm 5/12

AAA -- Omaha: Fresno 7, O-Royals 5

CF Gathright 3-4, HBP, RBI (11), RS, SB (8), CS (4) -- .323
SS Blanco 3-4 -- .154
LF Maier 2-2, BB, S, 2B (5), 3B (2), 2 RBI (16), RS -- .263
RF Padilla 0-3, SF, RBI (5), E (2) -- .194
1B Brazell 2-4, 2 K -- .294
3B Berroa 0-5 -- .303
DH Aviles 0-3, 2 BB, K, RS, SB (1) -- .311
C Tupman 1-3, BB, RS -- .275

Shiell 4 1/3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 6 H, BB, K, WP -- L, 0-1, 2.45 ERA, spot start for Bannister, who got called back to KC
Giron 4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 K, 2 HRA -- 4.44 ERA

Jason Shiell found himself getting a start with Brian Bannister's recall to Kansas City and it didn't go well as Fresno took the series opener. Shiell allowed 3 runs before notching an out thanks to 4 hits and a Jorge Padilla fielding error in right and it was 4-0 before Fresno got its third out. Mitch Maier drove 2 runs home with a double in the bottom of the 1st and, in his next AB, tripled to lead off the 4th and scored on a Padilla sac fly to cut it to 4-3. Shiell allowed only 2 hits after the 1st and left with 2 on and 1 out in the 5th for Roberto Giron. Giron got out of the jam and Omaha got 2 on with none out in their half. Unfortunately, Angel Berroa grounded into a 5-3 DP and Joey Gathright was nailed trying to steal third to pull a Berroa and end the inning. Omaha repeated the 2 on, 0 out feat in the 6th and got creative screwing it up. A Maier sac bunt (wasn't like he had the hot hand Saturday) moved the runners into scoring position and Mike Aviles was thrown out trying to score on a ball that got away from Fresno C Barry Gunther. A Padilla fly out ended the threat. Giron gave up a 2-out solo homer in the 7th to CF Clay Timpner, and Omaha blew another chance in the bottom of the 7th. Andres Blanco singled with 2 out and Gathright followed with an infield single but Blanco was tagged out after rounding second too far. I think Angel is contagious. Another solo homer by DH Chad Santos in the 8th off Giron made it 6-3 Fresno and 2 hits plated another run for the Grizz in the 9th. The O-Royals loaded the bases with none out in the 9th off RP Brian Wilson and a Gathright HBP brought a run home to cut the lead back to 3 at 7-4. A Berroa double play ball scored another run to cut it to 2 but also put Omaha's back against the wall. Aviles popped out to end the game. Omaha is 16-20 and 4 games back. Timpner was 2-5 for Fresno with his 5th SB, 1st homer and 9th RBI to move to .378, Gunther was 2-4 with his 1st RBI to move to .333 and RF Nate Schierholtz was 1-4 with his 23rd RBI to move to .344. SP Travis Blackley got the win with 3 ER on 9 hits and 2 walks with 3 Ks over 7 IP to move to 3-1 with a 3.92 ERA.

The series continues today. Starters: Fresno RH Brian Bowles (0-2, 4.79) vs. RH Zach Day (1-0, 3.18). As Luke Hudson went back to the shelf, Bannister got called up to KC's rotation. Lefty Neal Musser is headed back to Omaha's pen as he was the victim of Scott Elarton's DL activation. Also, pitcher Danny Tamayo has rejoined Omaha after extended ST. He missed most of '06 with shoulder surgery.

AA -- Wichita: Wranglers 5, Springfield 3 (7/G1)

LF Lubanski 2-3, BB, K, RS -- .311
1B Eure 2-4, 2B (2), K -- .364
DH Stodolka 1-3, BB, 2B (10), 2 RBI (13), K -- .301
C Donachie 1-3, HR (2), RBI (10), K, RS -- .188
3B Lucas 1-4, RBI (13), RS -- .302
2B Gaffney 1-3, SF, 2B (1), RBI (2), RS -- .308

Christensen 6 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA, WP -- W, 1-1, 4.54 ERA
DeHoyos 1/3 IP -- SV, 2, 1.13 ERA

Wichita got off to a great start and held on late to get the win in the first of two with Springfield Saturday. Ed Lucas singled home a run in the 1st and Mike Stodolka followed with a 2-run double to stake Wichita to a 3-0 lead. The Wranglers stranded 2 in the inning and SP Danny Christensen stranded 2 Cards in the 1st as well. He went on to retire 10 straight as Wichita padded the lead with an Adam Donachie solo shot in the 4th for his 2nd of the season. Springfield finally got to Christensen in the bottom of the 4th as SS Tyler Greene hit a solo homer to cut the lead to 4-1. A Mike Gaffney sac fly in the 6th extended the lead back to 4 runs but Wichita left the bases full in the inning. Christensen got the first 2 outs of the 7th in the twinbill-shortened game but then got into trouble as a single, HBP and 2-run double quickly cut the lead to 5-3 and put the tying run at the plate. Gabe DeHoyos was brought in to pitch and got PH Michael Ferris to pop out to end the game. Greene was 1-2 for Springfield with a HBP, his 4th homer and 9th RBI to move to .233, LF Sean Danielson was 1-3 with his 6th double and 2 RBI (6) to move to .429 and Cards SP Mitch Boggs took the loss with 5 1/3 IP of 5 ER on 10 hits and 2 walks with 5 Ks to drop to 2-3 with a 5.20 ERA.

Wranglers 5, Springfield 4 (7/G2)

RF Valentin 3-3, S, 2B (3), 3B (1), RBI (11), RS -- .283
3B Lucas 2-4, 2B (6), RBI (14), K, RS -- .310
1B Stodolka 1-2, HBP, RBI (14), SB (1) -- .305, left after HBP in 5th
2B Falu 2-3 -- .206
LF Lubanski 1-3, BB, HR (6), RBI (16), K, RS -- .312
SS Brewer 1-4, RBI (8), K, RS, picked off -- .283
DH Eure 0-2, 2 BB -- .308

Connolly 4 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, K, HRA -- ND, 4.94 ERA
Plummer 2 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 K, 2 HRA -- W, 1-1, 1.62 ERA

Much like the first game, the Wranglers jumped ahead early and hung on late for the win to sweep the doubleheader. Ed Lucas singled home a run in the 1st and Wichita took a 1-0 lead. With 2 out and 1 on in the Wichita 2nd, Geraldo Valentin tripled home the run and Jace Brewer followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0. SP Mike Connolly gave up a 2-run homer to Cards 1B Ferris in the bottom of the 2nd to cut the 3 run lead to 1 but Wichita got 1 run back in the 3rd on a Mike Stodolka RBI single. Connolly loaded the bases with 2 out in the 3rd on a hit batsman and 2 walks but got a force out to kill the would-be rally. Stodolka left the game after being hit by a pitch in the 5th (no report on his status) and Chris Lubanski led off the 7th with his 6th homer to make it 5-2. Jarod Plummer had taken over with 1 out in the 5th and didn't hit trouble until the bottom of the 7th when a solo homer by LF Danielson cut it to 5-3. With 2 out, CF Colby Rasmus hit a homer to cut the lead to 1 but Plummer induced a line out to end the game. Wichita is now 19-17 and 1/2 a game up on first. Danielson was 2-4 with his 1st HR and 7th RBI to move to .436, Rasmus was 1-1 with 2 walks, his 6th SB, 5th homer and 19th RBI to move to .295 and Ferris was 1-3 with his 1st homer and 2 RBI (3) to move to .175. Springfield SP Eric Haberer got the L with 5 IP of 4 ER on 8 hits and 2 walks with 2 K to move to 2-2 with a 3.90 ERA.

Wichita moves on to 4-games at the Tulsa Drillers (18-17, AA Rockies) today. The Wranglers are 2-2 versus the Drillers thus far. Probable starters: Wichita righty Luke Hochevar (4-2, 4.86 ERA), vs. Tulsa's Samuel Deduno (0-1, 4.76 ERA).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Salem 2, Blue Rocks 1 (7/G1)

CF Duarte 1-4, RS -- .298
2B Maddox 1-4, K -- .289
3B Lisson 1-3, K -- .261
DH Kaaihue 0-2, BB -- .206
SS Arce 1-3, 2B (7), K -- .272

Cortes 5 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, BB, 4 K -- ND, 3.38 ERA, great start outta Dan
Haltiwanger 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), H, 2 BB, HRA -- BS, 2, L, 1-3, 6.39 ERA

Wilmington and SP Dan Cortes put themselves in place for a win but it wasn't to be as a late Salem rally snapped the Rocks' 8-game win streak. Cortes stranded 2 Avalanche runners in the 2nd and a Marc Maddox single aided by a Salem error brought Valentino Arce home in the 3rd to give the Rocks a 1-0 lead. Cortes retired 10 straight into the 5th and stranded 2 more runners that inning to keep the 1-0 lead intact. RP Russ Haltiwanger came in with 2 out and none on in the 6th and promptly picked up his 2nd blown save by giving up a home run to DH Ole Sheldon -- the first batter he faced -- to tie the game at 1. Haltiwanger walked the leadoff guy in the bottom of the 7th and a throwing error by 1B Miguel Vega on a sac bunt attempt put runners at second and third with none out. An intentional pass loaded the bases and Haltiwanger hit 2B Eric King with a pitch to bring the winning run home. Sheldon was 2-3 for Salem with his 4th homer and 14th RBI to move to .252, RF Eli Iorg was 1-2 with a walk, his 2nd error and RS to move to .298 and SP Brian Bogusevic went the distance with an ER on 7 hits and a walk with 3 Ks to move to 3-3 with a 3.35 ERA.

Blue Rocks 6, Salem 2 (7/G2)

3B Perez 3-4, 2B (6), K, RS, SB (4) -- .318
1B Kaaihue 2-3, BB, HR (4), 2 RBI (19), RS -- .218
DH Vega 2-4, 2B (4), 2 RBI (9), K -- .216
SS Lisson 1-3, BB, RBI (15), K, 2 RS -- .263
CF Duarte 1-4, K -- .296
2B Maddox 1-2, S, HBP, RS, CS -- .300
LF Bigler 2-4, K, RS, SB (3) -- .219

Penn 3 2/3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- ND, 3.60 ERA
D'Amico 3 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 K, HRA -- 1.08 ERA

With the win streak gone, the Blue Rocks tried to get another one started in game 2 with the 6-2 win. The Blue Rocks got on the board first with a steal of home by Wilver Perez on a double steal in the 2nd. A 2-run homer by Kila Kaaihue (his 4th) made it 3-0 in the 3rd. SP Michael Penn gave up a 2-out solo homer to CF Josh Flores in the bottom of the 3rd to cut it to 3-1 but Wilmington got the run back with interest in the 4th. With 2 outs, Mario Lisson singled home a run to chase SP Rory Shortell and Miguel Vega cranked a 2-run double off RP Ryan McKeller to make it 6-1 Rocks. P Yovany D'Amico gave up a solo homer to 3B Billy Hart in the 5th but stranded 2 in the 6th and had a perfect 7th to end it. Wilmington is 18-18 and 2 1/2 games back. Flores was 2-3 for Salem with his 3rd HR and 11th RBI to move to .306, Sheldon was 2-2 with his 5th double to move to .267 and Hart was 1-3 with his 1st HR and 11th RBI to move to .200. Shortell took the loss with 6 ER on 9 hits and a walk with 2 Ks over 3 2/3 IP to drop to 1-2 with a 3.74 ERA.

The series ends today. Starters: CL wins leader Salem's Brad James (5-0, 0.92) vs. Wilmington southpaw Rowdy Hardy (2-0, 0.89). I guess Penn was experiencing some shoulder stiffness when he left in game 2 Saturday.

A -- Burlington: Quad Cities 1, Bees 0

2B McConnell 1-3, BB, SB (5) -- .248
LF Dickerson 1-4 -- .278
1B Turner 1-3, 2B (5), K -- .149
CF Robinson 0-4, K -- .208
SS Bianchi 0-4, 2 K -- .250

Mozingo 7 IP, ER, 5 H, 5 K -- L, 2-4, 3.89 ERA
Hayes and Chambliss 2 IP hitless relief

Two hits made the difference as Burlington couldn't get to QC starter P.J. Walters or three relievers. The Bees stranded 2 in the 1st as SP Harold Mozingo pitched 3 perfect innings to start the game. Walters kept pace by retiring 9 straight Bees and Mozingo stranded a runner at third in the 4th to keep it scoreless. Mozingo gave up a leadoff double in the 5th and a 1-out single by 2B Jaime Landin scored the run to make it 1-0. The Bees couldn't get more than 1 baserunner per inning and Swing RP Kenneth Maiques picked up his 9th save with a perfect 9th. Burlington is 14-20 and 7 games back. Both teams had only 5 hits. Landin was 2-3 for the Swing with his 4th double and 8th RBI to move to .292, DH Christian Reyes was 0-4 to drop to .387 and Walters got the win with 4 hits and 3 Ks over 5 IP to move to 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA.

The series continues today. Probable starters: Bees RH Josh Cribb (1-1, 5.31) vs. Swing RH Tyler Herren (1-4, 4.66). SP Angelo Morales was diagnosed with a torn muscle in his right shoulder and will rehab in Arizona, hopefully to rejoin Burlington late in the season.