Royals on the Farm 5/15

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 2, Fresno 1 (7)

1B Brazell 1-2, BB, HR (4), RBI (7), K, RS -- .321
LF Maier 1-2, RBI (20) -- .281
SS Aviles 1-3, 3B (3), RS -- .313
CF Gathright 0-3 -- .295
3B Cortez 0-3 -- .305
DH Shealy 0-3, K -- .143
RF Padilla 0-1, BB, OF assist at first -- .211
C Clark 0-2 -- .000, AAA debut
*The O-Royals turned 4 DPs.

Hendrickson 4 IP, ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 3 K -- ND, 5.50 ERA
Buckner 3 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- W, 3-0, 2.02 ERA, pitching well in relief

In a game shortened by the need to finish Monday's rain suspended game, the O-Royals did more with their 3 hits than Fresno did with its 3 hits and took a series split with the win. Mike Aviles tripled with 1 out in the 2nd and Mitch Maier drove him home with a single to make it 1-0 Omaha. SP Ben Hendrickson got out of a 2-on, 1-out situation in the 4th with a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out DP and Craig Brazell hit his 4th homer and third in 3 games for a solo shot in the bottom of the 4th to make it 2-0. Two walks to start the 5th led to the exit of Hendrickson for Billy Buckner, who gave up a 2-out RBI single but held on to the lead at 2-1. Buckner benefited from another DP in the 6th and had a perfect 7th to finish it. Omaha is 18-21 and 4 games back. Fresno CF Clay Timpner was 2-3 with his 12th RBI to move to .359, RF Nate Schierholtz was 0-3 to drop to .362 and SP Matt Kinney took the loss with 6 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks to drop to 3-4 with a 3.91 ERA.

The O-Royals have Wednesday off before starting a series at the New Orleans Zephyrs (19-21, AAA Mets) Thursday.

AA -- Wichita: Tulsa 7, Wranglers 2

DH Lubanski 1-4, 2 RBI (19) -- .309
2B Gaffney 2-4, 2B (2), K, RS -- .353
3B Eure 2-4, K, SB (2) -- .280
1B Lucas 0-4, K -- .295
LF Valentin 0-4, K -- .246

Dotel IP, ER, 2 H -- L, 0-1, 9.00 ERA, tough to take a loss in a 1-inning rehab start
Hughes 4 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA -- 4.30 ERA
Santos 2 2/3 IP, 3 H -- 4.32 ERA

Octavio Dotel made his first in-game mound appearance of the season and took the loss as P Dusty Hughes got drilled by the Drillers Tuesday. Dotel gave up a run on 2 hits in the 1st but one was a bunt single and a steal and sac bunt helped manufacture the run, so he wasn't hit hard. Hughes came in for the 2nd and didn't take damage until giving up a solo homer to LF Matt Miller in the 4th. Tulsa all but put it away in the 5th with 5 runs on 5 hits and a hit batsman off Hughes to take a 7-0 lead. Chris Lubanski hit an RBI ground out in the 6th and then singled home a run in the 8th but the Wranglers couldn't get to hyped Tulsa SP Greg Reynolds any more than that. RP Darren Clarke set down the last 4 Wranglers in order to nail down the victory for the Drillers. Wichita is 19-20 and 2 1/2 games back of the Drillers. Tulsa 2B Corey Wimberly was 3-5 with his 5th RBI, 5th SB, 2nd error and 2 RS to move to .205, 3B Christian Colonel was 3-4 with his 11th double and 2 RBI (21) to move to .294 and Miller was 2-3 with his 4th homer, 2 RBI (19) and 2 RS to move to .293. Reynolds was as good as advertised in getting the win with 7 2/3 IP of 2 R (1 ER) on 6 hits and a walk with 3 Ks to improve to 4-1 with a 1.58 ERA. His WHIP is 0.83.

Wichita will try to avert the 4-game sweep tonight in the series finale. Probable starters: Wranglers lefty Jason Cromer (2-3, 6.59) vs. Tulsa righty Ryan Mattheus (1-2, 4.31).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 12, Lynchburg 6

3B Lisson 4-5, 2B (9), 2 RS -- .281
RF Bigler 2-5, 4 RBI (13), K, RS, SB (4) -- .236
LF Perez 2-4, BB, 2B (7), HR (2), 2 RBI (14), K, 3 RS -- .338
1B Kaaihue 3-5, BB, 2 RS -- .238
CF Duarte 3-6, RS -- .297
DH Vega 1-5, BB, 2 RBI (11), K, 2 RS -- .209
2B Maddox 1-6, RS -- .315
SS Arce 0-3, BB, SF, RBI (8) -- .270
C Balduf 1-2, 3 BB, RBI (1), E (2) -- .111
*Despite the offensive pyrotechnics, the Blue Rocks still left 11 on base.

Nicoll 3 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, HRA -- ND, 5.66 ERA, not pretty
Haltiwanger 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 2-3, 5.17 ERA
Humen 2 IP, H, 2 K -- 2.12 ERA
Barnes IP, ER, H, WP -- 2.78 ERA

What started out as a slugfest cooled off after the 4th but Wilmington had done enough damage to win its 5th of 6 versus the Hillcats. Rocks SP Chris Nicoll allowed a run on a walk and single in the 1st but Wilver Perez doubled to lead off the 2nd and scored on a Valentino Arce sac fly to tie the game. The tie didn't last long as Nicoll allowed a solo homer by RF Brad Corley to lead off the Lynchburg 2nd and the Hillcats added 2 more runs in the frame to take a 4-1 lead. The Blue Rocks slugged right back again as they loaded the bases with none out off Lynchburg SP Clayton Hamilton and a Perez fielder's choice scored a run followed by a 2-run single by Brett Bigler to tie it at 4. Nicoll again couldn't hold the line, tho, as the Hillcats got a 2-out RBI double from C Steve Lerud to take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the 3rd. Wilmington brought out the artillery in the 4th, however, off RP Brian Holliday as the Rocks churned out 6 runs on a 2-run single by Miguel Vega, a passed ball on Lerud that scored a run, another 2-run single from Bigler and a Todd Balduf RBI single off RP Ronald Belizario to make it 10-5 Rocks. RP Russ Haltiwanger relieved Nicoll in the 4th and restored some order with 3 scoreless IP to get in line for the win. Perez cranked his 2nd homer of the season -- a solo shot -- in the 6th and a Vega double play ball scored another insurance run in the 7th to make it 12-5. RP Justin Barnes allowed a run in the 9th for Lynchburg but a rally was never a threat as he closed it out. Wilmington is 20-19 and 1 1/2 games back of Frederick. Hillcats CF James Boone was 3-5 with his 4th double and 2 RBI (6) to move to .273, Lerud was 3-3 with 2 doubles (4), his 4th RBI and 3rd PB to move to .250 and 1B Jason Delaney was 0-4 with his 15th RBI to move to .328. Holliday took the loss with 6 ER on 4 hits and 2 walks over 1 1/3 IP to drop to 0-2 with a 6.11 ERA.

The series wraps up tonight. Probable starters: Rocks righty Julio Pimentel (3-0, 2.04) vs. Lynchburg righty Derek Hankins (3-2, 4.94).

A -- Burlington: rainout

The finale with Quad Cities was rained out and won't be made up, as the teams don't play each other again in the first half of the season. The Bees have Wednesday off before starting a home series versus the South Bend Silver Hawks (17-19, A D-Backs) Thursday.