Royals on the Farm 5/21

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 8, Oklahoma 1

1B Butler 1-4, BB, 2 K, RS -- .336
DH Brazell 4-5, 2 HR (7), 5 RBI (15), 2 RS -- .377, think he's got AAA down
C Tupman 3-4, RS, SB (1) -- .304
CF Gathright 2-3, 2 BB, RBI (15), 2 RS, SB (12) -- .310
SS Blanco 1-4, 2B (2), RBI (5), RS -- .146
2B Cortez 1-4, BB, RS -- .302
3B Aviles 0-5, K -- .320
LF Maier 1-5, K -- .272
*Omaha left 10 on base.

Hendrickson 7 IP, ER, 7 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 3-3, 4.84 ERA
Ray 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- 4.79 ERA

Omaha steamrolled RedHawks starter Armando Galarraga over the first 2 innings while Royals starter Ben Hendrickson pitched well in an 8-1 win. Hendrickson gave up a sac fly in the 1st but shut out Oklahoma over the next 6 innings. Meanwhile, the Royals did their own damage with 3 runs in the 1st on a Galarraga wild pitch that scored Joey Gathright and a 2-run homer by Craig Brazell for his 6th of the season at Omaha. Andres Blanco doubled home a run in the 2nd and was singled home by Gathright before Brazell singled Joey home to make it 6-1 O-Royals. The Royals padded the lead off RP Michael Bumstead in the 7th as Brazell cranked a 2-run shot for his 2nd of the game and 7th of the season at AAA. Ken Ray stranded 2 in the 9th to finish it. Omaha is 20-24 and 4 games back. Oklahoma C Guillermo Quiroz was 2-3 to move to .358, CF Freddy Guzman was 2-4 with a RS to move to .245 and LF Jason Botts was 1-3 with his 12th double and 34th RBI to move to .274. Galarraga took the loss with 6 IP of 6 ER on 8 hits and 3 walks with 3 Ks to drop to 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA to start his season at AAA.

Game 2 of the set is tonight. Probable starters: Omaha lefty Tyler Lumsden (2-3, 6.06) vs. Oklahoma's Steven Rowe (2-0, 4.91).

AA -- Wichita: off day

I spoke too soon yesterday about Wichita starting the series with Frisco. The series begins tonight. Probable starters: Wichita lefty Danny Christensen (1-2, 5.03) vs. Frisco righty Luis Mendoza (3-0, 6.17).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 6, Potomac 5

3B Lisson 2-3, BB, HR (2), 2 RBI (22), 2 RS -- .299
DH Kaaihue 2-4, HR (6), 3 RBI (24), RS -- .254
1B Vega 1-4, HR (1), RBI (12), K, RS -- .200
CF Duarte 1-5, 2 K, RS -- .286
RF McFall 1-2, 2 BB, 2B (9), E (2) -- .250
LF Bigler 0-2, 2 BB, 2 SB (7) -- .241

Nicoll 5 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, K, 2 WP -- W, 2-3, 5.85 ERA
Oliveros 2 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 K -- 1.35 ERA
de la Vara 1 2/3 IP, 2 BB, K, WP -- SV, 4, 0.42 ERA

Wilmington grabbed the lead midway through and held on tight to the win. Mario Lisson hit his 2nd homer of the year for a 2-run blast in the 1st and the Blue Rocks took a 2-0 lead. Potomac scored a run on a hit and wild pitch in the 2nd by SP Chris Nicoll and moved ahead in the 3rd with 3 runs on 3 hits and an error by SS Valentino Arce (his 6th of the season). Kila Kaaihue singled home a run in the 3rd to cut the Potomac lead to 4-3 and Miguel Vega led off the 4th with his 1st homer of the season to tie the game at 4. Kaaihue stepped up again in the 5th and cranked a 2-run homer off RP Anthony Pearson for his 6th of the season to make it 6-4 Wilmington. Rayner Oliveros took over for Nicoll in the 6th and left with 1 on and 1 out in the 8th. Gilbert de la Vara came in and gave up a sac fly but got out of the inning with the 6-5 lead. In the 9th, the Nats loaded the bases with 1 out on an error by Brian McFall, walk and intentional walk by de la Vara. Gilbert induced a force play at home to get out #2 and then got a ground out to end the game for his 4th save. Wilmington is 22-21 and now tied for first. Potomac 3B Ofilio Castro was 2-4 with a walk, his 9th double and 2 RBI (13) to move to .315, C Luke Montz was 0-3 with a sac fly and 2 RBI (20) to move to .239 and SS Ian Desmond was 2-3 with a walk and his 5th double to move to .244. Pearson took the loss with 2 ER on a hit and 4 walks with 1 K over 2 IP to drop to 0-2 with a 5.21 ERA.

The series continues Tuesday night as the Blue Rocks search for sole possession of first place. Probable starters: Rocks right-handed piggybackers Dan Cortes (0-3, 3.97) and Julio Pimentel (3-0, 1.93) vs. Nats righty Carlos Martinez (1-2, 4.58).

A -- Burlington: Great Lakes 7, Bees 4

2B Mertins 3-4, 2 RBI (18), RS -- .250
RF Gonzalez 2-4, HR (2), RBI (10), K, RS -- .234
DH Bianchi 2-5, K, RS -- .241
3B Thompson 2-5, K -- .230
C Everett 1-3, HBP, RBI (8) -- .256
CF Robinson 1-5, K -- .235
SS McConnell 0-3 -- .220
LF Dickerson 1-4, BB, 2B (6), RS, CS -- .273
*Burlington left 10 on base.

Fisher 5 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, K -- L, 1-4, 5.09 ERA
DiPietro 4 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 5 BB, 3 K, HRA -- 4.55 ERA

The Loons notched 12 hits and 8 walks off pitchers Brent Fisher and Ryan DiPietro and took their first ever game against the Bees. Fisher allowed a run on 3 hits in the 1st and, as the Bees failed to put together a rally early on, went on to allow 3 runs in the 5th on 2 walks and 3 hits, all with 2 outs, to make it 4-0 Loons. Burlington left the bases loaded in the 5th but finally put a number other than 0 on the scoreboard in the 6th with a run on a Kurt Mertins RBI single. DiPietro allowed a run on a sac fly in the 7th but stranded the bases loaded. O.D. Gonzalez hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 7th for his 2nd of the season for the Bees to cut the lead to 5-2 but DiPietro returned the favor with a solo shot by C Juan Apodaca in the 8th. With 2 out in the Bees 8th, Mertins and Brady Everett singled home runs to cut it to 6-4 but that was as close as Burlington would get. DiPietro gave up an RBI triple in the 9th and the Bees stranded 2 in the bottom of the 9th as Loons RP Miguel Ramirez picked up his 2nd save. Burlington is 17-24 and 10 games out now. Great Lakes 3B Adolfo Gonzalez was 4-4 with his 3rd double, 1st triple, 2 RBI (8) and 1st SB to move to .381, 1B Eduardo Perez (not Tony's son, this is a different Eduardo) was 2-3 with 2 walks, 2 RBI (16), a RS and 3 SB (6) to move to .295 and SS Francisco Lizarraga was 2-4 with 2 doubles (6) and 2 RBI (10) to move to .308. Loons starter Arismendy Castillo got the win with an ER on 7 hits and a walk with 2 Ks over 6 IP to move to 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA.

The series continues tonight. Probable starters: Bees LH Everett Teaford (1-3, 4.31) vs. Loons RH Josh Wall (3-4, 3.83). In roster news, catcher Jeff Howell has rejoined the Bees' roster from extended ST after rehabbing from wrist surgery and 1B Scott Lucas was released after hitting .194 in 25 games.