Royals on the Farm 5/22

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 8, Oklahoma 3

LF Butler 1-3, BB, RS -- .336
1B Brazell 2-4, 2 HR (9), 3 RBI (18), 2 RS -- .386, en fuego, leads minors with 16 total HR btwn AA and AAA
3B Aviles 2-3, BB, 2 HR (4), 2 RBI (26), 3 RS, E (8) -- .326
C Tupman 2-3, BB, 2 RBI (12) -- .316
SS Blanco 2-4, RBI (6) -- .163
CF Gathright 0-4, BB, K -- .300
DH LaRue 0-3, HBP, 2 K, RS -- .000, first rehab game
RF Maier 1-4, RS -- .272

Lumsden 6 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 HRA -- W, 3-3, 5.74 ERA
Buckner 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, K -- 3.71 ERA
Braun IP, H, K -- 0.00 ERA

The teams combined for 7 HR, including 2 each by Craig Brazell and Mike Aviles, and Omaha scored 8 runs for the second straight day in taking another game from the RedHawks. Omaha starter Tyler Lumsden gave up the first homer of the day, a solo shot to 1B Nate Gold in the 2nd, to give Oklahoma a 1-0 lead. Brazell and Aviles countered with their first homers of the game in the bottom of the inning for their 8th and 3rd of the season, respectively, and Omaha took a 2-1 lead. The O-Royals rallied for 3 runs with 2 outs in the 4th as Matt Tupman hit a bases-loaded 2-run single and Andres Blanco hit an RBI single to chase Oklahoma starter Steven Rowe and make it 5-1. Billy Butler walked to lead off the 5th and Brazell cranked his 2nd homer of the night for his 9th of the season to make it 7-1 Omaha. Lumsden gave up homers to RF Marlon Byrd and SS Dave Matranga in the 6th and 7th to cut the lead to 7-3 but Aviles hit a 2-out solo homer in the bottom of the 7th for his 4th of the season to extend the lead back to 5. P Billy Buckner stranded 2 RedHawks in the 8th and Oklahoma got 1 hit off RP Ryan Braun in the 9th before Braun closed the door. Omaha is 21-24 and 4 games back. Matranga was 2-4 with his 2nd homer and 8th RBI to move to .250, Byrd was 1-4 with his 6th homer and 31st RBI to move to .360 and 2B Tug Hulett was 2-4 to move to .313. Rowe took the loss with 5 ER on 6 hits and a walk over 3 2/3 IP to drop to 2-1 with a 6.14 ERA.

Game 3 of the set is tonight. Probable starters: RedHawks (and former Royals) RH Mike Wood (3-0, 2.32) vs. RH Jason Shiell (0-1, 2.32). Brazell's working on a streak of 2 straight 2-HR games. As noted, Jason LaRue began a rehab assignment Tuesday. P Danny Tamayo was sent down to Wichita.

AA -- Wichita: Frisco 8, Wranglers 2

RF Joseph 2-4 -- .236
2B Falu 1-2, BB, 3B (1), RBI (8), RS -- .236
SS Brewer 1-4, RBI (11), 2 K -- .282
1B Stodolka 1-4 -- .303, first game back from beaning
LF Lubanski 1-4, K -- .299
DH Gaffney 0-4 -- .324

Christensen 5 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 3 HRA -- L, 1-3, 5.68 ERA, still don't get his (minor) hype
Atencio 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 K, HRA -- 3.97 ERA
Santos IP, nothing -- 4.66 ERA

Frisco put together 4 2-run innings combined to only 1 for the Wranglers as the RoughRiders took the series opener. Wichita starter Danny Christensen gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk in the 1st and Frisco starter Luis Mendoza took a perfect game into the 5th. Christensen gave up a 2-run homer to 2B German Duran in the 4th and, after Jeff Eure broke up Mendoza's perfection with a single in the 5th, the RoughRiders got solo shots by CF Brandon Boggs and DH Salomon Manriquez in the bottom of the frame to make it 6-0. Irving Falu broke up the shutout with an RBI triple in the 6th and scored on a Jace Brewer single to close it to 6-2. Greg Atencio gave the runs back, however, in the 7th on a 2-run homer by Frisco 3B Travis Metcalf (a native of Wamego, KS, and former KU player). Wichita loaded the bases with 1 out in the 9th but Mike Gaffney grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end it. Wichita is 21-24 and 3 1/2 games back. Boggs was 2-4 with his 2nd homer, 7th RBI and 2 RS to move to .318, Manriquez was 2-4 with his 6th homer and 2 RBI (16) to move to .268 and Metcalf was 1-3 with his 7th homer, 2 RBI (27) and 2 RS to move to .295. Mendoza allowed 2 ER on 5 hits with 6 Ks over 7 IP to improve to 4-0 with a 5.57 ERA.

The series continues tonight. The team site appears to be down for the time being, but I think tonight was the big pitching matchup of Wichita's Luke Hochevar (2-4, 5.44) and Frisco ace Eric Hurley (5-0, 2.13).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Potomac 8, Blue Rocks 6 (11)

2B Maddox 2-6, 2 RBI (13), K -- .319
SS Arce 2-4, BB, 2B (8), K, 2 RS -- .254
1B Kaaihue 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (6), RBI (25), K, RS -- .255
RF McFall 1-4, HBP, 3B (3), RBI (14), RS -- .250
3B Lisson 1-4, BB, 2 K, SB (5) -- .297

Cortes 4 2/3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 6 H, 3 BB, 8 K, WP, E (1) -- ND, 3.95 ERA
Pimentel 4 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- 2.14 ERA
Humen 2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- L, 1-4, 3.00 ERA

The Blue Rocks forced extras with a late comeback but couldn't get the W. Starter Dan Cortes gave up a sac fly in the 1st and 3 runs on 2 hits, a walk, a wild pitch, a throwing error and a sac fly to make it 4-0 Potomac. Nats SP Carlos Martinez kept the Blue Rocks quiet until the 5th when they scored 2 on a 2-run error by SS Marcos Yepez on a ball hit by Marc Maddox. The Nats got the runs back in the 7th on 2 hits and a walk off P Julio Pimentel and the score was 6-2 Potomac. The Rocks went to work on RP Eddy Baeza in the 8th as Kila Kaaihue hit an RBI double and Brian McFall followed with an RBI triple then scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-5. Nats RP Adam Carr came in to close out the 9th but Maddox hit a clutch RBI single to tie the game. Maddox ended up stranded at second and the game went into extras. RP David Humen put two runners on with 1 out in the 11th and loaded the bases with an intentional walk before getting the second out. 1B Steve Mortimer and DH Matt Rogelstad came through with back-to-back RBI singles to make it 8-6 and a would-be third run was thrown out at the plate by Rocks LF Felix Peralta to end the inning. The Rocks got 1 on in the bottom of the 11th but couldn't rally. Wilmington is 22-22 and still tied for first. Rogelstad was 3-6 with his 16th RBI to move to .259, Mortimer was 2-6 with 2 RBI (35) and his 7th SB to move to .264 and 3B Ofilio Castro was 2-6 with his 10th double and 14th RBI to move to .315. The Nats stole 6 bases off C Todd Balduf and the Rocks' pitchers, including 3 by RF Edgardo Baez.

The series concludes tonight. Probable starters: Rocks southpaw Rowdy Hardy (4-0, 1.02, leads league in ERA) vs. Nationals prospect Clint Everts (1-4, 5.81).

A -- Burlington: Great Lakes 10, Bees 7

C Howell 2-4, BB, 2B (1), 2 RBI (2), RS -- .500, season debut
1B Turner 1-4, HBP, 2 RBI (9), K, E (1) -- .176
3B Thompson 2-5, HR (9), RBI (22), 2 RS -- .237
SS Bianchi 2-5 -- .254
DH Everett 2-4, HBP, K, 2 RS -- .267
RF Morel 2-4, K, RS -- .240
CF Robinson 0-4, BB -- .224
LF Dickerson 0-4, HBP, K, RS -- .265
*The Bees left 10 on base.

Teaford 4 IP, 8 ER, 11 H, 6 K, HRA -- L, 1-4, 5.56 ERA, at least no walks
Hayes 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K, HRA -- 6.75 ERA
Chambliss 2 IP, H, 2 K -- 0.90 ERA

The Bees couldn't keep up with the Loons' scoring onslaught in dropping another game to Great Lakes. SP Everett Teaford had a rough night that began with a 3-run 1st on 4 hits. He allowed another run on 2 hits in the 2nd before the Bees scored 1 in the 2nd on a Loons error that scored Brady Everett. The Bees surged ahead with 4 in the 3rd on a 2-out rally of a 2-run single by Jeff Howell, who was making his season debut, and a 2-run single by Jase Turner to make it 5-4 Bees. That didn't last long as the Loons scored 4 in the 4th on 2 singles, a triple and a 2-run homer by SS Francisco Lizarraga. Mike Thompson blasted his 9th homer of the season in the bottom of the inning to cut it to 8-6 but RP Chris Hayes gave up a leadoff homer to 3B Josh Bell in the 5th. A Jeff Bianchi hit scored a run in the 6th thanks to a Loons error but Great Lakes got it back in the 7th on 2 hits off Hayes. The Bees got the tying run to the plate in the 9th but Turner grounded into a double play to end the game. Burlington is 17-25 and 11 games out. Bell was 3-5 with 2 doubles (7), his 4th homer and 3 RBI (20) to move to .246, CF Trayvon Robinson was 2-5 with his 2nd triple and 3 RBI (15) to move to .246 and Lizarraga was 2-5 with his 2nd homer and 2 RBI (12) to move to .312. Loons SP Josh Wall allowed 7 runs (5 ER) on 8 hits and a walk with 4 K over 5 IP but got the win to move to 2-5 with a 6.00 ERA. RP Garrett White picked up his 2nd save.

Game 3 of the set is tonight. Probable starters: Bees LH Matt Campbell (1-2, 3.98) vs. Loons LH Cody White (3-4, 2.83). Thompson is tied for the league lead with 9 HR.