Royals on the Farm 5/23

AAA -- Omaha: rainout

The game with Oklahoma was postponed and will be part of a doubleheader today. Game 1 pits Oklahoma RH Mike Wood (3-0, 2.32) vs. RH Jason Shiell (0-1, 2.32), and game 2 pits Oklahoma RH Scott Shoemaker (0-1, 5.40) vs. RH Thad Markray (2-1, 4.33).

AA -- Wichita: Frisco 8, Wranglers 0

2B Falu 2-4, 2B (5) -- .244
C Espino 1-3, 2B (3), K, E (3) -- .197
3B Gaffney 1-3, K -- .325
1B Stodolka 0-4, 3 K -- .292
LF Valentin 0-4, K -- .253
CF Greenberg 1-3 -- .218, moved from leadoff to nine hole

Hochevar 4 2/3 IP, 7 R (3 ER), 8 H, BB, 2 K, HRA, E (1) -- L, 2-5, 5.47, ungood with negatory run support
Cedeno 2 1/3 IP, ER, H, 3 K, HRA -- 5.30 ERA
Tamayo IP, H, K -- 0.00 ERA, '07 AA debut

Frisco starter Eric Hurley lived up to the hype while Luke Hochevar struggled again as Frisco posted a 5-hit shutout of Wichita. The game was scoreless through 2 1/2 innings before Hochevar gave up a leadoff homer to DH Salomon Manriquez in the bottom of the 3rd. Frisco scratched out another run on 2 hits in the 4th and, as Wichita managed only 2 hits through 5 innings, the RoughRiders slapped together a rally in the 5th. Hochevar's 5th went single, single, force out, single, walked run in, run on Hochevar fielding error, force out with run on Damaso Espino throwing error, 2-run single, then he was pulled with Wichita down, 7-0. RP Juan Cedeno gave up a solo homer to 2B German Duran in the 6th and Wichita stranded 2 in the 9th in their biggest scoring threat of the game. Wichita is 21-25 and 3 1/2 games back. Frisco LF Steve Murphy was 1-4 with 3 RBI (18) to move to .283, Duran was 2-4 with his 9th homer, 21st RBI and 2 RS to move to .286 and Hurley allowed 5 hits and a walk with 8 Ks in his complete-game shutout to move to 6-0 with a 1.83 ERA.

Wichita will try to avert the sweep tonight. Probable starters: Wichita righty Carlos Rosa (2-1, 2.83) vs. Frisco lefty Doug Mathis (3-3, 1.91). Hochevar's WHIP is now an unhealthy 1.52.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 5, Potomac 2

1B Kaaihue 1-3, SF, 2B (7), 2 RBI (27), K -- .257, hot streak continues
3B Lisson 1-3, BB, 2B (10), RBI (23), 2 RS, SB (6) -- .298
LF Bigler 1-3, RBI (14) -- .244
2B Maddox 1-4, RS, SB (3) -- .316
CF Duarte 0-3, BB, 2 K, RS, 2 SB (9) -- .280
RF Perez 0-2, 2 BB, SB (5) -- .310
*Wilmington returned the favor by stealing 6 on Potomac Wednesday a day after the Nats did that to the Rocks.

Hardy 7 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, BB, 5 K, E (1) -- W, 5-0, 1.22 ERA
D'Amico 1 2/3 IP, K -- SV, 1, 1.64 ERA

The Blue Rocks established an early lead and Rowdy Hardy and Yovany D'Amico took care of the rest as Wilmington won the series finale. The Rocks got to work in the 1st as they had runners on the corners and 1 out and pulled the successful double steal with Jose Duarte stealing home. A Kila Kaaihue sac fly made it 2-0 Rocks after the 1st. Mario Lisson and Kaaihue proved again to be a potent 3-4 lineup combo with back-to-back RBI doubles in the 3rd to make it 4-0 Rocks. Hardy was perfect through 4 IP and the Rocks picked up an insurance run in the 6th on a Brett Bigler RBI single to make it 5-0. The Nats finally got to Rowdy in the 7th with 2 runs on 3 hits but that was all the trouble either he or D'Amico would get into in the game. Wilmington is 23-22 and now a game up on first place. RF Edgardo Baez was 2-3 for the Nats with his 6th double and 21st RBI to move to .258, 2B Ofilio Castro was 0-4 to drop to .307 and SP Clint Everts took the loss with 5 R (4 ER) on 5 hits and 5 walks with 3 Ks over 5 2/3 IP to drop to 1-5 with a 5.89 ERA.

The Blue Rocks have today off before starting a 10-game road trip in Myrtle Beach.

A -- Burlington: Bees 4, Great Lakes 2

CF Robinson 3-4, K, RS -- .247
1B Everett 2-4, 2B (9), 3B (1), RBI (9), RS -- .277
3B Jirschele 2-3, BB, 2B (4), RBI (4), E (1) -- .279
SS Bianchi 2-4, RBI (7), RS, SB (2) -- .269, staying healthy (fingers crossed)
2B McConnell 1-4, SB (6) -- .221

Campbell 5 IP, ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 6 K, E (2) -- W, 2-2, 3.68 ERA
Santiago 4 IP, UER, 4 H, 3 K -- SV, 1, 2.82 ERA

Burlington finally beat the Loons to set up a chance at a series split today. SP Matt Campbell got off to a rough start by making a throwing error on a pickoff attempt and giving up a run in the 1st but settled down to shut the Loons down thereafter in his stint. The Bees scored 2 runs in the 2nd on a Jeremy Jirschele single that was aided by a Loons error to make it 2-1 Burlington. Jeff Bianchi drove home a run in the 5th on another play aided by a Great Lakes error and Mario Santiago took over pitching duties in the 6th. He had no worse trouble than Campbell had and the Bees added an RBI triple from Brady Everett in the 7th to make it 4-1. The Loons scraped together another run in the 9th but Santiago got out of the inning with h is 1st save of the season. Burlington is 18-25 and 11 games back. Loons CF Trayvon Robinson was 2-5 with his 16th RBI and 3rd error to move to .252, DH Eduardo Perez was 2-4 to move to .297 and 1B James Peterson was 1-3 with his 3rd double to drop to .381. SP Cody White got the loss with 3 R (2 ER) on 7 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks over 5 IP to drop to 3-5 with a 2.91 ERA.

The series wraps tonight. Probable starters: Bees RH Harold Mozingo (2-5, 4.75) vs. Great Lakes LH Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 2.84, Dodgers' top pitching prospect).