Royals on the Farm 6/11

AAA -- Omaha: Iowa 8, O-Royals 2

DH Butler 1-4, HR (12), 2 RBI (42), K, RS -- .279
1B Brazell 2-4, 2B (9), K -- .314
LF Huber 1-4 -- .268
C Tupman 1-4 -- .319
CF Maier 0-4, K -- .275
SS Berroa 0-4, K, RS -- .294, back in AAA for good???

Wright 4 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HRA, WP -- L, 3-3, 3.92 ERA
Ray 4 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 K, 2 HRA -- 4.50 ERA, not a great night for Omaha pitchers

Only a homer by Billy Butler kept the Royals from a shutout in the opener vs. Iowa Monday. Iowa rallied for 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk off SP Matt Wright in the 2nd and added homers in the 3rd and 4th to take a 5-0 lead. Omaha stranded 2 in the 5th and RP Ken Ray gave up a homer in the 6th to make it 6-0. In the 8th, Butler came up with 1 on and 2 out and smoked a homer to center to cut the lead to 6-2 but Ray gave up a 2-run homer in the Iowa half of the inning to make it 8-2. Omaha is 32-32 and 5 1/2 games back. Iowa LF Mike Kinkade was 2-5 with 2 HR (7) and 4 RBI (27) to move to .307, SS Ronny Cedeno was 3-5 with his 1st SB, 10th RBI and a RS to move to .329 and 2B Eric Patterson was 1-5 with his 8th homer and 35th RBI to move to .306. SP J.R. Mathes went the distance and allowed 2 ER on 8 hits with 5 Ks in improving to 6-3 with a 5.00 ERA.

Game 2 is tonight. Probable starters: Omaha RH Ben Hendrickson (6-3, 4.62) vs. Iowa LH Les Walrond (6-2, 4.42). As noted, Angel Berroa has rejoined the team after his DFA.

AA -- Wichita: Tulsa 2, Wranglers 1

1B Stodolka 2-4, HR (7), RBI (24), RS, E (3) -- .270
3B Sandberg 1-2, 2 BB, K, E (1) -- .154
DH Valentin 1-4, K -- .280

Atencio 5 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, BB, 5 K -- L, 1-3, 4.23 ERA, not bad start
Hughes 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- 3.63 ERA
Lowery 1/3 IP, K -- 6.75 ERA

Usual reliever Greg Atencio made a solid start for Wichita but an error helped cost the Wranglers the game. Atencio stranded 2 Drillers in the 1st and, with 2 out in the Wichita 1st, Mike Stodolka singled and Jared Sandberg followed with a single only to see Stodolka get thrown out at home on the play. A Sandberg error helped lead to a Tulsa run in the 3rd and the Drillers added another run in the 4th to make it 2-0. Wichita stranded 2 in the 4th and scored its only run in the 6th on a solo homer by Stodolka for his 7th of the season. Wichita got the tying run on base in the 9th but Tulsa RP Steven Register closed the door for his 22nd save. Wichita is 24-39 and 8 1/2 games back. Tulsa CF Chris Frey was 2-4 to move to .291, 3B Christian Colonel was 2-4 with his 20th double to move to .284 and SP Sam Deduno got the win with 8 IP of an ER on 4 hits and 2 walks with 11 Ks to improve to 3-2 with a 4.63 ERA.

The series wraps this afternoon. Starters: Wichita lefty Juan Cedeno (3-2, 3.86, first start of season) vs. Tulsa righty Ryan Mattheus (3-3, 4.52).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 4, Frederick 0 (3-hitter)

C Thibault 2-4, 2B (10), RBI (17) -- .261
1B Vega 1-4, HR (2), 3 RBI (25), K, RS -- .206
CF Duarte 0-3, S, 3 K -- .300
2B Maddox 1-4, K -- .274
3B Lisson 0-3, 2 K, HBP -- .294
DH Kaaihue 1-4, 2 K, RS -- .251

Hardy 7 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K -- 7-1, 1.62 ERA, will he pack for Wichita after the first half???
Haltiwanger 1 2/3 IP, H, BB, K -- 3.26 ERA
de la Vara 1/3 IP, nothing -- SV, 6, 0.64 ERA

A Miguel Vega homer broke the ice on a pitchers' duel and three Rocks pitchers led by starter Rowdy Hardy blanked the Keys. Wilmington didn't get a hit until the 5th off Keys SP Chorye Spoone and the game stayed scoreless into the 7th, when Kila Kaaihue and Brian McFall led off the inning with back-to-back singles and Vega cranked a 3-run homer to right for his 2nd of the season to make it 3-0 Rocks. Kiel Thibault hit a 2-out RBI double in the 9th for some insurance and RP Russ Haltiwanger exited with 2 on and 2 out in the 9th before Gilbert de la Vara got a force out to end it. Wilmington is 29-34 and 1 1/2 games back of first with 5 games left in the half. Frederick C Zach Dillon was 1-3 with his 11th double to move to .254 and Spoone took the loss with 7 IP of 3 ER on 4 hits and 2 walks with 9 Ks to drop to 4-5 with a 4.04 ERA.

The series continues tonight. Probable starters: Rocks right-hander Julio Pimentel (3-2, 2.86) vs. Frederick righty David Hernandez (4-4, 4.55).

A -- Burlington: Bees 6, Peoria 5

DH Everett 2-5, 2B (12), HR (6), 2 RBI (18), 2 K, RS -- .291
1B Thompson 1-4, 2B (10), 2 RBI (33), K -- .222
3B Mertins 2-3, BB, 3B (4), 2 SB (16), 2 RS -- .278
SS McConnell 2-3, 2 BB, 2B (11), K, RS, 2 SB (14) -- .231
CF Robinson 1-5, 2B (5), RBI (6), 2 K -- .264
2B Bianchi 0-5, 3 K, E (5) -- .235, night to forget
LF Dickerson 1-4, BB, K, RS -- .254
C Howell 1-4, RBI (8), RS -- .200
* The Bees left 11 on base.

Cegarra 4 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 4 K, HRA, E (1) -- ND, 11.12 ERA
DiPietro 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 3-3, 4.75 ERA
Hartsock 2 IP, UER, H, 2 BB, K, E (2) -- 2.95 ERA
Barrera 2/3 IP, 2 K -- SV, 1, 4.50 ERA

A Burlington comeback and a late Peoria rally brought the game down to the end and Bees RP Henry Barrera stepped up as the Bees snapped a 7-game slide. Peoria scored a run on 2 hits off SP Ed Cegarra in the 1st and did more damage in the 2nd with 3 runs on a 3-run homer by SS Dylan Johnston to make it 4-0. Mike Thompson got the Bees in the game with a 2-run double in the 2nd and a 2-run homer by Brady Everett in the 3rd (his 6th of the season) tied the game at 4. Derrick Robinson hit an RBI double in the 4th to make it 5-4 Bees and Cegarra, P Ryan DiPietro and P Aaron Hartsock kept the Chiefs in check into the 9th. The Bees got some padding to the lead in the 7th when Kurt Mertins scored on a Chief error to make it 6-4. A walk, single and Hartsock error put the lead in peril to start the 9th and Hartsock exited for Barrera after a sac fly cut the lead to 1. Barrera struck out LF James Adduci and 3B Josh Lansford back-to-back to end the game for his 1st save. Burlington is 26-37. Peoria 2B Ryne Malone was 2-4 with his 7th RBI to move to .344, Johnston was 1-3 with his 17th error, 3rd homer and 3 RBI (16) to move to .165 and SP Miguel Cuevas took the loss with 3 IP of 5 ER on 7 hits, 2 walks and 5 Ks to move to 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA.

Game 2 is tonight. Probable starters: Bees LH Everett Teaford (1-6, 5.22) vs. Chiefs RH Jose Pina (1-6, 5.43). Pitcher Mario Santiago, who left his last start after getting hit on the hand by a comebacker, is only expected to miss 1 start and will return after the upcoming all-star break.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: The Chukars have announced their first two players this season. OF Nick Van Stratten and P Burke Baldwin, both '06 draftees, will be among those on the Idaho Falls squad. Both are returnees from last season's Chukars. Chukars players are expected to begin reporting to camp tomorrow.