Royals on the Farm 7/12

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 4, Iowa 3 (11)

2B Wathan 1-3, BB, HR (2), 3 RBI (10), K, RS -- .255
C Phillips 3-4, BB, GW RBI (6), RS -- .219
1B Brazell 2-4, S -- .317, a bunt?, also, an 11-game hit streak going
CF Maier 2-5 -- .303
RF Costa 1-5, 2 K -- .368, resumes AAA hitting streak at 20 games
SS Aviles 1-5, RS, 2 K, E (16) -- .307
LF Lubanski 0-4, 2 K -- .200

Wright 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 4 K, 2 HRA -- 3.81 ERA
Giron 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K -- 5.02 ERA
Markray IP, 2 K -- 4.39 ERA
Thompson 0 IP, H -- 0.00 ERA, injury?
Nunez 2 IP, BB, K -- 2.00 ERA
Braun IP, K -- W, 2-2, 1.40 ERA

Only 4 of Omaha's 11 hits really mattered Thursday in a comeback win versus the I-Cubs. Iowa DH Eric Patterson led off the game with a homer off SP Matt Wright and the Cubs added a run in the 2nd on a leadoff homer by LF Josh Kroeger to make it 2-0. As Omaha was being 2-hit through 4 innings, the Cubs scored again in the 5th on 3 hits off Wright but stranded 2. Cubs RP Randy Wells was handed a 3-hit shutout in the 8th but gave up a leadoff double to Bill McCarthy. Paul Phillips drew a walk and, with 2 out, Derek Wathan stepped to the plate and drove a 3-run homer to right to tie the game for his 2nd homer of the season. The Royals left the bases loaded in the 10th but, with 2 on and 1 out in the 11th, Phillips hit a deep infield single and Mike Aviles ignored manager Mike Jirschele's stop sign at third to score from second on the play and end it. Patterson was 2-4 for Iowa with his 12th homer and 2 RBI (48) to move to .302 and RP Geoffrey Jones took the loss with 1/3 IP of an ER on 2 hits and a walk to drop to 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. P Cory Bailey had gone 5 IP earlier in the game and given up only 3 hits with 5 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.56.

Omaha is 43-49. The series continues tonight. Probable starters: Iowa RH Kevin Hart (no stats yet) vs. Omaha RH Scott Elarton (2-3, 6.06). Angel Berroa is day-to-day with a strained quad. Luke Hochevar is set to get his first AAA start against the Cubs Sunday.

AA -- Wichita: Springfield 6, Wranglers 3

CF Greenberg 1-4, BB, 2 RBI (28), K -- .246
2B Valentin 2-5, RBI (30), CS -- .303
DH Kaaihue 1-3, BB, 2B (6), K, RS -- .278
1B Stodolka 0-3, BB, 2 K -- .276
RF Padilla 0-3, BB, K -- .372
3B Nettles 0-4, K -- .212, slumping all of a sudden

Rosa 5 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 6 K -- 5.14 ERA, nice start
de la Vara 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, K, HRA -- BS, 1, L, 0-1, 9.00 ERA, rougher going at AA
Cromer 2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 K, WP -- 6.20 ERA

Wichita took a lead into the 6th but watched it slip away. The Wranglers stranded 2 in the 1st and the Cardinals scored a run on 2 hits off SP Carlos Rosa in the 2nd. Adam Greenberg and Geraldo Valentin had 2-out RBI singles in the bottom of the 2nd and Wichita had a 2-1 lead. Rosa stranded 2 in the 5th and handed the ball to Gilbert de la Vara for the 6th. de la Vara started his outing by giving up 2 singles and then a 3-run homer to 1B Mark Hamilton as Springfield took a 4-2 lead. As Wichita's offense scuttled, the Cardinals added 2 runs in the 8th on 3 hits and a wild pitch. The wild pitch was crucial as it came on a strikeout for the would-be third out of the inning before the runs scored. The Wranglers loaded the bases with 2 out in the 9th and Greenberg drew a walk to cut it to 6-3 but RP Jason Motte got Valentin to pop out for his 4th save. Hamilton was 3-5 for Springfield with his 7th double, 2nd homer and 3 RBI (14) to move to .250, RF Sean Danielson was 2-4 with 2 RBI (28) to move to .298 and SP Mitch Boggs got the win with 6 IP of 2 UER on 4 hits, 3 BB and 5 Ks to improve to 9-3 with a 3.60 ERA.

Wichita is 7-13 and 7 games back. The series continues tonight. Probable starters: Springfield lefty Jaime Garcia (4-8, 3.89) vs. Wichita lefty Dan Christensen (2-8, 5.16).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Potomac 8, Blue Rocks 2

C Thibault 2-3, 2B (12), SF, RBI (21), K -- .264
1B McCann 0-4, RBI (9), K -- .220
CF Duarte 1-5, 2 K -- .274
2B Maddox 1-4, BB, K -- .263
3B Lisson 1-4, BB, 2B (16), RS, SB (13) -- .259
SS McConnell 1-4 -- .269
* Wilmington stranded 10.

Chambliss 4 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K -- L, 2-1, 7.07 ERA
Green 4 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- 4.66 ERA
Humen IP, ER, 2 H -- 3.41 ERA

Potomac broke out the bats versus Rocks starter Tyler Chambliss to coast to the win. Kiel Thibault hit a sac fly in the 2nd but the Nats tied it in the 2nd with 2 hits off Chambliss. After the Rocks stranded 2 in the 3rd, the Nats began pouring it on with 4 in the 4th on 3 hits and 3 walks. Patrick Green allowed a run in the 5th to make it 6-1 Nats. Brad McCann hit an RBI ground out in the 6th but that was all the Rocks could muster. They stranded 2 in the 7th and left the bases loaded in the 9th as Potomac scored 2 more runs off Green and David Humen to get the 8-2 win. Nats RF Michael Daniel was 2-4 with his 9th double and 16th RBI to improve to .352 and SP Shairon Martis got the win with 5 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 5 hits, 3 BB and 4 Ks to improve to 8-5 with a 4.29 ERA.

Wilmington is 14-6 and 3 games up on first. The series continues tonight. Probable starters: Rocks right-hander Dan Cortes (1-6, 4.03) vs. Nationals southpaw Justin Jones (4-4, 4.02).

A -- Burlington: off day

The Bees get back into action with a 4-game set starting tonight at the Great Lakes Loons (6-12, A Dodgers). The Bees are 2-2 versus the Loons and this marks their first trip ever to the new team's home field. Probable starters: Bees' Jason Godin (2-1, 1.87) vs. Great Lakes' Josh Wall (5-9, 4.40).

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Helena 6, Chukars 3

C Balduf 1-2, HR (1), 2 RBI (7), RS -- .364
CF Ortiz 2-4, 2B (2) -- .347
RF Van Stratten 1-4, 3B (4), K, RS -- .312
3B Van De Keere 0-4 -- .301
1B Robinson 0-4 -- .388

Norton 5 2/3 IP, UER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- L, 1-1, 0.41 ERA
Phillips 1 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H -- 4.11 ERA
Roach 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 K, WP -- 3.18 ERA

A 3-run Helena 9th pretty much put the game out of reach for Idaho Falls. Starters Ben Norton and Evan Anundsen had dueling shutouts going into the 6th before the Brewers took the lead in the 6th on a hit, walk and error off Norton. The Brewers added 2 runs on 4 hits off Justin Phillips in the 7th to make it 3-0. Anundsen exited for Robert Bryson in the 8th and Todd Balduf took advantage with a 2-run homer for his 1st for IF this season to cut the lead to 3-2. RP Jason Roach got beat around a little bit in the 9th as Helena scored 3 runs on 4 hits and a wild pitch to make it 6-2. Nick Van Stratten tripled and scored on an error in the bottom of the 9th but that was it. Helena DH Jonathan LuCroy was 2-5 with 2 doubles (9) and 2 RBI (17) to move to .360, LF Mike Goetz was 2-4 with his 3rd double and 2 RBI (7) to move to .355 and Anundsen got the win with 7 IP of 2 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to improve to 2-2 with a 4.39 ERA. Bryson picked up his 4th save.

IF is 16-7 and 3 games up. The series ends tonight. No announced starters on the team site. 1B Clint Robinson was chosen as the Pioneer League player of the week for July 2-8 after hitting 11-22 with 5 2B, 3 HR and 13 RBI over that span.

Rookie -- Burlington: B-Royals 5, Bristol 3

3B Jimenez 2-4, 3B (2), HR (3), 2 RBI (13), K, 2 RS, SB (3) -- .267
1B Amyx 1-4, HR (2), 2 RBI (9), K, RS -- .250
RF Tucker 1-3, BB, HR (6), RBI (18), 2 RS -- .310, B-Royals dug the longball Thursday
CF Norris 0-4, 2 K -- .231
DH Lane 0-3, BB, 2 K -- .345
SS Martin 0-3, K -- .214

Paulino 5 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, BB, 8 K, 2 HRA, balk -- W, 2-1, 4.24 ERA
Hastry 2 2/3 IP, H, 3 BB, K -- 0.00 ERA
Rollins 1 1/3 IP, 2 K -- SV, 2, 3.68 ERA

Three homers boosted the Royals to a victory for a 2-game sweep of the Sox Thursday. Starter Eduardo Paulino gave up a homer in the 2nd to make it 1-0 Sox but the Royals surged ahead with back-to-back homers by Wilson Tucker (his 6th) and Antonio Jimenez (his 3rd) to start their half of the inning. The home run derby continued as Paulino gave up another solo shot in the 3rd to tie the game at 2. Jimenez tripled home a run in the 4th and Brett Amyx followed with a 2-run homer to make it 5-2 Royals. The Sox scored a run on an error in the 5th but the Royals bullpen took it from there to close out the win. Sox 3B Kent Gerst was 3-4 to move to .283 and starter Onarkys Paniagua took the loss with 4 2/3 IP of 5 ER on 5 hits, 3 BB and 4 Ks to drop to 0-4 with a 7.03 ERA.

Burlington is 13-8 and 1/2 a game up on first. The Royals start a 2-game home set versus the Elizabethton Twins (19-2) tonight. The Royals are 0-2 versus the Twins thus far.

Rookie -- AZL: Rangers 10, Royals 8

3B F. Cruz 2-5, HR (1), 2 RBI (6), 2 RS, E (6) -- .205, first pro jack
C S. Perez 1-4, 2 RBI (5), K, RS -- .226
2B Donovan 3-4, 3 2B (7), 2 RS, E (6) -- .328
1B Wood 2-5, RBI (9), K, RS -- .305
DH D. Cruz 2-5, 3B (3), K, RS -- .364
CF Richardson 1-3, BB, HBP, RBI (3), 2 K, SB (2) -- .154
SS Blanco 0-2, E (1) -- .000, rehabbing
PH-SS Jose 1-3, RBI (6) -- .185
LF Huber 1-5, 2B (1), K, RS -- .154

Hodge 5 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 6 H, 4 K -- 1.65 ERA
Feickert IP, K -- 12.15 ERA
Hodgson IP, 5 R (2 ER), 3 H, BB, 2 K, WP -- BS, 1, L, 0-1, 4.50 ERA
Mieles IP, ER, 2 H, K -- 8.53 ERA

The Royals collapsed in the 7th to blow a game with the Rangers. The Royals took a lead early with 3 runs in the 2nd on a Fernando Cruz RBI single, Dennis Donovan RBI double and Salvador Perez RBI ground out. David Wood added an RBI single in the 3rd and a Cruz double play ball scored Wood to make it 5-0 Royals. The Rangers finally got to starter Mitch Hodge in the 3rd with 4 runs on 4 singles and 2 Royals errors, including 1 by rehabbing SS Andres Blanco, to cut the lead to 1. Cruz led off the 6th with his first pro homer and Perez and Lifete Jose hit RBI singles in the inning to make it 8-4 Royals. RP Ivor Hodgson came on for the Royals in the 7th and the first 5 batters of the inning reached safely on 3 singles, a walk and a Cruz error with a wild pitch mixed in. A Donovan error also hurt as the Rangers scored 5 runs in the inning to take a 9-8 lead. RP Edwin Mieles gave up a run on 2 hits in the 8th to make it 10-8 and the Royals stranded a runner in the 9th as Rangers RP Ryan Turner picked up his 1st save. Rangers DH Mike Main was 3-4 with 2 RBI (5) and 2 SB (2) to move to .296 and RP Wilmer Font got the win with 3 IP of 3 ER on 5 hits and 3 Ks to improve to 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA.

The Royals are 7-10 and 6 games back of first. They played the 9-8 Cubs today.