Royals on the Farm 7/20

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 3, Memphis 1

2B Aviles 3-4, 2B (17), 2 RBI (49) -- .307
SS Berroa 1-2, BB, SF, 2B (11), RBI (27), RS -- .289
CF Gathright 2-3, BB, 3B (3), 2 RS -- .333, may his stay in Omaha be short
DH Brazell 1-3, BB, K -- .318
1B Huber 1-4, 2 K -- .243
RF Maier 1-3, HBP -- .298
LF Lubanski 0-4, 3 K -- .188

Hochevar 5 IP, H, 5 BB, 4 K -- 4.50 ERA, HR and hits go away, but walks skyrocket
Ray 2 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB -- BS, 2, W, 3-3, 3.81 ERA, vulture
Musser 1 1/3 IP, BB -- SV, 3, 0.00 ERA

Mike Aviles had the big hit in the 7th as Luke Hochevar's second AAA start went better than his first and Omaha took the opener with Memphis. Hochevar walked the first 2 batters he faced (his first 10 pitches were balls) but set down the next 3 straight to escape trouble in the 1st. Omaha, too, squandered a scoring chance in the 1st by stranding runners at the corners off Redbirds SP Anthony Reyes. The Royals loaded the bases with none out in the 4th but Reyes got out of the jam and the Redbirds also left the bases full off Hochevar in the 5th. Joey Gathright hit a 1-out triple in the bottom of the 5th and scored on a Angel Berroa sac fly to give Omaha a 1-0 lead. The Redbirds tied it in the 7th on 2 hits off Ken Ray but Kelvin Jimenez took over for Reyes in the bottom of the frame and Omaha cashed in. Gathright singled and Berroa doubled with 2 out to bring up Aviles, who laced a 2-run double to center to score 2 runs and make it 3-1. Neal Musser stranded 1 while getting the last 4 outs of the game for his 3rd save. Memphis C Brian Esposito was 2-4 with his 15th RBI to move to .182 and Memphis only had 3 hits. Jimenez took the loss with 1 2/3 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to drop to 1-3 with a 2.78 ERA.

Omaha is 47-53. The series continues with game 2 tonight. Probable starters: Redbirds LH Chris Narveson (3-1, 5.54) vs. Omaha LH Tyler Lumsden (5-5, 6.75). OF Bill McCarthy has been put on the DL with an undisclosed injury. Sounds like one of circumstance to me as the returns of Costa and Gathright made for a crowded outfield.

AA -- Wichita: Springfield 5, Wranglers 1

DH Gaffney 2-3, 2B (7), HR (1), RBI (10), RS -- .288
LF Padilla 2-3, BB, picked off -- .357
2B Valentin 0-4 -- .299
1B Kaaihue 0-4, K -- .236

Mattox 6 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HRA -- L, 0-3, 4.63 ERA
DeHoyos 1/3 IP, H, BB, K -- 0.71 ERA
de la Vara IP, K -- 5.56 ERA

The Cardinals did what their AAA brethren couldn't Friday in beating the Royals' affiliate. The teams were hitless into the 3rd, when SP D.J. Mattox gave up a solo homer to SS Jose Martinez. Wichita tied it in the 5th on a Michael Gaffney solo homer for his 1st of the season but the tie didn't last long. Mattox allowed a leadoff homer to LF Mark Shorey to start the bottom of the 5th and Springfield added 3 runs in the 7th on 2 doubles and a triple off Mattox and a walk and RBI single off Gabe DeHoyos to make it 5-1. Wichita didn't come close to generating a rally. Shorey was 2-4 for the Cards with his 9th double, 8th homer and 27th RBI to move to .277, Martinez was 2-3 with his 4th double, 3rd HR and 2 RBI (16) to move to .258 and SP Eric Haberer got the win with 7 IP of an ER on 2 hits, 3 BB and 5 Ks to improve to 9-4 with a 3.77 ERA.

Wichita is 10-18 and 8 games back. Game 3 of the series is tonight. Probable starters: Wichita righty Greg Atencio (4-4, 3.79) vs. Springfield lefty Adam Daniels (3-3, 3.72).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 3, Lynchburg 2

DH McCann 2-4, HR (4), 2 RBI (12), 2 K, RS -- .226
LF Cleveland 2-4, K -- .233
3B Maddox 1-4, RBI (35) -- .269
CF Duarte 0-3, S, OF assist at second -- .278
SS McConnell 0-2, HBP, K, CS -- .256

Penn 5 IP, ER, 3 H, 4 K -- W, 2-1, 3.34 ERA
Humen 2 IP, 2 H, K -- 3.00 ERA
Santos 2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, K -- SV, 3, 4.50 ERA

A 2-run 1st gave Wilmington a boost and an 8th-inning insurance run ended up coming in handy in a 3-2 win. With 2 out in the 1st, Kiel Thibault singled and Brad McCann stepped up for a 2-run homer to center for his 4th as a Blue Rock to make it 2-0. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 4th and Lynchburg finally scored on SP Michael Penn in the 4th on 2 hits. In the 8th, Marc Maddox hit an RBI single to make it 3-1. The Hillcats scored on 2 hits and a wild pitch by RP Arthur Santos to cut it to 3-2 but Santos held them in check from there for his 3rd save. Hillcats 2B Shelby Ford was 2-4 with his 23rd double and 52nd RBI to move to .276 and SP Todd Redmond took the loss with 7 2/3 IP of 3 ER on 8 hits and 3 Ks to drop to 7-7 with a 4.71 ERA.

Wilmington is 17-10 and 2 games up on first. The series goes to game 2 tonight. Probable starters: Rocks righty Julio Pimentel (6-4, 2.84) vs. Hillcats righty Serguey Linares (1-4, 4.93).

A -- Burlington: Lansing 6, Bees 1

C Morizio 2-4, RBI (22), K -- .231
LF Dickerson 2-4, K, CS -- .297
RF Walton 2-4, 2 K, CS -- .302
DH Castillo 2-4, 2B (3), 2 K -- .250
CF Robinson 0-5, 4 K -- .249
SS Bianchi 0-4, 2 K, RS -- .215, hopefully can chalk up his sluggish offense to MWL and return from injury

DiPietro 4 1/3 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 9 H, BB, K, HRA -- L, 5-6, 4.62 ERA
Campbell 1 2/3 IP, H, 2 BB -- 3.59 ERA
Barrera 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- 5.93 ERA

The Bees only had 1 hit less than the Lugnuts but the score wasn't nearly as close as Lansing peppered SP Ryan DiPietro. The Bees stranded 2 in the 1st and the Lugnuts scored 2 runs on 3 hits in the 2nd before a solo homer by 3B Matt Lane in the 4th made it 3-0. The Bees got on the board in the 5th on a Matt Morizio RBI single but left the bases full to squander their best chance to rally. The Lugnuts got some insurance in their half of the inning as DiPietro gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and, after a Mike Thompson error, P Matt Campbell came in and ended up walking in a run to make it 6-1. The Bees left 2 in scoring position in both the 7th and 8th and went down in order in the 9th. Lugnuts C Matt Liuzza was 2-3 with his 10th double and 3 RBI (23) to move to .250 and SP Kyle Ginley got the win with 5 IP of an UER on 7 hits and 9 Ks to move to 3-5 with a 5.04 ERA.

Burlington is 15-12 and 2 games back. The Bees start a 4-game home set with the West Michigan Whitecaps (18-9, A Tigers) tonight. The Bees are 0-4 versus the Whitecaps. Probable game 1 starters: Bees' Blake Wood makes his A debut vs. Whitecaps' Charles Furbush (no stats yet).

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Helena 5, Chukars 1

C Balduf 3-4 -- .381
LF Morel 1-2, BB, SF, RBI (8), K -- .221
DH Robinson 2-3, BB, RS -- .380
CF Ortiz 0-5, E (1) -- .317
1B Seratelli 1-4, K, CS -- .315
SS Evangelho 1-4 -- .351

Peterson 4 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 7 H, 2 K -- L, 2-2, 4.87 ERA
Baldwin 3 IP, ER, 3 BB, 2 K -- 2.59 ERA
Holland IP, 2 K -- 1.80 ERA

The Chukars outhit the Brewers but couldn't generate runs in dropping a 5th straight game. Starter Zach Peterson gave up a run in the 1st to fall behind quickly but the Chukars tied it in the 2nd on an Alvi Morel sac fly. The Brewers regained the lead on 3 hits in the 2nd and, after Idaho Falls left the bases loaded in the 4th, Helena scored twice that inning on 3 hits and an Adrian Ortiz error. The Chukars left 2 more on in the 6th and RP Burke Baldwin gave up 3 walks and a sac fly in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-1. Idaho Falls didn't threaten again. Helena LF Mike Goetz was 1-2 with 2 RBI (15) to move to .380, SP Nicholas Tyson went 5 IP of an UER on 6 hits and a walk to get the win and move to 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA, and RP Curtis Pasma picked up the 3-inning save for his 2nd of the season.

IF is 19-11 and 6 games up on first. The Chukars will try to snap their skid in game 3 tonight. No announced starters on the team site.

Rookie -- Burlington: B-Royals 3, Danville 2 (10)

DH Amyx 1-4, 2 RBI (16), K -- .240
LF Norris 1-4, BB, 2 K -- .278
CF Lough 0-3, HBP, RS -- .414
1B Lane 0-3, HBP, K, RS -- .321
RF Tucker 0-4 -- .298

Bradley 4 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 7 K -- 1.85 ERA
Augustine 4 IP, ER, 3 H, 4 K, HRA -- 1.05 ERA
Bernat 2 IP, 3 K -- W, 4-1, 2.25 ERA

The Royals evened it in the 6th and won it in 10. Danville took the lead in the 3rd with a run on 2 hits and a walk off SP Anthony Bradley. Joe Augustine came in for the 5th and gave up a 2-out solo homer to DH Ernesto Mejia to make it 2-0. Burlington put 2 runners on with hit batsmen in the 6th and Brett Amyx delivered a 2-out, 2-run single to tie it up. The game went to extras when a hit batsman and walk put 2 runners on for the Royals with 1 out. Antonio Jimenez followed with a single to right and Yeldrys Molina scored the winning run thanks to a Danville error. Mejia was 2-4 for the Braves with his 5th homer, 21st RBI and 2 SB (6) to move to .333 and RP Casey Beck took the loss with 2 1/3 IP of an UER on a hit, walk and 4 Ks to drop to 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA.

Burlington is 18-11 and 1/2 a game back. They have today off.

Rookie -- AZL: Royals 15, Brewers 3

C McCauley 2-3, BB, 2 HR (2), 4 RBI (9), K, 2 RS -- .318, first 2 pro homers
1B Wood 2-6, 2B (7), 2 RBI (17), K, RS -- .326
CF Richardson 2-3, 2 BB, HR (1), RBI (4), 3 RS -- .197, first pro longball as well
SS Jose 3-5, BB, 2B (3), RBI (8), K, 2 RS -- .200
3B F. Cruz 3-6, K, RS, E (7) -- .197
RF Craze 1-4, BB, 2 RBI (11), 2 K -- .241
DH D. Cruz 1-2, BB, HBP, 2B (2), RBI (11), K, 2 RS -- .276
2B Donovan 2-5, HR (2), RBI (12), K, 2 RS -- .333
LF Angel 2-5, RBI (10), 2 RS -- .246
C Y. Reyes 1-1, RBI (1) -- .500
*The Royals still stranded 11.

Duffy 2 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K -- 0.00 ERA
Lehmann 4 IP, ER, 5 H, 3 K, HRA -- W, 2-1, 3.71 ERA
Santerre IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K -- 6.35 ERA
Mieles IP, ER, 2 H, K, HRA -- 8.22 ERA
Rada IP, H -- 5.56 ERA

The Royals cranked out 14 runs in the first 4 innings and coasted to the easy win. The Royals scored 2 in the 1st on a David Wood RBI double and Brewers error that scored Lifete Jose to make it 2-0. After Dan Duffy stranded the bases full in the 2nd, the big inning was the 2nd as the Royals scored 7 runs on a leadoff homer by Dennis Donovan for his 2nd of the season, a 1-out solo homer by Sean McCauley for his 1st pro homer, a Jose RBI single, a Wood RBI single, an RBI double by Diego Cruz and a 2-run single by Ian Craze that made it 9-0. Five more runs came in the 4th on a Ryan Angel RBI single, 3-run homer by McCauley for his 2nd of the game and the season, and a solo homer by Hilton Richardson for his 1st pro roundtripper. The Brewers scored 1 run in each of the 6th, 7th and 8th off Royals relievers and Yenssi Reyes singled in the final run in the 8th to make it 15-3. Brewers SP Joel Morales took the loss with 1 2/3 IP of 9 R (8 ER) on 11 hits, a walk and 2 Ks to drop to 0-2 with a 7.78 ERA.

The Royals are 11-13 and 6 games back. They have today off.