Royals on the Farm 7/24

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 5, Salt Lake 3

2B Aviles 2-5, 2B (19), HR (11), 2 RBI (55), K, RS -- .308
DH Shealy 2-4, 2B (2), HR (1), RBI (1), RS -- .250
LF Costa 2-4, 2 2B (13), 2 RS -- .371
RF Maier 2-4, RBI (46) -- .302
CF Gathright 1-5, 2B (10) -- .338
1B Brazell 0-5, 3 K -- .309
SS Berroa 1-4, BB, RS -- .300, up to 16 BB/37 K, better BB/K than Maier, albeit in many less PA

Buckner IP, ER, 3 H -- 4.48 ERA, pulled for "the call," or injury?
Hendrickson 5 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K -- W, 8-5, 5.92 ERA, left gas can at home for first time in little while
Ray 2 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- 3.83 ERA
Giron IP, BB -- SV, 5, 4.38 ERA

Omaha fell behind early but the pen buckled down and the offense responded as the Royals took the opener versus the Bees. Omaha got runners at the corners with no outs in the 1st and couldn't capitalize and SP Billy Buckner gave up a run on 3 hits in the 1st before getting pulled for an undisclosed reason after the inning. Mitch Maier singled in a run in the 2nd to tie the game but Salt Lake moved back ahead in the 2nd on 3 hits off Ben Hendrickson. Omaha stranded 2 in the 4th but moved ahead in the 5th on a 2-run homer by Mike Aviles for his 11th on the season. Ken Ray stranded the bases full in the 7th and Ryan Shealy led off the 8th with his 1st AAA homer of his rehab appearances before Shane Costa scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it 5-2. Ray gave up a homer in the 9th but Roberto Giron stranded the tying run at second for his 5th save. Bees CF Tommy Murphy was 3-5 to move to .263 and SP Jonathon Rouwenhorst took the loss with 6 IP of 3 ER on 9 hits, a walk and 2 Ks to drop to 9-5 with a 5.12 ERA.

Omaha is 50-54. Game 2 is tonight. Probable starters: Omaha RH Luke Hochevar (0-1, 4.50) vs. Salt Lake RH Kasey Olenberger (8-4, 4.51). RP Ryan Braun was demoted to Omaha to make room for the "Blowtorch" Scott Elarton, on KC's roster.

AA -- Wichita: Tulsa 12, Wranglers 6

2B Gaffney 1-4, 2 RBI (12) -- .292
C Donachie 2-4, HR (5), RBI (25), RS, 2 PB (7) -- .196, haven't put his name on here in while
CF Greenberg 2-5, 2B (23), K, RS -- .266
3B Nettles 1-3, SF, RBI (13), K -- .216
LF Padilla 0-3, 2 BB, RBI (28), RS -- .349
RF Valentin 0-4, BB, RBI (34), K, RS, CS -- .295
1B Stodolka 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (19), RS -- .295

Christensen 5 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, BB, 2 K, 3 HRA -- L, 2-11, 6.07 ERA, man, he wants off the 40-man bad
Cedeno 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, BB, K, HRA -- 6.57 ERA, at least we only gave up Graffanino for him
DeHoyos 2 1/3 IP, 3 K -- 0.65 ERA, like to see him get another shot at AAA
Plummer IP, 3 ER, 3 H, K, HRA -- 3.07 ERA

Three 3-run innings and an onslaught of 5 homers helped Tulsa return to the diamond with success as the Drillers pounded the Wranglers. Wichita stranded 2 in the 1st and starter Dan Christensen got lit up again as he gave up 3 runs in the 2nd on a 3-run homer by 1B Duke Sardinha. He served up another homer in the 3rd and allowed a run in the 4th before giving up his 3rd Tulsa homer of the game in the 5th to make it 6-0. Wichita appeared to have some life as the Wranglers rattled off a 5-run 5th on a leadoff homer by Adam Donachie (his 5th), a bases-loaded walk by Jorge Padilla, a sac fly by Jeff Nettles and a 2-run single by Mike Gaffney that chased SP Franklin Morales and cut the lead to 6-5. Donachie flew out to end the inning and strand 2 and Juan Cedeno came in to pitch the 6th for Wichita and couldn't keep it close. Drillers 2B Corey Wimberly cranked a 3-run homer to send Cedeno to the showers and RP Gabe DeHoyos took the novel approach of holding Tulsa in check for 2 1/3 IP. Geraldo Valentin hit an RBI ground out in the 6th to cut it to 9-6 but Jarod Plummer came in for the 9th and allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and then a 2-run homer by Tulsa RF Jordan Czarniecki to make it 12-6. The Wranglers went down in order in the 9th. Wimberly was 2-5 for Tulsa with his 3rd homer and 3 RBI (23) along with his 22nd SB to move to .257, Sardinha was 2-4 with his 7th homer and 3 RBI (14) to move to .244 and RP Matt Daley got the win with 2 1/3 IP of an ER on 2 hits to move to 2-4 with a 3.57 ERA.

Wichita is 11-20 and 8 games back. The series wraps up tonight. Probable starters: Tulsa righty Sam Deduno (4-5, 4.85) vs. Wichita lefty Dusty Hughes (2-2, 3.25, wish peripherals were as good). Fans at Tuesday's game donated $1,171 to a memorial fund for Mike Coolbaugh. The Rockies have sent in grief counselors to work with the Drillers. I guess the Tulsa World newspaper reported Coolbaugh died of a ruptured artery in his neck after getting hit there by the foul ball Sunday night.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 7, Salem 4

RF McFall 4-5, 2B (23), HR (8), 5 RBI (41), RS, OF assist at first -- .253, one-man wrecking crew Tuesday
3B Lisson 2-3, BB, SF, 2B (18), 2 RBI (51), 3 RS -- .263, did chip in some to McFall
2B Maddox 2-4, S, RS -- .264
CF Duarte 1-4, BB, 2B (16), 2 RS -- .281
SS McConnell 1-4, 2B (5), 2 K, E (1) -- .265

Hardy 7 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 8 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 13-2, 2.28 ERA, FREE ROWDY!, one of 2 13-game winners in the minors
Santos 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- SV, 4, 3.86 ERA

Rowdy Hardy got plenty of run support from Brian McFall and the top of the Blue Rocks lineup to pick up his 13th win. McFall was on point from the start as he clubbed a 2-run double in the 1st to put the Rocks up, 2-0. Wilmington left 2 in scoring position in the 2nd and Hardy got dinged with a 3-run Salem 2nd on 4 hits and a Chris McConnell error. McFall stepped up in the 3rd, however, and hit a 2-run homer to left for his 8th of the season to make it 4-3 Rocks. Mario Lisson added a sac fly in the 7th as Hardy settled down to take advantage of 2 double plays to coast through 6 IP. The Avalanche did score off him again in the 7th on a 2-out rally of 2 hits and a walk but Hardy stranded 2 in the frame. That was the score entering the 9th when the Rocks picked up 2 insurance runs on a Lisson RBI double and McFall RBI single to make it 7-4. RP Arthur Santos stranded 1 in the 9th in picking up his 4th save. Salem DH Chris Johnson was 1-4 with his 5th double and 2 RBI (17) to move to .275 and SP Sergio Perez took the loss with 6 IP of 4 ER on 8 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to drop to 5-8 with a 3.87 ERA.

Wilmington is 20-11 and 3 games up on first. The series goes to the rubber game tonight. Probable starters: Blue Rocks righty Michael Penn (2-1, 3.34) vs. Salem southpaw Chris Salamida (6-5, 5.03).

A -- Burlington: Bees 5, West Michigan 2

C Morizio 3-4, HR (4), 2 RBI (24), RS -- .244
SS Bianchi 1-3, SF, 2 RBI (24), K -- .215
3B Thompson 2-4, 2B (21), K, RS -- .238
2B Soto 2-3, S, K, RS, CS -- .274
DH Castillo 1-4, RBI (3), RS -- .257
CF Robinson 1-4, BB, 2B (9) -- .246
LF Dickerson 1-3, BB, 2B (20), K -- .301, 17-game hit streak

Santiago 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB -- W, 2-7, 3.31 ERA
Cribb and Barrera 3 IP scoreless relief
Hayes IP, H, K -- SV, 9, 3.48 ERA

All the scoring for both teams came in the 3rd and 4th as the Bees earned a split with the Whitecaps. The Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd on 2 hits and a walk off SP Mario Santiago but the Bees responded with 2 runs in their half on a leadoff homer by Matt Morizio for his 4th of the season and a Jeff Bianchi RBI ground out. West Michigan tied it on another 2 hits and a walk off Santiago in the 4th but the Bees rapped out 3 runs in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles by Luis Castillo and Morizio and a Bianchi sac fly to make it 5-2. The bullpen took over in the 6th and pitched well. RP Chris Hayes allowed a triple in the 9th but worked around it for his 9th save. Whitecaps DH James Skelton was 2-3 with his 18th double to move to .323 and SP Lauren Gagnier got the loss with 3 2/3 IP of 5 ER on 8 hits, 2 BB and 2 Ks to drop to 4-10 with a 4.76 ERA.

Burlington is 17-14 and 3 games back. The Bees have today off.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Chukars 10, Missoula 3

1B Seratelli 4-4, BB, 2 2B (8), 3B (3), RBI (24), 2 RS, SB (13), E (11) -- .346
LF Koko 1-4, SF, 2B (2), 3 RBI (6), K -- .133
DH Van De Keere 3-5, 2 2B (10), RS -- .291
CF Morel 1-5, 2 RBI (11), K -- .232
RF Gonzalez 1-5, 3B (1), RBI (19), RS -- .315
C Eigsti 2-5, K, RS -- .292
3B Bionde 2-5, K, 2 RS, E (8) -- .194
2B Garcia 0-3, BB, HBP, 2 RS -- .000, Chukars debut

Chavez 5 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 2 K, WP, E (1) -- W, 2-2, 3.10 ERA
Secott and Jensen 4 IP scoreless relief

Idaho Falls spaced out its scoring with 3 rallies to coast to the 10-3 win. The Chukars stranded a runner at third in the 1st and SP Chris Chavez gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning. The Chukars put together a big rally in the 2nd with 5 runs on a 2-run double by Rubi Koko, an RBI ground out by Alvi Morel and a 2-run Osprey error on a ball hit by Devery Van De Keere. Chavez allowed another run in the 2nd and committed 1 of the 2 Chukar errors in the inning. He went on to retire 11 straight before departing for Dane Secott in the 6th. Idaho Falls stranded 2 in the 3rd but scored 3 times in the 5th on a Koko sac fly, another Osprey error (they made 4 in the game) that scored Mike Bionde and a Morel RBI single. IF polished it off with 2 runs in the 8th on an O.D. Gonzalez RBI triple and Anthony Seratelli RBI single that made it 10-3. Missoula RF Peter Clifford was 2-4 to move to .317 and SP Santo Baez had an Elarton-esque start of 1 2/3 IP of 5 runs (3 ER) on 5 hits, a walk and K to drop to 1-4 with a 5.59 ERA.

IF is 21-13 and 6 games up on first. The first half ends Sunday so the Chukars appear to have the first-half title sewn up. The series with Missoula wraps tonight as the Chukars go for the sweep. No announced starters on the team site.

Rookie -- Burlington: rainout

The finale with Princeton was rained out and will be made up in August. The 19-12 Royals will start a 2-game set at the Danville Braves (21-10) tonight. They are 2-3 versus the Braves. No announced starters on the team site.

Rookie -- AZL: Padres 5, Royals 2

SS Jose 1-3, BB, 2 RBI (11), 2 E (11) -- .196, not so good when your RBI and E match
1B Wood 2-4, 2B (11), K -- .367
CF Richardson 1-4, K, RS -- .205
3B F. Cruz 1-4, K -- .183

Farinas 2 2/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 5 BB, 2 K, HRA -- 2.88 ERA
Mitchell 4 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K -- L, 3-1, 2.30 ERA
Van Slyke IP, H -- 0.82 ERA

A 3-run 8th got the Pads the win. After the Royals stranded 2 in the 1st, SP Williams Farinas gave up a solo homer and walked in a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-0 Padres. Matt Mitchell came in with the bases loaded in the 3rd and left them that way and the Royals tied the game in the 5th on a 2-run single by Lifete Jose. The Royals left 2 in scoring position in the 6th and David Wood was thrown out at the plate to end the Royals 8th. Mitchell gave up a run on 2 hits and a walk before getting pulled for Eric Van Slyke in the 8th and Van Slyke allowed 2 more runs credited to Mitchell to make it 5-2. Padres RP Yesid Salazar mowed down the Royals in the 9th for his 1st save. Padres CF Reggie Watson was 2-3 with his 1st RBI and 1st error to set a .667 BA and P Adam McDaniel went an inning for the win and gave up 2 hits to move to 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA.

The Royals are 11-16 and 9 games out. They've been eliminated from the first-half race. They were set to play the 7-19 Brewers today.