Royals on the Farm 7/27

AAA -- Omaha: Salt Lake 13, O-Royals 7

SS Aviles 2-4, BB, 3B (6), HR (13), 2 RBI (60), 3 RS -- .315
DH Costa 2-5, RBI (8), K, RS -- .368
C Tupman 2-5, RBI (23), PB (9) -- .291
2B Wathan 2-5, RBI (14), RS -- .258
LF Lubanski 2-4, RBI (9), K, OF assist at second -- .189
1B Shealy 1-4, BB, 2B (3), RBI (2), 2 K, RS -- .257
CF Gathright 2-5, RS -- .240
RF Maier 1-5, 2B (21) -- .298
*Omaha stranded 10.

Wright 4 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 3 K, HRA -- 4.11 ERA
Markray 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 K, WP -- L, 5-5, 5.43 ERA
Musser IP, H, K -- BS, 2, 0.00 ERA
Hoelscher IP, 5 ER, 5 H, BB -- 4.84 ERA

Neal Musser blew a save for the 2nd time this season in Omaha in the 7th and the Bees salvaged the finale with the runaway win. Starter Matt Wright gave up a run on a hit and walk in the 1st and then 2 runs on 3 singles in the 2nd to spot Salt Lake a 3-0 lead. Omaha got back in the game with an RBI triple by Mike Aviles and Shane Costa RBI single to trim the lead to 3-2 in the 3rd. Wright gave up a run in both the 3rd and 4th to make it 5-2 Bees. Aviles hit his 13th homer in the 5th to cut the lead back to 2 but Thad Markray gave the run back in the bottom of the inning on 2 hits and a wild pitch. Omaha wasn't finished, tho, as the Royals scored 4 runs in the 7th on a Ryan Shealy RBI double that chased Ervin Santana, a Matt Tupman RBI ground out and RBI singles by Chris Lubanski and Derek Wathan that made it 7-6 Omaha. Musser came in with 2 on and none out in the 7th and gave up a sac fly and 2-out RBI single. Lubanski threw out the runner at second to end the inning with a 8-7 Bees lead. Nate Hoelscher came in for the 8th and the wheels fell off as he allowed 3 singles, 2 doubles, a passed ball and walk to score 5 runs to make it 13-7. The O-Royals went down in order in the 9th as Rich Thompson picked up his 1st save for Salt Lake. Bees LF Greg Porter was 4-5 with his 1st SB, 8th double and 3 RBI (24) to move to .327 and RP Alex Serrano got the win with 2/3 IP of an ER on 4 hits to move to 3-4 with a 5.72. He also picked up his 3rd blown save.

Omaha is 52-55. A 4-game set at the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (55-51, AAA Rockies) starts tonight. The Sky Sox roster features Colorado prospects P Jason Hirsh (0-2, 9.45 in 2 starts after getting mostly torched in Colorado), 1B Joe Koshansky (.313 BA/.916 OPS), 3B Ian Stewart (.309/.864), OF Joe Gaetti (.301/.965) and former Royals P Denny Bautista (0-2, 3.72, 1.48 WHIP all in relief) and P Bob Keppel (6-7, 6.30, 46 BB/39 K). Hirsh was set to start the opener for the Sky Sox and Omaha hadn't announced its starter yet on the team site.

AA -- Wichita: Springfield 9, Wranglers 8 (11)

DH Stodolka 3-5, 2B (20), 2 RBI (44), RS -- .295
3B Nettles 2-5, 2B (2), RBI (16), RS -- .227
RF Valentin 1-4, S, RBI (35), K, 2 RS -- .298
1B Kaaihue 0-4, BB, RBI (14) -- .234, not showing a lot of improvement at AA
CF Greenberg 1-3, 2 BB, 3B (7), K, 2 RS -- .266
LF Padilla 0-5, RS -- .348

Atencio 6 IP, 7 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 K, HRA -- 4.64 ERA
Bausher IP, BB, K -- 8.44 ERA
DeHoyos 3 IP, UER, H, 2 K -- BS, 1, 0.59 ERA
de la Vara IP, ER, H, 2 BB -- L, 2-2, 5.40 ERA

Wichita had a 6-2 lead at one point but Springfield came back and forced extras in the 9th before rallying in the 11th for the win. The Cards scored off Greg Atencio in the 2nd to grab the lead and scored again on 2 hits and a sac fly in the 3rd to make it 2-0. Wichita got on the board big time in the 3rd with 6 runs on RBI singles by Mike Stodolka, Geraldo Valentin and Jeff Nettles, a Kila Kaaihue bases loaded walk and a wild pitch that scored 2 runs thanks to a Cards error. Atencio gave up a homer in the 4th to cut it to 6-3 and then ran into trouble in the 6th. Three singles loaded the bases for Springfield with no outs and a sac fly, walk and bases-clearing double evaporated the lead to make it 7-6 Cards. Adam Greenberg led off the Wichita 7th with a triple and scored on a Stodolka single before Valentin scored on a double-play ball to give Wichita the 8-7 lead. Gabe DeHoyos had retired 5 straight and had no on with 2 outs in the 9th when he gave up a triple to Cards CF Colby Rasmus and Valentino Arce's 6th error on the next play allowed the run to score. Stodolka was stranded after leading off the Wichita 10th with a double and Gilbert de la Vara allowed a walk, HBP and RBI double in the 11th to make it 9-8 Cards. The Wranglers went down in order in the 9th as Chris Perez notched his 27th save. Rasmus was 3-6 for Springfield with his 29th double, 2nd triple, 15th SB and 54th RBI to move to .252, 2B Casey Rowlett was 2-4 with his 3rd error, 8th double and 3 RBI (10) to move to .245 and RP Zach Zuercher got the win with 3 IP of a hit and 2 Ks to move to 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA.

Wichita is 12-22 and 9 games back. Game 3 of the set is tonight. Probable starters: Cards RH Mitch Boggs (9-5, 3.67) vs. Wichita righty Carlos Rosa (4-6, 5.23).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: suspended 0-0 by rain in 4th

The Blue Rocks will continue the game tonight before the regularly scheduled game. Pitchers in the resumed game will be Rocks righty Patrick Green (0-4, 4.25) vs. Kinston southpaw Ryan Edell (9-5, 3.27). The regular game will feature Rocks right-hander Dan Cortes (2-8, 4.50) and Kinston righty Frank Herrmann (7-4, 4.06).

A -- Burlington: Quad Cities 6, Bees 5

LF Dickerson 1-5, HR (3), 2 RBI (37), RS -- .297
DH Castillo 1-4, 2B (4), RBI (4) -- .256
CF Robinson 0-4, SF, RBI (19), 2 K -- .243
SS Bianchi 2-4, BB, RS -- .216
RF Walton 2-4 -- .316

Wood 4 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA -- 7.45 ERA
Cribb 3 1/3 IP, 2 ER, H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 2-8, 6.50 ERA, good outings far between

The Bees broke a tie with a run in the 8th but Quad Cities had its own turn in the inning and made it count for a 6-5 win. Kurt Mertins scored on a wild pitch in the 2nd and the Bees took a 1-0 lead but left 2 in scoring position. Joe Dickerson clubbed a 2-run homer in the 3rd for his 3rd of the season and the score was 3-0. Derrick Robinson added a sac fly in the 4th to make it 4-0 and starter Blake Wood was cruising into the 4th. The Swing rallied for a run on 2 hits and a walk with 2 outs in the 4th to cut it to 4-1 and Wood served up a 3-run homer to LF Steve Hill in the 5th to tie the game. Luis Castillo gave the lead back to Burlington in the 8th with a 1-out RBI double and RP Josh Cribb came out for his 3rd full inning of work only to give up a 2-run shot to Hill in the bottom of the frame to make it 6-5. A Dickerson double play gave RP Kenneth Maiques his 23rd save in the 9th. Hill was 2-4 for QC with 2 HR (5) and 5 RBI (21) to move to .340 and RP Armando Carrasco went 2 IP for the win with an ER on 3 hits and 2 Ks to move to 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA.

Burlington is 17-16 and 4 games back. The series shifts back to Burlington for 2 starting tonight. Probable starters: Bees LH Everett Teaford (4-8, 5.55) vs. Swing RH Elvis Hernandez (5-7, 3.38).

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Chukars 3, Orem 2

2B Evangelho 2-3, RBI (9), E (3) -- .337
LF Morel 0-3, RBI (12), K -- .224
1B Robinson 1-4, 2B (9) -- .341
CF Ortiz 0-4, 3 K -- .317
RF Gonzalez 1-4, K, RS, SB (6) -- .318

Snipes 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K, pickoff, E (3) -- 4.75 ERA
Denton 2 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP -- BS, 1, 5.40 ERA
Jensen 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K -- W, 1-1, 2.25 ERA

The Chukars blew a shutout lead in the 6th but pulled out the win thanks to a run in the 8th. Idaho Falls jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd thanks to a Zach Evangelho RBI single and a run on an Orem error. Starter Clegg Snipes stranded 2 Owlz in the 4th and handed the ball to Chris Denton for the 6th. Denton struggled in the inning as the Owlz tied the game on a walk, hit, sac fly and Evangelho error. Denton took advantage of a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play in the 7th to keep it tied and RP Matt Jensen stranded 2 in the 8th. The Chukars had 2 out and none on in their half of the 8th when a hit, wild pitch and error scored Devery Van De Keere to make it 3-2. Jensen pitched a perfect 9th to get the win. Orem SS Andrew Romine was 2-4 with 2 SB (5) to move to .356 and RP Derek Schlecker took the loss with 1 2/3 IP of an UER on a hit and K to drop to 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA.

IF is 23-13 and has locked up the first-half division title. The series continues tonight with no announced starters on the team site. The Chukars' staff leads the Pioneer League in ERA at 3.56.

Rookie -- Burlington: B-Royals 8, Greeneville 2

1B Lane 2-5, HR (3), 2 RBI (23), K, RS -- .320
LF Norris 5-5, 2B (4), RBI (7), 2 RS -- .299, wow
C Doscher 3-4, 2 RS -- .231
3B Santos 1-1, 3 BB, RBI (16), E (7) -- .300
CF Lough 1-5, RBI (7), RS -- .340
2B Martin 1-5, RBI (17), K -- .208
RF Tucker 0-4, RS, SB (2) -- .279, slumping

Augustine 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- W, 3-1, 1.44 ERA, been great signing as NDFA
Bradley 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 K -- SV, 3, 1.63 ERA, ditto

The Royals cranked out 8 runs to coast past the Astros and take the series opener. They got off to a great start with a 3-run 1st on an error that scored Patrick Norris, a Jake Lane RBI single and Jose Santos RBI single. Lane cracked his 3rd homer of his career in the 3rd to make it 4-0 and SP Joe Augustine gave up the 'Stros' only runs in the 4th on a 2-run homer by 1B Kyle Miller. The Royals got the runs back in the bottom of the inning on a Norris RBI double and wild pitch that scored the speedy outfielder. Kyle Martin singled home a run in the 6th and David Lough hit an RBI force out in the 8th to make it 8-2. Norris singled in the 9th to complete a 5-for-5 night at the plate. Miller was 1-4 for the Astros with his 4th homer and 2 RBI (12) to move to .206 and SP Kyle Greenwalt took the loss with 4 IP of 6 runs (5 ER) on 9 hits, a walk and K to drop to 0-3 with an 8.80 ERA.

Burlington is 20-14 and 4 games back. The series wraps tonight and no starters have been announced on the team site.

Rookie -- AZL: Royals 4, Angels 2

CF Richardson 1-4, 3B (2), 2 RBI (8), K -- .209
3B F. Cruz 2-4, 2B (1), K, RS -- .209
C Y. Reyes 2-2, 2B (1), RS -- .600
RF Jacobo 1-2, BB, 2B (3), RBI (4), RS -- .129
DH D. Cruz 0-4, RBI (15), K -- .269
LF Pennell 1-3, HBP, K, RS, 2 SB (12) -- .343
1B Wood 0-4, K -- .349

Gutierrez 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K, WP -- 0.00 ERA, season debut
Hodge 3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 WP -- 3.29 ERA
Sirrett 3 IP, H, 3 K -- W, 1-0, 4.50 ERA

Three pitchers each had a third of the Royals' second-half-opening win over the Angels. The Royals threw out a runner at the plate as SP Dan Gutierrez got out of the inning unscathed in his season debut. The Royals scored 3 runs in the 2nd on an Astin Jacobo RBI double and 2-run triple by Hilton Richardson. Diego Cruz added an RBI ground out in the 3rd to make it 4-0. Mitch Hodge relieved Gutierrez in the 4th and allowed 2 runs in the frame on 3 walks, 2 hits and a wild pitch before stranding the bases full. Onassis Sirrett took over pitching duties in the 7th and had an easy time of it to pick up his first win. Angels LF Tyler Mann was 2-4 with his 2nd double and 2 RBI (7) to move to .302 and SP Manuel Flores took the loss with 4 IP of 4 ER on 7 hits to drop to 1-2 with a 4.40 ERA.

The Royals are 1-0. They play the 0-1 Giants tonight.