Royals on the Farm 8/22

NOTE: The Royals announced Wednesday they spent more than $900,000 to sign 5 16-year-old prospects in the Caribbean. SS prospects Yowill Espinal and Geulin Beltre (both Dominicans) were signed for $250K and $230K, respectively, while OF Vicni Pereira (Venezuelan) was signed for $200K, 3B Samuel Carmona (Dominican) was signed for $125K and C Edul Escobar (Panamanian) was signed for $103K. Espinal is said to have gap power, Beltre is said to be more "toolsy" than Espinal, Pereira was reported to be a power-hitting type RF, Carmona supposedly has "emerging power" and Escobar is reported to call a good game. They'll take part in an upcoming Arizona instructional league before heading to the Royals' academy in the Dominican Republic.


AAA -- Omaha: rainout

The game with Round Rock will be made up as part of a Friday doubleheader. The series will instead start tonight as Express RH Brandon Backe (1-2, 6.23) faces off vs. Omaha RH Luke Hochevar (1-2, 6.23).

AA -- Wichita: Wranglers 6, Arkansas 5 (10)

DH Kaaihue 2-3, 2 BB, 2B (9), HR (8), 2 RBI (28), 2 RS -- .236
CF Greenberg 3-5, 2B (30), OF assist at third -- .273
C Donachie 1-4, 2 RBI (31), 2 K -- .197
LF Padilla 1-4, BB, HR (9), RBI (44), 2 RS -- .348
RF Joseph 1-4, RBI (27) -- .251
2B Valentin 1-4, S -- .292
1B Stodolka 0-4, BB, 2 K, RS, E (8) -- .294

De La Rosa 2 IP, UER, 4 H, BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Cedeno 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, 2 K, 2 WP -- 6.38 ERA
de la Vara IP, ER, 3 H -- 4.64 ERA
DeHoyos 2 IP, 2 H -- W, 5-0, 1.54 ERA

Kila Kaaihue followed up an 8th inning Wichita rally with a walkoff blast in the 10th as the Wranglers inched closer to the division-leading Travelers. Rehabbing starter Jorge De La Rosa left the bases full of Travs in the 1st but gave up a run in the 2nd on 2 hits and a Mike Stodolka error. Jorge Padilla tied the game in the Wichita 2nd with his 9th AA homer of the season but Juan Cedeno gave up 2 Arkansas runs in the 4th on 3 hits and a wild pitch. Onil Joseph singled in a run in the 4th but Wichita stranded 2. Two hits and another Cedeno wild pitch scored an Arkansas run in the 6th and the Travs scored again in the 8th on 3 hits off Gilbert de la Vara to make it 5-2. With 1 out, 2 on and starter Miguel Gonzalez out of the game in the 8th, Kaaihue hit an RBI double followed by a clutch 2-run single by Adam Donachie to tie the game. The game went to the bottom of the 10th when Kaaihue stepped up with the bases empty and 2 out and clubbed his 8th AA homer of the season to end it. Travs 1B Michael Collins was 4-4 with his 17th double and 3 RS to move to .244, CF Brad Coon was 3-3 with 3 RBI (15) and his 18th SB to move to .292 and RP Bill Edwards took the loss with 2 1/3 IP of an ER on 3 hits to fall to 4-4 with a 4.21 ERA.

Wichita is 25-31 and 4 games back. The series continues tonight with a doubleheader. Probable starters for game 1: Wranglers lefty Dusty Hughes (4-2, 3.64) vs. Arkansas righty Fernando Rodriguez (6-3, 4.03). Game 2: Wichita righty Jason Shiell (0-0, 3.00) vs. Travs righty Nick Green (10-6, 3.66, 1.08 WHIP).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 5, Myrtle Beach 2

RF McFall 2-3, BB, 3B (5), HR (13), 2 RBI (64), SB (9), 2 RS -- .282
DH Vega 2-4, 2B (20), RBI (49), RS -- .232
SS Johnson 1-4, RBI (25) -- .249
3B Lisson 2-4 -- .282
1B McCann 2-4, 2B (12), K, RS -- .254
CF Duarte 0-4, K -- .287
2B Maddox 1-4, SB (10), E (6) -- .254

B. Johnson 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- W, 8-6, 3.30 ERA, had trouble with back spasms
Green 1 1/3 IP, K -- 3.98 ERA
Santos 2 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 2 K, HRA -- 4.07 ERA

Blake Johnson had another solid start and a 4-run 6th propelled Wilmington to the win. Brian McFall led off the 2nd with his 13th homer and Johnson K'd 4 over 4 2/3 perfect innings to start the game. A double broke up the perfecto and Johnson was pulled with the bases loaded and 2 out in the 6th as Patrick Green bailed the Rocks out of the jam. Brad McCann hit a 1-out double in the 6th and McFall followed with an RBI triple, Miguel Vega hit an RBI double, Vega scored on a Pelican error and Josh Johnson singled in a run to make it 5-0 Rocks. Arthur Santos blew the shutout with a solo homer allowed in the 8th and then gave up a run on 3 hits and a Marc Maddox error in the 9th before striking out a batter with the bases loaded to end the game. Pelicans CF Jordan Schafer was 2-4 with his 10th homer and 40th RBI to move to .283 and SP Ryan Drese took the loss with 4 IP of an ER on 6 hits with a K to fall to 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA.

Wilmington is 35-21 and 5 games up on first. The series concludes tonight. Probable starters: Rocks right-hander Dan Cortes (5-8, 3.63) vs. Myrtle Beach righty Dustin Evans (2-8, 4.75).

A -- Burlington: rainout

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tonight. Dan Gutierrez will start one of the games for Burlington. No other announced Bees starter on the team site.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Billings 9, Chukars 4

DH Seratelli 2-4, HR (9), 3 RBI (40), RS -- .336
1B Robinson 2-4, 2B (15), RBI (56), K, RS -- .337
RF Gonzalez 2-4, BB, 2 RS, SB (12) -- .285
3B Van De Keere 2-5 -- .279
CF Ortiz 0-5, 2 K -- .295
LF Tucker 1-5, 2B (4), K -- .474
2B Evangelho 0-2, BB, HBP -- .294

Snipes 4 IP, 7 R (6 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA, WP -- L, 2-5, 4.89 ERA
Denton 3 IP, 2 ER, H, 5 K, HRA, 2 WP -- 4.26 ERA
Roach 2 IP, H, 4 K -- 3.75 ERA

The Mustangs cranked out 6 runs in the 1st off SP Clegg Snipes and turned the tables on IF as the Chukars had scored 9 runs in both of the first 2 games of the series. Snipes' 1st inning went: double, RBI double, wild pitch, RBI ground out, single, pop out, single, walk, 3-run triple with a 4th run scored on a Manni Juan error, and K as Billings took a 6-0 lead. Snipes allowed a solo homer in the 3rd and the Chukars didn't get on the board until the 4th when Clint Robinson hit an RBI double. The Chukars squandered a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 5th and the Mustangs polished it off with 2 runs off Chris Denton on a homer in the 7th. The Chukars scored 3 in the 8th as Anthony Seratelli smacked a 3-run homer for his 9th of the season but that was all she wrote for Idaho Falls. Billings 1B Mike McKennon was 2-4 with his 8th homer and 2 RBI (45) to move to .306 and SP Enerio Del Rosario got the win with 5 IP of an ER on 3 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to improve to 5-3 with a 3.54 ERA.

IF is 14-9 and a game up on first. They have today off.

Rookie -- Burlington: Elizabethton 3, B-Royals 0

LF Santos 2-4 -- .277
2B Molina 2-3, K, E (6) -- .228
1B Amyx 1-4, 2B (11), 3 K -- .256

Biddle 2 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, balk -- L, 3-1, 4.15 ERA
Arias 6 IP, 4 H, BB, K -- 6.39 ERA
Lopez IP, H, WP -- 3.82 ERA

The Royals couldn't get to three different Twins pitchers as they were shut out on 6 hits. The Twins rapped out 4 hits and a sac fly in the 1st to take a 2-0 lead off George Biddle. Two hits brought another run home in the 2nd to make it 3-0 and the Royals had more than one baserunner in only 1 inning -- the 6th -- and stranded both. RP Blair Erickson picked up his 10th save for the Twins. Twins SS Estarlin De Los Santos was 3-5 with his 13th double, 6th triple and 39th RBI to move to .289 and SP Henry Reyes got the win with 5 IP of 3 hits and 5 Ks to move to 7-2 with a 2.87 ERA.

The B-Royals are 33-29 and out of the race. The series wraps tonight with no announced starters on the team site.

Rookie -- AZL: Royals 8, Cubs 5

1B Wood 4-4, 2 HR (3), 4 RBI (36), 3 RS -- .321
DH D. Cruz 1-3, BB, RBI (30), RS -- .287
RF Craze 1-1, BB, 2 HBP, 2B (5), RBI (20) -- .270
3B F. Cruz 2-3, BB, K, RS -- .214
C McCauley 0-4, 2 K -- .270

Runion 6 IP, 2 H, 6 K -- W, 3-3, 5.44 ERA, best start yet
Hodgson 2 IP, 5 R (3 ER), 6 H, 2 K, 2 WP -- 5.40 ERA
Santerre IP, H, 2 K -- 2.16 ERA

Sam Runion had a great outing and the Royals rolled the Cubs to maintain their first-place lead. David Wood clouted a 2-run homer in the 1st for his 2nd of the season to give the Royals a 2-0 lead and then repeated the feat in the 3rd for his 3rd homer of the season to make it 4-0. The Royals stranded the bases loaded and Runion's perfect game was broken up in the 4th. The Royals turned on the jets in the 5th with 4 runs on a Diego Cruz RBI single, bases-loaded HBP by Ian Craze, run-scoring double play ball by Dennis Donovan and a run-scoring balk. Runion left a 2-hit shutout to the pen in the 7th and Ivor Hodgson got hit hard with 3 runs allowed on 4 hits, 2 wild pitches and a Lifete Jose error in the 8th and 2 runs in the 9th on 3 hits off Hodgson and RP Josh Santerre. Santerre was able to close out the win. Cubs RF Cliff Andersen was 2-4 with 2 doubles (10) and his 14th RBI to move to .289, DH Josh Vitters (3rd overall pick behind Moustakas) was 0-4 to remain in the hunt for his first pro hit and SP Larry Suarez took the loss with 3 IP of 4 ER on 5 hits, 3 walks and 2 Ks to fall to 0-4 with a 5.89 ERA.

The Royals are 14-8 and a game up on first. They play the 10-12 A's tonight.