Royals on the Farm 8/27

AAA -- Omaha: Nashville 11, O-Royals 4

2B Cortez 3-3, SF, 2B (15), RBI (23), 3 E (8) -- .305, best of games, worst of games for Fernando
1B Brazell 1-4, HR (32), 2 RBI (76), K, RS -- .317, three HR away from tie for 2nd on all-time Omaha season list
RF Huber 1-3, BB, HR (16), RBI (62), K, RS -- .270
CF Maier 0-3, BB, RS -- .283
SS Aviles 0-3, HBP -- .298, may be blowing his call-up
DH Shealy 1-4, K -- .262
LF Lubanski 0-4, K -- .211, looks like hitting surge is over

Wright 3 IP, 7 R (2 ER), 6 H, BB, 3 K -- L, 9-5, 4.15 ERA
Bradley 3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, K, balk -- 6.00 ERA, rough AAA debut
Lewis 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, HRA -- 9.00 ERA, don't quit your day job, infielder

Four Omaha errors helped the Sounds to 5 unearned runs as Nashville clinched the division title. Craig Brazell cranked his 32nd homer for Omaha and 39th of the season (leads the minors) overall to stake the Royals to a 2-0 lead in the 1st. The lead didn't last an inning as the Sounds scored 5 in the 1st on 3 hits, a walk and 3 errors, including two by Fernando Cortez. Two hits and another Cortez error in the 2nd made it 7-2 Sounds. Justin Huber led off the Omaha 4th with his 16th homer and Cortez hit a sac fly in the 5th to cut it to 7-4 but it was all Nashville after that as they tagged Anthony Bradley and IF-turned-spot-reliever Richie Lewis for 4 runs. Sounds CF Laynce Nix was 1-4 with his 16th double and 3 RBI (69) to move to .261 and SP R.A. Dickey got the win with 7 IP of 4 ER on 6 hits, 2 walks and 3 Ks to improve to 12-6 with a 3.80 ERA.

Omaha is 69-68. The series continues tonight. Probable starters: Omaha LH Nate Hoelscher (5-2, 5.05) vs. Sounds RH Carlos Villanueva (0-0, 0.00). No Royals (not even Brazell??) were named to the 2007 All-PCL team.

AA -- Wichita: Tulsa 10, Wranglers 1

2B Valentin 1-4, 2B (18), RBI (52), K -- .298
RF Joseph 2-4, E (2) -- .266
C Donachie 2-4, 2 K -- .203, be nice if he could end season over Mendoza line
1B Kaaihue 1-4, 2B (13) -- .248
LF Padilla 0-3, HBP -- .342
CF Greenberg 0-3, BB, K, SB (22) -- .269

De La Rosa 2 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K, 2 HRA, 2 WP -- L, 0-1, 11.25 ERA, ay caramba....
Cedeno 5 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, BB, 3 K, HRA -- 6.58 ERA
de la Vara 2 hitless IP -- 4.21 ERA

Tulsa blistered Jorge De La Rosa and Juan Cedeno to cruise to the win and most likely end Wichita's run at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. De La Rosa started his second rehab start with a walk, single and 3-run homer to 3B Christian Colonel that was a sign of things to come for the Tulsa offense. De La Rosa followed with a 2-run homer he served up in the 2nd to make it 5-0 Drillers. Cedeno came in and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in the 3rd. Geraldo Valentin hit an RBI double in the 3rd but it would be Wichita's only run. Tulsa scored 2 in the 4th on 2 hits and a walk off Cedeno and Cedeno gave up a solo homer in the 7th to cap the scoring. Colonel, who has torched Wichita pitching this season, was 1-4 with his 15th homer and 3 RBI (79) to move to .313, 2B Jeff Dragicevich was 3-5 with his 4th double, 5th homer and 3 RBI (15) to move to .263 and SP Ching Lung Lo pitched a complete game with an ER on 6 hits, 3 walks and 7 Ks to improve to 7-8 with a 5.55 ERA.

Wichita is 29-34 and 4 1/2 games back with 7 left. A 4-game set at the division-leading Springfield Cardinals (33-29) starts tonight. The Wranglers are 13-15 versus the Cardinals. Probable starters: Wichita lefty Dan Christensen (3-13, 6.12) vs. Cards righty Cory Rauschenberger (9-8. 4.90).

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 6, Lynchburg 3

1B Vega 2-4, 2B (23), HR (7), 2 RBI (56), 2 K, 2 RS -- .236
LF Cleveland 1-4, 2B (9), 2 RBI (13), K, RS -- .254
C Thibault 1-4, 2B (16), RBI (35), K, RS, SB (9) -- .260
SS Johnson 1-2, BB, RBI (30), CS -- .255
CF Duarte 0-4 -- .287
3B Lisson 0-3, BB -- .278

B. Johnson 3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 K, HRA -- 3.44 ERA
Oliveros 4 IP, 3 H, K -- W, 2-3, 3.56 ERA
Santos 2 IP, H, 3 K -- SV, 9, 3.62 ERA

The Rocks finished up the road part of their schedule in style by sweeping the Hillcats. Lynchburg handed Blake Johnson a rough start as they scored 2 runs in the 1st on 4 singles and then scored again in the 2nd on a solo homer. Wilmington got a 2-out solo homer from Miguel Vega in the 2nd for his 7th of the season and Johnson left after getting through the 3rd. The Rocks took over with 5 runs in the 4th on a 2-run double by Jeremy Cleveland, RBI doubles by Vega and Kiel Thibault and a Josh Johnson RBI single. After that the game came down to the Rocks pen as Rayner Oliveros and Arthur Santos held the Hillcats to 4 hits over the last 6 innings to lock down the victory. Lynchburg C Denny Nino was 2-3 with his 2nd homer and 8th RBI to move to .275, CF Pedro Powell stole 2 bases to push his season total to 66 and SP Kyle Bloom took the loss with 3 1/3 IP of 6 ER on 6 hits, 3 walks and a K to drop to 9-12 with a 5.51 ERA. The Rocks finished 16-3 versus Lynchburg this season, including winning the last 10.

Wilmington is 41-21 and 6 games up on first with 7 games left, so they can clinch tonight when a 4-game home set starts versus the Salem Avalanche (34-29, A-Adv. Astros). The Rocks are 10-5 versus Salem. Probable game 1 starters: Rocks right-hander Dan Cortes (6-8, 3.41) vs. Salem right-hander Sean Walker (3-1, 3.81). Cortes was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for Aug. 20-26 after posting a 7-inning shutout start versus Myrtle Beach. He is the fifth Rock this season to win a weekly league award.

A -- Burlington: Wisconsin 6, Bees 4

LF Everett 2-4, 2B (28), HR (10), 2 RBI (45), RS -- .270
CF Robinson 1-3, BB, SF, RBI (24), K, RS, 2 SB (34) -- .246
SS Bianchi 1-4, BB, RBI (32), 2 K, RS -- .239
2B Mertins 2-4 -- .249
DH Castillo 1-4, CS -- .268
RF Walton 1-3, BB, SB (8) -- .281

Cegarra 5 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 4 K -- 5.23 ERA
A. Morales 4 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA -- L, 4-1, 1.76 ERA

Wisconsin scored 2 in the 9th to split the set with the Bees. The Bees had a runner thrown out at the plate in the 2nd but scored 3 in the 3rd on an RBI single by Jeff Bianchi and a 2-run homer by Brady Everett for his 10th of the season. The Rattlers answered with 2 runs on 2 hits and a sac fly off Ed Cegarra in the 4th and then took the lead with 2 in the 5th on 2 hits and a hit batsman. Jamar Walton was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a would-be wild pitch in the 4th but a Derrick Robinson sac fly in the 7th tied the game. Angelo Morales made 1 wrong pitch and Rattlers C Juan Beltran clubbed it for a 2-run homer in the 9th. The Bees left 2 in scoring position in their half to end the game. Beltran was 3-3 for Wisconsin with his 9th double, 1st homer and 2 RBI (16) to move to .234 and RP Andrew Barb got the win with 2 IP of 3 hits, a walk and 2 Ks to improve to 3-1 with a 1.87 ERA.

Burlington is 29-33 and out of the race. The home part of the schedule wraps with a 2-game set versus the division-leading Swing of the Quad Cities (39-23, A Cardinals) starting tonight. The Bees are 3-10 versus the Swing. Probable starters: Bees RH Daniel Gutierrez (1-2, 7.36) vs. Swing RH Shaun Garceau (8-10, 4.57). As expected, OF Joe Dickerson is out for what's left of the season with his dislocated shoulder.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Chukars 8, Orem 1

DH Robinson 2-3, 2 BB, 3 RBI (59), K, RS -- .338
3B Van De Keere 2-5, 2B (15), RBI (28), 2 K, RS -- .276
CF Ortiz 2-4, BB, K, RS, CS, E (5) -- .311
C Billick 1-2, HBP, SF, RBI (10) -- .193
LF Morel 1-4, 2B (7), RBI (15), RS -- .239
1B Seratelli 1-3, 2 BB, RS, CS -- .333
* IF stranded 11.

Baldwin 5 IP, ER, 5 H, 3 K, pickoff -- W, 4-1, 2.59 ERA
Peterson 3 IP, H, BB, 6 K -- 3.06 ERA, 19 Ks over last 9 IP
Roach IP, K -- 3.60 ERA

A 5-run rally gave the Chukars some breathing room, and that's also what they got in the division race with the win. The Chukars scored 2 in the 1st on a 2-out, 2-run single by Clint Robinson and starter Burke Baldwin tap danced out of a jam in the 3rd before allowing a run on 2 hits in the 4th. The Chukars stranded the bases loaded in the 5th but cashed in with 5 runs in the 6th on a Joe Billick sac fly that scored 2 runs thanks to an Orem error, an RBI double by Alvi Morel, Devery Van De Keere RBI double and a bases-loaded walk to Robinson. The Chukars scored their final run in the 8th on a wild pitch and Jason Roach pitched a 1-2-3 9th. Orem 3B Jay Brossman was 2-4 with his 14th double to improve to .364 and SP Michael Davitt took the loss with 4 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 5 hits, 2 walks and 5 Ks to fall to 0-3 with a 6.04 ERA.

IF is 18-9 and 3 games up on first. The series continues tonight with no announced starters on the team site.

Rookie -- Burlington: Bristol 6, B-Royals 4

SS Martin 1-4, HR (10), RBI (35), 2 K, RS -- .242, promoted to Idaho Falls
RF Severino 1-3, HBP, RBI (17), RS, CS, OF assist at second -- .237
C Graterol 1-4, RBI (10), K, PB (6) -- .225
1B Amyx 1-4, 3B (1), RS -- .260

Biddle 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, 4 K -- L, 3-2, 4.71 ERA
Arias 2 1/3 IP, 3 R (1 ER), 2 H, BB, 3 K, WP, E (1) -- 6.26 ERA
Hastry and Belanger 3 IP hitless relief

The B-Royals became the first Royals affiliate to end their season as they lost the finale with Bristol Monday. Starter George Biddle gave up a run on a triple, walk and sac fly in the 2nd but the Royals tied it as Brett Amyx led off the 2nd with his 1st career triple and scored on a Juan Graterol single. Bristol moved back ahead with 2 runs in the 4th on 4 hits and a hit batsman by Biddle, who was pulled for Henry Arias. Neder Severino scored on a Sox error in the bottom of the 4th but Bristol scored 3 in the 6th off Arias thanks in part to an error by the pitcher. Severino hit an RBI ground out in the 6th and the Royals scored their final run on a Kyle Martin solo homer in the 8th for his 10th of his career. RP Wilmer Rojas picked up his 11th save for Bristol. Bristol 1B Nick Mahin was 2-4 with 2 doubles (10) and his 33rd RBI to move to .298 and P Po-Yu Lin got the win with 5 IP of 3 runs (1 ER) on 4 hits and 3 Ks to move to 6-5 with a 3.30 ERA.

Burlington finished its inaugural season as a Royals affiliate 38-30.

Rookie -- AZL: Angels 8, Royals 2

DH Wood 3-4, 2 HR (5), 2 RBI (39), 2 RS -- .324
3B F. Cruz 1-4 -- .218
C Reyes 1-3, K -- .375

Runion 4 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K, HRA -- L, 3-4, 5.82 ERA, 7 K is nice
Hodgson 2 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, 4 K, WP -- 5.29 ERA
Feickert 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB, K, WP -- 9.20 ERA
Toribio 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, K -- 5.79 ERA

The Royals scraped out 7 hits but only 2 runs as a promising second-half performance now may go for naught. Starter Sam Runion gave up a run on 2 hits and a walk in the 2nd but the Royals tied it in the bottom of the inning on a David Wood solo homer for his 4th of the season. Sam Runion served up a grand slam to 1B Seth Loman in the 5th and the Angels added runs in the 7th and 8th off RPs Ivor Hodgson and Casey Feickert. The Royals stranded 2 in the 8th and Wood hit his 5th homer of the season in the 9th but it wasn't near enough. Loman was 2-5 for the Angels with his 12th double, 9th homer and 4 RBI (30) to move to .304 and SP Jose Perez got the win with 6 IP of an ER on 3 hits and 10 Ks to move to 1-1 with a 3.90 ERA.

The Royals are 15-11 and 2 games back, so they're on the brink of elimination with 2 games left. They play the 11-14 Brewers tonight.