Royals on the Farm 4/23

AAA - Omaha: off day

*** Omaha is 11-7 going into a 4-game home set versus the Nashville Sounds (4-15, AAA Brewers). They are 2-1 versus Nashville thus far. Probable game 1 starters: Sounds RH Nic Ungs (1-2, 10.32) vs. what is right now a TBD Omaha starter. Lefty Tyler Lumsden (1-1, 6.39) was originally set to start.

AA - NW Arkansas: rainout

*** NWA and Springfield will play two today to make up Wednesday's washout. Naturals ace Dan Cortes has been put on the DL with an undescribed injury, at least on the team site's report. Dusty Hughes will step into the rotation in Cortes' slot and start tonight's game 1 vs. Springfield's Adam Ottavino. Game 2 starters are expected to be NWA's Blake Johnson (1-1 4.70) and Springfield's P.J. Walters (0-2, 2.86). Righty Chris Hayes was called up from Wilmington's DL to take Cortes' roster spot.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 4, Frederick 3

RF Dickerson 2-4, HR (2), 2 RBI (9), RS -- .344, he and Mertins are only ones hitting for Wilmington
SS McConnell 2-4, 2B (5), RBI (2), SB (7) -- .154
2B Mertins 1-4, 2B (5), K, RS, E (6) -- .339
CF D. Robinson 0-3, BB, RS, SB (6), E, OF assist at second -- .212
* LF Jarrod Dyson had an OF assist at home and was caught stealing twice.

Godin 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- W, 1-0, 5.40 ERA, not the best of lines but a W
de la Vara 3 IP, 4 K -- 5.87 ERA, probably best outing of year thus far
Chambliss IP, 2 K -- SV, 3, 1.54 ERA

*** Gilbert de la Vara and Tyler Chambliss held the Keys hitless for 4 IP out of the pen and the Rocks salvaged the series finale with Frederick. Starter Jason Godin stranded 2 Keys in the 2nd and, after the Rocks ran into their second out of the game on the basepaths in the 3rd, Derrick Robinson kickstarted a 2-out rally with a walk and steal of second followed by a Chris McConnell RBI double to make it 1-0 Rocks. A walk, single, Kurt Mertins error and sac fly tied the game off Godin in the bottom of the 3rd and LF Jarrod Dyson kept it tied by nailing a runner at the plate to end the inning. Godin stranded 2 more Keys in the 4th but was touched up for 2 runs on 2 hits, a walk and hit batsman in the 5th to make it 3-1 Frederick. Mertins tried to atone for hie earlier error with a 1-out double in the 6th and Joe Dickerson followed with an inside-the-park home run for his 2nd roundtripper of the season to tie the game. With runners at the corners and 1 out, a wild pitch scored Anthony Seratelli to make it 4-3 Rocks. de la Vara came in and pitched 3 perfect innings and Chambliss did the same in the 9th for his 3rd save. Keys starter Jacob Renshaw took the loss with 5 1/3 IP of 4 ER on 5 hits, 3 walks and 2 Ks to drop to 2-2 with a 5.73 ERA. 3B Billy Rowell was 1-4 with 2 RBI (3) to move to .300 and C Matt Wieters was 0-2 with a walk, run scored, sac fly and his 14th RBI to move to .385.

Wilmington is 7-12 and 6.5 games back. The Rocks have today off before starting a 3-game set with the Winston-Salem Warthogs at home Friday.

A - Burlington: Quad Cities 6, Bees 4

CF Lough 2-4, HR (2), 2 RBI (4), K, RS -- .258
LF Ortiz 2-4, 3B (2), K, RS, OF assist at home -- .333, looking good thus far
SS Moustakas 0-3, BB, RS -- .193, wish I could say the same
3B Taylor 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K, RS, SB (8), 2 E (3) -- .190, fielding, throwing E
1B C. Robinson 1-4, RBI (10) -- .288

Cegarra 6 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 9 H, BB, 6 K, WP -- ND, 1.64 ERA
Lopez IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, K -- L, 0-3, 3.72 ERA
Arias IP, ER, H, BB, WP -- BS, 3, 3.86 ERA

*** The Bees had the game in hand going into the 8th before a bullpen implosion handed the River Bandits the victory. Adrian Ortiz led off the game with a single, advanced on a throwing error and groundout and scored on a wild pitch to give Burlington a 1-0 lead. Two Jason Taylor errors in the 1st helped the Bandits to a run on only 1 hit off Bees starter Ed Cegarra. The Bandits scored 2 in the 3rd on 4 hits and a sac fly but the Bees evened it in the 4th on RBI singles by David Lough and Clint Robinson. An Ortiz triple went for naught in the 5th but Lough gave the Bees the lead in the 6th with a solo homer for his 2nd of the season to make it 4-3 Burlington. Cegarra left the bases full in the 6th and RP Yensi Lopez stranded 2 in scoring position in the 7th as the Bees clung to the 1-run lead. Lopez was pulled for Henry Arias with 2 on and 0 outs in the 8th and Arias' inning went wild pitch, walk, RBI single, sac fly, and RBI groundout as Ortiz threw out a runner at the plate to kill the rally, but it was too late. QC RP Eduardo Sanchez pitched his 3rd perfect inning in the 9th to get the win and move to 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Bandits starter Thomas Eager went 5 IP and allowed 3 runs (2 ER) on 5 hits, 3 walks and a K to make his ERA 6.75. Five Bandits had 2-hit games led by SS Peter Kozma, who was 2-4 with his 1st triple, 2 RBI (9) and 2 RS to move to .328. He also committed his 4th error. LF Charles Kingrey was 2-4 with 2 RBI (13) to move to .328.

The Bees are 8-10 and 6.5 games back. The series finale is tonight. Probable starters: Bees SP Joe Augustine (1-0, 5.73) vs. QC's Shaun Garceau (0-1, 1.84). Jason Taylor's 2-homer, 2 SB game on Tuesday was the first time that had happened in the minors since 2005 when Delmon Young and Chris Young were 2 of the 3 to do it.