Royals on the Farm 4/4

Friday's games didn't go as well for any team in the organization, top to bottom....

AAA - Omaha: Albuquerque 7, O-Royals 6

1B Shealy 2-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI, K, RS -- .500, needs to keep this up
CF Maier 3-5, 2 2B, RBI, RS -- .600
LF Lubanski 2-4, 2B, RBI, K -- .500, nice to see him get a good start
RF Costa 2-4, BB, 2 RS -- .500
DH Hollins 1-4, BB, 2 RBI -- .250
2B Aviles 0-4, BB -- .000
SS Berroa 1-3, BB, 2B, RS -- .333

Hochevar 5 2/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 5 H, 2 BB, K, 2 HRA, WP -- L, 0-1, 4.76 ERA, same old problems
Duckworth 2 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 3 K -- 11.57 ERA
Musser IP, BB, K -- 0.00 ERA

*** Ghosts of Royals past came back to haunt them in Omaha Friday as Bob Keppel picked up the win and reliever Joe Nelson got his first save for the Isotopes. In between, the O-Royals almost made a comeback. The Royals had 2 in scoring position with 1 out in the 2nd but Ryan Shealy was thrown out trying to score on a Berroa groundout and Chris Lubanski flew out to end the threat. A single, wild pitch by Luke Hochevar and a Jason Smith error at third scored the first run of the game for the 'Topes in the 3rd. Omaha loaded the bases with 2 out in the 3rd and Damon Hollins came through with a 2-run single to give the Royals a 2-1 lead. With 2 out in the Albuquerque 4th, Hochevar faltered again as Tagg Bozied doubled and Dallas McPherson cranked a 2-run homer to make it 3-2 Isotopes. He gave up a solo homer in the 6th and, with 2 out and 1 on, was pulled for Brandon Duckworth. Lubanski cut the lead back to 1 with an RBI single in the Omaha 6th but Duckworth got tagged for 3 ER on 3 hits and a walk in the 7th as Albuquerque made it 7-3. With 2 out in the Omaha 7th, Shane Costa singled and Shealy stepped up with a 2-run homer to the left power alley to cut the lead to 7-5. The Royals got the first 2 batters on in the 8th but Lubanski fouled a bunt on strike 3 and Ken Huckaby popped out. Mitch Maier came up and hit an RBI double off Nelson but Mike Aviles grounded out to strand 2 with the score 7-6. Costa singled to lead off the 9th but the Royals went down in quick order after that and the Isotopes locked down the win. Keppel allowed 3 ER on 6 hits and 4 walks over 6 IP to get the win. McPherson was 2-4 with the HR and 2 RBI and LF Alexis Gomez (another former Royal) had a homer and 2 RBI for Albuquerque.

The O-Royals are 0-1. The series continues tonight with a doubleheader. Game 1 expected starters are 'Topes righty Gabe Hernandez vs. Omaha righty Kyle Davies. Game 2 starters should be Isotopes righty Doug Waechter and Omaha righty Matt Wright. According to the World-Herald, Jorge de la Rosa will rejoin the rotation (assuming he doesn't go to Colorado) and Wright will move into the pen. That makes no sense. De la Rosa isn't a consistent starter.

AA - Northwest Arkansas: San Antonio 3, Naturals 0

DH Richardson 3-4, 2B -- .556, had more hits than rest of team combined
1B Kaaihue 1-4, K -- .222
RF Valentin 1-2 -- .333
CF Duarte 0-4, K, OF assist at home -- .429, doing what he does in the OF
SS Sanchez 0-4 -- .111
RF McFall 0-1, BB, K -- .400, left with injury in 4th
LF Suero 0-3, E -- .000, organizational debut

Pimentel 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, 5 K -- L, 0-1, 7.36 ERA
Lowery 1/3 IP, K
Colon IP, nothing -- 0.00 ERA, season debut
Mildren 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- 0.00 ERA, season debut, OK outing

*** Four Missions pitchers combined on a 5-hit shutout as the Naturals suffered the first loss in their history. Two of those 5 hits came to lead off the 2nd but NW Arkansas stranded two. With 2 out in the second, starter Julio Pimentel gave up a walk, single and RBI double to break the short stalemate but CF Jose Duarte threw out a second runner trying to score on the play to end the inning. Juan Richardson doubled in the 4th and got to third with 1 out and the Royals loaded the bases with 2 out only to see Ovandy Suero bunt into an inning-ending force out at home. That's an odd call, but I guess they're trying to catch the fielders off guard. With 1 out in the SA 4th, Pimentel gave up a double, RBI single, double and RBI single aided by a Suero throwing error. Brian McFall was injured on the play but I haven't been able to find yet what happened, as the play was to left and he was in RF. The Morning News story on the game doesn't mention it. Pimentel got another K before getting pulled for Devon Lowery after only 71 pitches. The Naturals had runners in the 6th and 7th but couldn't capitalize. Paul Mildren stranded the bases loaded in the 7th and pitched 3 scoreless innings but the Naturals couldn't score as they went down in order in the 9th and SA's Edwin Moreno picked up his 1st save. San Antonio starter Will Inman got the with with 5 IP of 3 hits, 2 walks and 5 Ks along with a wild pitch. Missions C Colt Morton was 2-4 with a double, error and 2 RBI and 2B Ray Chang was 2-3 with a walk and double.

The Naturals are 1-1. Lefty Rowdy Hardy is set to make his first start of the season tonight in the rubber game vs. the Missions. San Antonio's Matt Buschmann takes the mound.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Myrtle Beach 2, Blue Rocks 0 (13/3-hitter)

SS McConnell 1-4, 2 BB, 2B, K, SB -- .250
C Howell 1-5, 2B, 2 K -- .200
3B Mertins 1-5, 3 K, E -- .200
CF D. Robinson 0-4, HBP, S, 3 K -- .000, not what you're looking for out of leadoff spot
2B Bianchi 0-3, BB, HBP, 2 K -- .000
1B D. Wood 0-5, 3 K -- .000
DH Seratelli 0-5, 4 K -- .000, ol' golden sombrero
RF Dickerson 0-5, K -- .000, not a good night for the team BA
*The Rocks had 21 Ks in the game. Yikes.

B. Wood 5 1/3 IP, H, 9 K -- ND, 0.00 ERA, nice start, wish he coulda gone longer
Haltiwanger 2/3 IP, H, 2 BB -- 0.00 ERA
Hartsock 3 IP, 2 H, K -- 0.00 ERA
Chambliss 3 IP, H, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 WP -- 0.00 ERA, control problems but no damage
de la Vara IP, 2 ER, H, 4 BB, K -- L, 0-1, 18.00 ERA, talk about control problems....

*** Wilmington was no-hit and dominated by Pelicans starter Tommy Hanson into the 6th. The good news was Blake Wood was nearly equal to the task, but once the game went to the bullpens it was the Rocks' guys that ended up faltering. Both Wood and Hanson allowed 1 baserunner -- Hanson in the 2nd and Wood in the 4th but Wood still faced the minimum as his baserunner was caught stealing to end the inning. Wood was pulled after a groundout to start the 6th and Russ Haltiwanger loaded the bases before leaving them that way. Hanson was pulled to start the 6th and the Rocks left a runner at third after Jeff Howell broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff double. Chris McConnell doubled with 2 out in the 9th to put the winning run in scoring position but, after Jeff Bianchi was intentionally walked, David Wood grounded into a force out to send the game to extras. RP Tyler Chambliss had two wild pitches and left 2 on in the 10th, and the Rocks loaded the bases with 1 out in the 11th before Wood and Anthony Seratelli struck out to kill the threat. Chambliss gave up a 1-out triple in the 12th but left the runner there. In the 13th, Gilbert de la Vara loaded the bases with 2 outs thanks to an intentional walk, a single and unintentional free pass. Two more walks forced in 2 runs before de la Vara got a line out to kill the 1-hit rally. Derrick Robinson reached base for the first time in the bottom of the 13th but McConnell hit into a double play to end the game as Brett Butts picked up the save for the Pelicans. Hanson allowed a walk with 13 Ks over 5 IP and 5 relievers combined to keep Wilmington scoreless over the next 8 innings. Pelicans LF Willie Cabrera was 2-4 with 2 walks, a triple and RBI, or should it be RWI -- run walked in. Hot prospect CF Gorkys Hernandez was 1-5 with a walk, 2 Ks and a RS.

Wilmington is 0-1. Game 2 is tonight. Rocks righty Matt Kniginyzky takes on Pelicans right-hander Deunte Heath.

A - Burlington: Peoria 7, Bees 3

SS Moustakas 1-4, RBI, 3 E (!!!, two throwing, one fielding) -- .250, SS experiment has early hitch
RF Tucker 1-4, HR, RBI, K, RS -- .250
CF Ortiz 2-4, BB, RS, SB, OF assist at home -- .500
LF Lough 2-4, 2B, OF assist at home -- .250
2B Jimenez 1-4, RBI (2), 2 K, E -- .286
3B Taylor 1-2, 2 BB, K, RS -- .167
1B C. Robinson 0-3, BB, K -- .400

Mitchell 5 IP, 2 H, 4 K, picked off runner -- ND, 0.00 ERA, nice start
Paulino 2 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, HRA, WP -- L, 0-1, 13.50 ERA
Swaggerty 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, picked off runner -- 13.50 ERA

*** Much like the A-Advanced pitching matchup minus the K's, Matt Mitchell and Peoria's Dae-Eun Rhee battled to a draw over 5 innings and the Bees' bullpen gave up the runs in a 7-3 Bees loss. Mike Moustakas made his first error of the year in the 2nd on a throwing error, and Burlington's first offensive threat took place when they got 2 on with 2 out in the 4th, but Clint Robinson grounded out to end the threat. Eduardo Paulino replaced Mitchell in the 6th and served up a longball to the first batter he faced -- Peoria CF Andrew Rundle. Moustakas made a 1-out fielding error but, on a 2-out single, David Lough nailed a runner trying to score at the plate to keep the score 1-0 Chiefs. Rundle came back up in the 7th and hit an RBI double although CF Adrian Ortiz threw out a runner at the plate via Moustakas as the relay man to keep it 2-0 for the moment. Later in the inning Chiefs 2B Nate Samson came up and hit a 2-run single as Moustakas threw in his 3rd error of the game on a throwing miscue and the Chiefs had a 4-0 lead. Jason Taylor and Robinson walked to start the Bees 7th and Antonio Jimenez drove in a run with a 1-out single. The rally was short-lived as C Ryan Eigsti grounded into a double play to end the inning. Moustakas came through with a 2-out RBI single in the 8th to cut the lead to 4-2 but the Bees would strand 2 in the frame. The Chiefs blew it open in the 9th as RP Ben Swaggerty wiped out a leadoff single with a pickoff but, with the bases loaded and 2 out, C Josh Donaldson hit a 3-run double to make it 7-2. Wilson Tucker led off the Burlington 9th with his first homer of the year and the Bees got 2 on with 1 out only to see Alwin Perez ground into a game-ending double play. Chiefs RP Stephen Vento picked up the 2-inning save for his first of the year and Rhee got the win in his U.S. pro debut with 5 IP of 2 hits, a walk and 5 Ks. 1B Jovan Rosa was 3-4 with 2 doubles and Donaldson was 1-4 but had the big double and 3 RBI. Rundle was also 2-3 with a HBP, double, HR, 2 RBI and 3 RS.

The Bees are 1-1. The series continues tonight with game 3 as Bees SP Ed Cegarra takes on Chiefs SP Chris Siegfried.