Royals on the Farm 5/14

AAA - Omaha: off day

*** The O-Royals are 17-20. They start a 4-game set at the Albuquerque Isotopes (20-18, AAA Marlins) tonight. Probable starters: Omaha RH Kyle Davies (4-2, 2.43) vs. 'Topes RH Dallas Trahern (0-3, 9.37). The Royals were 2-2 versus Albuquerque in the first series of the season.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 5, Tulsa 3

1B Richardson 2-4, 2 RBI (20) -- .290
2B Maddox 3-4, HR, RBI (5), RS -- .243, hitting .371 in May
CF Duarte 2-5, RBI (11), K, RS -- .250, needs to learn to take more walks -- only 13 in 37 games
SS Falu 2-5, RBI (4), K, RS, E (2) -- .241
LF Valentin 0-4, S, 2 K -- .316
DH Lucas 1-3, BB, 2B (2), 2 RS, SB (4) -- .234

B. Johnson 6 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, K, pickoff -- W, 4-2, 3.68, only 72 pitches
Hughes 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K -- SV, 1, 2.86 ERA, back in pen with Cortes back in fold

*** The Naturals used a 2-run 7th to come back for a win over the Drillers Wednesday. Juan Richardson hit a 2-run single in the 1st and it was quickly 2-0 NWA. Blake Johnson got double plays behind him in both of the first 2 innings but got knocked around for 3 runs in the 3rd on 4 hits, a sac fly and error by Irving Falu. He picked a runner off to end the half-inning and was otherwise solid. The Naturals left 2 in scoring position in the 4th but Marc Maddox tied it with a 1-out solo homer in the 7th for his 1st of the season. Ed Lucas followed with a double and scored on a Jose Duarte single to make it 4-3 Naturals. NWA stranded 2 but got an insurance run in the 9th on a Falu RBI single. Dusty Hughes pitched 3 good innings of relief for the save. RP Jon George took the loss with 2 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits and a K to fall to 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA. SP Xavier Cedeno went 4 IP and allowed 2 ER on 5 hits, a walk and K to move his ERA to 5.09. 2B Corey Wimberly was 2-3 with a walk, his 2nd double, 2 RBI (7) and a RS to move to .316 and SS Chris Nelson also had 2 hits for Tulsa.

NWA is 21-18 and 4 games up on first. The series finale is tonight as the Nats go for 3 of 4. Probable starters: Naturals' Dan Cortes (0-1, 1.35) comes back from the DL to face Tulsa's Tomas Santiago (2-2, 3.09). C Kiel Thibault has also been activated from the DL. Kila Kaaihue is day-to-day with a back injury.

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

2B Bianchi 3-4, 2B (3), 2 RS -- .167, maybe he's finally heating up....
DH J. Johnson 2-3, BB, 2 SB (4) -- .316
RF Dickerson 1-4, 2B (7), RBI (18) -- .310
1B Seratelli 1-4, RBI (11), K, RS -- .153
LF Dyson 1-4, RBI (7), K, 2 SB (13) -- .234
CF D. Robinson 0-5, 3 K -- .259
SS McConnell 0-4 -- .241
C Howell 0-4, 3 K -- .300

Teaford 4 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K, HRA, WP -- 2.82 ERA
Holland 4 2/3 IP, 3 H, BB, 2 K -- W, 3-2, 3.86 ERA, nice outing

*** A wild pitch was the difference in Wednesday's game as Wilmington earned at least a split of the 4-game set. Kurt Mertins and Joe Dickerson hit back-to-back doubles in the 1st to make it 1-0 Rocks. Kinston took the lead, however, with a leadoff homer, 2 more hits and a walk in the 3rd off Everett Teaford. Wilmington left 2 in scoring position in the 5th and the K-Tribe chased Teaford with a 1-out double and RBI single in the 5th. Jeff Bianchi led off the 7th with a double and scored on a Jarrod Dyson groundout to cut the lead back to 1 at 3-2 and Greg Holland stranded 2 in the 7th. Luis Perdomo came in to finish the game in the 9th for Kinston but Bianchi and Josh Johnson singled with 1 out and Anthony Seratelli hit a third single in the inning to bring home Bianchi and tie the game. Johnson was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice but Seratelli advanced to third on the play and, when Perdomo uncorked a wild pitch, Seratelli scampered home for the lead run to make it 4-3 Rocks. Holland gave up a 1-out double in the 9th but that was it as he locked down his 3rd win. Perdomo blew his 2nd save and took the loss with an IP of 2 ER (his first ERs of the year) on 3 hits with a K to drop to 1-1 with a 0.82 ERA. SP Hector Rondon went 4 2/3 IP and allowed an ER on 4 hits, a walk and 6 Ks to lower his ERA to 4.42. RF John Drennen was 4-5 with his 5th double and 2 RS to move to .298, 1B Beau Mills was 2-4 with his 9th double and 2 RBI (21) to move to .246 and C Alex Castillo was 2-4 with his 4th double, 3rd homer and 17th RBI to move to .238. Topeka native 2B Jerad Head was 0-4 to fall to .200.

Wilmington is 17-21 and 6 games back. The series versus Kinston wraps up tonight. Probable starters: Rocks righty Matt Kniginyzky (0-4, 5.14) vs. Kinston righty Carlton Smith (1-1, 4.97). The Rocks are 87/125 in steals this season, for a 69.6 percent success rate. I think 65 percent is what "they" say is the rate where, if you fall below it, the steal tries aren't worth it.

A - Burlington: Wisconsin 3, Bees 1

SS Moustakas 2-4, BB, 3B, RBI (14), K -- .248
C Balduf 2-3, BB, K, CS, PB (3) -- .227
RF Tucker 3-5, K, RS -- .150, had good last couple games
CF Ortiz 0-5, -- .321, rare 0-fer
3B Taylor 0-4, K -- .210
* The Bees stranded 11.

Paulino 6 IP, ER, 7 H, BB, 7 K, WP -- 5.40 ERA
Arias 2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K -- L, 2-3, 5.06 ERA, getting touched up every time out recently

*** A 2-run 8th made the difference as a good start from Eduardo Paulino was squandered. The Bees stranded 2 in both of the first 2 innings and Paulino stranded 2 Rattlers in the 2nd. Wilson Tucker led off the Bees' 3rd with a single and scored on Moustakas' 1st triple of the season to give the Bees a 1-0 lead. Moustakas was cut down at the plate on a fielder's choice and the Bees stranded 2 more in the 5th. The Rattlers finally got to Paulino in the 5th on a double, single and sac fly to tie the game. Paulino stranded 2 in the 6th and Henry Arias left 2 in scoring position in the 7th. The Bees left the bases loaded in the 8th and Arias gave up a leadoff triple, RBI single and 1-out RBI single to break it open in the bottom of the frame. The Bees went down in order in the 9th as Justin Souza picked up his 1st save. RP Jose Escalona got the win with 2/3 perfect IP to move to 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA. Starter Michael Pineda went 5 IP and allowed an ER on 7 hits, 3 walks and 6 Ks to move his ERA to 0.63. 1B Joe Dunigan was 3-4 with 2 doubles (12) to move to .245 and 2 other Rattlers had 2-hit games.

The Bees are 15-22 and 11 games out. The series versus the Rattlers ends tonight. Probable starters: Bees' Ed Cegarra (1-3, 1.93) vs. Wisconsin's Juan Ramirez (1-2, 4.28).