Royals on the Farm 5/19

AAA - Omaha: Iowa 5, O-Royals 4

2B Berroa 2-4, HR (8), 2 RBI (19), K, 2 RS, CS (2) -- .303
LF Lubanski 1-3, RBI (17), K -- .255
CF Maier 0-4 -- .337
SS Aviles 0-4, K, E (6) -- .337, in 3-23 slump
RF Costa 1-4, 2B (14), K -- .302
1B Stodolka 1-4, K -- .242

Lumsden 7 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HRA, E, pickoff -- L, 1-5, 6.75 ERA
Giron 2 IP, BB, K -- 6.93 ERA

*** Tyler Lumsden had yet another hard night and the O-Royals couldn't get back even in the opener versus the I-Cubs. Lumsden gave up a leadoff triple in the 1st and a groundout made it 1-0 Iowa. With 2 on and 0 out in the Omaha 2nd, Angel Berroa and Chris Lubanski singled home runs and a missed catch on a pickoff attempt scored Berroa to make it 3-1 Omaha. The first 2 batters singled in the Iowa 3rd before Lumsden teed up a 3-run homer to make it 4-3 Cubs. Lumsden then loaded the bases before escaping the inning with a double play. Iowa stranded 2 in the 4th and Lumsden gave up another solo homer in the 5th to make it 5-3. Berroa led off the 7th with his 8th homer of the season to cut the lead to 1 but Omaha got no more hits as Neal Cotts closed it out for his 1st save. Starter Kevin Hart went 5 IP and allowed 3 runs (2 ER) on 5 hits and 2 walks with 6 Ks to improve to 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA. Three Cubs had 2-hit games, including RF Andres Torres, who was 2-5 with his 2nd triple, 4th homer and 3 RBI (15) with 2 RS to move to .328, and LF Matt Murton, who was 2-3 with a walk, his 1st homer and 8th RBI, although he was the victim of a Lumsden pickoff, to move to .368.

Omaha dropped to 19-23. Game 2 was tonight and Iowa took another game from Omaha as Brandon Duckworth took the loss. Matt Tupman is back with Omaha after filling in for John Buck for a couple games and also picking up his first MLB hit.

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 2, Naturals 1 (13)

3B Lisson 3-5, RBI (14), 2 SB (12), E (5) -- .214
CF-LF Suero 2-6, CS (6) -- .260
2B Maddox 2-5, SB (7) -- .244
SS Sanchez 0-5, K -- .222
LF-1B Valentin 0-5, K -- .297

B. Johnson 7 IP, ER, 4 H, 4 K, HRA, WP -- 3.35 ERA, good start
Plummer 3 IP, 2 K -- 3.21 ERA
C. Hayes 2 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 BB, K -- L, 1-1, 1.54 ERA

*** A 2-out rally in the 9th kept the Naturals alive but that was all NWA could muster as the Travelers salvaged the series finale. Nobody had reached base until Blake Johnson served up a solo homer in the Arkansas 2nd. The Naturals finally got a runner in the 4th but made nothing of it. Johnson stranded 2 in the 5th and the Naturals did the same in the 6th. NWA left 2 more on in the 7th and the Travs took a 1-0 lead into the 9th. RP Stephen Marek gave up a 2-out double to Juan Richardson and Mario Lisson came through with an RBI single to tie the game. He advanced to third on a steal and defensive indifference but Brian McFall struck out to end the rally. Marc Maddox singled and stole second in the 10th and tried to score on an Ovandy Suero single but was nailed at the plate. Chris Hayes gave up 2 singles to start the bottom of the 13th and a sac fly ended it. RP Kevin Jepsen earned the win with 3 IP of a walk and K to move to 2-1 with a 1.85 ERA. Starter Robert (I called him Brett yesterday for some reason) Mosebach went 8 IP and allowed 4 hits, a walk and 6 Ks to move his ERA to 3.70. 2B Nate Sutton was 2-5 with 1 RS to move to .275.

NW Arkansas is 23-21 and 2 games up on first. The Naturals had today off before starting a series versus the Midland Rockhounds.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: off day

*** Wilmington started a 3-game home set versus the Potomac Nationals (27-15, A-Adv. Nats) today and Potomac took game 1 as Greg Holland took the loss. The Rocks are 1-2 versus Potomac thus far.

A - Burlington: Kane County 7, Bees 3 (rain/9)

DH Martin 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI -- .333
CF Lough 2-4, BB, 2B (6), RBI (13), SB (4) -- .267
SS Moustakas 1-5, K -- .238
LF Ortiz 2-5, 2 K, picked off -- .299
3B Taylor 1-3, BB, 2 K -- .216
RF Walton 1-4, 2B (5), 2 K, 2 RS -- .200
* The Bees stranded 12.

Duffy 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, 4 K -- L, 0-1, 7.36 ERA
Abreu 3 1/3 IP, 4 R (1 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K, E -- 4.55 ERA
Arias 1 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K -- 4.76 ERA

*** The Cougars ran up the score in the middle innings and the game was ended by rain with the Bees in more trouble in the 9th. Starter Dan Duffy made his Midwest League debut and stranded 2 Kane County baserunners in the 1st. Adrian Ortiz was picked off to help thwart a could-be rally in the Bees 1st and Kyle Martin got his first A-ball RBI with a double in the 2nd. The Bees stranded 2 in both the 2nd and 3rd and Duffy finally hit trouble with 1 out in the 4th as a walk and 3 hits brought in 2 runs and knocked Duffy out of the game. Juan Abreu walked in a run to make it 3-1 Cougs before he left the bases full. The Bees left 2 in scoring position in the 4th and Abreu gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the inning on a double augmented by an error by C Nick Doscher. The Cougars scored 2 more in the 6th on an Abreu error and Doscher passed ball to make it 7-1 KC. Martin hit another RBI double in the 7th to cut it to 7-2 and David Lough hit a 2-out RBI double in the 8th to cut the lead to 4. RP Henry Arias had the bases loaded with Cougars and 1 out in the 9th when the rain ended it. Starter Craig Italiano got the win with 5 IP of an UER on 5 hits, 5 walks and 5 Ks to improve to 6-0 with a 0.80 ERA. C Jon Johnston was 3-4 with his 7th passed ball and a RS to move to .245 and RF Todd Johnson was 2-4 with a walk, his 8th double and 2 RBI (22) with 2 RS to move to .267. 1B Greg Dowling also had 2 hits.

Burlington moved to 16-26. The series with the Cougars continued with a doubleheader today and the Bees swept the twinbill. More on that tomorrow. Anyway, RP Yensi Lopez was released to make room on the roster for one of Sam Runion or Dan Duffy and RP Ben Swaggerty was promoted to Wilmington.