Royals on the Farm 5/23

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 5, Round Rock 2

CF Maier 3-5, 2B (9), 2 RBI (17), K, RS -- .345
RF Costa 2-4, BB, RBI (30), SB (5) -- .301
LF Lubanski 2-4, 3B (2), HR (5), RBI (18), K, RS -- .246
SS Berroa 2-4, RS -- .308
3B Smith 2-4, RS -- .258
2B Aviles 0-5, 2 K -- .332
1B Stodolka 0-3, S, RS -- .233

Wright 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 3 K, 2 HRA -- W, 1-2, 5.24 ERA, decent start
Fulchino 3 IP, 2 H, K -- SV, 2, 4.18 ERA

*** A 2-inning outburst helped earn the Royals the win in the opener vs. Round Rock. Starter Matt Wright allowed a 2-out solo homer in the 1st and Omaha was shut out on 2 hits through 5 by Express SP Chad Reineke. Wright gave up another solo homer in the 5th to make it 2-0 Round Rock. Chris Lubanski broke Omaha out of its offensive funk with a leadoff homer in the 6th for his 5th of the season and Mitch Maier followed with a double and scored on a Shane Costa single to tie the game. With 2 on and 0 out in the 7th, Mike Stodolka laid down a sac bunt that scored a run after a Reineke throwing error. Maier hit a 2-run single to make it 5-2 Omaha as the O-Royals stranded 2 in the frame. Lubanski led off the 9th with a triple but three Royals struck out in the inning to squander the chance. Jeff Fulchino pitched a 1-2-3 9th to finish it for his 2nd save. Reineke took the loss with 6 1/3 IP of 5 runs (4 ER) on 8 hits with 5 Ks to fall to 2-6 with a 6.55 ERA. C Humberto Quintero was 2-3 with his 2nd double to move to .232.

Omaha is 22-24 and 2.5 games back. Game 2 is tonight. Probable starters: Omaha LH Tyler Lumsden (1-5, 6.75) vs. Express RH Josh Miller (3-1, 5.86).

AA - NW Arkansas: Midland 13, Naturals 4

DH Kaaihue 2-4, RBI (32), K -- .266
RF McFall 1-4, RBI (27), K -- .244
LF Valentin 0-3, SF, RBI (12), K -- .288
3B Lisson 2-3, HBP, 2B (9), 3B (2), RS -- .231
SS Sanchez 0-2, HBP, RS -- .224

Pimentel 2/3 IP, 7 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- L, 2-5, 5.30 ERA, not a good start
D. Hughes 3 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- 3.00 ERA
Atencio 3 IP, H, 4 K -- 5.40 ERA
Crist 2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K -- 5.91 ERA

*** Julio Pimentel didn't make it through the 1st as Midland ran away with the series finale. Here's Pimentel's 1st: walk, single, RBI single, K, RBI ground-rule double, K, 2-run double, RBI single, walk, pulled for Dusty Hughes. Hughes walked a batter and gave up an RBI single before getting out of the inning with 2 left on. Midland added a run in the 3rd on 2 hits and a Kiel Thibault passed ball. The Naturals loaded the bases in the 3rd and Geraldo Valentin put NWA on the board with a sac fly. Kila Kaaihue hit an RBI single and Angel Sanchez scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 8-3. Hughes gave up a 2-run double in the 4th to make it 10-3 Midland but Greg Atencio pitched 3 solid innings starting in the 5th. Kyle Crist came on in the 8th and gave up 3 runs on a walk and 3 hits to further put the game away. Mario Lisson doubled and scored on a Brian McFall single in the 9th but that was all the Naturals could do. Midland SP Vincent Mazzaro went 7 IP and allowed 3 ER on 5 hits, a walk and 5 Ks to move to 6-2 with a 2.26 ERA. 3B Jesus Guzman was 4-5 with 2 doubles (12) and 2 RBI (47) with 3 RS and his 4th SB to move to .355; C Anthony Recker was 3-5 with 2 doubles (13) and 4 RBI (28), 2 K and 2 RS to move to .294; and CF Nick Blasi was 3-5 with 2 RBI (9), a K and 2 RS to move to .300. Two other RockHounds had 2-hit games.

NWA is 25-22 and 2 games up on first. A 3-game home set versus the Frisco RoughRiders (32-15, AA Rangers) starts tonight. Starters: Frisco's Matt Harrison (3-1, 3.15) vs. NWA's Rowdy Hardy (1-3, 5.69). Frisco's roster features Texas prospects SS Elvis Andrus (.649 OPS, 16 E, 17/21 SB in 43 games), 1B Chris Davis (1.005 OPS, 13 HR, 14 2B in 45 games), lefty Matt Harrison (3-1, 3.15, 1.28 WHIP in 7 starts), and C Max Ramirez (1.201 OPS, 12 2B, 12 HR in 44 games), among others. Hank Blalock is also rehabbing in Frisco. RP Julio De La Cruz was put on the DL with a sore right shoulder and RP Aaron Hartsock was called up from A-Advanced Wilmington to fill his spot.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 8, Lynchburg 0 (4-hitter)

3B-SS J. Johnson 2-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI (11) -- .320, OBP: .507 through 37 games played
RF Dickerson 3-4, BB, RBI (20), 2 RS, 3 SB (20) -- .304
DH Mertins 2-5, 2 2B (11), RBI (15), K, RS -- .266
1B Seratelli 1-4, RBI (13) -- .156
CF D. Robinson 1-5, 2B (9), RBI (12), K, RS -- .271
SS McConnell 0-2, BB, HBP, RS -- .240
2B Bianchi 1-5, 3B, 2K, RS -- .204
LF Dyson 1-2, 2 BB, 2 RS, 2 SB (16) -- .230

B. Wood 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K -- W, 3-2, 2.67 ERA, another great outing
de la Vara 3 IP, H, 4 K -- SV, 1, 4.18 ERA

*** Blake Wood shut the Hillcats down and the offense propelled the Rocks to an easy win in the opener with Lynchburg. Joe Dickerson led off the Rocks 2nd with a single, stole second and scored on a Josh Johnson single to put the Rocks out front. Jarrod Dyson walked in the 3rd, stole second and scored on a Derrick Robinson double before Kurt Mertins doubled home Robinson, Chris McConnell scored on a wild pitch and Dickerson singled in a run to make it 5-0 Rocks. The Rocks stranded 2 but Johnson singled in a run in the 5th to make it 6-0. Wood's biggest challenge was stranding 2 in the 6th and Dyson scored on a wild pitch in the 6th. Jeff Bianchi tripled and scored on an Anthony Seratelli single in the 7th and Gilbert de la Vara pitched 3 pretty easy innings to pick up his 1st save. Lynchburg SP Jared Hughes went 4 IP and allowed 5 ER on 6 hits, 2 walks and a K to fall to 1-7 with a 5.59 ERA. CF Alex Presley was 2-3 with a walk to move to .231.

Wilmington is 22-24 and 7 games back. The series continues tonight. Starters: Rocks righty Mario Santiago (2-3, 4.72) and Lynchburg's Michael Crotta (3-3, 4.60).

A - Burlington: Beloit 7, Bees 4

SS Moustakas 3-5, 2 2B (8), 3B (2), 2 RS, E (9) -- .254, XBH drought is long gone
CF Lough 1-4, HBP, HR (3), RBI (15), 2 K, 2 RS, OF assist at third -- .268
RF Tucker 1-3, SF, RBI (12), K -- .181
DH Walton 0-2, BB, SF, RBI (14), 2 K -- .214
3B Taylor 0-4, RBI (22), K -- .221
LF Ortiz 1-5, K -- .294

Runion 5 2/3 IP, 6 R (4 ER), 7 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 0-2, 3.86 ERA
Z. Peterson 2 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, K, HRA -- 4.67 ERA

*** The Snappers stayed undefeated versus the Bees as a 4-run 1st helped Beloit to the win. David Lough hit a 1-out solo homer in the 1st for his 3rd of the season and Mike Moustakas followed with a double but was stranded. Beloit torched Sam Runion off the bat in the 1st as a 1-out Antonio Jimenez error was followed by 4 hits and a walk to make it 4-1 Snappers. The Bees stranded 2 in the 2nd and Runion gave up an RBI double in the 2nd to make it a 4-run lead. Jason Taylor drove in a run with a groundout after a Moustakas double in the 3rd and a Jamar Walton sac fly cut it to 5-3 Beloit. The Bees left 2 on in the 6th and Runion gave up a 2-out solo homer in the 6th and was pulled for Zach Peterson. Peterson gave up a solo homer in the 7th but stranded 2. Moustakas continued his good game with a leadoff triple in the 8th and scored on a Wilson Tucker sac fly to cut it to 7-4 but the Bees stranded 2 in the 9th as Spencer Steedley notched his 4th save. Starter David Bromberg went 5 2/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 6 hits with 5 Ks to improve to 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA. Three Snappers had 2 hits including top prospect CF Ben Revere, who was 2-4 with his 1st homer, 12th RBI and 2 RS to move to .408.

Burlington is 19-29. The series continues with a doubleheader today. The Bees lost game 1 in a shutout as Dan Duffy took the loss. Juan Abreu is pitching game 2.