Royals on the Farm 5/3

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 13, Fresno 7

CF Maier 5-6, 2B (4), 2 RBI (6), RS -- .370, hard to beat 5-hit game, even if 4 were singles
RF Costa 3-5, BB, HR (6), 3 RBI (22), 3 RS -- .333
3B Smith 1-4, BB, GS (8), 4 RBI (18), 2 RS, E (7) -- .245
1B Shealy 2-6, 2B (4), 2 RBI (15), RS -- .210
SS Berroa 3-5, HR (5), RBI (9), 2 RS -- .306
2B Aviles 2-6, 2B (14), RBI (26), K, 2 RS -- .359, 15-game hit streak
LF Lubanski 1-4, BB, K, RS, E (3) -- .244
DH Stodolka 1-4, BB, K -- .236
*Omaha stranded 10.

Duckworth 5 2/3 IP, 7 R (6 ER), 7 H, 3 BB, 5 K, HRA, 2 WP -- W, 2-1, 5.13 ERA, all the run support a pitcher could want
Musser 3 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K -- SV, 6, 2.81 ERA, odd that they're using him in such long stretches for saves

*** A slugfest turned one-sided after 2 innings as Omaha pulled away to even the series with Fresno. The Royals were looking at a frustrating 1st as the bases were loaded with 2 out but Jason Smith slammed a granny to center for his 8th homer of the season to put Omaha up, 4-0. Starter Brandon Duckworth had a rough start to the game as he gave up 3 runs in the 1st on 2 walks, a double and 2 wild pitches along with Smith's 7th error of the season. Mike Aviles hit a 2-out double in the 2nd and Shane Costa drove him home with a single to make it 5-3 Omaha. Duckworth again had trouble in the 2nd as Fresno churned out 4 runs on 3 hits and a 3-run homer to take a 7-5 lead. Omaha loaded the bases with 1 out in the 3rd and Mitch Maier drove in 2 runs with a single to tie the game. Duckworth settled down and Omaha stranded 2 in the 4th before Chris Lubanski was nailed at home in the 5th to keep the game tied. Shane Costa greeted Fresno RP Erick Threets with a homer to leadoff the 6th for his 6th of the season and the tie was broken. The O-Royals put it away with 5 runs in the 7th on an Angel Berroa leadoff homer (his 5th), an Aviles RBI single, a Costa RBI single and Ryan Shealy 2-run double to make it 13-7 Omaha. Neal Musser gave up a single in the 9th but was pretty much lockdown otherwise to finish it off for Omaha. Threets took the loss with an ER in an IP on a hit to drop to 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. Fresno starter Victor Santos lasted only 3 IP with 7 runs (3 ER) on 7 hits, 3 walks and 3 Ks to move his ERA to 4.70. 1B Scott McClain was 1-5 with his 4th HR and 4 RBI (21) to move to .255.

Omaha is 15-12 and 2.5 games up on first. Game 3 is late this afternoon. Probable starters: O-Royals RH Kyle Davies (3-1, 1.80) vs. Grizzlies RH Nick Pereira (2-2, 5.47).

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 7, Tulsa 5

CF Duarte 2-3, 2 BB, RBI (8), 2 RS -- .235
1B Kaaihue 1-2, BB, SF, HR (8), 2 RBI (26), RS -- .232
SS Sanchez 2-5, 3B, RBI (8), K, RS -- .186
DH Richardson 1-5, 2B (4), RBI (15), K -- .247
3B Lisson 1-4, HR (3), RBI (11), RS -- .206
LF Valentin 1-3, BB, 2B (4) -- .337
2B Maddox 2-3, BB, RS, SB (5) -- .205

D. Hughes 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K, pickoff -- W, 2-2, 3.04 ERA
Plummer 2 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, K, HRA -- 7.20 ERA
Crist IP, H, K -- SV, 2, 4.50 ERA

*** A 3-run 7th helped the Naturals preserve the win in the opener versus the Drillers. A Kila Kaaihue sac fly in the 1st made it 1-0 Naturals and NWA added 2 in the 3rd on an Angel Sanchez RBI triple and Juan Richardson RBI double but stranded 2. Tulsa got to Dusty Hughes for a run in the 4th on 2 walks and a single but the Nats got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a Jose Duarte RBI single. NW Arkansas left the bases full in the 5th and Hughes was chased after a run on 2 doubles in the 6th. Jarod Plummer allowed a solo homer in the 7th to cut the lead to 4-3. Jarrett Grube took over for Tulsa in the 7th and Kaaihue and Mario Lisson led off the inning with back-to-back jacks for their 8th and 3rd of the season and it was quickly back to a 3-run lead. Marc Maddox hit a 2-out single, stole second, got to third on a balk, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-3. Plummer was touched up for 2 runs in the 8th on 2 hits, a walk, and 2-run single all with 2 outs and the lead was trimmed back to 2. Kyle Crist stranded 1 in the 9th for his 2nd save. Tulsa SP Xavier Cedeno took the loss with 4 2/3 IP of 4 ER on 8 hits, 4 walks and 2 Ks to fall to 3-3 with a 5.17 ERA. 1B Tony Blanco was 3-4 with his 2nd double and 2 RBI (7) to move to .368.

NW Arkansas is 13-16 and once again tied for first. The series goes to game 3 this afternoon. Probable starters: Naturals' Blake Johnson (1-2, 5.40) vs. Tulsa's Tomas Santiago (1-1, 3.52).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Winston-Salem 8, Blue Rocks 5

CF D. Robinson 2-5, 2B (5), 3 RBI (8), K, RS, picked off -- .279
SS McConnell 3-5, RBI (7), K, SB (10) -- .260, found bat lately
2B Mertins 0-3, HBP, BB, K -- .284
3B J. Johnson 0-3, BB, K -- .260
* The Rocks were 3/4 in SB.

Teaford 6 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, BB, 4 K, 3 HRA -- L, 2-1, 2.15 ERA, done in by longball
Haltiwanger 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, HRA -- 5.40 ERA
de la Vara 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, K, HRA -- 5.21 ERA

*** 3 9th inning runs were too little, too late for the Rocks as the Warthogs earned at least a split of the 4-game set going into today's finale. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 1st and Everett Teaford gave up a solo homer to Warthogs DH John Shelby III in the 1st to spot Winston-Salem a 1-0 lead. With 2 out and 2 on in the Rocks 2nd, a Warthogs error scored a run and Derrick Robinson hit an RBI single to give the Rocks a 2-1 lead. Teaford stranded 2 in the 2nd and the score stayed 2-1 until Teaford served up Shelby's 2nd homer of the game for a 2-out, 2-run shot in the 5th to make it 3-2 Warthogs. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 6th and Teaford gave up another solo homer in the 6th to make the deficit 2. Russ Haltiwanger came in to pitch the 7th and served up Shelby's 3rd homer of the game (and season, for that matter) -- a 3-run shot that made it 7-2. Gilbert de la Vara gave up a solo homer in the 8th to pad the Warthog lead. With 2 out in the 9th, the Rocks drew 2 walks and Robinson laced a 2-run double to center to cut the lead to 8-4. Chris McConnell singled him home before Kurt Mertins struck out to end the game. Warthogs RP Matt Zaleski got his 1st save over a 4-inning stint and starter Matt Long got the win with 5 IP of 2 UER on 4 hits, 2 walks and 5 Ks to improve to 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA. Shelby was 3-4 with 3 HR and 5 RBI (6) to move to .286 and CF Paulo Orlando was 3-4 with his 3rd double and 2 RS to move to .221.

Wilmington is 12-16 and 7.5 games back. The series finishes today as Rocks righty Matt Kniginyzky (0-2, 4.12) squares off with Warthogs righty Michael Dubee (2-1, 3.23).

A - Burlington: Bees 10, Dayton 7

RF Walton 3-4, BB, 2B (4), K, 2 RS -- .233
SS Moustakas 1-4, BB, HR (2), 2 RBI (6), 2 RS -- .185, needs to get hot at the plate
2B A. Perez 1-4, S, HR, 3 RBI (8), 2 K, RS -- .145
DH Tucker 0-4, SF, 2 RBI (5), 2 K, RS -- .111
CF Ortiz 2-5, 3B (3), RBI (5), K, RS, SB (11) -- .345, 14-game hit streak
LF Lough 1-5, RBI (11), RS, E (2) -- .258
C Eigsti 1-3, BB, 2B (3), RBI (8), K, RS -- .152
3B Taylor 1-4, BB, K, RS -- .253
1B C. Robinson 1-2 -- .244, removed for PH in 4th

Paulino 2 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP -- ND, 5.61 ERA, yowch
Swaggerty 3 1/3 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 K -- W, 1-0, 3.45 ERA
Arias 3 IP, ER, 3 H, 5 K, WP -- SV, 2, 3.63 ERA

*** A 7-run 4th was almost all the Bees needed to even the series with the Dragons. Starter Eduardo Paulino stranded 2 in the 1st but Dayton scored 2 in the 2nd on 3 hits and a walk. Alwin Perez tied the game with a 2-run homer in the 3rd for his 1st of the season. Dayton answered with 3 in the 3rd to chase Paulino as 4 hits, a walk and wild pitch along with a David Lough error in left fueled the rally. The Bees 4th started with a Dayton error and wouldn't end until 10 batters later. Wilson Tucker hit an RBI groundout, Perez added an RBI groundout, Ryan Eigsti hit an RBI double, Adrian Ortiz hit an RBI triple, David Lough hit an RBI single and Mike Moustakas cranked a 2-run homer to right for his 2nd pro homer to make it 9-5 Bees. The Dragons scored a run off Ben Swaggerty in the 4th to cut the lead to 3 and Dayton scored a run in the 7th off Henry Arias to cut the Bees' lead to 9-7. Tucker hit a sac fly in the 9th to make it 10-7 and Arias set Dayton down in order in the 9th to notch his 2nd save. Dragons SP Luis Montano took the loss with 3 2/3 IP of 7 runs (2 ER) on 7 hits and 3 Ks to fall to 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA. 1B Todd Frazier was 3-5 with his 10th double to move to .307 and 2B Kevyn Feiner was 3-5 with his 5th SB, 4th double and 8th RBI to move to .344.

Burlington is 12-15 and 8 games back. The series wraps today in the rubber match of the set. Starters are Bees SP Ed Cegarra (1-1, 1.93) and Dayton SP Scott Carroll (0-1, 3.86). Susan Denk of the Burlington Hawk Eye has a post about Moustakas on her blog at http://www3.thehawkeye.com/pressbox_blog/.