Royals on the Farm 6/10

NOTE: A post-draft post is in the works, it's just gonna be really post-draft, like a week, once I get it done. I meant to get it done over the weekend or early part of the week but life got in the way.

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 13, New Orleans 0 (1-hitter)

CF Maier 3-6, 2 RBI (26), K, RS -- .314
1B Butler 3-6, 2B (4), RS -- .400
2B Matranga 2-5, SF, 3B (3), 3 RBI (15), RS -- .267
SS Smith 2-6, HR (14), 2 RBI (42), K, 2 RS -- .264
3B Dawkins 2-5, 3 RBI, 2 RS -- .400, Gookie's back!
C Tupman 2-3, 2 BB, 3B, RBI (16), 2 RS -- .255
DH Shealy 2-6, RBI (18), K, RS -- .234
LF Lubanski 0-1, 4 BB, 2 RS -- .259, 4 BB good for OBP
* The Royals stranded 10.

Duckworth 7 IP, 0 H, BB, 2 K -- W, 3-5, 4.34 ERA, wow
Giron IP, H -- 7.15 ERA, lost the no-no
Peralta IP, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA, back in AAA

*** Starter Brandon Duckworth handed a no-hitter to the pen after 7 innings and 96 pitches but the O-Royals had to settle for a 1-hitter in the rout of the Zephyrs. Duckworth was perfect through 4 and got plenty of run support as Omaha scored 5 runs in the 2nd on a 2-run single by newest O-Royal 3B Gookie Dawkins in his first AB for Omaha this season (he last played a batch of games for Omaha in 2004), a 2-run triple by Dave Matranga and a Mitch Maier RBI single. Jason Smith hit a 2-out, 2-run homer in the 5th for his 14th of the season to make it 7-0. Duckworth walked the leadoff guy and hit a batter in the 5th to lose the perfect game but escaped without giving up a hit. Omaha piled on 4 runs in the 7th on a Dawkins RBI single, a Matranga sac fly and a 2-run Maier single that was aided by a Zephyr error. Matt Tupman hit an RBI triple in the 8th to make it 12-0 and Roberto Giron relieved Duckworth in the 8th. He gave up a 1-out single to break up the no-hitter and, after Ryan Shealy singled home a run in the 9th, Joel Peralta pitched a perfect 9th to end it. NO starter Ruddy Lugo took the loss with 4 2/3 IP of 7 ER on 7 hits, 4 walks and 3 Ks to drop to 4-5 with a 4.39 ERA. 1B Michel Abreu had the Zephyrs' only hit.

Omaha is 30-33 and 6.5 games back. The series went to a matinee today with Omaha grabbing the win in the 9th and Roman Colon being the pitcher of record for Omaha in relief of Tyler Lumsden. Last night's win marked Omaha's first shutout of the win. Duckworth had lost his last 4 starts. The Royals traded cash to the White Sox in return for the 29-year-old journeyman Dawkins on Monday. C Damaso Espino was sent to Idaho Falls, which is kind of a huge demotion, but maybe it's just until they can figure out how they can get him to AA.
AA - NW Arkansas: Tulsa 6, Naturals 2

CF Duarte 1-3, BB, RBI (27), SB (14) -- .251
RF-LF Valentin 1-3, SF, RBI (15) -- .284
SS Sanchez 0-4 -- .259
1B Kaaihue 0-3, BB, RS -- .270
2B Maddox 1-2, 2 BB, 2B (10), RS -- .293

Hardy 6 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP -- 4.79 ERA
Atencio 0 IP, 4 ER, 2 H, BB -- BS, 2, L, 1-1, 5.68 ERA
C. Hayes 2 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 K -- 2.42 ERA

*** A disastrous 5-run 7th cost the Naturals the game as Rowdy Hardy's solid start was squandered. The Naturals left 2 in scoring position in the 3rd but got a sac fly from Geraldo Valentin in the 4th to grab a 1-0 lead. Tulsa tied it with a run on 3 hits in the bottom of the inning off Hardy but NWA grabbed the lead back in the 5th on a 2-out RBI single by Jose Duarte. Hardy stranded 2 Drillers in the 6th and Greg Atencio took over in the 7th. It didn't go well as Atencio loaded the bases and then walked in a run before getting pulled for Chris Hayes, who gave up a 2-run double, an RBI single and sac fly before finishing the inning with Tulsa up, 6-2. The Tulsa pen took it from there as starter Ching Lung Lo got the win with 7 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits, 2 walks and a K to improve to 5-6 with a 5.54 ERA. Three Drillers had 2-hit games as CF Dexter Fowler and LF Matt Miller drove home 2 runs each in the win.

NWA dropped to 31-32 and is still a game back with the first half dwindling. The series wrapped today and the Naturals' losing streak reached 7 as Tulsa took the win and Blake Johnson took the loss.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 8, Frederick 2

RF Dickerson 2-5, 2B (9), RBI (36) -- .316, 10-game hit streak
SS McConnell 2-4, HBP, HR, 2 RBI (16), 2 K, 3 RS -- .257
3B Mertins 1-4, BB, 2 RBI (25), 3 K, RS -- .284
2B Bianchi 1-4, 3B (3), 2 RBI (26), RS -- .263, really picked it up lately at the plate
LF Dyson 3-4, 2 RS, SB (19), OF assist at home -- .264, his 8th OF assist leads league
DH Seratelli 1-4, RBI (28), K -- .218
CF D. Robinson 0-5, 3 K -- .262

Kniginyzky 4 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 5 BB, 4 K -- 3.55 ERA
Swaggerty 2 2/3 IP, 2 BB, 3 K -- W, 1-1, 2.70 ERA
Nicoll 2 IP, BB, 5 K -- 2.83 ERA

*** The Rocks had 3 rallies to Frederick's 1 to set up a chance at a sweep tonight. Starter Matt Kniginyzky dodged trouble in the 1st and the Blue Rocks scored first with 3 runs in the 3rd on a 2-out, 2-run single by Kurt Mertins and a Joe Dickerson RBI single. The Keys threatened in the 4th with 3 straight 2-out singles but Jarrod Dyson came up throwing from left on the third hit and cut down a runner at the plate to keep the score 3-0. Chris McConnell clubbed a 2-run homer in the 5th for his 1st of the season and Kniginyzky finally faltered in the bottom of the 5th as he walked the bases full and gave up a 2-run double to get chased for Ben Swaggerty, who escaped further damage to strand 2 in scoring position. Jeff Bianchi hit a 2-run triple in the 7th and was singled home by Anthony Seratelli to make it 8-2 Rocks. Swaggerty and Chris Nicoll held the Keys hitless the rest of the way to finish the victory. Jake Renshaw took the loss for Frederick with 5 1/3 IP of 8 runs (7 ER) on 11 hits, a walk and 5 Ks to drop to 6-5 with a 5.27 ERA. Adam Loewen started the game with a perfect 1st in a rehab start. SS Ryan McCarthy was 2-5 with his 2nd triple to move to .260 and C Matt Wieters was 0-1 with 3 BB to drop to .340, but he did make his 6th error on a dropped foul pop in the 7th. Another O's top prospect, 3B Billy Rowell, was 1-4 to fall to .254.

Wilmington is 33-32. The series ends tonight. Probable starters: Rocks righty Jason Godin (2-6, 5.78) vs. Keys prospect right-hander Brandon Erbe (5-5, 5.01).

A - Burlington: Bees 6, Wisconsin 2

RF Van Stratten 2-3, BB, 2B, HR, 2 RBI (4), 2 RS, SB (2) -- .333
1B C. Robinson 2-4, 2 2B (9), RBI (17), K -- .242
3B Moustakas 1-4, K, RS -- .225
2B Martin 1-3, BB, 3B, 2 RBI (9), CS, E (8) -- .328
CF Ortiz 0-4, RBI (17), RS -- .294
DH Taylor 0-3, BB, 2 K, RS -- .221
SS J. Rivera 1-3, S, 2B (5), K, RS -- .308

Paulino 6 IP, 4 H, BB, 6 K, WP, 2 balks -- W, 3-3, 3.75 ERA
Baldwin 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, K, HRA -- 4.15 ERA
Arias IP, K -- 3.78 ERA

*** Eduardo Paulino had his stuff going Tuesday as the Bees took another game from the Timber Rattlers. Paulino left 2 in scoring position in the 1st and the Bees jumped on Wisconsin SP Don Hume for 3 runs in the 1st on a solo homer by Nick Van Stratten for his 1st of the season and a 2-out, 2-run triple by Kyle Martin. Juan Rivera doubled and scored on an Adrian Ortiz RBI fielder's choice in the 2nd and Van Stratten doubled in Ortiz to make it 5-0 Bees. Paulino stranded 2 in scoring position in the 4th and handed the ball to Burke Baldwin in the 7th. Baldwin gave up a 2-run homer to lose the shutout but the Bees got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a 2-out RBI double by Clint Robinson to make it 6-2. Henry Arias finished it with a 1-2-3 9th. Hume took the loss with 2 IP of 5 runs (4 ER) on 6 hits, 2 walks and a K to drop to 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA. SS Juan Diaz was 2-4 to improve to .256 and C Blake Ochoa hit his 1st homer of the season for the Rattlers.

Burlington is 27-38. The series continues tonight as Bees SP Matt Mitchell (3-5, 4.05) takes on Wisconsin's Juan Ramirez (3-4, 3.69).