Royals on the Farm 6/14

AAA - Omaha: Albuquerque 7, O-Royals 0

1B Butler 2-4 -- .383
DH Shealy 1-3, HBP -- .237
SS Smith 1-4, 2 SB (3) -- .259, Omaha had 4 hits
CF Maier 0-2, 2 BB, K, OF assist at third -- .303
RF Costa 0-3, BB, K -- .286
LF Lubanski 0-4, 2 K -- .258

Wright 5 IP, 5 ER, 10 H, BB, 4 K, WP -- L, 1-4, 5.89 ERA
Colon IP, H -- 4.94 ERA
Bradley 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K -- 16.88 ERA, maybe he needs to hit high-A or AA first, ya think?

*** Former Royal pitcher Bobby Keppel held the O-Royals in check and Albuquerque cruised to a 7-0 win. Omaha starter Matt Wright had another bad start as he gave up 2 runs on 4 hits in the 1st. Omaha left the bases loaded in the 3rd and Wright stranded 2 'Topes in the 3rd. He had no such luck in the 5th as the Isotopes scored 3 more runs on a single and 3 doubles to make it 5-0. Omaha stranded 2 in the 7th and Tony Bradley got another appearance and gave up an RBI double in both the 7th and 8th as Albuquerque stretched the lead to 7-0. The last 6 Omaha batters went down in a row to end it. Keppel got the win with 6 2/3 IP of 4 hits, 4 walks and 7 Ks to improve to 7-6 with a 4.97 ERA. Isotopes DH John Gall was 5-5 with 3 doubles (22) and 3 RBI (53) with 2 RS to improve to .346. 3B Dallas McPherson was 3-3 with a walk, 2 doubles (10), a RS and his 44th RBI to move to .299 and SS Chris Barnwell also had 2 hits for Albuquerque.

Omaha is 33-34 and 5 games out. Game 3 of the set is tonight. Probable starters: O-Royals RH Brandon Duckworth (3-5, 4.34) vs. 'Topes RH Frankie De La Cruz (7-3, 3.92).

AA - NW Arkansas: Springfield 4, Naturals 0 (7/G1)

SS Sanchez 2-3 -- .262
CF Duarte 1-3, SB (15) -- .256
1B Kaaihue 0-3, K, E (4) -- .271
DH Richardson 1-3, SB (2) -- .293
2B Maddox 0-2, K -- .291
* 3B Mario Lisson had 2 errors to get to 10 on the season.

Pimentel 4 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 7 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- L, 3-7, 5.24 ERA, another poor outing
Mildren 2 IP, H, 3 BB, 2 K -- 6.84 ERA

*** Mark Mulder held the Naturals in check as Springfield earned a shutout in the first of 2 with NWA Saturday. Naturals SP Julio Pimentel gave up a double and 2-run HR to start the bottom of the 1st and then gave up a sac fly after 2 Mario Lisson errors on one play to spot the Cards a 3-0 lead. The Cardinals got another run on 2 hits off Pimentel in the 2nd. Jose Duarte hit a 2-out single in the 3rd, stole second and tried to score on an Angel Sanchez single but got nailed at the plate to keep the Naturals off the board. Pimentel stranded 2 in the 3rd and got a bases-loaded double play to end the 4th. Paul Mildren stranded 2 in both the 5th and 6th but the last 7 Nats went down in order to end it. Mulder got the win with 5 IP of 5 hits and 3 Ks to move to 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA. LF Shane Robinson was 3-4 with his 14th double and 31st RBI, a RS and an OF assist at home to move to .374 and CF Jon Jay was 1-3 with a walk, his 9th homer and 2 RBI (34) to move to .310.

Springfield 5, Naturals 3 (7/G2)

DH Kaaihue 1-3, RBI (42), RS -- .272
1B Richardson 1-3, RBI (33), 2 K -- .293
SS Falu 1-3, 2B (2), RS -- .267
RF Valentin 1-3, K, RS -- .283
CF Duarte 0-3 -- .253
2B Maddox 0-3, K -- .286

B. Wood 2 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 2 K, HRA, WP -- L, 1-2, 7.31 ERA, ouch
C. Hayes 2 2/3 IP, K -- 2.16 ERA
D. Hughes IP, 2 K -- 3.02 ERA

*** Springfield again jumped on the Naturals' starter and the Cards held off NW Arkansas to sweep the doubleheader and cripple the Naturals' first half chances. Blake Wood gave up a double and RBI single to start the bottom of the 1st but stranded 2. The Cardinals strung together a 4-run rally in the 3rd as Wood allowed a single, 2 walks, a run scoring wild pitch and 3-run homer to make it 5-0 and Wood got pulled. Kila Kaaihue hit an RBI single to get NWA on the scoreboard in the 4th and Juan Richardson did the same before a Marc Maddox double play ball scored a third run but hurt the rally. NWA stranded 2 in the inning. The last 10 Nats went down in order. Another rehabber, Cards SP Matt Clement, got the win with 5 IP of 3 ER on 5 hits with 3 Ks to move to 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA. RP Fernando Salas picked up his 11th save. Jay was 2-3 for Springfield with his 35th RBI to move to .315 and RF Mark Shorey had his 6th homer and 3 RBI (25).

NWA is 32-35 and 3 games back. The series ends tonight as NW Arkansas sends Rowdy Hardy (2-5, 4.79) to the mound vs. Springfield's Tyler Herron (2-3, 3.96).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: suspended (rain)

*** The game was suspended with the Rocks up, 3-2, in the 5th and will be completed today before the regularly scheduled game, which has been cut to 7 innings. Wilmington righty Matt Kniginyzky (2-6, 3.55) will start vs. Winston-Salem righty Anthony Carter (0-1, 7.20) in the regular game.

A - Burlington: Peoria 3, Bees 2

LF Lough 2-3, S, 2B (9), RBI (25) -- .258
3B Moustakas 1-4, K, E (14) -- .223, let's move him to RF and get it over with
1B C. Robinson 2-4, K, RS -- .260
C Eigsti 1-4, HR (4), RBI (15), 2 K, RS -- .203
CF Ortiz 1-5, K, SB (23) -- .303
DH Martin 1-4, 2B (7), K -- .338
2B Giavotella 0-4, K -- .222
SS J. Rivera 0-3, BB, K -- .296
* RF Jamar Walton had an OF assist at second.

Duffy 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 7 K, 2 HRA -- L, 2-3, 4.61 ERA
Abreu 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K -- 4.17 ERA

*** The Chiefs made a 3-run 1st stand the whole game to even the series with the Bees. Bees starter Dan Duffy gave up back-to-back homers in the 1st with one being a 2-run shot and Peoria took a 3-0 lead. Burlington's best shot came in the 4th as they left the bases loaded. Ryan Eigsti cracked his 4th homer to lead off the 5th and a David Lough RBI double closed it to 1 in the 8th. RP Stephen Vento picked up his 7th save for Peoria in the 9th. RP Zach Ashwood got the win with 2 IP of an ER on 2 hits with 3 Ks to improve to 2-6 with a 5.24 ERA. Starter Kevin Kreier worked 4 innings and allowed only 4 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.96. 3B Marquez Smith was 1-4 with his 11th homer and 2 RBI (40) along with his 13th E to move to .300.

The Bees are 30-39. The first half ends today with the finale at Peoria. Starters are Bees' SP Eduardo Paulino (3-3, 3.75) and Peoria's Robert Hernandez (0-0, 5.79).