Royals on the Farm 6/15

AAA - Omaha: Albuquerque 7, O-Royals 1

LF Hollins 2-4, HR (7), RBI (26), K, RS -- .215
DH Butler 2-4 -- .391
CF Costa 2-3, BB, K -- .292
1B Shealy 0-3, BB, K -- .232
RF Stodolka 1-4 -- .229

Duckworth 5 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 9 K, 3 HRA, pickoff -- L, 3-6, 4.93 ERA
Lowery 2 IP, BB, 2 K -- 1.33 ERA, back from DL
Musser IP, BB, 3 K -- 3.86 ERA

*** Brandon Duckworth got hit hard and Omaha dropped a second straight to Albuquerque. Duckworth gave up an RBI single, 2-run homer and, immediately after, a solo homer and the Isotopes had a 4-0 lead quickly. Another homer and RBI single in the 2nd made it 6-0 Isotopes. Omaha had a baserunner in each of the first 4 innings but couldn't get one home, and Duckworth gave up a 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the inning. Omaha left the bases full in the 5th and finally got on the board with a solo homer by Damon Hollins in the 6th for his 7th of the season. The Royals ended up getting a runner in every inning but couldn't get any more than Hollins' blast. Isotopes SP Eulogio De La Cruz got the win with 6 IP of an ER on 5 hits and 3 walks with 9 Ks to improve to 8-3 with a 3.72 ERA. LF John Gall was 3-4 with 3 RBI (56) and a RS to move to .356 and DH Jason Wood had 2 hits for Albuquerque. 3B Dallas McPherson clubbed his 21st homer. The Isotopes were also 4-4 on SB off C Matt Tupman with Duckworth pitching during 3 of those steals.

Omaha is 33-35 and 6.5 games out. The series ends tonight as Omaha tries to earn a split. Starters were Omaha LH Tyler Lumsden (2-7, 6.71) and Isotopes RH Gaby Hernandez (2-6, 5.58). With Devon Lowery getting activated, Brian Buchanan was put on the DL and RP John Foster was sent down to Idaho Falls.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 3, Springfield 1

SS Sanchez 2-5, RBI (21), K, SB (4), E (11) -- .264
1B Kaaihue 1-2, 2 BB, HR (15), RBI (43), RS -- .275
CF-LF Suero 2-5, 2 2B (5), K, 2 RS, 2 SB (29) -- .279
2B Maddox 2-4, CS (5) -- .290
DH Valentin 0-3, SF, RBI (17), K -- .279
3B Richardson 1-2, 2 BB, CS (5) -- .295

Hardy 7 IP, UER, 6 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 3-5, 4.37 ERA, nice start
D. Hughes 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- SV, 3, 2.91 ERA

*** Rowdy Hardy had maybe his best start of the season and the Naturals took the finale from Springfield. Ovandy Suero led off the game with a double and scored on a Geraldo Valentin sac fly before the Naturals stranded 2. NWA left the bases full in the 3rd and an Angel Sanchez RBI single in the 4th (after Suero's 2nd double of the game) made it 2-0 Nats. A Sanchez error in the 4th helped lead to a sac fly and the Cardinals' lone run. Kila Kaaihue led off the 5th with his 15th homer and the Naturals got their 2-run lead back. Hardy stranded 2 Cards in the 7th and Dusty Hughes pitched 2 innings for his 3rd save. Cards SP Mark McCormick took the loss with 4 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits and 4 walks with 2 Ks to fall to 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA. Seven different Cards each had a hit with SS Tyler Greene having the only RBI for his 23rd of the season.

NW Arkansas is 33-36 and 3 games back. The Naturals started a 4-game home set with the Tulsa Drillers (28-41, AA Rockies) tonight. The series will bridge the first and second halves of the season, but the Nats have been eliminated from the first half race. The Naturals are 7-5 versus Tulsa....actually 7-6 as they lost tonight's game with Blake Johnson getting hung with the L. Hughes is reportedly getting the call to Omaha today or tomorrow. Chris Nicoll will take Hughes' place from Wilmington.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Winston-Salem 5, Blue Rocks 3 (10/comp. of Sun. game)

RF Dickerson 2-4, BB, RBI (38) -- .320
CF D. Robinson 2-5, K, RS, SB (31), picked off, E (4) -- .257
2B Bianchi 1-5, HR (4), RBI (27), K, RS -- .251
DH Mertins 0-4, BB, RBI (26), 2 SB (13) -- .281
SS McConnell 1-5, K, E (15) -- .257, bad run of defense lately
3B J. Johnson 0-4, BB, SB (7) -- .274
* LF Jarrod Dyson stole 2 bases to get to 23 on the season.

Teaford 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, BB, 4 K, HRA, pickoff, balk -- 2.79 ERA
Barrera 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 2.76 ERA
Nicoll 2 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP -- BS, 1, 2.91 ERA
Haltiwanger IP, 2 UER, H, BB -- L, 1-1, 5.06 ERA

*** The Rocks lead, gained shortly after play resumed in the 5th Monday, vanished in the 8th and the game went to the Warthogs in 10. Starter Everett Teaford gave up a solo homer in the 1st to spot the 'Hogs a lead. A Joe Dickerson RBI groundout tied the game in the bottom of the 1st but Teaford gave up a 2-out RBI triple in the 4th as the Warthogs moved back ahead. Jeff Bianchi tied the game in the Rocks 4th with a solo homer for his 4th of the season and, after the game was washed out on Sunday, it picked back up in the 5th and Jarrod Dyson walked, stole 2 bases and scored on a Kurt Mertins forceout to make it 3-2 Rocks. Chris Nicoll came on for the 8th and let a runner in on a wild pitch before stranding 2. Joe Dickerson was thrown out on a fielder's choice at the plate in the 8th and the game went to extras. Russ Haltiwanger came on for the 10th and two Rocks errors and a passed ball helped fuel a 2-run Warthog rally and Kanekoa Texeira picked up his 12th save for Winston-Salem. RP Matt Davis went 3 IP of a hit, walk and K for the win to move to 2-1 with a 7.34 ERA. 'Hogs SP Matt Zaleski allowed 2 ER on 3 hits and a walk over 4 IP to move his ERA to 3.81. Four 'Hogs had 2-hit games with DH Anderson Gomes knocking in the game-winning runs.

Blue Rocks 8, Winston-Salem 3 (7/reg. Mon. game)

RF Dickerson 2-3, BB, 3B (8), 3 RBI (41), K -- .325, nice day
3B J. Johnson 2-3, BB, RBI (20), 2 RS, SB (8) -- .281
CF Dyson 2-4, RS, 2 SB (25) -- .265
C Morizio 1-4, 3B (3), 2 RBI (10), RS -- .167
SS McConnell 2-3, BB, 2B (18), 2 RS, 2 SB (18) -- .262
2B Bianchi 0-3, HBP, K, RS -- .247
DH W. Perez 0-2, SF, RBI (6) -- .169

Kniginyzky 4 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K, E, 2 WP -- 3.61 ERA
Swaggerty 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- W, 2-1, 2.25 ERA
Hartsock IP, 2 K -- 4.76 ERA

*** A 6-run rally got the Rocks a win to end the first half of the season. An error and wild pitch by Rocks starter Matt Kniginyzky helped the Warthogs score a run in the 1st. The Rocks answered big-time in the 2nd as Matt Morizio ripped a 2-run triple, Wilver Perez hit a sac fly, and with 2 outs and the bases full, Joe Dickerson came through with a bases-clearing triple to make it 6-1 Wilmington. Josh Johnson scored on an error in the 3rd to pad the lead but Winston-Salem scored 2 runs in the 4th off Kniginyzky to cut it to 7-3. Johnson singled in Chris McConnell in the 4th and the lead was back to 5. Ben Swaggerty left 2 in scoring position in the 6th and Aaron Hartsock finished it with a perfect 7th. 'Hogs SP Anthony Carter took the loss with 6 ER on 5 hits, 2 walks and a K over 2 IP to fall to 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA. Four Warthogs had 2-hit games, including LF John Shelby, who was 2-3 with his 11th double, a RS, 2 SB (17) and his 1st error to move to .260.

The Rocks finished the first half 35-35. The second half starts tomorrow. P Greg Holland was activated from the DL to take Nicoll's spot.

A - Burlington: Bees 3, Peoria 3 (6/cancelled)

DH Moustakas 2-3, 2B (10), RBI (31), K, RS -- .228
1B C. Robinson 1-2, BB, RBI (22) -- .263
3B Evangelho 1-2, SF, RBI (7), K -- .217
CF Ortiz 0-2, BB, K, CS (11) -- .301
2B Giavotella 0-3, K -- .167
SS J. Rivera 0-2, K -- .286

Paulino 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 K, HRA -- 3.86 ERA

*** When the rain came in the 6th, the teams were tied and the outcome had no impact so the game was cancelled for an odd tie. Clint Robinson singled home Mike Moustakas in the 1st to give the Bees a lead but Peoria tied it in the 2nd on 2 hits. Moustakas singled home a run in the 3rd to make it 2-1 Bees and a Zach Evangelho sac fly in the 4th made it 3-1. Paulino couldn't hold the lead, tho, as he served up a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning to tie it. The Bees left the bases full in the 6th and the rains took care of the rest. Peoria SP Robert Hernandez went 6 IP of 3 ER on 6 hits, 3 walks and 7 Ks to move his ERA to 5.28. 3B Jovan Rosa was 2-2 with a RS to move to .290. 1B Luis Bautista hit his 1st homer and had 3 RBI (12).

The Bees finished the first half 30-39-1. The all-star break started today. I forgot to note yesterday that Bees RP Henry Arias was shipped to Cincinnati as the player to be named in the Brad Salmon deal....a much better deal on the Royals' end than sending Blake Johnson as the player.