Royals on the Farm 6/17

AAA - Omaha: Round Rock 3, O-Royals 0

RF Costa 2-4 -- .290
CF Maier 1-4 -- .310
1B Butler 1-4 -- .394
DH Shealy 0-4, K -- .232
C B. Pena 1-3 -- .280
LF Lubanski 0-3, K -- .254

Colon 4 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 4 K, HRA, pickoff -- L, 2-2, 4.88 ERA
Peralta 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K, pickoff -- 0.00 ERA, 45-pitch outing
Musser IP, ER, H, HRA -- 3.99 ERA

*** Omaha was shut out in 6 hits in the opener with the Express. Starter Roman Colon only had one 1-2-3 inning -- the 3rd -- and the Express got a 2-run homer in the 4th to take the lead. Round Rock starter Josh Miller handed a 5-hit shutout to the pen in the 8th as Omaha's best chance came in the 7th when the Royals stranded 2. Neal Musser gave up a 2-out solo homer in the 8th and the Royals didn't threaten in either the 8th or 9th. Miller got the win with 5 hits and 2 Ks over 7 innings to move to 4-3 with a 5.29 ERA. Three Express batters had 2-hit games, including RF David Newhan, who was 2-3 with his 7th HR and 2 RBI (32) to move to .291.

Omaha is 33-37 and 7 games out. Game 2 with the Express is tonight. Probable starters: Omaha LH Horacio Ramirez (1-1, 2.25) vs. Express RH Chad Reineke (3-8, 6.06). With Dusty Hughes getting called up to AAA, RP Tony Bradley was mercifully sent back to A-ball in Burlington.

AA - NW Arkansas: Tulsa 10, Naturals 5

SS Sanchez 2-3, BB, 3B (2), 2 RBI (23), RS -- .269
2B Falu 2-4, HR, RBI (13), RS -- .270
CF Duarte 2-3, BB, 2B (10), 2 RS -- .255
1B Kaaihue 1-3, BB, RBI (44) -- .277
3B Lisson 0-3, SF, RBI (24) -- .208
RF McFall 1-4, 3B (2), 2 K, RS -- .246

Mildren 3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K, pickoff -- L, 2-5, 7.36 ERA
Plummer 4 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 4 K, HRA -- 4.88 ERA
C. Hayes 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, HRA -- 2.39 ERA

*** A 3-inning stretch of 7 Tulsa runs was the poison that took down the Naturals Tuesday. NWA starter Paul Mildren allowed a run in the 1st on 2 hits and a walk but the Naturals evened it in their half on a leadoff double by Jose Duarte and an Angel Sanchez RBI single. Mildren allowed another run on 2 hits in the 3rd and was pulled after giving up 2 singles to start the 4th. Jarod Plummer came in and threw a little gas on the fire with a 1-out RBI single, walk and sac fly to make it 4-1 Tulsa. The fire became an inferno in the 5th as Plummer was hit for 4 runs on a solo homer and bases-loaded triple. Irving Falu hit his 1st homer of the season as a solo shot in the 5th but RP Chris Hayes gave up a 2-run homer to the first batter he faced in the 8th to make it 10-2. Sanchez knocked an RBI triple in the 8th and scored on a Kila Kaaihue groundout to cut it to 10-4 and the Naturals were able to scrape together another run in the 9th on a Mario Lisson sac fly after Brian McFall led off the inning with a triple. That was it, tho, for NWA. Tulsa SP Chaz Roe got the win with 7 IP of 2 ER on 5 hits, 3 walks and 4 Ks to improve to 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA. 3B Tony Blanco was 4-5 with 2 doubles (15), 2 HR (12) and 5 RBI (40) to move to .333 and four other Drillers had 2-hit games. DH Jeff Dragicevich had the 3-run triple for his 2nd three-bagger of the season.

NW Arkansas finished the first half 33-37. Arkansas took the first-half division title. The second half begins tonight in game 3 with the Drillers as NWA's Dan Cortes (2-3, 3.95) takes the hill vs. Tulsa's Alan Johnson (3-6, 4.91).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Frederick 3, Blue Rocks 1

SS McConnell 1-4, RBI (17), K, picked off -- .262
CF D. Robinson 1-4, 2B (11), K -- .257
3B J. Johnson 1-3, 2 K, picked off -- .282, team only had 3 hits
RF Dickerson 0-3, 2 K -- .320
2B Bianchi 0-3, 2 K -- .243

Godin 3 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- L, 2-7, 5.33 ERA, left after hit in the face with liner
Haltiwanger 2 2/3 IP, H, BB, 3 K -- 4.50 ERA
de la Vara 2 IP, H, BB, K -- 3.32 ERA
Chambliss IP, ER, 2 H, BB, HRA -- 3.58 ERA

*** Once again Keys starter Brandon Erbe silenced the Rocks' bats and the Keys opened the second half of the season with a victory. Rocks starter Jason Godin had a no-hitter going through 3 1/3 innings but then allowed a single, walk, RBI double and RBI single off his jaw that knocked him from the game. He walked off under his own power and was taken to a hospital. Russ Haltiwanger stranded 2 and Erbe retired 20 of 22 batters he faced while facing only 1 over the minimum through 7. Tyler Chambliss gave up a homer to start the 9th and make it 3-0 Keys but left 2 in scoring position. The Rocks could fare no better versus the Keys pen starting in the 8th but Derrick Robinson did hit a 1-out double in the 9th with Chris McConnell scoring a run on a groundout before RP Chad Thall picked up his 6th save. Erbe got the win with 7 IP of a hit and 12 Ks as he dominated Wilmington to move to 6-5 with a 4.23 ERA. RF Brandon Tripp was 2-4 with his 8th double, 10th homer and 2 RBI (36) to move to .234 and 1B Chris Vinyard was 2-4 with his 27th RBI to move to .252. C Matt Wieters was 0-2 with 2 walks and a run scored to drop to .348.

Wilmington is 0-1. Game 2 of the series is tonight. Probable starters: Wilmington righty Ed Cegarra (2-2, 4.44) and Frederick's Tim Bascom (1-2, 4.50).

A - Burlington: all-star break

*** The MWL West won the all-star game, 5-4. Bees CF Adrian Ortiz went 1-3 with an RBI to lead off for the West and P Joe Augustine allowed a hit and walk with 1 K in his inning of work in the 7th. The Bees get back into action tomorrow for the second half of the season.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Casper 5, Chukars 3 (13)

2B Garcia 3-5, HBP, 2B, K, E -- .600
RF Francis 2-6, HR, 3 RBI, K, RS, 2 OF assists at home -- .333
SS Molina 2-6, 2B -- .333
CF Norris 0-5, 2 BB, K, RS, SB -- .000
LF Griffin 1-5, BB, 3B, 2 K, RS, OF assist at home -- .200
C McCauley 0-4, PB -- .000
1B Espinosa 0-4, K, E -- .000
* The Chukars stranded 14.

Casey 4 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K -- 0.00 ERA
Toribio IP, H, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Morgan 3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 5 H, K, E, WP -- BS, 1, 3.00 ERA
B. Hardy 2 IP, ER, 4 H -- 4.50 ERA
Rada 3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, pickoff -- L, 0-1, 6.00 ERA

*** The Chukars blew a lead in the 8th, made a key rally in the 10th but then fell in 13 in the season opener versus the Ghosts. Starter Bryan Casey stranded 2 in the 2nd and Shawn Griffin hit a 1-out triple in the 4th for his first pro hit and scored on a Nick Francis groundout to put IF up. The score stayed 1-0 into the 7th when Casper tied it on 2 2-out singles and an error on RP Ryan Morgan. Francis led off the Chukars 7th with his 1st homer of the season and the Chukars were back ahead, but Morgan was hurt by an error behind him that ended up allowing the game to be tied on a 2-out RBI single in the 8th. Griffin cut down a runner at the plate to end the inning but the Chukars left 2 in scoring position in the 8th and then stranded 2 more in the 9th as the game went to extras. Blaine Hardy gave up a triple and squeeze bunt in the 10th to put Casper up, 3-2, but Francis ended the inning but nailing a runner at home and then, with 2 out and the tying run at third in the bottom of the inning, Francis singled to keep the Chukars alive. IF stranded 2 in both the 10th and 11th. Orlando Rada came out for his 3rd inning of work in the 13th and the Ghosts finally got to him with 2 runs on 3 hits, a walk and hit batsman, although Francis continued his heroics by cutting down another runner at home to end the rally. This time IF couldn't respond as RP Andres Marrero stranded 1 to get the win. He allowed a hit with a K in 2 IP to move to 1-0. Starter Jeff Fischer went 7 2/3 IP of 2 ER on 6 hits, a walk and 4 Ks to make his ERA 2.35. Seven Ghosts had multi-hit games, including three with 3-hit games. The teams combined for 8 errors.

Idaho Falls is 0-1. Game 2 of the set is tonight. No announced starters on the team site.

Rookie - Burlington: Danville 5, B-Royals 3

C Perez 2-4, 3B, RBI, K -- .500
1B D. Cruz 2-4, RBI, E -- .500
2B Franco 2-4, RS, SB, E -- .500
CF H. Richardson 1-4, K, RS, CS -- .250
LF Aparicio 1-3, SF, RBI, K -- .333
RF Caldwell 0-4, 3 K -- .000, rough debut
DH Morales 0-4, K -- .000
3B F. Cruz 1-4, RS, E -- .250

Herrera 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K, WP -- 3.60 ERA
Roq. Colon 2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA, WP -- L, 0-1, 9.00 ERA
Mieles 2 IP, 2 BB, K -- 0.00 ERA

*** A tie game was broken open in the 6th by the Braves, who went on to take the season opener. Royals starter Kelvin Herrera gave up a 2-out triple and RBI single in the 1st but his teammates picked him up with a tying run in the bottom of the frame as Diego Cruz singled home a run. Herrera gave up another RBI single in the 2nd but Julio Aparicio hit a bases-loaded sac fly in the 3rd to retie it. The Royals left 2 in scoring position, however. Roque Colon came in for the 6th and promptly gave up a walk and 2-run homer before regrouping to strike out the side. Two Royals errors led to another Braves run in the 7th to make it 5-2 Danville. Salvador Perez hit an RBI triple in the bottom of the 7th but was left at third and the Royals didn't threaten again. RP Cody Railsback picked up his 1st save for Danville and RP Junior Rojas got the win with 3 2/3 IP of an ER on 2 hits with 3 Ks to move to 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Starter Randall Delgado went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 2 runs (1 ER) on 5 hits with 5 Ks to make his ERA 2.70. 1B Gerardo Rodriguez was 2-4 with a homer and 3 RBI to set a .500 BA.

The B-Royals are 0-1. The series shifts to Danville tonight for the first of 2 games. No starters announced on the team site.