Royals on the Farm 6/25

AAA - Omaha: off day

*** The O-Royals are off today, too. They start a 4-game set with Oklahoma tomorrow. Apparently, I was erroneous in saying Brandon Duckworth must have lost his starting slot as the team site has him set to pitch game 3 versus the RedHawks.

AA - NW Arkansas: all star break

*** The TL South defeated the North, 7-3, in 10 innings Wednesday. NWA CF Ovandy Suero chipped in 2 errors and was 0-1 with a sac fly and RBI at the plate. 1B Kila Kaaihue was 1-5 with a double, DH Juan Richardson was 1-3 with a walk, RBI and 2 Ks and SS Angel Sanchez was 0-2. Blake Johnson allowed 2 hits with 2 Ks in his inning of work. Dan Cortes didn't pitch and Dusty Hughes was in Omaha so didn't play, either. The Naturals start a 3-game set at the San Antonio Missions (4-2, AA Padres) tonight. Blake Wood pitches for NW Arkansas. The Nats are 2-4 versus San Antonio. Sanchez has been called up to Omaha after hitting .261 in 63 games at AA this season. Ed Lucas was demoted back to NWA after hitting .128 in 16 games at Omaha. P Julio Pimentel has also been chosen to the World roster for this year's All-Star Futures Game in New York.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: all-star break

*** The second half resumes tonight as the Blue Rocks start a 3-game home set with the Salem Avalanche (2-4, A-Adv. Astros). No announced starters on the team site that I can find.

A - Burlington: Peoria 3, Bees 1

DH C. Robinson 2-3, RBI (26) -- .259
CF Lough 2-4, 2B (12), RS -- .267
2B Giavotella 2-4, K, SB (4) -- .231
3B Moustakas 0-4 -- .236
1B Taylor 0-4, K -- .219
RF Van Stratten 1-3 -- .333

Augustine 6 IP, ER, 4 H, HRA -- 2.04 ERA, no Ks???
Mitchell 3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, K, HRA, pickoff -- L, 5-6, 4.01 ERA

*** Peoria took the lead in the 7th and held on for the 3-1 win. Both teams stranded runners early until Peoria got a solo homer off Joe Augustine in the 4th to take a 1-0 lead. David Lough hit a 2-out double in the bottom of the 4th and Clint Robinson singled him home to tie the game. Matt Mitchell came in for the 7th and gave up a leadoff double and RBI single and the Chiefs got another solo homer in the 9th for an insurance run. The Bees stranded 1 in the 9th as RP Jon Mueller got his 1st save. Starter Hung-Wen Chen got the win with 6 IP of an ER on 5 hits with 2 Ks to improve to 2-4 with a 3.15 ERA. RF Cliff Andersen was 3-4 with his 11th double and 15th RBI to move to .258 and 1B Luis Bautista was 2-4 with his 10th double, 4th homer and 16th RBI to move to .306.

Burlington is 4-3 and 2 games back. The series wraps tonight as Bees SP Dan Gutierrez (1-0, 2.17) takes on Peoria's Kevin Kreier (2-2, 4.66).

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Ogden 10, Chukars 2

CF Norris 1-2, 2 BB, 2B (2), K, RS, SB (4) -- .294
3B Jimenez 0-3, BB, RBI (2) -- .324
SS Alfaro 0-4, K -- .350
LF Griffin 1-4, K -- .241
C McCauley 0-3, K, E (3) -- .207
DH Espinosa 1-3, BB, picked off -- .200
2B Molina 1-3, BB, RS, 2 SB (5) -- .320

Raglione 2 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA, WP -- L, 0-1, 6.14 ERA
Carver 1 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP -- 15.00 ERA
Gilgenbach 2 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, 4 K, WP -- 7.36 ERA
Novakowski 2 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, 2 K -- 4.15 ERA

*** Ogden coasted to the win to take the series finale from the Chukars. Starter Paul Raglione had 2 on with 2 out in the 2nd when Ogden broke through with a 2-run double and a run-scoring wild pitch to take a 3-0 lead. Yeldrys Molina and Patrick Norris pulled off a successful steal of home and second in the 3rd to cut it to 3-1 but the Raptors got a solo homer and greeted RP Jesse Carver with an RBI single in the 3rd to make it 5-1. Carver gave up 3 more runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in the 4th and Ogden added single runs in the 6th and 8th. Idaho Falls' other run came on an RBI forceout by Antonio Jimenez in the 8th. Starter Jon Dutton got the win for Ogden with 5 IP of an ER on 3 hits with 5 walks and 5 Ks to move to 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. Raptors 1B Steven Caseres was 3-5 with his 2nd double and 2 RBI (5) to move to .348 and LF Clay Calfee was 2-3 with 2 walks, his 3rd homer and 2 RBI (6) to move to .360.

IF is 4-5 and 4 games back. A short 2-game set versus the Casper Ghosts (5-4, Rookie Rockies) starts tonight with no announced starters on the team site. The Chukars are 2-4 versus the Ghosts.

Rookie - Burlington: Pulaski 3, B-Royals 1

C Y. Reyes 2-4 -- .400
1B Morales 0-4, RBI, 2 K, E -- .111, first pro RBI
CF H. Richardson 1-3, S, K, RS -- .267
3B F. Cruz 0-3, HBP, K -- .250
LF Caldwell 0-4, K, OF assist at home -- .172
RF Testa 1-2, 2 BB, 2B, SB, E -- .100

Marimon IP, H, K -- 11.57 ERA, left with tight lower back
J. Rodriguez 3 IP, ER, H, BB, 3 K -- L, 0-1, 6.75 ERA
Halliman 2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, HRA -- 7.36 ERA
Bryant 1 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K -- 16.20 ERA
Huber 1 2/3 IP, H, 3 K -- 6.75 ERA

*** The Mariners outlasted the Royals to get a win in the series finale. Starter Sugar Ray Marimon was pulled after only 1 inning and Pernell Halliman was brought in with 1 on and 0 out in the 5th and promptly gave up a 2-run homer to spot the M's a 2-0 lead. The Royals loaded the bases off U of Kansas product and Overland Park native Nick Czyz with 0 out in the 6th but only got an RBI forceout from Jason Morales out of the deal. Carson Bryant gave up a run in the 8th to make it 3-1 and the Royals left the tying run at second in the 9th as RP Brandon Pullen picked up the 2-inning save for his 2nd of the season. Pulaski SP Brooks Mohr worked 5 IP of 2 hits, 3 walks and 2 Ks to move to 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA. SS Anthony Phillips and RF Kalian Sams both had 2 hits and Sams was 2-4 with his 1st homer and 2 RBI to move to .133. Phillips stole 2 bases in the game.

Burlington is 1-7. A 3-game set at the Princeton Rays (2-7) starts tonight. Probable starters: B-Royals' Mike Lehmann (0-1, 12.00) vs. Rays SP Kevin Chavez (1-0, 0.00). Non-drafted free agent 1B/DH Josh Vittek has been added to the roster fresh out of Mt. St. Mary's College in Maryland. '08 #1 overall pick SS Tim Beckham and his brother, 17th rounder 2B Jeremy Beckham, are on the Princeton roster, altho Tim is currently listed as on the reserve list. "The Bandit" Burt Reynolds also plays for the Rays, only this one is a 19-year-old third baseman. 9th rounder lefty Shawn Smith also plays for Princeton. Actually, the MiLB site says tonight is Tim Beckham's first pro game, so he'll debut versus Burlington.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 6, Padres 5

C Jacobs 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, K, RS -- .500, nice season debut
RF Del Rosario 3-3, S, 2B, 2 RS -- .417
LF D. Rodriguez 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI (3), SB -- .333
2B D. Batista 2-4, RS, CS -- .222
1B A. Marte 2-4, CS -- .400
CF Llanos 0-4 -- .214
DH Henriquez 1-4, RBI (2), K, RS -- .071
3B Kuebler 0-3, RS -- .071

Sample IP, ER, H, BB, 2 K -- 9.00 ERA, pro debut
J. Smith IP, K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA
Montgomery IP, H, K -- 0.00 ERA, scoreless pro debut
Fortuna 3 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- 10.80 ERA
Hentges 1 2/3 IP, 4 H -- 0.00 ERA
B. Richardson IP, nothing -- SV, 1, 4.50 ERA

*** Two 3-run innings early were enough for the Royals to overcome the Padres. The Padres got an RBI groundout off Tyler Sample in his pro debut in the 1st but the Royals scored 3 in the 2nd on a Nestor Jacobs RBI single and 2-run double by Derek Rodriguez. Edwin Henriquez singled in a run in the 4th and Jacobs answered the call again with a 2-run double to make it 6-1. Carlos Fortuna allowed 2 runs in the 6th and was pulled for Chase Hentges with 2 on and 1 out in the 7th. Hentges let 2 runners in on 2 singles to cut it to 6-5 but he and Brett Richardson finished it off. Pads SP Mauricio Tabachnik took the loss with 3 IP of 6 runs (4 ER) on 8 hits and a K to fall to 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA. Four Pads had 2-hit games.

The Royals are 2-2. They had today off.