Royals on the Farm 6/26

AAA - Omaha: off day

*** The O-Royals return to the friendly confines of Rosenblatt Stadium for the start of a 4-game set with the Oklahoma RedHawks (44-36, AAA Rangers) tonight. Omaha sends RH Carlos Rosa (2-1, 3.96) to the mound vs. Oklahoma's Matt Harrison (2-1, 4.00). No word yet on the team site whether IF Angel Sanchez or RP Yaz Yabuta will be on hand for tonight's game.

AA - NW Arkansas: San Antonio 8, Naturals 0

RF Falu 2-4 -- .259
DH McFall 1-3, 2B (11), 2 K -- .246, team's only XBH
CF Duarte 1-4, 2 K, E (3), OF assist at home -- .247, if he was just a smidge better in every offensive area he'd be a really good prospect

B. Wood 4 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K, HRA, WP -- L, 1-3, 6.33 ERA, still working on consistency
Plummer 2 IP, 2 BB, 4 K -- 4.50 ERA
de la Vara 1/3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 3 H, BB, K -- 54.00 ERA, yowza
Crist 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- 4.02 ERA

*** The Naturals almost had as many errors (4) as hits (5) in getting trounced in the opener with the Missions. Blake Wood loaded the bases with no outs in the 1st and ended up allowing a 2-run single before escaping the jam without further damage. A homer in the 2nd made it 3-0 SA and NWA was shut out on 2 hits through 5. Jarod Plummer came in with 2 on and 0 outs in the 5th and ended up walking in a run before stranding the bases loaded. The Missions loaded the bases again in the 7th off Gilbert de la Vara (making his '08 AA debut) and got 2 2-run singles to make it 8-0. Former Royal farmhand Gabe DeHoyos finished it in the 9th for San Antonio. P Mike Ekstrom got the win with 4 IP of 2 hits, a walk and 4 Ks to move to 3-5 with a 6.10 ERA and starter Steve Garrison worked only 2 innings with a hit and K to lower his ERA to 3.01. 1B Mike Baxter was 3-5 with 2 RBI (25) to move to .293 and CF Drew Macias and C Colt Morton had 2 hits each for the Missions. Morton chipped in his 2nd homer and 3 RBI (9) to move to .161.

NWA is 2-5 and 2.5 games back. The series continues tonight as Nats SP Julio Pimentel (3-8, 5.40) takes on San Antonio's Stephen Faris (4-2, 3.46). The Nats are 6-17 in June.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Salem 6, Blue Rocks 3

RF Dickerson 2-4, 3B (9), RBI (44), K, RS -- .319
DH Mertins 2-4, 2 K, RS, SB (15) -- .293
2B Bianchi 0-3, SF, RBI (33), 2 K -- .239
SS McConnell 1-3, BB, K, RS -- .285
3B J. Johnson 1-3, S, K -- .268
CF D. Robinson 0-3, BB, K, SB (32), picked off -- .248

Cegarra 4 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, BB, 3 K, HRA -- L, 2-3, 4.71 ERA, not his night
Haltiwanger 2 IP, 2 H, BB, K -- 3.86 ERA
Swaggerty IP, K -- 3.18 ERA
Barrera 2 IP, H, K -- 2.62 ERA

*** Salem scored in each of the first 4 innings to get past the Rocks in the post all-star break opener. Ed Cegarra gave up a double and sac fly in the 1st but Joe Dickerson hit an RBI triple and scored on a Jeff Bianchi sac fly in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1 Rocks. Koby Clemens tripled and scored for Salem to tie it in the 2nd and the Avalanche slapped together 2 more doubles in the 3rd to make it 3-2 Salem. A run scoring passed ball and 2-run homer in the 4th completed the onslaught as Salem made it 6-2. Kurt Mertins scored on a passed ball in the 5th to cut the lead to 3. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 7th and Derrick Robinson walked and stole second in the 8th but was picked off, which made a subsequent Dickerson single meaningless. Mertins singled and got to third in the 9th but was stranded there as RP Jason Dominguez got his 5th save. Starter Doug Arguello worked 6 IP of 3 ER on 4 hits, a walk and 7 Ks to move to 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA. Three Salem hitters had 2-hit games. Clemens had his 4th triple and 2 RS with 2 passed balls (19) to move to .264.

The Blue Rocks are 1-6. The series with Salem continues tonight. Probable starters: Rocks righty Mario Santiago (5-4, 4.04) and Salem righty Corey Bass (2-8, 5.81). A few roster moves have been made, as de la Vara got called up to AA, IF Wilver Perez was released after hitting .170 in 31 games, RP Tony Bradley got called up from Burlington to Wilmington, and, as noted in a previous report, P Paul Mildren was demoted from AA.

A - Burlington: Peoria 10, Bees 3

DH Moustakas 2-4, RBI (38), K -- .240
CF Ortiz 1-4, RBI (21), RS -- .299
C Billick 1-2, BB, 2B, RBI, K, RS, E -- .500, newest Bee makes A-ball debut
3B-1B Taylor 0-4, K -- .215
2B Giavotella 1-4, K, CS -- .233
SS Martin 1-4, K, CS (2) -- .341
RF Van Stratten 1-4, K -- .323

D. Gutierrez 3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 5 K -- L, 1-1, 2.53 ERA
Runion 3 2/3 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, HRA -- 5.40 ERA, torched
Chavez 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K, 2 WP -- 2.70 ERA
Baldwin IP, ER, H, K, HRA -- 3.24 ERA

*** The Bees couldn't generate any offense until it was too late as Peoria won their third straight over Burlington in the series finale. Starter Danny Gutierrez gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in the 1st and the Chiefs were off to the races. Clint Robinson was pulled from the game before even coming to the plate in the 2nd and the Bees squandered a couple chances at a rally before the Chiefs got a sac fly in the 5th to make it 3-0. The Chiefs broke it open in the 7th with 5 runs on 3 hits, a 2-run homer, a sac fly, a hit batsman and error. A Chris Chavez wild pitch scored a run in the 8th and the Bees finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Joe Billick hit an RBI double and scored on an Adrian Ortiz single and Mike Moustakas singled Ortiz home to cut it to 9-3. Two Bees were stranded and Burke Baldwin gave up a solo homer in the 9th to provide the final part of the margin of defeat. Peoria SP Kevin Kreier got the win with 6 IP of 5 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to improve to 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA. Only 3 Chiefs DIDN'T have 2-hit games, and 3 Chiefs had 2 RBI each.

So much for a hot start to the second half. The Bees are 4-4 and 3 games back. A 4-game home set versus the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (3-5, A Mariners) starts tonight. Slated starters are Bees SP Eduardo Paulino (3-3, 3.84) and Wisconsin's Juan Ramirez (3-5, 3.91). The Bees are 8-4 versus the Rattlers and have won 7 of the last 8 head-to-head.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Casper 4, Chukars 2

RF Francis 2-4, HR (3), 2 RBI (12), 2 K, RS -- .317
CF Norris 2-5, K, SB (5) -- .308
2B F. Garcia 2-5, K, E (3) -- .310
LF Griffin 2-4, 2 K, RS -- .273
C McCauley 0-4 -- .182
SS Molina 1-4, 3B, 2 K -- .310

Toribio 3 IP, ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K, WP -- 4.50 ERA
Rada 2 IP, UER, H, BB, 2 K -- 3.18 ERA
C. Beach 2 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 2 K, WP -- L, 0-1, 9.00 ERA
Saito IP, K -- 2.70 ERA
Thompson IP, BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA

*** The Chukars came back to tie it in the 5th but a Casper rally in the 7th got the Ghosts the win. The Ghosts got 2 doubles and a walk for a run off Aneidy Toribio in the 1st and the Chukars got 2 in scoring position with no out in the 1st but failed to get a run home. IF left the bases loaded in the 3rd and then squandered a triple in the 4th. A triple, error and walk made it 2-0 Casper in the 5th and Nick Francis tied it in the bottom of the inning with a 2-run homer for his 3rd of the season. Colby Beach came in for the 6th and stranded 2 but gave up 2 runs in the 7th on 4 hits and a wild pitch. The Chukars didn't threaten thereafter and Casper RP Kurt Yacko got his 3rd save. Wonder if Yacko has a great curveball.... RP Juan Rodriguez got the win with a perfect inning of work to move to 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA. Starter Matt Baugh worked 5 IP and allowed 2 ER on 8 hits, a walk and 5 Ks to move his ERA to 2.70. SS Carlos Martinez and LF Mike Zuanich had 2 hits each for Casper.

IF is 4-6 and 5 games back. The finale with Casper is tonight with no announced starters on the team site.

Rookie - Burlington: Princeton 7, B-Royals 6

3B Morales 4-4, 2B (2), HR, 4 RBI (5), 2 RS -- .273, first pro homer, very nice game
1B G. De La Cruz 1-5, 2B, RBI, K, RS -- .200, moved from P to position, or just an every now-and-then thing?
RF Caldwell 1-4, RBI (3), SB -- .182
CF H. Richardson 1-5, 2 K -- .257
C S. Perez 0-3, S, E -- .273
DH Moctezuma 1-4, 2B (2), 2 K -- .200

Lehmann 4 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 2 BB -- 11.57 ERA
Flanagan 3 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 5 K -- L, 0-1, 1.42 ERA

*** The Rays rallied in the 8th to beat the B-Royals. The Royals got off to a rough start as Mike Lehmann allowed 3 runs in the 1st on 3 hits and 2 walks, including the first pro hit of #1 overall pick SS Tim Beckham. The Royals evened it in the 3rd as Giancarlo De La Cruz hit an RBI double and Jason Morales hit a 2-run single. Lehmann gave up a leadoff triple and RBI single in the 3rd and then a triple and sac fly in the 4th to make it 5-3 Rays. Morales creamed his 1st pro homer in the 5th for a 2-run shot to tie the game and Allen Caldwell singled in Morales in the 8th to give Burlington a 6-5 lead. John Flanagan had allowed 1 hit in 3 IP entering the 8th but gave up a 2-out RBI single to tie it and a Salvador Perez throwing error allowed the lead run to cross the plate, although Caldwell threw out a runner at the plate via the cutoff man to end the rally. The Royals went down in order in the 9th as RP Mike Jarman got the win to move to 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA. Starter Kevin Chavez worked 4 innings of 3 ER on 5 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 3.00. 2B Elias Otero was 3-3 with his 4th triple and 3 RBI (7) and 2nd SB to move to .341 and Beckham DH'd and was 1-4 with a run scored to set a .250 BA. LF Justin Reynolds also had 2 hits for Princeton.

The B-Royals are 1-8. The series continues tonight with no announced starters on the team site.

Rookie - AZL: off day

*** The Royals lost to the M's in 10 today as AZL play resumed. Ariel Bonilla took the loss.