Royals on the Farm 7/16

AAA - Omaha: PCL 6, IL 5 (AAA all-star game)

SS Smith 0-2, E -- what a showing

*** Omaha's Jason Smith had little to nothing to do with it but the AAA ASG turned out to be a pretty good game. The IL led, 2-0, into the 9th when the Pac Leaguers scored 6 runs and held off a rally by the Internationals in the bottom of the 9th. Smith had the PCL's only error in the game.

The all-star break wraps today.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 4, Arkansas 3

2B Maddox 3-6, 2B (20), 2 K, RS -- .294
1B Kaaihue 0-3, 3 BB, K, RS -- .304
DH Lucas 1-4, BB, RBI (17), K -- .295
RF McFall 1-4, S, RBI (37) -- .240
3B Richardson 1-6, GW RBI (50), K -- .297
SS-LF Falu 0-4, BB, SF, RBI (24), RS -- .248
CF Duarte 1-6, K, RS, OF assist at home -- .258
LF Suero 1-3, K, SB (34) -- .269

Pimentel 7 1/3 IP, ER, 8 H, BB, 5 K, WP -- 5.52 ERA, best start in while
Hamulack 1 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H -- BS, 1, 1.29 ERA
Crist 4 IP, UER, 4 H, 3 BB, WP -- W, 4-1, 3.66 ERA

*** Julio Pimentel had a good start and Tim Hamulack blew the save but Kyle Crist pitched well and Juan Richardson came through in the 13th as the Naturals rallied to keep the win streak going at 5 games. NWA was being shut out on 1 hit through 5 but Pimentel was also holding the Travelers in check until 2 hits, a walk and wild pitch helped plate an Arkansas run in the 6th. Ovandy Suero was thrown out at the plate in the 6th and Jose Duarte held the line with a key OF assist at the plate to end the Arkansas 7th. Ed Lucas and Brian McFall hit RBI singles in the 7th to make it 2-1 NWA but the Naturals stranded 2. They stranded 2 more in the 8th and Hamulack gave up 2 hits and a sac fly in the 9th to tie the game at 2. Crist stranded 2 in the 10th and got timely double plays to keep the game tied in both the 11th and 12th. Two hits, a Mario Lisson error (his 17th) and a sac fly gave Arkansas a 3-2 lead in the top of the 13th and, after 3 perfect innings of relief, "The Other" Francisco Rodriguez (the one in the Angels' minors, not K-Rod) came on for a fourth inning of work. Duarte led off with a single, Marc Maddox doubled and Irving Falu hit a sac fly to tie the game. Kila Kaaihue was intentionally walked but Richardson made the Travs pay with a walkoff single to end it. Rodriguez took the loss with 2 ER over 3 1/3 IP to fall to 2-2 and starter Fernando Rodriguez allowed an ER over 6 IP. DH Chris Pettit and 3B Adam Morrissey had 3-hit games for the Travs and 3 others had 2-hit games. RF Cody Fuller drove in 2 runs.

The Naturals are 15-10 and a game up on first. The second half is going just like the first did....slow start, hot streak to get to first, now let's see if they tank like in the last couple weeks of the first half. The series ends tonight as Blake Johnson (7-6, 4.28) pitches against Arkansas' Robert Mosebach (8-7, 4.87). NWA is going for its second sweep of the Travs this season.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: off day

*** The Blue Rocks start a 3-game set at the Salem Avalanche (8-16, A-Adv. Astros) tonight. Probable starters: Lefty Paul Mildren (0-2, 5.40) and Avalanche southpaw Sergio Severino (0-1, 9.93). The Rocks have eclipsed the team record for SBs with 183 (old record was 171 in '98) and lead all of minor league baseball in that stat. They are off pace, however, to break the Carolina League record of 293 set by the 1980 Durham Bulls. The team HR total of a measly 35 is tied with Wisconsin in the Midwest League in regular A ball for the lowest among all full-season minors teams. The team low is 52 in '00, which the Rocks are currently on pace to tie.

A - Burlington: Quad Cities 8, Bees 2

3B Martin 2-3, K, RS -- .313
2B Giavotella 1-4, 2B (8), RS -- .327
RF Walton 1-3, 2B (12) -- .226, team had 4 hits
LF Lough 0-3, SF, RBI (39), K -- .267
SS J. Rivera 0-3, RBI (15) -- .215
CF Ortiz 0-4 -- .310
1B Taylor 0-4, K -- .209
DH C. Robinson 0-4 -- .230

Caldera 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K -- 3.10 ERA
Z. Peterson 1 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, K -- L, 2-3, 3.77 ERA
Baldwin 1 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 HRA, pickoff -- 6.87 ERA

*** The game was tied into the 7th when the Bandits took control for good. Johnny Giavotella hit a 1-out double in the 1st and scored on a David Lough sac fly to make it 1-0 Bees. Alex Caldera gave up a leadoff triple in the 1st that QC turned into a run to tie the game. Juan Rivera hit an RBI groundout in the 2nd to make it 2-1 Bees but Caldera left the bases loaded in the 2nd and then gave up 2 doubles to tie the game in the 3rd. That was the score entering the 7th when Zach Peterson gave up a run on 2 hits and a walk and was pulled for Burke Baldwin, who served up a 3-run homer to the first batter he faced before stranding 2 with Quad Cities up, 6-2. Bandits pitchers finished the game by retiring 23 of the last 25 Bees starting with Rivera's RBI groundout in the 2nd. Baldwin gave up a 2-run homer in the 8th to polish off the win for the Bandits. Starter Nick Additon got the win with 2 runs (1 ER) over 7 IP to improve to 8-3. 1B Carlos Pupo (maybe the Cards can call him up someday so Pupo and Pujols can be on the field at the same time....one would have to move off 1B) was 3-5 with 2 doubles, his 2nd homer and 4 RBI to go with 2 K and a RS. 3B Ross Oeder and SS Pete Kozma also had 2-hit, 2-RBI games for QC. Oeder hit his 2nd homer of the season.

Burlington is 14-12 and 4 games out. Game 2 is tonight as Matt Mitchell (5-7, 3.92) vies against Bandits SP Chuckie Fick (2-2, 2.74).

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 5, Helena 3

CF Norris 2-4, BB, 2B (4), RBI (5), RS, OF assist at home -- .247
3B Van De Keere 2-3, HBP, RBI (8), RS, CS -- .264
1B Espinosa 2-3, BB, K, RS -- .178
SS Alfaro 1-5, 2B (9), 2 RBI (22), 2 K, E (9) -- .295
DH Severino 1-4, RBI (8) -- .222
RF Francis 0-2, BB, K, SB (3) -- .312
C McCauley 1-3, BB, 2B (5), K, RS -- .253
LF Testa 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .190
* IF stranded 10.

Hodgson 5 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, K, 2 WP, pickoff -- 4.00 ERA
Beach 3 IP, H, 5 K -- W, 1-2, 6.94 ERA
J. Garcia IP, BB, 2 K -- SV, 1, 2.20 ERA

*** The Chukars scored 4 unanswered runs to get a comeback win over the Brewers. Ivor Hodgson had a rough beginning as a leadoff triple and then a single made it 1-0 before he recorded an out. Another triple in the 2nd made it 2-0 Helena although Patrick Norris cut down a runner at the plate to save a run and end the inning. Sean McCauley doubled to lead off the 2nd and scored on a Devery Van De Keere single to make it 2-1. Hodgson took that score into the 5th before a double, walk and 2 wild pitches scored a run to make it 3-1 Brewers. J.D. Alfaro came through with a 2-run double in the bottom of the 5th to tie the game and, after stranding 2 runners that inning and in the 6th, IF took the lead for good in the 8th with 2 runs on bases loaded singles by Neder Severino and Norris before leaving the bases full. Justin Garcia stranded 1 in the 9th for his 1st save. Helena RP Nick Tyson took the loss with 2 ER in an IP to fall to 0-2. Starter Dan Meadows allowed 3 ER in 4 1/3 IP. 3B John Delaney was 3-4 with a double, triple, K and 2 RS.

IF is 11-17 and 8 games back. Twelve games remain in the first half. Game 2 of the set is tonight as Helena throws Liam Ohlmann (0-0, 4.50) versus Ryan Morgan (0-1, 6.39). Wednesday's win was only the 3rd home win for IF this season.

Rookie - Burlington: B-Royals 7, Princeton 0 (3-hitter)

3B F. Cruz 4-4, 3 RBI (7), RS -- .225, where'd that come from?
SS J. Gutierrez 3-4, 2B, RBI (6), K -- .261
LF Aparicio 3-4, BB -- .240
2B A. Franco 1-4, 2 RBI (10), RS -- .194
RF Caldwell 1-4, SF, RBI (8), CS (2) -- .207
1B D. Cruz 2-4, 2 K, RS -- .218
C Vittek 2-3, BB, 3B, 3 RS -- .200, best game as a pro
CF H. Richardson 0-5, 3 K -- .265

G. De La Cruz 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K -- W, 1-2, 8.27 ERA
Garrido 2 IP, H, K -- 3.86 ERA
Farinas and Bowden 1 hitless IP of relief each -- Bowden ERA 0.82

*** Four Royals pitchers combined to earn Burlington's first shutout of the season. The Royals broke the ice with 2 runs in the 2nd on an Angel Franco RBI groundout and Jorge Gutierrez RBI double. Josh Vittek tripled in the 6th and scored on a Fernando Cruz single and the Royals put it away with 4 in the 8th on a 2-run Cruz single, a Franco RBI single and Allen Caldwell sac fly. The Royals sat the last 10 Rays down in order. Rays SP Kevin Chavez allowed 2 ER over 5 IP to take the loss and fall to 1-3. SS Tim Beckham was one of 3 Rays with a hit in going 1-4 to move to .182.

The B-Royals are 7-21. A 3-game home set with the Kingsport Mets (14-14) starts tonight. No announced starters on the team site. Mets' '08 5th rounder C Dock Doyle is the highest draft pick from this year on the Kingsport team. 9th round righty Eric Beaulac and 12th round lefty Mark Cohoon are also on the team.

Rookie - AZL: off day

*** The Royals kept on the right track by beating the Mariners today as Gary Cuevas got the W.