Royals on the Farm 8/29

AAA - Omaha: Iowa 7, O-Royals 2

C B. Pena 2-4, 2B (15), K -- .297
DH Shealy 2-4, 2B (20) -- .279
LF Hollins 2-3, BB, RS -- .221
3B Spann 2-4, RS -- .271
RF Labandeira 1-4, 2 RBI (11), K -- .207
1B Ka'aihue 0-3, BB -- .317
CF Bigler 0-2, BB, S -- .310
2B Gutierrez 1-4 -- .200, first AAA start

Musser 2 IP, ER, H -- 4.45 ERA
Wright 6 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, 4 BB, 3 K, HRA, WP -- L, 4-10, 5.47 ERA

*** Both teams pounded out 10 hits but Iowa did much more with its in winning a 9th straight over the Royals. A triple helped the I-Cubs to a run off Neal Musser in the 1st but Josh Labandeira hit a 2-run single in the 2nd to give Omaha a 2-1 lead. Ryan Shealy was thrown out at the plate to end the Omaha 3rd and Matt Wright entered the game only to allow 3 runs in the inning on 2 hits and 2 walks, with the damage coming on a bases-loaded double. A solo homer in the 4th made it 5-2 Iowa and a 2-out, 2-run single in the 6th made it 7-2. The Royals loaded the bases with no outs in the 9th but a Labandeira K and Jorge Gutierrez double play ended the game. Iowa's J.R. Mathes got the win with 5 IP of 2 ER allowed to improve to 9-5 with a 4.29 ERA. Four Cubs had 2 hits as 3B Casey McGehee drove in 3 runs to get over the 90 RBI mark.

Omaha is 61-80. Game 2 is tonight. Probable starters: LH John Bale (0-2, 9.31) vs. Iowa RH Mitch Atkins (7-1, 4.56). Chris Lubanski has missed the last 2 games with vision problems.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 8, Arkansas 2

DH Aldridge 3-3, BB, SF, HR (9), 4 RBI (36), RS -- .272
1B Richardson 3-4, BB, 2B (36), RBI (81), RS -- .295
RF McFall 2-5, 2 2B (16), 2 RBI (59), K -- .241
2B Maddox 2-5, BB, 2B (30), K, 3 RS -- .283
3B Falu 2-5, K, RS -- .297
SS Lisson 1-4, SF, RBI (62), RS -- .222
CF Duarte 0-6, K -- .252
LF Lucas 1-3, 2 BB, K, RS -- .308
* The Naturals stranded 12.

Cortes 6 IP, 2 BB, 3 K -- W, 10-4, 3.78 ERA, awesome start, K rate seems to be shrinking
Mildren 3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, K, HRA -- SV, 1, 6.64 ERA, lost no-no in 7th

*** Dan Cortes handed a no-hitter to the pen after 79 pitches through 6 and NWA moved closer to nailing down the division title. NWA stranded 2 in the 2nd and Cortes stranded 2 in the 2nd. The Nats got all the needed offense with 5 runs in the 3rd on a Juan Richardson RBI single, 2-run Cory Aldridge homer for his 9th as a Natural, and a 2-run Brian McFall double. Aldridge singled home a run in the 4th but NWA stranded 2. Cortes sat down the last 13 he faced but must have had an 80-pitch limit because he was pulled while cruising with a no-hitter. Aldridge added a sac fly in the 6th to make it 7-0 and Paul Mildren allowed a 2-out single in the 7th to break up the no-hitter. Mario Lisson's sac fly in the 8th made it 8-0 and Mildren lost the shutout on a 2-run homer in the 9th to end it at 8-2. Starter Amalio Diaz took the loss with 6 ER allowed over 5 IP to fall to 3-4 with a 4.40 ERA. 2B Adam Morrissey was 2-4 with his 8th homer and 2 RBI to lead the Travelers.

The Nats are on the verge of clinching the second half title at 42-26 and 2.5 games up on Springfield after a win over the Tulsa Drillers (27-41, AA Rockies) in the opener of the final 3-game regular season set today. If Springfield loses to Arkansas tonight, the Naturals clinch the second-half division title. Gilbert de la Vara got the win today, and the Nats are 15-11 versus the Drillers.

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

DH D. Robinson 2-4, BB, SB (62) -- .246
2B Bianchi 0-4, RBI (59), K -- .253
CF Orlando 1-3, BB, 2 K -- .262
RF Strait 1-3, HBP, K, RS -- .298
1B Correll 1-4, 2 K -- .280
LF Ortiz 1-4, K, CS (4) -- .292
SS McConnell 0-3, BB, K, E (27) -- .253
3B Mertins 0-4, K, SB (27) -- .281

Cegarra 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K -- 4.67 ERA
Holland 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K, WP -- BS, 1, L, 4-5, 3.48 ERA
Swaggerty 1 2/3 IP, UER, H, 3 K -- 2.78 ERA
Chavez 1/3 IP, K -- 2.86 ERA

*** The Rocks held a slim 1-0 lead entering the 6th but lost it as Potomac clinched both halves of the division title. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 1st and Ed Cegarra stranded 2 Nationals in the 4th. Jeff Bianchi hit a bases-loaded RBI forceout in the 5th but the Rocks stranded 2. Greg Holland came on for the 6th and gave up back-to-back doubles, a run-scoring wild pitch and sac fly to flip the lead around to 2-1 Nationals. Wilmington stranded 2 in the 6th and 7th and a run-scoring Chris McConnell error in the 8th ended up finishing the scoring. The Rocks went down in order in the 9th as RP Clint Everts got his 3rd save for Potomac. Starter and Missouri State product Ross Detwiler got the win with an ER allowed over 6 frames to improve to 8-8 with a 4.86 ERA. 2B Michael Martinez and 1B Andrew LeFave had 2 hits for Potomac.

Wilmington is 32-35 and now out of the division race but will get the wild-card playoff spot in the Carolina League Northern division after Frederick lost Friday. Game 2 of the set is tonight as righty Mario Santiago (7-8, 3.52) takes on Potomac's Hassan Pena (2-1, 3.99). The Rocks will also play Potomac starting next Wednesday in the best-of-5 first round of the playoffs. SP Everett Teaford has been named the inaugural winner of the Carolina League's Matt Minker Award for his community service. I guess Teaford took part in every Blue Rocks player appearance event this season. That's a nice honor and speaks well for Teaford.

A - Burlington: Beloit 6, Bees 4

SS J. Rivera 2-4, 2B (8), RBI (23), K, RS -- .235
CF Lough 2-5, 2B (21), RBI (60), RS -- .269
1B Taylor 1-3, BB, RBI (57), K -- .236
3B Moustakas 0-1, 2 BB, HBP, RS -- .271
DH C. Robinson 1-4, K -- .261
2B Giavotella 0-4, S, 2 K -- .299
RF Francis 0-4, 3 K -- .270

Fisher 4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 9 H, BB, 6 K, HRA, balk -- 3.71 ERA
Augustine 2 1/3 IP, 3 ER, H, 2 BB, 2 K -- L, 3-2, 3.78 ERA
Z. Peterson IP, K -- 3.17 ERA

*** Burlington led for about an inning and Beloit won the battle but the Bees still clinched a playoff spot Friday. The Bees stranded 2 in the 1st and 3 singles brought in a run off Brent Fisher in the bottom of the inning to make it 1-0 Beloit. David Lough hit an RBI double in the 3rd and scored on a Jason Taylor single to make it 2-1 Bees but 3 hits helped the Snappers tie it in the 4th and a solo homer in the 5th made it 3-2 Beloit. Ryan Eigsti struck out in the top of the Bees 7th but the third strike got away from the catcher and Juan Rivera scored on the ensuing throw as Eigsti was thrown out at first. A 2-run Beloit triple in the bottom of the inning helped the Snappers put it away, tho, although Juan Rivera doubled home a run in the 8th. RP Santos Arias picked up his 4th save and SP David Bromberg worked 7 innings of 3 ER allowed to improve to 9-10 with a 4.44 ERA. LF Andrew Schmiesing and 3B Juan Richardson (another one that plays third, too?) both had 2 hits for Beloit. Two others had 2 RBI for Beloit.

The Bees are 41-25 and clinched the division despite the loss as Cedar Rapids also lost. They will play the Kane County Cougars in the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-5 format starting next Wednesday. Game 2 with Beloit is tonight as Luis Cota starts for the Bees.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Orem 7, Chukars 3

C S. Perez 2-4, CS, E -- .346, the guy can hit so far
1B Espinosa 1-3, SF, RBI (16), 2 K -- .204
DH A. Perez 1-3, HR (2), RBI (34), RS -- .255
LF Griffin 0-2, BB, SF, RBI (24), RS -- .244
CF Norris 0-4 -- .256
RF Testa 0-3, HBP, 2 K, SB (10) -- .297

Morgan 2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, 4 BB, WP -- L, 0-4, 7.28 ERA
Rada 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K -- 4.19 ERA
Novakowski 1 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 K -- 6.12 ERA
Gilgenbach 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K -- 9.99 ERA, hey, single-digit ERA
Carver 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K -- 6.99 ERA

*** Orem ran wild from the 2nd through the 5th to get another win over IF. Orem scored 2 in the 2nd on 2 hits, 2 walks and a wild pitch but Tito Espinosa kept IF in the game with a sac fly in the bottom of the inning. Orlando Rada came in with 2 on and none out in the 3rd and walked the bases full but escaped with only 1 run allowed in the inning and that was due in part to a Salvador Perez error. Three hits scored 2 runs in the 4th to chase Rada and RP Gary Novakowski allowed 2 more runs in the 5th on 3 hits to make it 7-1 Owlz. Alwin Perez cranked his 2nd homer of the season for a solo shot in the 5th and Shawn Griffin hit a sac fly in the 6th to cut it to 7-3. The Chukars stranded the bases full in the 7th but Orem did the same in the 8th. IF wouldn't threaten again. Starter Jeff Boshers worked 5 innings of 2 ER allowed to improve to 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA. Three Owlz had 2 hits.

IF is 14-17. Game 4 of the 5-game set is tonight as Aneidy Toribio (2-4, 5.13) takes on Orem's Baron Short (3-3, 5.28). Eric Hosmer has officially been pulled from the Chukars' roster and will work out in Arizona the rest of the season. Crap. SP Bryan Casey was named to the Pioneer League postseason all-star team. C Sean McCauley got honorable mention.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 3, Mariners 2

1B-3B Henriquez 1-4, RBI (10), CS (6) -- .179
C T. Jones 1-2, 2 BB, RBI, K -- .188, finished season with first pro RBI
CF Llanos 0-1 -- .182, pulled in 1st
RF Del Rosario 1-2, 2B (8), K, RS -- .279
SS D. Batista 1-3, BB, 2B (12), K, RS -- .317
2B Culver 1-3, SB -- .192

Cuevas 5 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 6 K -- 5.32 ERA, nice start to finish season
Sirrett 3 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 K -- W, 3-2, 3.05 ERA
J. Smith 2/3 IP, H, 2 K -- SV, 2, 1.15 ERA

*** The Royals finished the season on a good note by defeating the M's. Two hits scored a run off Gary Cuevas to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead after 1. Edwin Henriquez hit a 2-out RBI single in the 4th and Cuevas settled down well to get through 5 without further incident. Onassis Sirrett stranded 2 in the 6th and Travis Jones singled home a run before a Mariners error scored another run to make it 3-1 Royals in the 7th. Sirrett surrendered a run in the 9th but Jace Smith came in to strand 1 for his 2nd save. RP Randy Castillo took the loss with 2 runs (1 ER) allowed over 3 IP to fall to 1-1 with a 4.81 ERA. Starter Brandon Maurer worked 4 innings of an ER allowed to move his ERA to 3.09. 3B Alfredo Mateo was 2-4 with a triple and RBI and his 11th error for the M's.

The Royals finished the second half 8-20 and a 1/2 game out of the cellar. They finished 23-33 on the season overall. Wrapup on them tomorrow. The Angels and Giants will play for the AZL crown.