Royals on the Farm 9/4

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 4, Naturals 1

RF McFall 2-3, BB, SB -- .667
CF Duarte 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 K, RS -- .250
3B Falu 1-4 -- .250, team only had 4 hits
1B Richardson 0-4, K -- .000
LF Lucas 0-2, BB, S -- .000

Cortes 5 2/3 IP, ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 4 K -- 1.59 ERA, control wasn't quite there
Hamulack 2 IP, H, K -- 0.00 ERA
C. Hayes 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB -- L, 0-1, 81.00 ERA, not the first playoff appearance he was looking for

*** The Travelers put together a big rally off Chris Hayes in the 8th to surge to a game 1 win over the Naturals. The Nats left the bases full in the 2nd but Jose Duarte led off the 3rd with a solo homer to make it 1-0 NWA. Dan Cortes pretty much cruised through 5 innings but allowed an RBI double in the 6th before getting pulled with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Tim Hamulack put out the fire and the game was tied at 1. Hayes was brought in with 2 out and none on in the 8th and the Travs got a double, walk, RBI single, double steal, intentional walk and 2-run single before Hayes got the final out with the damage done at 4-1 Arkansas. The Naturals stranded 1 in the 9th as Rafael Rodriguez got the save for the Travs. Starter Dan Davidson worked 7 innings of 1 ER allowed for a good start but it was RP Francisco Rodriguez who got the win with a scoreless 8th. Seven Travelers had a hit each and SS Wilberto Ortiz had the big 2-run single in the 8th.

Game 2 of the best-of-5 is tonight as Blake Wood takes on Arkansas' Dan Denham. In the TL South playoffs, Frisco is already up, 2-0, on San Antonio in that series.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Potomac 3, Blue Rocks 2 (10)

2B Bianchi 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, RS, E -- .500
CF D. Robinson 1-4, CS, E -- .100
RF Orlando 1-3, BB, RS, 2 SB (3) -- .250
3B Mertins 1-4, K, CS -- .250
SS McConnell 0-4, K -- .100
DH Strait 0-4, K -- .000
LF Ortiz 0-4, K -- .000

Santiago 5 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, BB, K -- 3.60 ERA
Barrera 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K -- 0.00 ERA
Hartsock IP, H, BB, K -- 0.00 ERA
Chambliss 1 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, K -- L, 0-1, 6.75 ERA

*** Potomac made it 2-2 in extra inning wins over the Rocks in the playoff series and a third straight extra-inning win over Wilmington overall as a walkoff single put the Rocks down to a do-or-die situation. Jeff Bianchi got the Rocks started with a solo homer in the 2nd but 2 hits, a walk and sac fly got the Nationals the tying run in the bottom of the inning off Mario Santiago. The Nationals added another run on 3 hits in the 3rd but Bianchi tied it with an RBI single in the 4th before the Rocks stranded 2. Santiago stranded 2 in the 5th and Henry Barrera and Aaron Hartsock both stranded a couple Potomac baserunners in their outings. Ten straight Rocks went down before Bianchi hit a 2-out single in the 9th but it didn't spark a rally. Tyler Chambliss stranded 2 in the 9th but, in the 10th, the Nationals got a 1-out single and then a stolen base from pinch runner Boomer Whiting. SS Daniel Lyons came through with the walkoff single off Chambliss to end it. RP Clint Everts pitched 2 scoreless innings for the win. Starter Erik Arnesen worked 5 2/3 IP of 2 ER allowed. 1B Andrew LeFave and CF Franciso Plasencia had 3 hits for the Nationals with Lyons and C Jhonatan Solano chipping in 2 hits each. The Nationals were 4-4 in steals in the win.

The Rocks are now down, 2-0, in the best-of-5 going into tonight's game 3 at home. Starters are left-hander Everett Teaford (8-6, 3.80) and Nationals lefty Ross Detwiler (8-8, 4.86). The Myrtle Beach-Winston-Salem series is knotted at 1 game each. I know you've gotta look at Chambliss as your closer but he had a double-digit ERA versus Potomac in 8 appearances this season.

A - Burlington: rainout

*** Game 2 of the set is tonight as Alex Caldera takes on Kane County's Scott Hodsdon. A win moves the Bees into the Western division finals. The only other game that went as scheduled Thursday was a Dayton win over Lansing to become the first team to move on in the playoffs. The Dragons will take on the winner of South Bend-West Michigan, which SB leads, 1-0. Cedar Rapids also goes for the kill tonight vs. Clinton in game 2.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Casper 8, Chukars 2 (6/rain)

1B Espinosa 2-3, 2B (10), RS -- .210
CF Testa 1-3, RBI (35), K -- .305
LF Griffin 0-3, RBI (29), K, E (4), OF assist at third -- .248
SS Alfaro 1-3 -- .262
C S. Perez 1-3, K -- .425
3B Van De Keere 1-3, 2B (17), K -- .286

Toribio 4 IP, 8 R (1 ER), 10 H, 5 K, 2 WP -- L, 3-5, 4.67 ERA
Miller IP, nothing -- 6.14 ERA

*** Two Chukar errors were costly in a 7-run Casper 4th and rain soaked any chances of an IF comeback by ending the game in the 6th. Aneidy Toribio gave up a run on 3 hits in the 1st although LF Shawn Griffin ended the rally in style by cutting down a runner at third. IF stranded 2 in the 2nd and got an RBI single from Carlo Testa in the 4th to tie it, although Testa was thrown out at second on the play to end the inning. Errors by 2B Alwin Perez and Griffin chipped in to the Casper rally in the 4th as the Ghosts scored 7 times on 5 hits, the 2 errors, a hit batsman and 2 wild pitches to make it 8-1. Griffin hit an RBI forceout in the 5th but the Chukars stranded 2 and the game was called going into the bottom of the 6th. Casper SP Jeff Fischer allowed 2 ER over 6 IP to win and move to 4-7 with a 4.86 ERA. Four Ghosts had 2 hits and three of those batters drove in 2 runs.

IF is 18-19 and will try to end the second half at .500 in tonight's season finale. IF pitcher of the year Bryan Casey (3-5, 3.56) will take on Casper's Marco Duarte (5-5, 5.58).