Royals on the Farm 4/14

And, after the Greinke turn through the rotation and another solid Davies start, my mood turns to optimistic about the Royals again. Of course, that could come to an abrupt end with Ponson's start today, but the Indians aren't the Yankees, so we'll see how things go. And I hate to note it, but what a game at the plate from Buck again. Now if only Aviles would catch some of that...

AAA - Omaha: Round Rock 2, O-Royals 1

RF Maier 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (2), RBI (9) -- .429
1B Ka'aihue 0-3, BB -- .045, needs to awaken bat
LF Lubanski 1-3, BB, RS -- .435
DH Shealy 0-4, K -- .174
2B Hulett 1-4, K -- .440, keeps season opening hit streak alive
* Omaha stranded 11.

Bannister 7 IP, 3 H, 4 K -- 4.09 ERA, 96 pitches, nice game
Rosa 1 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H -- BS, 1, L, 0-1, 5.40 ERA

*** Omaha couldn't get much off Round Rock starter Felipe Paulino and it came back to hurt them, as Carlos Rosa couldn't hold a 1-0 lead handed to him by Brian Bannister in a good bounceback start from his opening day debacle. Neither team had a hit until the 3rd when Bannister worked around 2 singles. Omaha finally got its first hit on a Chris Lubanski leadoff single in the 5th and, with 2 outs, Luis Hernandez singled then Mitch Maier doubled home Lubanski but the Royals would strand 2. The Royals stranded 2 more in the 7th and Bannister would retire the last 12 he faced. The Royals would strand another 2 in the 8th and Rosa came on for the bottom of the inning. After a leadoff double, a sac bunt and RBI single tied the game at 1. The Royals stranded 2 again in the 9th and Rosa gave up another leadoff double and a 1-out walkoff single to DH Mark Saccomanno to end it. RP Jeremy Johnson got the win with 2 scoreless innings of work after Paulino allowed an ER on 4 hits and 2 walks with 6 Ks over 7 IP to move his ERA to 0.75. 3B Edwin Maysonet and RF Yordany Ramirez had 2 hits each for the Express. Maysonet made his 1st error and Saccomanno's game winning RBI was his 10th of the season.

The Royals are 4-2 and now back in a tie for second. Luke Hochevar (1-0, 1.80) takes on former Omaha righty Jose Capellan (0-1, 9.00) in tonight's game 3.

AA - NW Arkansas: Corpus Christi 9, Naturals 1

CF Duarte 2-3, BB, SB (3), E -- .333
LF Dickerson 1-4, RBI (3) -- .238
1B McFall 0-1, BB, HBP -- .350, left game after HBP in 6th
2B Mertins 1-4 -- .235
C Suomi 1-3, BB, RS -- .400
SS McConnell 0-3, BB, K, E -- .200

Cortes 3 2/3 IP, 4 R (1 ER), 5 H, BB, 5 K, HRA, WP, E (2) -- L, 0-2, 8.10 ERA, 75 pitches
Nicoll 2 1/3 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 1.69 ERA
Marte IP, 2 ER, 3 H, K -- 3.86 ERA
Crist IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, WP -- 13.50 ERA

*** Dan Cortes contributed to some shoddy defense that put the Naturals down as Corpus Christi rolled to the win to avoid a sweep. Jose Duarte singled but was thrown out on a fielder's choice at third later in the 1st and the Naturals lost an early scoring chance. John Suomi singled to lead off the NWA 3rd but was hit in the basepaths by a Duarte single to cost the Nats another chance at a run. Cortes gave up a solo homer to LF Collin DeLome (his 3rd) in the 3rd to spot the Hooks a 1-0 lead and CC would score 3 in the 4th on a 2-out run scoring Cortes throwing error, and a 2-run single aided by a Duarte throwing error. Chris Nicoll came in to strand the bases loaded but the Hooks were up, 4-0. Both teams stranded 2 in the 5th and Brian McFall took a 2-out hit-by-pitch in the 6th and left the game. The Nats would strand 2 again and their lone run came on a 2-out RBI single by Joe Dickerson in the 7th. Victor Marte took over for Nicoll in the 7th and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and a hit batsman. The Hooks rallied for 3 more runs with 2 outs off Kyle Crist in the 8th to make the lead 9-1 and it was 6 up, 6 down for NWA in the 8th and 9th to end it. Starter Sergio Perez took the win with 6 IP of 5 hits and 2 walks with a K to improve to 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA. 3B Jhon Florentino was 3-5 with an RBI, K, 2 RS and his 2nd SB, two other Hooks had 2 hits, and RF Andrew Locke drove in 3 runs to push his season total to 7.

NWA is 3-3 and in a 3-way tie for first. The Nats have today off before the home opener Thursday.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Kinston 1, Blue Rocks 0 (7/rain)

Moustakas DNP
DH Ortiz 1-3 -- .300
2B Giavotella 0-2, S -- .250
SS Bianchi 1-3, 2B, K, E (3) -- .227
1B C. Robinson 1-3, K -- .333
CF Orlando 1-3, 2B, 2 K -- .059, finally gets first hit

Caldera 5 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K, E -- L, 0-1, 2.00 ERA
Swaggerty IP, H, BB, K -- 0.00 ERA

*** Rain shortened the narrow K-Tribe win as the series was knotted at one game each. The Rocks left 2 in scoring position in the 1st and the Tribe got an RBI forceout off starter Alex Caldera in the bottom of the frame to account for the game's only run. The Rocks got the first 2 batters on in the 4th but couldn't make anything of it and, with 1 out in the Wilmington 7th, the rain took care of the rest. Kinston SP Kelvin De La Cruz got the win with 4 hits allowed with 9 Ks over 6 IP to improve to 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA. RP Heath Taylor got the 1-out save. RF Matthew Brown was 2-3 for the Tribe to move to .474. 1B Matt McBride had his 6th RBI and 1st error in the win.

The Rocks are 3-3 and a game back of first going into tonight's game 3. Danny Duffy (0-0, 1.93) will start versus Kinston righty Jeanmar Gomez (0-1, 7.50).

A - Burlington: Bees 3, Kane County 2

LF Van Stratten 1-4, 3B, RBI, RS -- .133
1B Hosmer 0-3, BB, K -- .286
CF Norris 0-2, BB, S, K, RS, SB -- .000
3B Martin 1-4, SB -- .133
RF Francis 0-2, 2 BB, K -- .286
C Bonilla 0-4, K -- .000

Z. Peterson 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 1-0, 2.70 ERA
Baez 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- 4.50 ERA
Bowden 1 1/3 IP, 2 K -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA

*** Two runs in the 8th helped the Bees scratch out their first win of the season. Starter Zach Peterson gave up 2 hits in the 1st but emerged unscathed, then stranded 2 in the 2nd. The game stayed scoreless into the 6th when the Bees got a 2-out walk and steal by Patrick Norris, with a throwing error advancing him to third. Nick Van Stratten followed with an RBI triple but was left at third and Burlington had to settle for the 1-0 lead. Peterson retired 12 of the last 13 he faced and, in the 8th, the Bees got 1 on with 2 out when an error, Eric Hosmer walk, and 2-run error helped them increase the lead to 3-0. Manauris Baez gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in the bottom of the 8th but Barry Bowden came in to strand 2 and then pitched a perfect 9th to lock down his 1st save of the season. RP Kenny Smalley took the loss with 1 1/3 IP of an ER on 2 hits and a walk with 2 Ks to fall to 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Starter Anthony Capra allowed only a walk with 7 Ks over his 5 innings of work to keep a spotless ERA. Six Cougars had a hit each and 1B Steve Kleen drove in his 5th run of the season.

The Bees are 1-3 and have a doubleheader versus Kane County today. Game 1 is under way with Brent Fisher making his season debut versus KC righty Brett Hunter. No starters were announced that I saw for game 2.