Royals on the Farm 4/18

Zack Greinke starts are becoming an event for me. I'm assuming it's the same for other Royals fans. He has a legitimate chance to become the best Royals starter since Saberhagen, and hopefully the Royals don't screw it up by ending up trading him for dimes on the dollar. I don't think they will, especially now that they have him locked up for a few years contractually. The first two games of the Texas series have been fun to watch. It's looking more and more like Kyle Davies' consistency may be the key to the Royals staying in contention. And how soon Hochevar takes Horacio's place in the rotation.

AAA - Omaha: Albuquerque 5, O-Royals 4

C House 4-5, 2B (2), RS -- .405
1B Ka'aihue 2-5, K -- .184
CF Murphy 2-4, BB, RBI (2), 2 K, SB (4) -- .263
3B Metcalf 1-4, BB, 2 RBI (6), RS -- .265
RF Falu 0-3, SF, RBI -- .308
2B Hulett 0-4, BB, RS -- .342, moved up to 2 slot
LF Lubanski 0-3, BB, 2 K -- .359, hit streak snapped
DH Shealy 1-4, K, RS -- .256
* Omaha stranded 10.

Chen 4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K, HRA -- 3.60 ERA
Rosa 2 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 0-2, 6.00 ERA, gave up big blow in game
Hughes 1 2/3 IP, BB, 3 K -- 1.93 ERA

*** A 5-run rally including a key grand slam helped the Isotopes scratch out a win to take the first 2 of the series from Omaha. The Royals loaded the bases with 1 out in the 1st and Travis Metcalf hit an RBI forceout to get Omaha on the board. Bruce Chen pitched well as he didn't give up a hit until the 4th, when he stranded 2 in scoring position. Irving Falu hit a sac fly in the 4th and Tommy Murphy hit an RBI single before the Royals left 2 in scoring position themselves. Chen finally got dinged in the 5th as he served up a 2-out solo homer to 3B Hector Luna (his 2nd in 2 days) and then was pulled after giving up a single and walk. Carlos Rosa came in, loaded the bases with a single, then gave up a grand slam to 1B Val Pascucci for his 1st homer of the season to make it 5-3 Albuquerque. The Royals loaded the bases to start their half of the 5th but Henry Bonilla came in and pulled a Houdini to escape the jam. J.R. House doubled to lead off the Royals 7th and scored on a Metcalf groundout to cut the lead to 1 but the Royals would leave the tying run at third in the 9th as Tanyon Sturtze picked up his 3rd save. Bonilla pitched 2 hitless innings for the win to lower his ERA to 2.35. Starter Shawn Estes allowed 3 ER on 9 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks over 4 IP to move his ERA to 4.50. The Isotopes only had 5 hits in the win. Pascucci was 1-3 as his 4 RBI took his season total to 7 and he is hitting only .194. CF Xavier Paul was 1-4 to drop his BA to .528.

The O-Royals are 5-5 and 1.5 games out while on their 3-game skid. Game 3 of the series is today as Brian Bannister (0-1, 4.09) takes on Isotopes righty Miguel Pinango (1-1, 12.46).

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 5, San Antonio 2

1B McFall 1-4, RBI (14), 2 K -- .303
RF Parraz 1-2, HBP, RBI (3), SB (2) -- .250
C Howell 0-2, SF, RBI (3), PB -- .385
CF Duarte 0-4, K -- .345
2B Mertins 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .231
DH Lisson 1-4, RS -- .276
3B C. Smith 1-4, 2B (2), K, 2 RS -- .158, only XBH of game for NWA
SS McConnell 0-3, K -- .154

B. Wood 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K -- 7.00 ERA, 68 pitches
Nicoll 2 IP, H, K -- 1.23 ERA
Hayes 4 IP, 3 H, BB, K -- W, 2-0, 1.35 ERA

*** The Naturals culled together 5 runs in the 5th and 6th and used 6 scoreless innings of relief from Chris Nicoll and Chris Hayes to lock down the win. Starter Blake Wood gave up 2 runs in the 1st on 2 hits, a walk and a passed ball on Jeff Howell. He walked 2 more in the 3rd and was pulled after the inning with 68 pitches in his count. Missions SP Nathan Culp was perfect through 4 but ran into trouble in the 5th as Corey Smith led off with a double, scored on a Brian McFall single and Howell hit a sac fly to tie the game at 2. Kurt Mertins walked and scored on an error in the 6th, Jordan Parraz took a bases-loaded hit by pitch and another error scored Smith to make it 5-2 Naturals. Hayes had no 1-2-3 innings but wasn't really threatened either as he stranded 1 in the 9th for his 2nd win. RP John Hudgins took the loss with 1 1/3 IP of 3 unearned runs on a hit and 2 walks with 2 Ks to fall to 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA. Culp allowed 2 ER on 3 hits with 3 Ks over 4 2/3 IP to move his ERA to 2.79. LF Luis Durango was 3-5 with his 1st error and 4th SB to move to .382. RF Mike Baxter had 2 RBI (13) and his 2nd SB as he was 1-3 with a walk and his 3rd double to move to .378.

NWA is 5-4 and back in a 3-way tie for first. A 3-game set versus the Corpus Christi Hooks (4-5, AA Astros) starts today. The Nats were 2-1 versus the Hooks in their first meeting in Texas. Today's starters are Matt Kniginyzky (0-0, 5.40) and CC righty Brad James (0-0, 4.50).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 9, Lynchburg 3

3B Moustakas 2-4, 2B (3), HR, 3 RBI (9), K, 2 RS -- .256
C Eigsti 3-3, BB, 2 2B, RBI (3), 2 RS, CS, picked off runner -- .250
RF Lough 2-4, 2B (2), 2 RBI (7), K -- .278
CF D. Robinson 2-5, RBI (5), RS, SB (7), E -- .308
SS Bianchi 1-4, 3B, RBI (5), K, RS -- .289
LF Ortiz 1-4, 3B, RBI (4) -- .281
2B Giavotella 1-4, BB, 2B, 2 RS -- .222
1B C. Robinson 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .364, hit streak snapped

Teaford 5 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 5 K, HRA -- W, 1-0, 1.93 ERA, solid start
Chavez 2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- 0.00 ERA
C. Rodriguez 2 IP, ER, H, BB, 3 K -- 5.79 ERA

*** The Rocks broke out the bats Saturday as Mike Moustakas clubbed his 1st homer of the season and Wilmington rolled past Lynchburg. Starter Everett Teaford had a rough 1st as the Hillcats scored a run on 3 hits and a Derrick Robinson error in center. Teaford served up a solo homer to CF Marcus Davis (his 2nd) in the 2nd to make it 2-0 Hillcats, but the Rocks answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the 2nd as Jeff Bianchi led off with a triple and scored on a David Lough groundout. Ryan Eigsti added an RBI double and was tripled home by Adrian Ortiz to make it 3-2 Rocks. Moustakas went solo in the 3rd to make it 4-2 and the Rocks added 3 in the 5th on a 2-run Moustakas double and a Lough RBI double. Teaford retired the last 10 he faced and Chris Chavez stranded the bases loaded in the 7th. Johnny Giavotella doubled and scored on a Bianchi groundout in the 7th but Craig Rodriguez allowed a run in the 8th on an RBI single by top Buccos prospect 3B Pedro Alvarez. Eigsti doubled and scored on a Derrick Robinson single in the 8th to make it 9-3 and Rodriguez struck out the side in the 9th to finish the victory. Four Hillcats pitchers got touched up for runs but it was starter Paul Mildren who took the loss with 2 IP of 3 ER on 3 hits, a walk and K to fall to 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA. 1B Matt Hague was 2-4 with his 8th RBI to move to .361 and Alvarez was 1-3 with a walk, his 15th RBI and K to move to .219.

The Rocks are 6-4 and a game back of Lynchburg. The series is wrapping this afternoon as Alex Caldera (0-1, 2.00) was set to hurl against Hillcats righty Matt McSwain (0-0, 4.15). Lynchburg has a lead in the middle innings.

A - Burlington: Beloit 7, Bees 5

LF Tucker 2-4, RBI (2), RS, SB -- .200
RF Francis 2-4 -- .345
3B Martin 1-3, SF, RBI (3), RS -- .152
DH McCauley 1-3, HBP, 2B (3), RBI (3), RS -- .217
C Bonilla 1-4, RBI (4), RS -- .217
CF Norris 1-3, BB, HBP, SB (3) -- .227
SS Alfaro 1-4 -- .217
1B D. Wood 0-3, HBP, K -- .000, season debut

B. Hardy 4 IP, 5 ER, 11 H, 3 K, HRA -- L, 0-1, 4.50 ERA, not a kind day for WHIP or BAA
Baez 3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 K, WP -- 5.14 ERA
Saito IP, 2 K -- 6.35 ERA

*** A 4-run Beloit 1st set the tone and the Bees couldn't come back to lose 2 out of 3 in the series. Blaine Hardy got his 1st start for the Bees and gave up a homer to Snappers leadoff man SS Nicholas Romero in the 1st. With 1 on and 2 out, 2 singles and a double brought in 3 more runs to make it 4-0 Snappers. The Bees rallied for 2 runs in the 3rd as Wilson Tucker scored on a wild pitch and Kyle Martin hit a sac fly to cut the lead in half, but the Bees stranded 2. Hardy gave up another run on 2 hits in the 3rd to make it 5-2 but the Bees got the run back in the 4th on a Tucker RBI single. Nick Francis was thrown out trying to stretch a hit into a double to lead off the 6th and it may have cost the Bees a run as Jose Bonilla singled home a run with 2 outs to make it 5-3. Manauris Baez allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and a wild pitch in the 6th to make it 7-3 and Sean McCauley doubled home a run in the 8th but that was all the Bees could muster as RP Henry Reyes pitched 3 1/3 innings for his 1st save. RP Daniel Berlind got the win with 2 2/3 IP of 2 runs (1 ER) on 3 hits with a K to move to 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA. Starter Brad Tippett allowed 2 ER on 4 hits and a walk over 3 IP to move his ERA to 5.63. DH Dominic De La Osa and C Eli Tintor had 3-hit games for Beloit with 2 others having 2-hit games and Romero and RF Michael Harrington driving in 2 runs each. Romero's homer was his 1st of the season and Harrington chipped in an OF assist. De La Osa also swiped his 1st base of the season.

The Bees are 2-7 and now in the cellar of the division. Today's series finale was rained out and will be made up in June.