Royals on the Farm 4/22

Nice start by Bannister Wednesday, but you aren't gonna win every start racking up only 1 K. Also was good to see the Mexicutioner actually get some work. Too bad he didn't get it Sunday or Tuesday. Hillman's little peccadilloes about using Soria seemingly in only save situations have already come back to bite KC three times, and we'll see if he's learned to save Farnsworth for mop-up situations rather than those when the game is on the line. Plus the Royals went 8 days without even using their best reliever, which makes no sense. Hillman's no Buddy Bell, but he's no Whitey Herzog either. I'd say he's closer to the former than the latter.

AAA - Omaha: Oklahoma City 7, O-Royals 6 (11)

2B Hulett 3-6, 2B (7), 2 RBI (17), K -- .386, think he's got AAA down
CF Murphy 2-5, BB, RBI (4), 2 K, 2 RS, OF assist at home -- .268
LF Lubanski 2-4, 2 BB, 2B (3), RS, SB (4), OF assist at home -- .304
SS Hernandez 2-5, RS -- .370
RF Aldridge 1-4, BB, RBI (10), 2 K, RS -- .267
3B Metcalf 1-5, S, 2B (5), RBI (9), K -- .267
C House 0-4, HBP, SF, RBI (11) -- .357, fledgling hit streak snapped
1B Ka'aihue 0-4, 2 BB, 2 K -- .192, still managing to get on base at .380 clip
DH Shealy 1-4, BB, 2B (3), RS -- .333
* Omaha stranded 13.

Duckworth 4 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, BB, HRA -- 9.53 ERA, 77 pitches
Hughes 2 IP, K -- 1.35 ERA, looking good out of pen
Rosa IP, H, BB, K -- 5.14 ERA
Colon 3 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 3 K -- BS, 2, L, 1-1, 4.09 ERA

*** The O-Royals came back to tie the game twice and finally took the lead in the 8th but couldn't hold it as the RedHawks evened the series. Travis Metcalf hit a 2-out RBI double in the 1st to give Omaha a 1-0 lead but the RedHawks answered with 2 runs on 2 doubles and a hit batsman before Chris Lubanski cut the rally short by throwing out a runner at the plate from left to end the inning. Duckworth worked around a 1-out triple in the 3rd and the Royals tied the game in the 4th on a Lubanski RBI double followed by a Cory Aldridge RBI single. Omaha loaded the bases with nobody out but didn't get another run home as Tug Hulett grounded into a 4-6-3 DP to kill the threat. Duckworth gave up a 2-run homer to C Max Ramirez (his 1st) in the bottom of the inning and the Royals once again fell behind. Two hits to start the RedHawks 5th brought in another run to make it 5-2 and sent Duckworth to the showers as Dusty Hughes stranded a runner at third in the inning. The Royals loaded the bases with 1 out in the 6th and, this time, opportunity didn't pass them by as Tommy Murphy drew a walk from RP Brian Gordon, Hulett singled home a run and J.R. House hit a sac fly to tie the game at 5. Carlos Rosa stranded 2 RedHawks in the 7th and the Royals moved ahead in the 8th on a Hulett RBI double before stranding 2. Roman Colon entered the game and gave up a 1-out single and RBI double to blow the lead but escaped with the tie intact as Tommy Murphy threw out a runner at the plate trying to score on a flyout. The Royals wasted runners in scoring position in the 9th and 11th and, in the OC 11th, Colon's inning went walk, sac bunt, intentional walk, walk, walkoff walk as DH Royce Huffman drew the winning free pass. RP Beau Vaughan pitched 2 hitless innings with 2 walks and 2 Ks to get the win and improve to 2-0 with a blank ERA. Starter Elizardo Ramirez worked 5 1/3 IP of 5 runs (3 ER) on 8 hits, 2 walks and 4 Ks to move his ERA to 4.11. Four RedHawks had 2 hits, including Huffman, who walked twice, rapped 2 doubles (5) and drove in 4 runs (8) to move to .306. Ramirez's 2-run homer gave him 6 RBI on the season as he's hitting only .222. 3B Esteban German was 2-4 with a walk, HBP and 2 RS to move to .273.

The O-Royals are 8-6 and a game back of first. Game 3 is tonight as Bruce Chen (0-0, 3.60) takes on RedHawks lefty Michael Ballard (0-1, 3.18).

AA - NW Arkansas: offday

NWA is 6-6 and a game out of first. A 4-game set at the Arkansas Travelers (4-8, AA Angels, defending TL champs) starts tonight as Blake Johnson (0-1, 7.56) hurls versus Travs righty Amalio Diaz (0-2, 9.82). The Travelers' roster features Halos prospects righty Jordan Walden (top pitching prospect, 0-1, 3.95, 1.54 WHIP in 13 2/3 IP), lefty Trevor Reckling (no AA stats yet), C Hank Conger (.140 BA, .352 OPS in 43 ABs), OF Peter Bourjos (.293/.802 in 41 ABs), 1B Mark Trumbo (.178/.588, 2 HR, 14 K in 45 ABs), and 2B Ryan Mount (.256/.661, 10 RBI, 12 K in 43 ABs).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Salem 11, Blue Rocks 4 (7/finished suspended game)

1B C. Robinson 2-3, BB, 2 HR, 2 RBI (9), K, 2 RS -- .386
3B Seratelli 2-4, HR, 2 RBI (7), RS -- .240
RF Walton 2-4, K, E -- .231
CF D. Robinson 0-3, BB, K -- .245
2B Giavotella 1-3, S, 2B (2), K, RS -- .209
SS Bianchi 0-3, BB, 2 K -- .326, hit streak snapped
DH Ortiz 1-3 -- .262
* The Rocks left 10 on base.

Liotta 3 1/3 IP, 7 R (5 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 1-1, 10.00 ERA
Paulino 2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, HRA, WP -- 5.19 ERA, not pretty game for Rocks pitching
Swaggerty 1 2/3 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 BB, K -- 1.93 ERA, so on the game that's 10 BB, 3 K for the Rocks, yikes

*** Salem picked up where it left off when play resumed in the 4th last night as the Red Sox pushed across 6 runs to make Clint Robinson's 2 HR game for naught in an 11-4 win. The onslaught started in the 2nd with 2 runs on 4 hits off starter Ray Liotta as Salem jumped to a 2-0 lead. Robinson clubbed his 1st homer of the season and the game to lead off the 2nd but Liotta gave up 3 runs in the Salem 3rd, including a 2-run homer by CF Jason Place (his 2nd). There were 2 on and 1 out in the Salem 4th when the rain delayed action, and Eduardo Paulino took the mound for the Rocks when play resumed. Paulino allowed 2 runs before the inning was over on a double and walk and Salem had a 7-1 lead. Robinson greeted RP Ryne Miller with his 2nd homer of the game and season to lead off the Rocks 4th but the Rocks would strand 2. Paulino left the bases full in the 5th but Salem struck again in the 6th with 3 runs on LF Chih-Hsien Chiang's 1st homer of the year for a 3-run shot. Ben Swaggerty would come in and strand 2 in the inning but gave up an RBI double to Place in the 7th to make it 11-2. Anthony Seratelli went yard for his 1st homer of the season on a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 7th but the monster rally didn't develop as Wilmington stranded 2 in scoring position. Miller got the win with an ER allowed on 4 hits, a walk and 3 Ks over 2 IP to move to 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA. Starter Eammon Portice worked 3 innings with 1 ER allowed on 3 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to lower his ERA to 4.50. 3B Aaron Reza was 3-5 with a double, his 5th RBI and 2 RS. Three other Sox had 2 hit games. Place's 3 RBI gave him 15 on the season as he was hitting .288 after the 2-4 game.

Salem 6, Blue Rocks 4 (7/regular Wed. game)

RF Lough 3-4, 2 RBI (11) -- .362
1B C. Robinson 1-4, HR (3), RBI (10), 2 K, RS -- .375
2B Giavotella 1-2, 2 BB, RBI (11), RS, picked off, E (3) -- .222
CF D. Robinson 0-3, BB, K, RS, SB (8) -- .231
3B Moustakas 1-3, BB, RS, SB -- .271
SS Bianchi 0-2, 2 BB, K -- .313
DH Ortiz 0-2, S -- .250

Santiago 5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K -- 8.53 ERA, only 1 inning was bad
Chavez 2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, BB, 2 K, 2 WP -- L, 2-1, 1.86 ERA

*** In the regular Wednesday game, it was a closer affair as the Red Sox opened a late lead to sweep the twinbill. Derrick Robinson led off the Wilmington 1st with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Johnny Giavotella single to make it 1-0. The Rocks would strand 2 in the inning and starter Mario Santiago would give up 3 Salem runs in the 2nd on 4 hits and a walk to make it 3-1 Sox. Clint Robinson hit his 3rd homer of the series to lead off the Rocks 2nd and David Lough hit a 2-out RBI single in the 3rd to tie the game at 3. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 3rd and 4th and Chris Chavez ran into trouble in the 6th. A 2-out double by C William Vazquez scored the lead run and Chavez gave up a 2-out, 2-run single to Place in the 7th thanks mostly to a Giavotella throwing error on the play to make it 6-3. The Rocks loaded the bases with 1 out in the 7th and Lough singled home a run to cut the lead to 2 but Clint Robinson popped out to end the threat as RP Derrick Loop notched his 1st save. Jonathan's younger brother RP Josh Papelbon got the win with 3 1/3 IP of an ER on 0 hits, 3 walks and a K to move to 1-1 with a 5.87 ERA. Starter Jose Capellan allowed 3 ER on 6 hits and 3 walks with 3 Ks over 3 IP to move his ERA to 5.40. LF Chiang and CF Che-Hsuan Lin both had 2 hits for Salem as Lin added 2 RBI (3) to move to .200 with a 2-4 game. DH Ryan Kalish was 0-3 with a walk, 2 K, RS and his 5th SB to drop to .318.

The Blue Rocks are 8-6 and a game back of first. A 4-game set at the Winston-Salem Dash (6-8, A-Adv. ChiSox) starts tonight as Everett Teaford (1-0, 1.94) pitches versus Dash righty Levi Maxwell (0-2, 6.75) in the Dash's home opener, which comes 15 games into the season. The Dash roster features White Sox prospects OF Jordan Danks (.286 BA, .857 OPS, 12 RS, 2 HR, 18 K in 56 ABs) and 3B Brent Morel (.240/.687, 11 RS, 5 SB in 50 ABs). Former Royal Joe McEwing is the Dash manager and Bobby Thigpen is the pitching coach.

A - Burlington: Bees 8, Kane County 2

RF Francis 3-4, HR (2), 4 RBI (8), RS -- .400
3B Martin 1-2, 2 SF, 2 RBI (5), RS, SB (2) -- .205
1B Hosmer 1-3, BB, RBI (4), RS -- .167
CF Norris 1-4, K, 2 RS, SB (5) -- .207
SS Alfaro 1-3, BB, 2 RS -- .231
DH Bonilla 1-4, 2 K, CS -- .222

Fisher 4 IP, UER, 6 H, K -- 2.45 ERA
Baez 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K -- W, 1-0, 3.60 ERA
Thompson 2 IP, ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 balks -- 6.00 ERA

*** Nick Francis single-handedly out scored Kane County and the Bees got their first home victory of the season. Kyle Martin hit a sac fly in the 1st and Francis followed with a 2-run homer for his 2nd of the season to make it 3-0 Bees. Brent Fisher stranded 2 Cougars in the 3rd and Burlington added 2 runs in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles by Eric Hosmer and Francis to make it 5-0. Fisher allowed a run on 3 hits and a throwing error by C Salvador Perez in the 5th before getting pulled for Manauris Baez, who stranded 2 inherited runners. Two Cougar errors helped the Bees to a run in the 7th as Martin added a sac fly and Francis hit another RBI single to make it 8-1. James Thompson walked 2 in the 9th then balked twice to cut it to 8-2 before closing it out. Starter Matt Fitts took the loss with 3 IP of 5 runs (2 ER) on 5 hits, 2 BB and 2 Ks to drop to 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA. SS Dusty Coleman was 2-4 with his 2nd triple and 5th error to move to .357.

The Bees are 3-8 and 5 games out. Game 3 is today and got an early start as the Cougars lead in the middle innings. Bryan Casey (0-2, 4.70) started versus KC righty Shawn Haviland (1-0, 2.45).