Royals on the Farm 4/26

AAA - Omaha: rainout

The O-Royals are still 9-7 and 2 games out of first. They are playing a doubleheader with Oklahoma City tonight to make up Saturday's rainout. Sunday's rainout will be made up in August. Game 1 starters tonight are hot prospect RedHawks righty Neftali Feliz (1-0, 5.25) vs. Luke Hochevar (3-0, 1.89). Game 2 pits RedHawks righty Doug Mathis (0-1, 2.50) vs. Heath Phillips (1-1, 7.43).

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 8, Naturals 1

RF Parraz 1-4, 2B (3), RS -- .313
2B Mertins 1-4, K, SB (2) -- .311
CF Duarte 0-4, K, picked off -- .320
LF Dickerson 0-2, 2 BB, E (2) -- .200
SS Lisson 0-3, BB, K -- .224
1B McFall 1-4, 2B (7), K, E (2) -- .222

Cortes 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, pickoff -- L, 0-3, 6.23 ERA, old wildness still there
Sencion 1/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, HRA -- 4.63 ERA
Holland 2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, K, WP -- 4.35 ERA

*** The Travelers scored 7 runs from the 6th on to roll to the win and take 3 of 4 in their first series of the season with NWA. The Naturals left runners at the corners in the 3rd and control problems got to Dan Cortes in the 3rd as a 1-out walk was followed by a stolen base, wild pitch and RBI single to give Arkansas a 1-0 lead. He worked around another wild pitch and walk in the inning. The Nats got 2 on with 1 out in the 6th but couldn't get a runner home and the Nats kind of fell apart in the bottom of the 6th. A pickoff helped Cortes get 2 outs with nobody on and he was pulled after another walk, as Carlos Sencion came in. Sencion had a rough outing as he gave up a 3-run homer to DH Hank Conger (his 1st of the season) and a Brian McFall error led to another run as Arkansas moved ahead, 5-0. Jordan Parraz led off the 7th with a double and scored on an error to get NWA on the board but the Travelers would rally again with 2 outs in the 8th for 3 more runs on 4 hits off Greg Holland. The Nats stranded 1 in the 9th. 19-year-old Travs starter Trevor Reckling got the win with 3 hits and 3 walks allowed over 6 IP with 4 Ks to mark his 1st AA win in his level debut. RP Ryan Brasier allowed an unearned run over 3 IP to pick up his 2nd save. Four Travs had 2 hits, including Conger, who drove in 3 runs (7) and scored twice in moving to .207. CF Peter Bourjos was 2-3 with a walk to move to .339 but got picked off by Cortes once. 3B Wilberto Ortiz and LF Nate Sutton had 2 RBI each.

NWA is 7-9 and 4 games back of first-place Springfield. The Cardinals (11-5) play host to a 4-game set with the Naturals starting tonight. Game 1 starters are Anthony Lerew (1-0, 3.07) and Cards lefty Ryan Kulik (1-1, 5.25). The Cardinals' roster features St. Louee prospects 3B Brett Wallace (.290 BA, .966 OPS, 15 RS, 4 HR in 16 games and 62 ABs), OF Daryl Jones (.333/.899, 14 RS, 3 SB in 13 games and 48 ABs), and righty Francisco Samuel (1-0, 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 8 BB/10 K in 6 2/3 IP).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Winston-Salem 8, Blue Rocks 4

SS Bianchi 2-4, 2B (5), HR (2), 3 RBI (10), K, RS -- .303
3B Moustakas 2-4, 2B (5), K, RS -- .292
2B Giavotella 1-4, RBI (12), RS, SB (2), E (4) -- .200
LF Ortiz 1-4, 3B (2), RS -- .250
RF Lough 0-4 -- .317
1B C. Robinson 0-4, 2 K -- .359

Duffy 5 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, K, 3 HRA -- L, 2-1, 4.35 ERA, has to be worst start as a pro
Swaggerty 2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, K, pickoff -- 2.70 ERA
Hartsock IP, UER, H, BB -- 1.23 ERA

*** Danny Duffy got rocked and the Rocks dropped 3 of 4 to the Dash. Jeff Bianchi hit a 2-out RBI double in the 1st to make it 1-0 Blue Rocks and Ryan Eigsti was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch the lead to end the 3rd. Duffy had retired 5 straight before it fell apart in the 4th as 2 singles were followed by a 3-run homer by 3B Brent Morel (his 3rd) and RF Christian Marrero made it back-to-back jacks with his 3rd homer to make it 4-0. Duffy stranded 2 then gave up a 2-out, 2-run homer to Morel in the 5th for his 4th of the season and 2nd of the game. Adrian Ortiz hit a 1-out triple in the 6th and scored on a Johnny Giavotella RBI groundout to cut it to 6-2 but Ben Swaggerty allowed a run on 2 hits in the 6th and the Dash manufactured a run in the 8th off Aaron Hartsock to make it 8-2. The Rocks got 2 in the 9th on Bianchi's 2-run homer for his 2nd of the season but that was it. Starter Anthony Carter picked up the win for Winston-Salem with 8 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to improve to 2-1 with a 3.75 ERA. Four Dash batters had 2 hits but the star was Morel, who was 2-4 with 2 HR and 5 RBI (10) along with 2 RS to move to .265. Marrero was 2-3 with the HR and his 11th RBI and 2 RS to move to .397 and pitched in the assist to nail Eigsti in the 3rd. CF Jordan Danks was 1-5 with his 12th RBI to drop to .315.

The Rocks are 9-9 and 2 games back. They have today off before starting a set at Potomac.

A - Burlington: Bees 6, Clinton 2

CF Norris 2-4, RBI (2) -- .200
1B Hosmer 2-4, BB, K, RS -- .180
RF Francis 1-5, RBI (11), RS -- .392
DH Bonilla 1-3, BB, 2B (2), RBI (5), K, 2 RS -- .206
2B Jimenez 1-4, RBI (4), K, SB (3) -- .216
3B Martin 0-4, HBP, K, RS -- .182
SS Alfaro 1-5, CS, E -- .209
C McCauley 0-4, RS, picked off runner -- .190

Z. Peterson 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K -- 3.57 ERA
Bryant 3 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K -- W, 1-0, 2.70 ERA

*** Four Bee runs in the 8th were the difference as the Bees won 2 in a row for the first time this season. Kyle Martin led off the game with a HBP, advanced on a wild pitch and groundout then scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0 Bees. Starter Zach Peterson gave up an RBI double in the 1st but the Bees regained the lead in the 2nd on a Patrick Norris RBI single, although David Wood was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on the play. Clinton retied it in the 2nd on a hit and walk and it stayed tied into the 8th. Eric Hosmer started the rally then with a 1-out single and scored on a Nick Francis RBI single before 2 Clinton errors on one play scored Francis, Jose Bonilla doubled home a run and Antonio Jimenez singled home Bonilla to make it 6-2. Carson Bryant pitched a scoreless last 3 innings to pick up the win. Clinton RP Ryan Moorer took the loss with 2/3 IP of 4 runs (1 ER) allowed on 4 hits with a K to drop to 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA. Starter Kenn Kasparek pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 ER) on 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 7.71. 1B Nate Tenbrink was 3-3 with a run scored but was caught stealing twice as his BA jumped to .306.

Burlington is 5-10 and 7 games out. The series is continuing tonight as Brent Fisher (0-0, 2.45) is pitching (and getting torched thus far) against Clinton righty Blake Nation (0-1, 6.43, just pitched in relief Saturday) in an apparent spot start.