Royals on the Farm 5/25

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 4, Fresno 1

1B Ka'aihue 2-3, BB, HR (8), RBI (25), K, RS, E (2) -- .277, leads PCL with 43 walks
LF Thorman 1-3, BB, HR (3), 2 RBI (8), K, RS, OF assist at second -- .196
3B Metcalf 0-3, SF, RBI (24), K -- .259
DH B. Pena 0-2, 2 S, K -- .324
SS Lisson 1-3, K, SB -- .333, AAA debut
CF Duarte 0-3, OF assist at second -- .136, won't be at AAA long if he can't hit

Phillips CG, ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 K, WP -- W, 2-4, 6.70 ERA, first good start since first start

*** A 2-run 1st gave Heath Phillips all he needed as the lefty slapped together a complete-game victory for Omaha to snap a 6-game Royals skid. Scott Thorman did the damage in the bottom of the 1st with a 2-run shot for his 3rd of the season and 2nd for Omaha. Phillips stranded 2 Grizzlies in the 3rd and kept the lead intact despite a 4th-inning Fresno rally of a run on 3 hits as Thorman helped nail a runner at second to end the inning. Travis Metcalf got the run back with a sac fly in the 6th and Kila Ka'aihue hit his 8th homer of the season in the 8th to add some gravy to the lead. Two late double plays helped Phillips cruise to the win. Fresno SP Ryan Sadowski took the loss with 6 IP of 3 ER on 4 hits and 3 walks with 8 Ks to fall to 3-2 with a 4.20 ERA. Three Grizzlies had 2 hits in the loss.

The O-Royals are 20-24 and 4 1/2 games back. Game 2 is tonight as Bruce Chen (1-2, 4.76) faces Fresno lefty Steve Hammond (2-2, 4.32). RP Josh Newman has been released after posting an ERA in the 8s.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 2, Arkansas 1 (7/G1)

DH McFall 2-3, HR (7), RBI (32), RS -- .281
CF Strait 2-3 -- .302
2B Mertins 1-4, RBI (20), K, E (7) -- .277
RF Parraz 0-2, BB -- .323
C Howell 0-3, 2 K -- .300
SS McConnell 1-2, BB, K, RS, SB (4) -- .180

Lerew 6 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K, E (2) -- W, 3-3, 5.20 ERA
Marte IP, nada -- SV, 4, 2.45 ERA

*** Anthony Lerew and Michael Anton dueled and Lerew came out ahead with a 2-1 win in the first of 2 with the Travelers Monday. The Nats stranded 2 in the 1st and Arkansas took the lead in the 2nd with a run on 2 hits before stranding 2 off Lerew. Kurt Mertins singled home a run to tie it in the 3rd and the Nats left 2 in scoring position in the 4th. Lerew stranded 2 in the 5th and Brian McFall gave the Naturals the lead with a solo homer in the 6th for his 7th of the season. Victor Marte pitched a perfect 7th for his 4th save in the twinbill-shortened game. Anton allowed 2 ER on 6 hits and 3 walks with 6 Ks over 7 IP to drop to 0-4 with a 4.23 ERA. Five Travs had a hit each.

Arkansas 1, Naturals 0 (2-hitter, 8/G2)

2B Mertins 1-3 -- .279
1B McFall 1-2, HBP -- .284
RF Parraz 0-3 -- .315
C Suomi 0-3, 2 K -- .343
SS McConnell 0-3, 2 K -- .172

Cevette 3 IP, K -- 1.93 ERA, nice spot start
Hayes 3 IP, H, 2 BB, K -- 0.61 ERA
Holland 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- L, 2-2, 2.31 ERA

*** The Naturals managed only 2 measly hits and the Travelers got a walkoff single in the 8th to end it. Travs spot starter Barret Browning retired 12 of the last 13 he faced through 5 but Nats starter Dan Cevette held Arkansas hitless through 3. Chris Hayes stranded 2 in the 4th and the Naturals stranded 2 in the 7th. Greg Holland came in and coasted through the 7th but gave up a walk and 2 1-out singles in the 8th to end the game. RP David Herndon got the win by striking out the side in the 8th to move to 2-4 with a 3.13 ERA. Browning allowed 2 hits with 2 Ks over 5 IP to drop his ERA to 2.49. The Travelers only had 3 hits as LF Coby Smith had the walkoff single and was 1-4 with his 12th RBI to move to .263.

NWA is 22-21 and 3 games back. They have today off. RP Aaron Hartsock has been called up to AA after posting 11 saves for Wilmington.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: off day

The Rocks are 22-21 and 5 games back. A 3-game home set with the Frederick Keys (22-22, A-Adv. O's) starts tonight as Danny Duffy (5-1, 3.43) faces O's pitching prospect Brian Matusz (3-2, 3.09). The Rocks are 1-2 versus the Keys. Duffy outdueled Matusz for a win earlier this season.

A - Burlington: Dayton 12, Bees 2

C S. Perez 2-4, K, E (4), pickoff -- .152, bat still hasn't awakened
1B Hosmer 1-3, BB, 2 RBI (17) -- .238
CF Norris 1-5, RS -- .194
DH Bonilla 1-4 -- .250

Melville 4 IP, 6 R (4 ER), 5 H, BB, 2 K, HRA, E, 2 WP -- L, 1-1, 4.50 ERA
Bryant IP, 5 R (3 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, K -- 4.56 ERA
Saito 3 IP, H, 5 K -- 3.52 ERA
Bowden IP, ER, H, HRA -- 2.37 ERA

*** Tim Melville's second start was as bad as his first start was good and the Bees had more errors (4) than runs as Dayton took 2 of 3 in the set. Melville served up a 2-run homer to DH Byron Wiley (his 2nd in the 1st but the rout wasn't really on until the 4th when the Dragons scored 4 runs on a walk, 2 hits, 2 errors, and a wild pitch to make it 6-0. The Bees stranded 2 in the 4th and Dayton added 5 runs in the 5th on 4 hits, 2 walks and another Bees error off Carson Bryant. Salvador Perez broke up a fledgling no-hitter in the 5th and the Bees stranded 2 more in the 6th. Eric Hosmer hit a 2-run single in the 8th to spoil the shutout but Barry Bowden gave up a solo homer to 2B Cody Puckett (his 9th) in the 9th to complete the scoring. Dayton SP Curtis Partch got the win with 5 IP of a hit and walk allowed with 3 Ks to improve to 3-3 with a 5.28 ERA. Three Dragons had multi-hit games as Puckett was 3-5 with 2 doubles (14), his homer, 3 RBI (27), a K and 3 RS to move to .290 and CF Dave Sappelt was 3-5 with his 14th SB, 10th double and 2 RS to move to .286. 1B Humberto Sosa also had 2 hits for Dayton and drove in 2 runs (16) while scoring twice.

The Bees are 17-26. A 3-game set at the Lansing Lugnuts (14-28, A Blue Jays) starts tonight. Sam Runion (2-3, 7.11) faces Lugnuts lefty John Anderson (1-2, 4.12) in the opener. The Lugnuts roster features Blue Jays prospects SS Tyler Pastornicky (.258 BA/.636 OPS, 21 RS, 3 3B, 13 BB/23 K, 15/24 SB, 11 E in 41 G/155 ABs), OF Markus Brisker (.106/.307, 10 BB/32 K, 11/14 SB in 36 G/94 ABs) and righty Chad Beck (only 2 IP thus far) among others. OF Johermyn Chavez leads the team with an .875 OPS, 27 RS, 5 3B, 7 HR, and 26 RBI in 40 games/147 ABs. Lefty starter Charles Huggins is 1-1 with a 1.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11 BB/40 K in 7 starts and 34 1/3 IP.