Royals on the Farm 5/5

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 2, Memphis 1

3B Metcalf 2-4, 2 K -- .289
CF Murphy 1-4, HR, RBI (5), 2 K, RS, SB (7) -- .200, has been in bad slump
LF Buchanan 1-1, GW RBI -- .154
2B Hulett 0-3, BB, K -- .306, also slumping
C House 0-4, K -- .316, also slumping
1B Ka'aihue 1-3, BB, 2 K, RS -- .230
DH Shealy 0-2, 2 BB -- .329, showing good patience, but not hitting for power
LF Lubanski 0-3 -- .308, left game in 7th with leg injury after groundout

Duckworth 7 IP, ER, 6 H, BB, 3 K -- 5.40 ERA, two good starts in a row
Colon 2 IP, H, 3 K -- W, 2-1, 2.81 ERA

*** The teams combined for 12 hits and only 3 runs as Brandon Duckworth and Clayton Mortensen dueled, and Omaha came out on top. Omaha stranded 2 in the 1st and didn't get their first hit off Mortensen until Tommy Murphy went long for the first time in '09 in the 3rd to make it 1-0 O-Royals. Duckworth's batch of trouble came in the 5th when Memphis tied the game with a run on 2 hits and a walk before stranding 2. Neither team had more than 1 baserunner in an inning again until Kila Ka'aihue led off the Omaha 9th with a broken bat single, Ryan Shealy walked and Travis Metcalf singled to load the bases with no outs. That brought up Brian Buchanan, who singled to end the game. RP Charlie Manning took the loss with an ER allowed on a hit and 2 Ks over an IP to drop to 0-2 with a 1.64 ERA. Mortensen allowed only an ER on 2 hits and 3 walks with 7 Ks over 7 IP to move his ERA to 1.44. C Bryan Anderson was 3-4 with 2 doubles (4) and a RS to move to .234. 1B Nick Stavinoha was 2-4 to move to .250.

Omaha is 14-10 and a half-game back of the Redbirds. Game 3 of the set is ongoing as Bruce Chen (1-1, 4.30) is starting versus Memphis righty P.J. Walters (1-0, 0.00). Lubanski did not make the start today. Team site has no update on his status as of yet.

AA - NW Arkansas: rainout

NWA is 11-12 and 2 games back of the Cardinals. The Naturals and Springfield are making the game up today as part of a doubleheader. Yesterday's slated starters, Blake Wood and Brandon Dickson, were set to start game 1 while Matt Kniginyzky (0-2, 5.85) was set to start game 2 for NWA. No announced starter on the team site for Springfield in game 2.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Potomac 4, Blue Rocks 0 (2-hitter, 7/G1)

CF D. Robinson 1-3, picked off -- .217
RF Orlando 1-2, K -- .192
3B Moustakas 0-3, 2 E (4) -- .265
2B Giavotella 0-2, BB -- .237
1B C. Robinson 0-2, K -- .370
SS Bianchi 0-3, 2 K -- .333
DH Lough 0-2 -- .320
LF Ortiz 0-2 -- .278

Liotta 4 1/3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- L, 1-2, 5.89 ERA
Paulino 2 2/3 IP, BB, K -- 5.63 ERA

*** Three Potomac pitchers combined to face only one more than the minimum as the Blue Rocks offense scuttled in a shutout loss. The P-Nats had as many hits in the 1st inning as Wilmington would in the game as Ray Liotta stranded 2. Derrick Robinson led off the Wilmington 1st with a single but was picked off as starter Colton Willems had a great A-Advanced debut. He retired the next 9 Rocks in a row, allowed a walk, then allowed another single in the 5th before getting a lineout double play to escape trouble. Liotta didn't cruise as Potomac scored a run on a hit and Mike Moustakas throwing error in the 2nd then allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk in the 3rd. Potomac got to him for another run in the 5th on 2 hits, a walk and another Moustakas error as Eduardo Paulino finished the game with 2 2/3 hitless IP. Willems got the win with 2 hits and a walk allowed with 3 Ks over 5 IP to move to 1-0 with a spotless ERA. Two Nationals had 2 hits as DH Francisco Plasencia was 2-3 with a walk, his 6th double and 2 RS to move to .307. RF Michael Burgess was 0-2 with a walk but drove in his 19th RBI as his average dipped to .183.

The Rocks are 12-12 and 2 1/2 games back of first. Game 2 was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader today. Mario Santiago (1-2, 6.27) will start versus P-Nats righty Jeff Mandel (2-1, 2.66) in game 1. No announced starters for game 2 on the team site. I guess Rowdy Hardy has switched to a submarine delivery, so we'll see how that goes. P Jason Godin was put on the DL with a "unspecified back ailment" to make room for Rowdy.

A - Burlington: Wisconsin 2, Bees 0 (3-hitter)

3B Martin 2-4, K -- .167
RF Francis 1-4, 2 SB (6) -- .289
1B Hosmer 0-4, 3 K -- .221
SS Alfaro 0-4 -- .187
DH McCauley 0-3, BB -- .152
CF Norris 0-2, BB -- .211

Baez 3 2/3 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 1-1, 3.79 ERA
Saito 3 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K -- 5.40 ERA
Thompson IP, K -- 5.11 ERA

*** Two Rattler relievers pitched 5 hitless innings as Wisconsin took the opener. Manauris Baez gave up a solo homer to 2B Brett Lawrie for his 4th of the season in the 1st and it was quickly 1-0 Wisconsin. The Bees left 2 in scoring position in the 3rd and, despite a single and 2 steals from Nick Francis in the 4th, left him at third. Derrick Saito got the third out to get out of Baez's bases-loaded jam in the 4th and then gave up an RBI single in the 5th to make it 2-0. The only baserunner Burlington had after the 4th was Sean McCauley on a walk in the 7th and he didn't even make it to second. RP Daniel Meadows pitched 4 hitless innings of a walk and 4 Ks to get the win and move to 3-0 with a 4.05 ERA. RP Jim Henderson notched his 7th save with a perfect 9th. Starter Michael Bowman allowed 3 hits and a walk with 3 Ks over 4 IP to drop his ERA to 2.50. Lawrie was 3-4 with the homer and both RBI (19) to improve to .326. CF Erik Miller was 2-4 to move to .273.

The Bees are 7-17. Game 2 of the series is tonight as Kelvin Herrera makes his '09 debut versus Wisconsin righty Cody Scarpetta (0-1, 4.70).