Royals on the Farm 5/6

AAA - Omaha: Memphis 6, O-Royals 5

3B Metcalf 2-4, 2B (7), HR (3), 3 RBI (17), K, 2 RS -- .299
2B Hulett 2-5, 2B (10), K -- .311
SS Falu 2-4, 2B (4), 3B, RBI (8), K, RS -- .261
C Tupman 1-4, RBI, E -- .167, error came at a bad time, 4/4 SB against
DH Shealy 1-4, BB, RS -- .325
1B Ka'aihue 0-3, BB, RS -- .221

Chen 5 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA -- 4.82 ERA
Yabuta 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Rosa 2 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, K -- BS, 2, L, 0-3, 3.21 ERA

*** The O-Royals took a 5-4 lead into the 9th but couldn't hold on as Carlos Rosa blew his 2nd save of the season. Bruce Chen gave up a solo homer to 1B Allen Craig (his 3rd) to lead off the 2nd but Irving Falu hit a 2-out RBI double in Omaha's half of the inning and Matt Tupman singled him home to make it 2-1 Omaha. Two extra-base hits to start the 3rd tied the game off Chen and LF Jon Jay stole home on a double steal to give Memphis a 3-2 lead. With 1 out and 2 on in the Omaha 3rd after an error by P P.J. Walters, Travis Metcalf slammed his 3rd homer of the season for a 3-run shot to make it 5-3 O-Royals. Chen gave up an RBI double before stranding 2 in the 5th and Yasuhiko Yabuta stranded 2 Redbirds in the 7th. The Royals did the same and the game went into the 9th at 5-4. A leadoff single and error by Tupman on a sac bunt put 2 on with none out versus Rosa and DH Nick Stavinoha came through with a 1-out, 2-run single to give Memphis the lead. The Royals stranded 1 in the 9th as RP Jess Todd picked up the win with 2 scoreless IP to move to 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA. Walters allowed 5 runs (4 ER) on 7 hits and a walk with 4 Ks over 6 IP to move his ERA to 2.77. Jay was 2-3 with 2 sacrifices, 2 doubles (4), his 10th RBI, a RS, and 2 SB (6) to move to .247. Stavinoha's 2 clutch RBI gave him 21 on the season.

The O-Royals are 14-11 and 1 1/2 games back of the Redbirds. The series wraps tonight as Luke Hochevar (5-0, 1.13) pitches versus Memphis lefty Evan MacLane (1-2, 5.23). C Brayan Pena has cleared waivers and will be on the Omaha roster.

AA - NW Arkansas: Springfield 3, Naturals 0 (7/G1)

RF Parraz 1-2, BB, 2B (4) -- .359
LF Dickerson 1-2, BB -- .250
CF Duarte 0-2, BB, S, K, OF assist at first -- .289
DH Lisson 0-3, K -- .185
2B Mertins 0-3 -- .250
SS McConnell 1-3 -- .162

B. Wood 6 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HRA -- L, 1-1, 6.75 ERA

*** Brandon Dickson held the Naturals in check for the complete-game shutout in the twinbill-shortened game 1. The Nats got 2 in scoring position with 1 out in the 3rd and Joe Dickerson was intentionally walked to load the bases but Jordan Parraz hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat. Blake Wood gave up an RBI double in the 3rd to stake Springfield to a 1-0 lead and, in the 5th, C John Suomi and Naturals manager Brian Poldberg were ejected after Suomi struck out swinging. Wood worked around a triple in the 5th but the Nats left 2 more in scoring position in the 6th. Solo homers by DH Steven Hill (his 6th) and 1B Mark Hamilton (his 2nd) in the bottom of the 6th helped Springfield put it away as NWA stranded 2 more in the 7th. Dickson allowed 5 hits and 4 walks with 5 Ks in the 7-inning win to improve to 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA. LF Daryl Jones was 1-3 with his 6th double and 12th RBI with a K to move to .338. Hill's homer gave him his 18th RBI as he was 1-3 to drop to .347.

Springfield 14, Naturals 9 (7/G2)

2B Mertins 2-3, BB, 2B (4), 3 RBI (10), K, RS -- .267
LF Strait 2-3, BB, 2B (3), RBI (5), RS, SB -- .256
SS Lisson 1-4, HR (2), 2 RBI (13), K, RS -- .188
RF Parraz 1-2, BB, HBP, 2B (5), RBI (12), RS, OF assist at home -- .364
C Howell 1-3, BB, HR (2), RBI (6), 2 RS -- .326
CF Duarte 1-3, BB, S, CS (3), OF assist at second -- .291
3B J. Johnson 1-3, BB, 2 RS -- .220

Kniginyzky IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 2 HRA, WP -- 7.71 ERA, yowza, 38 pitches, 1st inning was easy, was 2nd that got him
de la Vara 3 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, K -- L, 1-1, 5.65 ERA
Cevette 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB -- BS, 1, 4.91 ERA
Bale 2/3 IP, ER, H -- 13.50 ERA
Crist 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB -- 8.38 ERA

*** A 6-run 2nd didn't get the Naturals very far as Springfield was 8-14 with runners in scoring position and cranked out 14 runs on 15 hits to come back and get the win. The Naturals left the bases full in the 1st versus Cards SP Brad Furnish but got to him in the 2nd for 6 runs on a run-scoring error, a 2-run Kurt Mertins double, a Jordan Parraz RBI double and a 2-run homer by Mario Lisson for his 2nd of the season. Matt Kniginyzky had a quiet 1st but gave up a leadoff homer to C Steven Hill (his 7th) in the 2nd, then a 2-run homer to 1B Andrew Brown (his 1st), then loaded the bases before walking in a run and getting pulled for Gilbert de la Vara with the bases loaded, 4 runs in and nobody out. de la Vara hit a batter to force in a run but got some defensive help as Parraz nailed a runner at the plate from right to end the inning with the Nats clinging to a 6-5 lead. Jeff Howell led off the 3rd with his 2nd homer and Mertins added an RBI single to extend the NWA lead to 8-5. de la Vara gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in the 4th to cut it to 8-7 and was pulled for Dan Cevette with 2 on and 2 out in the 5th. Cevette allowed 3 hits and a walk to score 4 runs before getting out of the inning with the Naturals down, 11-8. John Bale got 2 outs in the 6th before getting pulled with 1 on and RP Kyle Crist allowed 3 runs on a bases-loaded walk and 2-run single to put NWA down, 14-8. Cody Strait ripped an RBI double in the 7th but that was it as Cards RP Tyler Norrick locked down his 2nd save, as he came in with the Cards up 11-8. RP Eddie Degerman got the win with 2 hitless IP to improve to 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA. Furnish allowed 6 ER on 6 hits and 3 walks with 2 Ks over 2 IP to bump his ERA to 6.26. Six Cards had 2 hits, as Jones was 2-3 with a walk, HBP, 4 RBI (16), and his 1st error to move to .350. DH Brett Wallace was 1-4 with 3 RBI (16) and a K to drop to .266. CF James Rapoport was 2-2 with 3 walks, his 4th double and 3 RBI (17) along with 2 RS to improve to .271.

The Naturals are 11-14 and 4 games back now. Game 3 of the set is tonight as Dan Cortes (0-4, 5.96) still searches for his 1st '09 win versus Cards righty Tyler Herron (1-1, 6.88).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Potomac 5, Blue Rocks 3 (7/G1)

3B Moustakas 3-4, 2B (7) -- .287
SS Bianchi 1-3, S, 2 RBI (13) -- .333
2B Seratelli 1-3, HR (2), RBI (9), RS -- .263
CF D. Robinson 0-2, 2 BB -- .213
1B C. Robinson 0-3, BB -- .357
LF Ortiz 0-3, RS -- .267

Santiago 6 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HRA, WP, pickoff -- L, 1-3, 6.20 ERA
Rodriguez IP, ER, BB, 2 K, WP -- 6.75 ERA

*** Potomac scored 4 late runs and held off the Rocks for the win. Wilmington stranded 2 in the 1st and Potomac did the same off Mario Santiago in the 2nd. Two hits brought home a Potomac run in the 4th but Anthony Seratelli tied it in leading off the Rocks 5th with his 2nd homer of the season. SS Danny Espinosa responded with his 4th homer to lead off the P-Nats 6th and, two batters later, RF Michael Burgess cranked his 6th homer for a 2-run shot to make it 4-1. The Nationals scratched out an insurance run off Craig Rodriguez in the 7th. The Rocks tried to rally in the bottom of the 7th as they loaded the bases with 2 out and Jeff Bianchi hit a 2-run single to cut it to 5-3. They reloaded the bases but Clint Robinson grounded into a game-ending forceout as RP Atahualpa Severino got the final out for his 5th save. Starter Jeff Mandel got the win with an ER allowed on 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks to improve to 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA. Burgess was 3-3 with his 4th double, the homer and 3 RBI (22) to move to .212. 1B Chris Marrero was 2-3 with a K and 2 RS to move to .323.

Wilmington is 12-13 and 3 games back. Game 2 was suspended in a scoreless tie in the 6th and will be completed tonight before the regular Thursday game. Tonight's regular starters are Alex Caldera (0-1, 5.87) and P-Nats righty Bradley Meyers (2-0, 1.50).

A - Burlington: Bees 6, Wisconsin 2

Hosmer DNP
3B Jimenez 1-4, 2B (4), 2 RBI (6) -- .197
C S. Perez 1-4, 2B (3), RBI (3), RS -- .158, bat starting to come around?
DH McCauley 1-5, RBI (4), K -- .155
RF Francis 1-4, 3 K, RS -- .287
1B D. Wood 1-3, BB, 2B (3), 2 RS -- .250
CF Norris 1-4, K, RS, OF assist at home -- .213

Herrera 5 IP, 3 H, K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, nice debut
J. Garcia 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K, 2 HRA -- 3.07 ERA
Bowden IP, BB, K -- 3.38 ERA

*** The Bees survived being just 2-15 with runners in scoring position as Kelvin Herrera stymied the Rattlers over 5 IP and the bullpen held on for a 6-2 win. A 2-run Rattler error got the Bees started in the 2nd and they stranded 2 in the 3rd. Herrera got some defensive support in the 3rd as a would-be 2-out RBI single was thwarted by Patrick Norris throwing out a runner at the plate from center. Sean McCauley hit an RBI groundout in the 5th to make it 3-0 and the Bees scored 3 in the 6th on a Salvador Perez RBI double and a 2-run Antonio Jimenez double. RP Justin Garcia gave up solo homers to 1B Brock Kjeldgaard (his 4th) and 3B Edgar Trejo (his 2nd) in the 7th but that was all Wisconsin would get. Starter Cody Scarpetta took the loss with 5 IP of 3 runs (1 ER) allowed on 3 hits and 2 walks with 4 Ks to fall to 0-2 with a 3.98 ERA. Six Rattlers had a hit each. Kjeldgaard's RBI was his 16 as he was 1-4 to move to .229. 2B Brett Lawrie was 1-4 to drop to .322.

The Bees are 8-17. The rubber match of the series is tonight as Zach Peterson (2-1, 2.66) takes on Wisconsin righty Trey Watten (1-3, 5.14).