Royals on the Farm 5/8

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 6, Nashville 5

1B Shealy 3-3, BB, 2B (7), 2 RBI (12) -- .345
2B Falu 1-4, BB, 2B (5), 2 RBI (10), RS -- .278
DH Buchanan 1-4, HR, RBI (2), 2 K, 2 RS -- .143
RF Lucas 1-2, BB, S, RBI, CS -- .500, season debut
SS Hulett 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .296
LF B. Pena 0-3, HBP -- .286
C House 1-4 -- .309
3B Metcalf 0-4 -- .274

DiNardo 7 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 5 H, BB, 7 K, E (2) -- W, 2-1, 3.10 ERA
Rosa 1 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- 4.70 ERA
Hughes 0 IP, 2 H -- 1.86 ERA
Atencio 2/3 IP, BB, K -- SV, 1, 6.75 ERA, bullpen has struggled of late but barely got it done Fri.

*** Omaha had a 6-2 lead going into the 7th but had to hold on for dear life to escape with a win Friday. Omaha stranded 2 in the 2nd and SP Lenny DiNardo was perfect going into the 4th. A DiNardo error changed that and a 2-out RBI double lost the potential no-hitter and shutout as Nashville took a 1-0 lead. Omaha surged ahead in the 5th with 4 runs on a 2-run Irving Falu double and a 2-out, 2-run Ryan Shealy double. DiNardo allowed a run on 3 hits in the 6th but Omaha scored 2 in the bottom of the frame on a Brian Buchanan solo homer for his 1st of '09 and an Ed Lucas RBI single in his first official game of the season. Carlos Rosa allowed a 2-out RBI double in the 8th then gave up a solo homer to C Angel Salome (his 2nd) and a double before getting pulled with 1 out in the 9th and the Royals clinging to a 6-4 lead. Dusty Hughes came in and allowed a single and RBI double to put the tying run 90 feet away from scoring when Greg Atencio was brought in and got a strikeout and bases-loaded lineout to Brayan Pena in a sliding catch in left to end the game for his 1st save. Sounds SP Chase Wright took the loss with 5 1/3 IP of 6 runs (2 ER) allowed on 6 hits and 3 walks with a K to fall to 1-4 with a 5.34 ERA. RF Brendan Katin was 3-5 with 2 doubles (10), 3 RBI (17) and a K to move to .257. Salome and CF Tony Gwynn Jr. had 2 hits each. Gwynn was 2-4 with a walk, his 6th double, 6th RBI, 3 RS and his 10th SB to improve to .297. 3B Mat Gamel was 1-4 with a walk and 3 Ks to drop to .347.

The O-Royals are 15-12 and 1 1/2 games back of first. Game 2 is tonight as Heath Phillips (1-3, 6.56) pitches versus Sounds righty Nick Green (2-2, 4.18).

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 6, Springfield 3

DH Strait 2-4, 2B (4), GS (3), 4 RBI (9), K, 2 RS -- .267, the granny was a clutch one
C Suomi 1-2, HR (4), RBI (7), K, RS -- .333
PH-1B McFall 1-1, RBI (21) -- .256
CF Duarte 0-4, 4 K -- .266, golden sombrero
2B Mertins 0-4, 3 K, E (5) -- .265
RF Parraz 1-4, K, RS -- .342
SS Lisson 1-4, 3 K -- .191
LF Dickerson 0-2, 2 BB, K, RS, SB (3) -- .247

B. Johnson 5 2/3 IP, 3 R (1 ER), 5 H, BB, 5 K, pickoff -- 4.21 ERA
Nicoll 2 1/3 IP, H, 2 K -- W, 3-0, 0.50 ERA
Holland IP, H, 3 K -- SV, 1, 2.87 ERA

*** Cody Strait's grand slam in the 9th gave the Naturals a win in the series finale with Springfield. The Cardinals scored a run on 2 doubles off Blake Johnson in the 2nd but John Suomi cranked a solo homer in the 3rd for his 4th of the season to tie the game. Johnson retired 8 in a row at one point going into the 6th but the Cards got 2 runs that inning on 2 hits, a walk, sac fly and Kurt Mertins error at 2B to move ahead, 3-1, before Chris Nicoll got the final out. With 2 out and 1 on in the 8th, Brian McFall pulled NWA closer with a pinch-hit RBI single. The Cards were 1 out from the win with the bases loaded in the 9th when Strait stepped up and hit the slam off RP Francisco Samuel to left center for his 3rd homer of the season. Greg Holland struck out the side around a single in the bottom of the 9th for his 1st save. Samuel took his 2nd blown save and the loss with 1 1/3 IP of 4 ER on 4 hits and a walk with 3 Ks to drop to 1-1 with a 7.15 ERA. Starter Trey Hearne allowed an ER on 2 hits and a walk with 13 Ks over 6 IP for the hard-luck no-decision to drop his ERA to 2.79. 2B Dan Descalso was one of 2 Cards with 2 hits as he was 2-4 with his 9th double, his 22nd RBI, a K and RS to improve to .362. 3B Brett Wallace was 0-3 with a walk and 3 K to drop to .275.

NWA is 13-14 and 2 games back. A 4-game set at the Tulsa Drillers (14-13, AA Rockies) starts tonight as Anthony Lerew (1-1, 4.62) faces Drillers righty Sam Deduno (2-1, 4.07). The Drillers roster features Colorado prospects righty Jhoulys Chacin (top org. pitching prospect, 2-3, 3.94 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 2 HRA, 11 BB/24 K in 6 starts and 32 IP), C Michael McKenry (.243 BA/.763 OPS, 11 RS, 4 2B, 3 HR, 7 BB/14 K in 20 games/74 ABs), 3B Darin Holcomb (.227/.597, 7 2B, 9 BB/9 K, 4 E in 26 G/88 ABs), righty Will Harris (no AA stats yet), SS Daniel Mayora (.260/.714, 5 BB/16 K, 1/4 SB in 24 G/73 ABs), IF Chris Nelson (.278/.859, 20 RS, 2 3B, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 11 BB/19 K, 5/7 SB, 6 E in 25 G/90 ABs) and righty Chaz Roe (1-0, 3.55, 1.30, 2 HRA, 16 BB/16 K in 5 starts and 25 1/3 IP).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 3, Frederick 0 (5-hitter)

CF D. Robinson 2-5, 2 RBI (10), 2 SB (14) -- .223, tied franchise mark for SBs with 77 career
LF Ortiz 2-4, RBI (9), K, RS -- .274
3B Moustakas 1-4, 3 K -- .273
2B Giavotella 1-5, 2 K -- .227
1B C. Robinson 0-4, 3 K, RS -- .330
SS Bianchi 0-3, S, 3 K -- .298
RF Lough 1-4, RS -- .302

Duffy 6 1/3 IP, 3 H, 9 K -- W, 4-1, 3.38 ERA
R. Hardy 1 2/3 IP, H, BB -- 0.00 ERA, season debut
Hartsock IP, H, K -- SV, 5, 0.79 ERA

*** Danny Duffy was once again at the top of his game as he shut down the Rocks' losing skid. The Rocks took the lead for good with 2 runs in the 2nd on back-to-back bases-loaded RBI singles by Adrian Ortiz and Derrick Robinson, but the Rocks left the bases full. Duffy retired 12 in a row at one point. Rowdy Hardy came in and stranded 2 in the 7th and, after another Robinson RBI single in the 9th, Aaron Hartsock stranded 1 in the 9th for his 5th save. Starter Brian Matusz took the loss for Frederick with 7 IP of 2 R (1 ER) allowed on 6 hits and a walk with 13 Ks to drop to 2-2 with a 3.18 ERA. Five Keys had a hit each.

Wilmington is 13-15 and 5 games back of first. Game 2 is tonight as Eduardo Paulino (1-0, 5.63) pitches versus Keys righty Pedro Beato (1-3, 4.74).

A - Burlington: Bees 6, Great Lakes 3

Hosmer DNP
LF Van Stratten 3-5, 2B (3), 3 RS, SB (3) -- .364
RF Francis 2-5, 2B (7), 2 RBI (16), K, RS -- .298
C McCauley 1-2, 3 BB, 2B (6), 2 RBI (7), RS -- .179
3B-SS Martin 1-5, RBI (7), K -- .186
1B D. Wood 1-4, RBI (4), K -- .250
SS Alfaro 0-2, K -- .183, pulled in 4th
CF Norris 0-3, BB, K, RS, SB (10) -- .207

Casey 6 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 6 K, HRA -- W, 1-3, 2.82 ERA, nice outing
Bryant 2 2/3 IP, ER, H, 4 K, HRA -- 3.93 ERA

*** The Bees jumped to a 4-0 lead and Bryan Casey helped Burlington deal Loons SP Ethan Martin his first loss of the season. Nick Van Stratten led off the game with a double and scored on a Nick Francis single to get the Bees started. Patrick Norris drew a 2-out walk in the 2nd, stole second, and scored along with Van Stratten on a 2-run Sean McCauley double before Kyle Martin added an RBI single to make it 4-0 Bees. Casey gave up a solo homer to LF Alfredo Silverio (his 1st) to lead off the Loons 3rd and the Loons cut it to 2 on a run in the 6th. Burlington got some insurance with 2 runs in the 7th on a Francis RBI double and David Wood RBI single. Carson Bryant served up a solo homer to 2B Jaime Pedroza (his 4th) in the 8th but sat down the next 4 to finish the victory. Martin allowed 4 runs (3 ER) on 6 hits and 3 walks with 4 Ks over 4 IP to fall to 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA. Five Loons had a hit each. Pedroza was 1-4 with the homer, his 17th RBI, a K and RS to move to .351. SS Devaris Gordon was 0-2 with a walk, sacrifice, RS and 2 SB (16) to drop to .327.

The Bees are 10-17. Game 2 is tonight as Sam Runion (1-3, 7.88) faces Loons righty Bobby Blevins (1-2, 7.06). No word on the reason for Eric Hosmer's recent absence.