Royals on the Farm 6/26

AAA - Omaha: Memphis 2, O-Royals 1

RF Aldridge 1-2, HR (10), RBI (40), RS -- .297, left in 5th
C House 1-4, 2B (12) -- .278
DH Buck 0-4 -- .143
1B Ka'aihue 0-3, K -- .272
SS Lisson 0-3 -- .210

Ponson 5 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 4 K -- L, 0-1, 3.00 ERA
Duckworth 2 IP, BB -- 4.64 ERA
Atencio 1/3 IP, 2 BB, K, WP -- 6.27 ERA
Hughes 2/3 IP, nothing -- 4.54 ERA

*** Omaha managed only 4 hits as Memphis took 3 of 4 in the set to firm up Omaha's hold on the division cellar. Cory Aldridge hit a 2-out solo homer in the 2nd for his 10th of the season for Omaha's only run. Two doubles scored a Redbirds run off Sidney Ponson in the 2nd and Ponson stranded 2 in the 3rd. Two hits plated a run to give the Redbirds a 2-1 lead in the 4th and Memphis SP Evan MacLane retired 15 of the last 17 he faced. Brandon Duckworth stranded 2 in the 6th and the last 4 Royals went down in order as RP Jess Todd picked up his 15th save. MacLane got the win with 7 2/3 IP of an ER allowed on 4 hits and a K to move to 3-7 with a 3.78 ERA. CF Shane Robinson and DH Mark Shorey both had 2 hits for Memphis. Shorey had a walk, his 7th double and 2 RBI (14) to move to .318. 3B Brett Wallace was 1-3 with his 6th double, a K and RS to move to .269.

The O-Royals are 28-46. A 4-game home set with the Albuquerque Isotopes (38-36, AAA Dodgers) starts tonight with Matt Wright (0-4, 7.67) facing Isotopes lefty Stephen Randolph (3-2, 5.79). Omaha is 6-6 versus Albuquerque. With Kyle Farnsworth hitting the DL for a while with a torn groin, lefty Bruce Chen got the call to make the Saturday start versus the Pirates. Hope he does well. Sidney Ponson tested positive for a banned stimulant at the WBC, but won't be suspended by MLB. Rotoworld is surmising that's why Chen is getting a shot over him. I say Chen earned his chance. We've seen what Ponson brings to the table.

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 7, Naturals 4 (10)

DH Mertins 2-5, 2B (16), RBI (32), RS -- .296
SS Bianchi 2-3, BB, K, SB -- .483
CF Dyson 2-5, RS, picked off -- .500
1B C. Smith 1-4, 2B (12), RBI (49), 2 K -- .245
3B Lucas 0-5, RBI (22), K -- .277
LF Duarte 0-4, RBI (15), 2 K, RS -- .237

Kniginyzky 7 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, BB, 4 K, HRA, WP -- 6.18 ERA
de la Vara 1 2/3 IP, BB, K -- 5.06 ERA
Hartsock 1 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, K, HRA -- L, 0-1, 5.51 ERA

*** Travelers SP Jordan Walden had a good start but the Naturals came back from a 4-0 hole in a big way in the 8th only to lose in 10. Matt Kniginyzky had another middling start as he served up a 2-run homer to RF Val Majewski (his 3rd) in the 1st to put NWA in an early 2-0 deficit. Walden faced one over the minimum through 6 innings. Kniginyzky also settled down through 6 but gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and a wild pitch in the 7th to make it 4-0 Travelers. The Naturals stranded runners at the corners in the 7th but had runners at the corners with none out in the 8th to chase Walden for RP Bobby Cassevah. Jose Duarte followed with an RBI forceout and Kurt Mertins singled home a run to cut it to 4-2. Ed Lucas hit an RBI groundout and Corey Smith came through with a clutch 2-out RBI double to tie the game. The Nats would strand 2, tho, and Arkansas would do the same in the 9th. With 2 out in the 10th, Aaron Hartsock allowed 2 singles then served up Majewski's 4th homer of the season and 2nd of the game to give the Travs a 7-4 lead. RP Robert Mosebach finished his second perfect inning of work for the win to move to 2-0 with a 0.34 ERA. Walden was credited with 2 ER allowed on 6 hits with 6 Ks over 7 IP to move his ERA to 3.91. Majewski was 2-5 with the homers and 5 RBI (13) along with a K and 2 RS to move to .243. C Hank Conger also had 2 hits and 2 RS to move to .278.

NWA is 1-1. Game 2 with the Travs is tonight as Dan Cortes (5-6, 4.28) and young Arkansas lefty Trevor Reckling (4-2, 2.52) face off once more. The Naturals have dealt Reckling both of his losses in AA. The Nats are 10-7 versus Arkansas in this year's Diamond Series.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 8, Potomac 7

CF D. Robinson 3-4, 3B, 2 RS -- .240
3B Moustakas 2-2, BB, SF, 2B (16), RBI (43), 3 RS, SB (6) -- .267
2B Giavotella 2-4, 2B (9), RBI (25), K, 2 RS, SB (10) -- .223
PR-1B Seratelli 1-3, 2 RBI (18), RS, E (9) -- .307
SS J. Johnson 1-4, RBI (3), K -- .300
1B C. Robinson HBP, left game in 1st with hand/wrist injury
RF Lough 0-4, OF assist at home -- .321

Duffy 3 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- 3.43 ERA, rare poor outing from Danny
Villa 3 IP, 4 H, BB, K -- W, 2-4, 3.51 ERA
Sisk 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- 2.70 ERA
Abreu IP, UER, BB, 2 K, balk, E -- SV, 8, 1.88 ERA

*** A seesaw game swung to Wilmington's advantage in the middle innings and the Rocks held on for the win. Danny Duffy got battered by the Nationals for a 3-run 1st on 4 hits and a walk before he stranded 2. Derrick Robinson led off the Rocks 1st with a triple and scored on a Mike Moustakas sac fly to cut the lead to 3-1. Clint Robinson was hit by a pitch on his forearm in the next AB and had to leave the game. Afterwards, he said it was a bruise and he wouldn't miss much, if any, time. Duffy stranded 2 in the 2nd and Wilmington took the lead with a 4-run 3rd on a Johnny Giavotella RBI double, Anthony Seratelli RBI single, run-scoring balk and Josh Johnson RBI single, although Johnson was thrown out trying to get to second on the play to end the inning. Duffy gave up a 2-run single before getting pulled in the 4th and Kelvin Villa allowed one inherited runner to score to make it 6-5 Potomac before he escaped the jam. Wilmington answered in the 5th with 2 runs on a run-scoring Nationals error and wild pitch that scored Moustakas to make it 7-6 Blue Rocks. Wilmington stranded 2 in the 6th and Brandon Sisk came in with 1 out and 2 on in the 7th and got a big OF assist from David Lough at the plate to keep the lead intact before leaving 2 in scoring position. Moustakas doubled and scored on another wild pitch in the 7th. Juan Abreu balked in a run in the 9th but closed the door for his 8th save. Potomac SP Tom Milone took the loss with 4 1/3 IP of 7 runs (6 ER) allowed on 7 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to fall to 3-3 with a 4.04 ERA. Six Nationals had 2 hits, including RF Michael Burgess, who was 2-3 with 2 BB and 2 RS and was caught stealing for a 5th time to move to .232. C Sean Rooney and 3B Stephen King had 2 RBI for Potomac. King also stole his 8th base.

Wilmington is 1-1. The series ends tonight as Mario Santiago (3-7, 4.20) faces Potomac righty Terrence Engles (0-2, 4.80).

A - Burlington: Cedar Rapids 10, Bees 2

RF Francis 2-4, 2B (15), RBI (43), K -- .293
CF Norris 0-2, SF, RBI (12) -- .246
2B F. Garcia 1-4, 2B (6), K, RS -- .300
LF Van Stratten 0-3, BB -- .325
DH Hosmer 0-3, BB, K -- .251

Lehmann 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 4 K, HRA, WP -- L, 2-3, 4.72 ERA
Baez 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, K -- 3.97 ERA
Basurto IP, H, BB, K -- 0.00 ERA, Bees debut
Bowden 2/3 IP, 4 ER, H, 3 BB, 2 WP -- 3.13 ERA
J. Garcia 1/3 IP, K -- 5.35 ERA

*** The Kernels scored 7 late runs to rout the Bees. The Kernels got to Mike Lehmann off the bat in the 1st with a run on 2 hits. Nick Francis hit a 2-out RBI single to tie it in the Bees 1st but Cedar Rapids scored again in the 2nd on RF Angel Castillo's 7th homer of the season. The Kernels scored again in the 3rd on a walk and hit to make it 3-1. As Kernels SP Will Smith held the Bees in check, the Kernels added 3 runs off Manauris Baez in the 7th on 4 hits and a sac fly. Patrick Norris hit a sac fly in the 7th to end the Bees' scoring drought but Barry Bowden allowed 4 runs in the 9th to help CR put it away. Smith got the win with 7 IP of 2 ER allowed on 6 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks to move to 5-3 with a 3.58 ERA. CF Tyson Auer was 2-3 with his 1st error, a walk, 3 RBI (25) and 3 RS along with his 27th SB to move to .303, 1B Gabe Jacobo was 2-4 with his 9th double and K to move to .227, and DH Roberto Lopez drove in 3 runs (38). C Anel De Los Santos also drove in 2.

The Bees are 1-1. Game 3 is tonight as Bryan Casey (4-6, 3.59) faces Kernels lefty Manuel Flores (3-3, 3.52).

Rookie - Idaho Falls: rainout

IF is 3-0. The game will be made up in a July 1 doubleheader. A 3-game set at the Orem Owlz (3-1, Rookie Halos) starts tonight with Nick Wooley making his pro debut versus Orem lefty Patrick Corbin. The Owlz roster features Angels '09 draftees supplemental 1st round lefty Tyler Kehrer, 2nd round lefty Corbin, 7th round SS Jon Karcich, 9th round righty David Carpenter, 11th round IF Dillon Baird and others....

Rookie - Burlington: Johnson City 4, B-Royals 0

SS Espinal 2-4, 3B (2), K, picked off, E (2) -- .500
LF Del Rosario 2-3, SB -- .333
RF MacDougall 0-4, K -- .200
2B R. Wood 0-3 -- .118
C F. Cruz 0-3, K -- .250, no SB against

L. Perez 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA -- L, 0-1, 3.60 ERA
Dennick 3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 4 K, HRA, WP, pickoff -- 6.00 ERA, pro debut

*** The Cardinals got a 5-hit shutout from 3 pitchers to deal Burlington another loss. Leondy Perez gave up a solo homer to RF Edgar Lara (his 2nd) in the 3rd and the Royals wasted a leadoff triple by Yowill Espinal in the 4th. Three hits scored another Cards run in the 4th before Perez stranded 2, and he left the bases full in the 5th. Fernando Cruz was thrown out at the plate in the 8th and Ryan Dennick gave up a 2-run homer to DH Romulo Ruiz (his 3rd) in the 9th as Johnson City polished off the win. Starter Anthony Ferrara worked 5 innings of 3 hits and 4 Ks to improve to 1-0 with a spotless ERA. Four Cards had 2 hits and Ruiz had 2 RBI (7).

The B-Royals are 1-3 and 3 games back. Game 2 is tonight with no announced starters on the team site.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 5, Mariners 2

C E. Escobar 2-4, K, RS -- .375
DH A. Gordon 1-2, BB, SF, HR, 3 RBI, RS, picked off -- .500, rehabbing
CF Llanos 1-3, BB, RBI (4), K, RS, OF assist at home -- .350
2B Maddox 1-3, K, RS -- .333, also rehabbing
3B Stovall 0-3, BB, 2 K -- .333
1B G. Baldwin 1-4, 2B, RBI (3), 2 K -- .176

Sample 2 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, K -- 9.00 ERA
Avinazar 6 IP, 2 H, 5 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 3.72 ERA
L. Roberts IP, 2 K -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA

*** The Royals battled back for the win. Tyler Sample gave up 2 runs in the 1st on 4 hits, although CF Alex Llanos gunned down a runner at the plate in the inning. Alex Gordon went long in his first rehab AB (a good sign) for a 2-run game-tying shot and Geoff Baldwin doubled in a run to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. The Royals rallied for another run with 2 out in the 4th as two singles set up a Llanos RBI single to extend the lead to 2 but they left 2 in scoring position. Gordon hit a sac fly in the 7th to make it 5-2 and Willian Avinazar, who had taken over for Sample in the 3rd, retired the last 12 he faced. Lee Roberts pitched a perfect 9th for his 1st save. M's SP Miguel Celestino took the loss with 4 ER allowed on 7 hits and 2 walks with 3 Ks to drop to 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA. LF Mark McGonigle was 2-4 with 2 doubles and a run scored to move to .400.

The Royals are 3-2 and a game back. They play the 3-2 Dodgers tonight.