Royals on the Farm 6/6

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 7, Nashville 1

3B Metcalf 3-4, 2B (12), 3B (2), 4 RBI (32), RS -- .254
SS Lisson 3-3, HR (3), 2 RBI (6), RS -- .227, more AAA HRs than AA already
1B Ka'aihue 3-4, 2B (16), RS, CS -- .288
2B Hulett 1-4, 2B (14), RBI (33) -- .297
C House 1-4, RS -- .296
DH Thorman 1-3, BB, 2 RS -- .242
* RF Irving Falu had an assist at second and the Royals turned 4 DPs.

Phillips CG, ER, 8 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 3-5, 6.10 ERA

*** Omaha took an early lead and cruised to the win behind strong pitching from lefty Heath Phillips. Phillips gave up a run on 3 hits in the 1st but would only allow 5 more hits in the game. Tug Hulett tied the game with an RBI double in the Omaha 1st and the Royals added 3 more runs in the 2nd on a Travis Metcalf RBI double and a 2-run homer by Mario Lisson for his 3rd for Omaha. Phillips didn't really get into trouble at any point and Omaha padded the lead with a 3-run 8th on a bases-loaded triple by Metcalf that made it 7-1. Phillips retired the last 8 in a row to lock down his second 9-inning complete-game victory of the season. Sounds SP Tim Dillard took the loss with 7 ER allowed on 12 hits and 3 walks over 7 1/3 IP to drop to 7-3 with a 4.23 ERA. Three Sounds had 2 hits as 3B Adam Heether drove in his 15th RBI and was 2-4 to move to .355.

Omaha is 24-32 and 6 1/2 games back. The teams are set for a doubleheader today as Nashville took game 1 in a matchup of starters Bruce Chen (2-2, 3.64) and Sounds righty Matt Ginter (2-1, 2.59). Game 2 pits Dusty Hughes (0-1, 4.70) in a spot start versus Sounds lefty Lindsay Gulin (3-2, 5.94). Lefty Horacio Ramirez may be joining the Omaha pitching staff soon after he was DFA'd recently. I kinda hope they just release him.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 4, Frisco 3

2B Mertins 2-4, S, K, CS (5) -- .306
3B Lucas 1-4, RBI (4), K -- .228
C Clark 1-3, BB, RBI (4), RS, SB -- .333
SS J. Johnson 1-4, RBI (6) -- .179, not the usual guys getting it done Saturday for NWA
CF Duarte 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (4), K, RS -- .280
RF Parraz 1-4, K -- .351

Lerew 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 K, HRA -- 4.84 ERA
Holland 2 IP, H, 2 K -- W, 3-2, 2.30 ERA
Hayes IP, ER, 2 H, K -- SV, 3, 0.98 ERA

*** Saturday's tilt boiled down to the 9th inning when the Nats scored 2 runs to Frisco's 1 to get the win in the series opener. The Naturals loaded the bases with none out off rehabbing Texas lefty Matt Harrison but only got 1 run on an Ed Lucas RBI single before leaving 'em full. Anthony Lerew stranded 2 in the 2nd but Frisco tied it on 2 hits in the 3rd. Cody Clark hit a 2-out RBI single in the 4th off P Jared Hyatt but Lerew served up a solo homer to RF Mitchell Moreland (his 1st) in the 6th to tie the game again. Lerew left the bases loaded and NWA would leave the lead run at third in the 8th. With 2 out and 2 on in the NWA 9th, a throwing error by C Chris Gradoville allowed Brian McFall to score the go-ahead run and Josh Johnson singled in an insurance run to make it 4-2 Nats. Chris Hayes gave up a 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the inning but got SS Marcus Lemon to hit a flyout to end it. RP Beau Jones took the loss with 2 runs (1 ER) allowed on 2 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks over 2 IP to drop to 1-3 with a 2.96 ERA. Harrison struck out 5 and walked 1 with 3 hits and an ER allowed over 3 IP. Moreland and LF Tim Smith had 2 hits for Frisco and Moreland drove in 2 runs (5). CF Craig Gentry drove in his 22nd RBI and stole 2 bases (19).

The Naturals are 26-27 and 4 games back. Game 2 is tonight as Blake Johnson (3-4, 4.18) faces Frisco righty Omar Poveda (5-3, 3.10).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Lynchburg 1, Blue Rocks 0 (7/G1)

CF D. Robinson 2-3, 2B (7), SB (29) -- .237
3B Moustakas 1-3 -- .264
2B Giavotella 0-3, K -- .216
SS Bianchi 0-2, BB -- .316
RF Lough 1-3, K -- .329
1B C. Robinson 1-3, 2 K -- .297
LF Ortiz 1-3, K -- .256

Caldera 6 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K, HRA -- L, 1-3, 5.50 ERA, tough loss
Godin IP, K -- 2.02 ERA

*** Wilmington doubled up Lynchburg on hits, 6-3, but couldn't push home a run off SP Ronald Uviedo or 2 relievers as the Hillcats took the first of 2 Saturday. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 2nd and left Derrick Robinson at third in the 3rd. The only run came on a solo job by uberprospect 3B Pedro Alvarez (his 10th) in the 4th off Alex Caldera. The Rocks never really threatened after the 3rd. Uviedo got the win with 5 IP of 4 hits and a walk allowed with 6 Ks to improve to 3-3 with a 3.47 ERA. RP R.J. Rodriguez picked up his 11th save. Alvarez had 2 of Lynchburg's 3 hits with his homer, 10th double, 42nd RBI, a K and RS to move to .247.

Blue Rocks 1, Lynchburg 0 (2-hitter, 9/G2)

3B Moustakas 1-3, BB, 3B, SB (3) -- .265
1B C. Robinson 0-4, RBI (31), K -- .290
CF D. Robinson 1-4, K, RS -- .237
2B Giavotella 0-3, BB -- .213
LF Lough 0-3 -- .323
DH Ortiz 0-3 -- .251

Duffy 6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K -- 2.66 ERA, hard luck no-decision
Sisk 2 IP, nothing -- 3.04 ERA
Abreu IP, 2 K -- W, 2-1, 3.68 ERA

*** Danny Duffy pitched well and 2 relievers were unhittable as the Rocks bounced back for a 1-0 win of their own to split the twinbill. Duffy walked the bases loaded and left them that way in the 2nd and a Mike Moustakas triple went for naught in the 4th. The pitchers for both sides retired 18 in a row going into "extras" in the 9th before Derrick Robinson greeted RP Chris Cullen with a leadoff single in the Rocks 9th. With runners on second and third and 1 out, Clint Robinson's infield grounder scored the speedy Robinson to end the game. Cullen took the loss to drop to 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA. Starter Chi-Hung Cheng allowed only a hit and 2 walks with 2 Ks over 5 IP to drop his ERA to 3.19. Alvarez was 0-4 with 2 Ks to drop to .242.

The Blue Rocks are 30-26 and 6 games back having swept a double dip from the Hillcats today. RP Chris Chavez and starter Eduardo Paulino got the wins. Four Blue Rocks have been named Carolina League all-stars....starters Danny Duffy and Everett Teaford along with 3B Mike Moustakas and OF David Lough. Lough will start while Moustakas will be a utility guy on the team as they face the California League all-stars June 23 in Lake Elsinore, Calif.

A - Burlington: Bees 5, Cedar Rapids 3

RF Van Stratten 4-5, RBI (22), RS, 3 SB (9), OF assist at first -- .354
DH-1B D. Wood 2-5, 3B (2), 2 RBI (19), 2 K, RS -- .270
SS Franco 2-4, RBI (5), K, RS -- .190
C S. Perez 2-5, RBI (6) -- .174
SS-1B-SS Jimenez 2-4 -- .217
CF Dyson 0-4, BB, K, RS, SB (4) -- .444
1B Hosmer 0-1, K -- .263, left in 2nd
* The Bees stranded 10.

Runion 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 K, WP -- 7.09 ERA, 77 hits allowed, 16 BB/25 K in 53 1/3 IP, miss some bats
Saito 2 IP, H, 2 K -- 3.79 ERA
Thompson 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 2-1, 2.63 ERA

*** A 4-run 9th inning rally fueled a Bees comeback win. Sam Runion worked around a leadoff triple in the 1st as a runner was caught stealing home to end the inning. Eric Hosmer struck out swinging in the 1st and then didn't come out for defense in the bottom of the 2nd. Nick Van Stratten hit an RBI single in the 3rd to give the Bees a 1-0 lead but the Kernels answered with 3 runs in their half on 2 hits, 2 walks and 2 sac flies. Runion worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 4th and the Bees would strand 2 in the 6th. Burlington had 1 on with 2 out in the 9th when the rally started as Van Stratten singled, Angel Franco singled home a run, David Wood came through with a big 2-run triple to give the Bees the lead and Salvador Perez singled Wood home to make it 5-3. RP James Thompson put 2 on with 1 out in the 9th but got 2 big Ks to end it. RP Michael Kohn blew his 4th save and took the loss with 1 1/3 IP of 4 ER allowed on 4 hits with 2 Ks to drop to 4-1 with a 2.10 ERA. Starter Manuel Flores worked 6 IP of an ER allowed on 7 hits and 3 walks with 7 Ks to move his ERA to 2.90. CF Tyson Auer was 4-5 with his 2nd triple, a RS and 10th CS to improve to .322 and 2B Alexia Amarista was 2-5 with his 14th double, 16th RBI, K and RS to move to .330.

The Bees are 24-31 following another win over the Kernels today as Mike Lehmann got the win. There was no word of Hosmer's status in the team site story. He wasn't in the lineup today.