Royals on the Farm 7/4

Another season, another season with only one Royal in the All-Star Game. Sigh....not that anyone other than Zack deserved it.

AAA - Omaha: rainout

The O-Royals are 32-48. The game with Oklahoma City will be made up as part of a doubleheader today. Game 1 pits Lenny DiNardo (5-3, 3.46) versus RedHawks righty Willie Eyre (0-0, 1.04) while game 2 sets Kyle Davies (2-0, 0.00) versus OKC righty Josh Rupe (1-5, 6.75). OF Josh Hamilton is rehabbing with the RedHawks.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 5, San Antonio 2

3B Lucas 2-2, 2 BB, RBI (24), RS -- .306
1B C. Smith 2-5, RBI (51), K, RS -- .256
DH Lough 2-4, RS -- .333
2B Mertins 1-5, RBI (34), K, CS (8) -- .280
C V. Wilson 1-2, SF, RBI (4) -- .405
RF Strait 0-3, SF, RBI (27) -- .286
CF Dyson 0-5, 2 K, RS, SB (6) -- .306
SS Bianchi 0-3, 2 BB, RS, SB (3) -- .404

Cortes 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 6 K, WP -- W, 6-6, 3.92 ERA, maybe getting caught pissing in public was just what he needed
Nicoll 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K -- 4.09 ERA
Holland 1 2/3 IP, 2 K, WP -- SV, 7, 2.79 ERA

*** Dan Cortes had one of his best starts of the year only days after his arrest, as the Missions scored the first 2 runs but the Naturals scored the last 5 in the win. NWA stranded 2 in the 2nd and the Missions manufactured a run off Cortes in the bottom of the inning. They added another run in the 3rd on a 2-out run-scoring wild pitch by Cortes to make it 2-0. The Naturals tied it in the 4th as Ed Lucas hit an RBI single and a Vance Wilson sac fly made it 2-2. Kurt Mertins put NWA on top with an RBI single in the 5th and Cortes stranded 2 that inning. Cody Strait hit a 6th inning sac fly to make it 4-2 and Corey Smith hit a 2-out RBI single in the 7th to give the Naturals a 3-run lead. Chris Nicoll stranded 2 in the 7th and Greg Holland pitched a perfect 9th to complete his 7th save. RP Philip Barzilla took the loss for San Antonio with 1 1/3 IP of 2 runs (1 ER) allowed to fall to 0-1 with a 9.82 ERA. Starter and hot Padres prospect Mat Latos went 4 IP of 2 ER allowed on 5 hits with a K to move his ERA to 2.14. 2B Eric Sogard and 3B Logan Forsythe had 2 hits each for the Missions. Each also stole a base.

The Naturals are 5-3 and a game up on first. A 3-game set at the Corpus Christi Hooks (5-4, AA Astros) starts tonight as Anthony Lerew (4-4, 4.97) faces Hooks righty Brad James (2-5, 5.37). The Nats are 3-3 versus the Hooks. 3B Alex Gordon is joining the Naturals for a rehab stint today.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 4, Kinston 3

LF Orlando 3-4, 2B (14), 2 RS, SB (11) -- .250, has come on lately
1B Fontaine 2-3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 E -- .286
2B Giavotella 2-4, RBI (29), SB (12), picked off -- .234
DH Ortiz 1-3, SF, RBI (21), K, RS, SB (12) -- .247
3B Moustakas 0-3, BB, 2 K -- .256

Paulino 5 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 6 H, 3 K -- 4.76 ERA
Chavez 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, BB, K -- W, 6-1, 2.39 ERA
Abreu 1 1/3 IP, H, 2 K -- SV, 9, 1.53 ERA

*** The Rocks bullpen held the Tribe in check and Johnny Giavotella had the big hit in the 7th to give the Rocks the win. Eduardo Paulino only had trouble in the 2nd as Kinston scored 3 runs on a 2-out rally of 4 hits and an error by Chase Fontaine at first. Fontaine responded with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning and an Adrian Ortiz sac fly cut it to 3-2. Fontaine came back up in the 4th and doubled in the tying run. Paulino stranded 2 in the 5th and Chris Chavez stranded 2 in the 7th before Giavotella hit his 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the frame to put the Rocks on top. The Rocks left the bases full in the 8th but Juan Abreu left the tying run at third in the 9th to pick up his 9th save. RP Santo Frias took the loss by allowing an ER in 2 IP to fall to 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Starter Paolo Espino worked 6 innings of 3 runs (2 ER) allowed on 7 hits and 2 walks with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 3.90. SS Ron Rivas was 2-4 with his 13th double and a RS to move to .243. DH Lonnie Chisenhall was 1-4 to move to .285.

The Rocks are 4-5 and 1 1/2 games back. The series wraps today as Rowdy Hardy (2-0, 2.12) takes on K-Tribe lefty Ryan Morris (3-8, 5.33).

A - Burlington: Wisconsin 2, Bees 1

LF Griffin 2-3 -- .267
1B Hosmer 1-4, 2B (16), RS -- .251
RF Francis 0-4, 2 K, OF assist at second -- .278
2B Maddox 0-4, K -- .167
3B Taylor 0-3, K -- .263

Montgomery 5 2/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 5 BB, 3 K, balk, pickoff -- L, 1-2, 1.88 ERA
Basurto 2 IP, 4 BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Bowden 1 1/3 IP, 2 K -- 2.83 ERA

*** The teams combined for only 7 hits and a walk ended up being the difference in the game. The Timber Rattlers scored a run on a passed ball and 2 hits in the 1st and, as the Bees were being shut out on 1 hit into the 6th, the Rattlers added a run that inning as Mike Montgomery was pulled for Eric Basurto with 2 out and the bases loaded. Basurto walked in a run to make it 2-0 before he escaped the jam. Eric Hosmer led off the Bees 7th with a double and scored on an error to cut the lead in half but the last 7 Bees went down in order as RP Daniel Meadows picked up his 1st save. Wisconsin SP Trey Watten went 8 IP of an unearned run allowed on 3 hits with 6 Ks to improve to 4-6 with a 3.52 ERA. RF Peter Fatse was 2-3 with a walk, K and 2 RS to improve to .316. Brewers IF prospect 2B Brett Lawrie was 0-0 with 4 walks to stay at .273. He also stole his 14th base. I think I reported the last time the teams played that he is the older brother of Washington U softball standout Danielle Lawrie. Actually, I think she's older.

The Bees are 4-5 and 3 games out. Game 2 of the set is ongoing as Sam Runion (3-4, 6.08) started versus T-Rats righty Cody Adams (1-5, 5.59).

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 8, Orem 5

CF H. Richardson 3-4, 2B (2), HR, 2 RBI, K, 2 RS -- .462
1B Espinosa 2-4, 2 2B (3), RBI (5) -- .267
C S. Perez 2-3, BB, SF, RBI (6), RS, picked off runner -- .406
SS Alfaro 1-4, BB, RBI (8), 3 K, CS (2) -- .371
DH Testa 1-4, 2B (3), RBI (4), 2 K, RS -- .261
3B Morales 1-4, RBI, K, RS -- .273

Wooley 3 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 4 K, WP, E -- 6.75 ERA
Halliman 2 2/3 IP, ER, 5 BB, WP -- 1.35 ERA
Keating IP, 2 ER, 3 H, K, balk -- BS, 1, 4.91 ERA
Morgan IP, 2 K -- W, 1-0, 3.18 ERA
C. White IP, H, K -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA, 1st pro save

*** A 4-run 8th gave the Chukars a comeback win. Nick Wooley gave up an Owlz run in the 2nd and another in the 4th made it 2-0 Orem. Carlo Testa got IF on the board with an RBI double in the 4th and scored on a wild pitch to tie it at 2. Idaho Falls moved ahead in the 6th as Tito Espinosa hit an RBI double but Allen Caldwell was thrown out at the plate on the play to cost the Chukars a run. Patrick Keating came on for IF with 1 on and 0 out in the 7th and gave up 3 runs on 3 2-out hits to make it 5-3 Owlz. J.D. Alfaro cut the lead to 1 with an RBI single in the 7th but the Chukars stranded 2. Jason Morales singled home a run to tie it in the 8th for his 1st IF RBI and Hilton Richardson followed with a 2-run shot for his 1st homer of the season to make it 7-5 IF. Salvador Perez added a sac fly later in the inning to stretch the lead to 3. Cole White finished it for Idaho Falls to pick up his 1st pro save. Orem RP David Carpenter allowed 4 runs (2 ER) in an inning of work to lose and drop to 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA, along with picking up his 1st blown save. Starter Tyler Kehrer worked 3 1/3 IP of 2 runs (1 ER) allowed on 3 hits and a walk with 8 Ks to move his ERA to 2.53. 2B Jean Segura was 2-5 with a triple, his 8th RBI, a K and RS to move to .354.

The Chukars are 8-2 and 3 games up on first. The short set wraps today as Bryan Paukovits (1-0, 0.00) faces Orem lefty Buddy Boshers (1-0, 2.53).

Rookie - Burlington: Kingsport 8, B-Royals 3

3B Culver 2-4, 2B, 3B (2), 2 RBI (5) -- .273
RF D. Rodriguez 2-2, SB (3) -- .500
SS Espinal 1-4, BB, RS, SB (7) -- .348
2B R. Wood 1-3, BB, 2B (3), RS, SB (2) -- .190
LF Del Rosario 1-4, RBI (9), K, SB (4) -- .396
RF Pickett 0-2, K -- .000, pro debut

D. De La Cruz 3 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 K -- L, 1-1, 4.35 ERA, left with arm injury
Billo 3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, K -- 2.53 ERA
Hudnall 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, K -- 12.00 ERA
Sirrett 1 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- 6.75 ERA
B. Richardson IP, H -- 13.50 ERA

*** Kingsport battered B-Royal pitchers for 16 hits and took 2 of 3 in the series. Deybi De La Cruz stranded 2 in the 1st and the Royals scored a run on a Luis Del Rosario RBI single before also stranding 2. The Mets scored a run on 2 hits in the 2nd then scored 2 runs on 3 hits in the 3rd to make it 3-1. Greg Billo allowed a run in the 5th before stranding 2, then Jaeson Hudnall gave up 3 runs in the 7th as Kingsport made it 7-1. Onassis Sirrett allowed a homer to RF Darrell Ceciliani (his 1st as a pro) to lead off the 8th. The Royals scored 2 meaningless runs in the bottom of the inning on a 2-run Malcom Culver triple. RP Johnathan White went 4 innings for the save for his 1st of the season. Starter Guillaume Leduc allowed an ER on 4 hits and 3 walks with 3 Ks over 5 IP to win and move to 2-1 with a 6.91 ERA. Six Mets had multiple hits as 1B Jeff Flagg was 4-5 with a triple, 2 RBI (8) and 2 RS to move to .395 and Ceciliani was 3-4 with a walk, his first double and HR, 2nd RBI and 4 RS along with 2 SB (3) to move to .217. C John Freeman also had 2 hits and drove in 3 runs (6).

The B-Royals are 5-7 and 2 games back. A 3-game set at the Bluefield Orioles (7-5) starts today with no announced starters on the team site. The Royals are 2-1 versus the O's.

Rookie - AZL: Giants 9, Royals 2

3B Figueroa 1-3, BB, RBI (7), CS (2) -- .293
1B Henriquez 1-3, RBI, K -- .083
CF Llanos 0-3, BB, 2 K, RS -- .279
DH Stovall 0-4, 2 K -- .283

Mozingo 2/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, BB -- L, 0-1, 10.80 ERA
L. Santiago 4 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, BB, 5 K, WP -- 5.11 ERA
Yambati 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, BB, WP, 2 balks -- 27.00 ERA
Shimek 1 1/3 IP, H -- 0.00 ERA, pro debut
Worrell IP, K -- 0.00 ERA

*** The Royals struggled and the Giants rolled to the win. The 1st was ugly as Harold Mozingo and Leonel Santiago combined to give up 4 runs on 3 hits, a walk and a Juan Polonia error in left. Edwin Henriquez hit an RBI single in the 2nd to cut it to 4-1 but Santiago gave the run back in the 5th to make it 5-1 Giants. Robinson Yambati had a rough 6th as the Giants scored 4 more runs on 4 hits and a walk along with 2 balks and a wild pitch. Yunior Figueroa hit an RBI groundout in the 9th to account for the Royals' other run. RP Craig Westcott pitched 2 scoreless innings for the win to move to 1-0 with a perfect ERA. Starter Aaron Davidson pitched 4 innings of an ER allowed on 3 hits with 4 Ks to make his ERA 9.00. 1B Chris Dominguez and DH Rafael Rodriguez had 2 hits each for the Giants, and Dominguez and C Jesus Navarro drove in 2 runs each. Dominguez also stole his 1st base of the season.

The Royals are 4-8 and 3 games back. They have today off.