Royals on the Farm 4/8 - 2010 season dawns

Don't expect my usual verbose posts. Gonna keep 'em short and sweet as possible.

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 6, Memphis 4

1B Ka'aihue 2-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K, RS -- FREE KILA! KC's dynamic offense can't use him...
SS Falu 2-5, RBI, K, RS -- sneaky consistent guy
CF Lough 2-5, K, RS -- starting on the right foot
RF Parraz 1-4, HR, RBI, RS
DH Thorman 1-3, BB, 2B, RBI, K, RS
3B Betemit 1-4, SF, RBI, 2 K
Omaha stranded 11.

G. Hernandez 5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 6 K, 2 HRA -- 5.40 ERA, take away the longballs and that's a nice debut from Omaha's new ace
Marte 2 IP, BB, K -- W, 1-0
B. Wood 2 IP, ER, 2 H, K, WP -- SV, 1, 4.50 ERA, will be interesting to see if he can be more consistent out of pen, no more Jekyll-N-Hyde stuff

* Gaby Hernandez gave up his 3 runs on 2 early homers then settled down and the offense picked him up. Omaha left 'em loaded in the 2nd and Kila Ka'aihue announced his presence with authority (after a single in the 2nd) with a 2-run jack in the 3rd. Jordan Parraz led off the Omaha 4th with a homer and Irving Falu and Wilson Betemit drove in runs in the 6th to give Omaha the lead. Scott Thorman doubled in a run in the 7th and Blake Wood allowed a run in the 8th before setting the Redbirds down in order in the 9th. LF Jon Jay and 1B Kevin Howard had 2 hits for Memphis. Howard had 2 RBI. In other news, RH Anthony Lerew cleared waivers and is headed for Omaha. Chris Hayes and Adam Bostick were put on the DL with leg injuries. Phillip Humber starts tonight for the O-Royals.

AA - NWA: Naturals 5, San Antonio 1

C Pina 2-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI, RS -- keep that up
DH Mejia 1-2, 2 BB, 2B, RBI, K, RS
1B C. Robinson 1-3, BB, RBI, RS, E
LF T. Smith 1-4, RBI, K
2B Giavotella 1-3, BB, 2B, K, RS
RF Van Stratten 1-4, RS, picked off
CF D. Robinson 0-3, BB, picked off -- already in midseason form

Crow 4 2/3 IP, UER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K, WP -- so-so debut, 80 pitches
Teaford 4 1/3 IP, 2 BB, 6 K -- W, 1-0, that's how you start a season

* The Naturals poured on the offense early and San Antonio didn't have an answer. Six Nats came to the plate in the 1st as Clint Robinson singled home a run and Ernesto Mejia doubled him home. A Robinson error allowed the lone Missions (AA Padres) run in the 2nd as Aaron Crow issued 2 walks in the inning in his official organizational debut but left the bases full. Manny Pina homered to lead off the 2nd to make his first official organizational at bat a valuable one. Both products of the Danny Gutierrez trade - Tim Smith and Pina - hit back-to-back RBI singles in the 3rd to give the Nats a 5-1 lead. Everett Teaford relieved Crow in the 5th as Crow hit his 80-pitch limit and promptly stranded 2 and no-hit San Antonio the rest of the way. Actually, he was perfect until he walked 2 with 2 out in the 9th, but he slammed the door from there. Missions CF Cedric Hunter had 2 of the Missions' 4 hits. Mario Santiago starts for NWA tonight.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Myrtle Beach 4, Blue Rocks 1

LF Romak 1-4, RBI, 2 K
3B Gordon 1-2, BB, HBP, RS
1B Hosmer 1-3, BB
CF Norris 0-4, 3 K that's a table setter in the 1-hole
RF Ortiz 0-4, K ditto for the 2-hole
DH Taylor 0-3, K no drug suspension this year?
SS R. Wood 0-3, 2 K, 2 E

Montgomery 5 IP, UER, 2 H, BB, 6 K nice
R. Pena 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 0-1, 9.00 ERA
J. Thompson IP, ER, 2 H, BB, K -- 9.00 ERA

* The Rocks peaked in the 1st with a 1-run lead and it was curtains when the bullpen took over for Mike Montgomery. Alex Gordon was hit by a pitch with 2 out in the 1st and Eric Hosmer and Jamie Romak followed with singles as Romak's brought him home. Pelicans (A-Adv. Braves) pitchers then sat down 13 of the next 14. A Ryan Wood error helped Myrtle Beach tie the game in the 3rd and the game stayed 1-1 until the 6th. That's when Riquy Pena took over on the mound for the Rocks and gave up a 2-run homer. James Thompson gave up an insurance run in the 8th as the Rocks' O went inert after the 1st. LF Adam Milligan had 2 hits for MB. DH Gerardo Rodriguez hit the 2-run homer. Tim Melville is off to a rocky start tonight (no pun intended) to the tune of a 5-run Pelican 1st. Welcome to the Carolina League, Tim.

A - Burlington: Quad Cities 4, Bees 0

LF Testa 2-3, BB, 2B, 3B one to watch
CF H. Richardson 2-3, BB the offensive force Ortiz, DRob and Norris aren't?
C Myers 0-4, 2 K
SS Deivy Batista had 2 errors, tough night to be a low-Royals-minors SS

Lamb 4 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 4 BB, 5 K, 2 pickoffs -- L, 0-1, 2.25 ERA
Lehmann 3 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 K, HRA -- 3.00 ERA
Hodge 2 IP, UER, H, 2 BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA

* The Bees offense was quiet as Quad Cities (A Cards) got a season opening whitewash. John Lamb gave up an unearned run in the 1st and then an RBI triple in the 3rd made it 2-0 Bandits. 13 Bees had gone down in a row before Carlo Testa tripled in the 5th. Mike Lehmann gave up a solo homer in the 6th and the Bees stranded 2 that inning. The Bees actually brought the tying run to the plate in the 9th as the bases were loaded with 2 out but Ryan Stovall flew out to end it. Bandits LF Kyle Conley was 3-4 with a triple, HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS. C Robert Stock also had 2 hits. Kelvin Herrera started tonight for the Bees.