Royals on the Farm 6/23 -- Moustakas gets the heave-ho

First things first, Star is reporting Christian Colon and the Royals have reached a tentative deal. I may swoon, the Royals get their first pick's deal done this quick? Let's see if the deal goes down.

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 6, Iowa 4

LF Gordon 2-5, 2 2B (14), K, SB (6) -- .335
3B Thorman 2-4, 2B (15), RBI (40), RS -- .255
SS Falu 2-5, 2B (9), RS, E (16) -- .285
RF Parraz 1-3, BB, HR (6), 3 RBI (34), RS -- .258
CF Lough 1-4, S, HR (8), RBI (30), K, RS -- .277
DH Miller 1-3, BB, 2B (16), RBI (32), K, RS -- .240
1B Ka'aihue 0-3, 2 BB, 3 K -- .314
2B Lucas 0-2, S, BB, K, RS -- .354

Humber 7 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 8 H, 11 K, HRA, E -- 4.63 ERA, I've liked how he's looked with Omaha most of the time
Rupe 2 IP, H, K -- W, 1-1, 1.82 ERA

* A big 9th-inning rally helped Omaha to the win Wednesday. Scott Thorman hit a 2-out RBI double in the 1st but Iowa struck back with 3 runs off Phil Humber on 4 hits, including a 2-run homer. An Irving Falu error scored a run in the 2nd as Iowa maintained control at 4-1. Jai Miller kept Omaha in it with an RBI double in the 4th but Alex Gordon was nailed at the plate to end the Omaha 5th. Jordan Parraz had the big hit with a 3-run homer in the 9th for his 6th of the season and David Lough went solo for his 8th of the season as the O-Royals seized the lead. RP Blake Parker allowed 4 ER over 2/3 IP to blow his 2nd save and fall to 1-3. Starter Jeff Samardzija allowed 2 ER over 4 1/3 IP. CF Sam Fuld and 1B Micah Hoffpauir had 2 hits for the I-Cubs. Omaha is 39-32. Manauris Baez starts game 3 Thursday.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 12, Tulsa 10

RF Van Stratten 2-4, BB, 2B (14), 3 RS -- .301
C-3B Howell 1-3, SF, HR (3), 4 RBI (18), K, RS -- .248
LF Orlando 1-3, BB, HR (3), 3 RBI (25), 2 RS -- .310
1B Mejia 1-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI (40), 2 K -- .261
DH Smith 1-3, BB, 2 RBI (24), K, RS -- .291
CF D. Robinson 1-5, K, SB (30), E (8), OF assist at second -- .290
2B Giavotella 1-1, RS -- .280, left in 3rd with leg injury
3B Moustakas 0-1 -- .359, ejected in 3rd

Osuna 5 IP, UER, 5 H, K, E -- 2.59 ERA
Chavez IP, 5 R (4 ER), 3 H, 2 BB, HRA -- 6.33 ERA
Sisk 2 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 K, WP, pickoff -- BS, 3, W, 4-2, 2.90 ERA
R. Hardy IP, K -- SV, 1, 5.35 ERA

* The Naturals recovered from a 7-run Driller 7th to get the win. Paulo Orlando started the Nats off with a bang as he rocked a 3-run homer in the 1st for his 3rd of the season. Tulsa got a run in the 3rd and Johnny Giavotella got taken out on a slide at second and had to leave the game with a leg injury. Mike Moustakas got into an argument with the third base umpire on the play and got the thumb, meaning Jeff Howell had to play third for the first time since 2007. Tim Smith hit a 2-run single in the 4th and Howell added a sac fly as NWA moved ahead, 6-1. With 2 out and the bases loaded in the 5th, Ernesto Mejia stepped up with a bases-clearing double as NWA made it 9-1. Tulsa got 2 runs off Chris Chavez in the 6th and then combined with Brandon Sisk on a near-disaster 7th as Tulsa surged ahead, 10-9. Howell turned it around for good, tho, with a 3-run homer in the 8th for his 3rd of the season. Rowdy Hardy threw a 1-2-3 9th to finish it. RP Ching Lung Lo allowed 2 ER over 2 1/3 IP to drop to 1-2. Starter Christian Friedrich allowed 9 ER over 5 IP. C Wilin Rosario and 2B Jason Van Kooten had 3 hits as Van Kooten hit his 8th homer. Two others had 2 hits for Tulsa. The Naturals are 1-0 on the second half. Mario Santiago starts Thursday as the Nats try to break out the brooms.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: all-star break

* The second half starts Thursday with the first of 3 at home against the Salem Red Sox (42-28 in first half).

A - Burlington: all-star break

* The Bees get back into action Friday.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 8, Orem 5

C Cornstubble 3-4, RBI, 2 RS, E -- .750, nice pro debut for best name in Royals draft
SS Zebroski 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI, 3 RS -- .667, not too bad either
1B Watts 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI (6), K -- .500
CF Ferguson 1-4, BB, RBI -- .222
2B Espinal 0-4, RBI (4) -- .357
DH Monger 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .375

Mariot 4 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, BB, 4 K -- 4.50 ERA
Blauer 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, win in pro debut
Graffeo 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- 9.00 ERA

* The Chukars churned out enough offense to take the game and series from Orem. Orem scored first with a run in the 3rd off Mike Mariot in his pro debut. IF responded with 4 runs in the inning on a Tom Zebroski single aided by an Owlz error, a run-scoring passed ball and a 2-run Murray Watts double as the big man (like 6-7, 275 big) continued a solid start to his career. The Owlz scored 2 in the 4th but IF got 'em back with a Zebroski RBI forceout and Tim Ferguson RBI groundout. Dale Cornstubble singled in a run in the 6th and Yowill Espinal drove in a run with a groundout to make it 8-3. Chad Blauer stranded the bases full in the 7th but Orem got 2 in the 8th off Nick Graffeo to close the gap. Graffeo rebounded with a 1-2-3 9th. Starter Joshua Blanco took the loss with 4 unearned runs over 3 IP. 3B Thomas Nichols had 3 hits for Orem and CF Travis Witherspoon had 2 hits in the loss. IF is 2-1. A 2-game set in the friendly confines versus the Casper Ghosts (2-1, Rookie Rockies) starts Thursday.

Rookie - Burlington: B-Royals 9, Greeneville 3

3B Stovall 2-2, 2 BB, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (3), CS -- .400
2B Piterson 2-4, 2B, 2 RS, SB (2) -- .571
LF MacDougall 1-2, BB, SF, 3B, 2 RBI, K, RS -- .500, OF assist at home
C Robertson 1-4, RBI -- .250
CF Llanos 0-3, BB, RS, SB, OF assist at third -- .143
1B Baldwin 0-2, 2 HBP, 2 K, 2 RS, E -- .167
SS McClure 0-3, BB, K, RS, SB -- .286

L. Santiago 5 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA -- W, 1-0, 5.40 ERA
Lohden 3 IP, H, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Byrne IP, H, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA, couple nice debuts there

* The B-Royals broke out the bats to rout the Astros. Leonel Santiago had a tough 1st as Greeneville scored 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk. Gabe MacDougall hit a sac fly in the bottom of the 1st and Ryan Stovall put the Royals ahead with a 2-run homer for his 1st at IF this season. Santiago gave up a homer in the 3rd but Stovall came through with a 2-run triple that inning to make it 5-3 Burlington. MacDougall came up with an OF assist at the plate to end the Astros 4th and then hit an RBI triple in the 5th to extend the lead. Cole Lohden and Chas Byrne took it from there with 4 strong relief innings. Geoff Baldwin scored on a wild pitch in the 8th, Stovall and Alex McClure pulled off a double steal of home and second, and Drew Robertson singled home his first pro RBI to make it 9-3. Starter Angel Gonzalez took the loss with 6 ER over 5 IP. Three Astros had 2 hits as C Bubby Williams had 2 hits, his 1st homer and 2 RBI. The Royals are 1-1. The series ends Thursday.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 4, Rangers 4 going into extras

CF Dyson 2-5, RBI, SB, CS -- .286
SS D. Mateo 2-4, RBI, K, CS -- .375
3B Cuthbert 2-4, 2 K, RS -- .375
LF Blanco 0-4, RBI, 2 K -- .000
DH Conner 0-3, BB, K, picked off -- .000
C Marquez 1-3, BB, K, RS -- .333

Pimentel 2/3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), H, BB, 2 K, WP, E -- 27.00 ERA, continues rehab road
Lowery 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Yambati 5 IP, 3 H, 5 K, WP, balk, pickoff -- 0.00 ERA
Kriech 1 1/3 IP and counting, H, K, pickoff -- 0.00 ERA so far

* The Rangers established the lead early but the Royals clawed their way back into it and I'm not waiting up for an extra-inning AZL game. Solly Chollie. Julio Cesar Pimentel made his first start in his return from TJS and allowed 4 runs in the 1st along with a rare Devon Lowery sighting, as Lowery gave up a 2-run single in relief of Pimentel in the inning. A 2-run error on a ball hit by Jerico Blanco got the Royals on the board in the 4th and Jarrod Dyson and Dan Mateo hit RBI singles in the 7th to tie it. I'll update what happened tomorrow.