Royals on the Farm 8/12

AAA - Omaha: off day

* A 4-game set at the Sacramento RiverCats (64-55, AAA A's) starts Friday. Luis Mendoza starts the opener. The last time Omaha was 10 games over .500 was 2002.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 7, Frisco 1

DH C. Robinson 2-4, 2 HR (24), 3 RBI (80), 2 K, 2 RS -- .316, what a season for Clint!
CF Orlando 2-5, HR (9), 3 RBI (55), K, RS -- .312
2B Giavotella 2-5, 2B (27), E (13) -- .317
1B Hosmer 0-5, K, RS -- .290
RF Van Stratten 0-4, K -- .288
C Pina 1-2, 2 BB, 2 RS -- .256

Duffy 6 IP, ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K -- W, 2-1, 3.18 ERA, Duffy is back!
Swaggerty IP, 2 K -- 4.02 ERA
Sisk IP, K -- 4.76 ERA
Barrera IP, 3 K, WP -- 1.13 ERA

* The Naturals and Danny Duffy loaded up on offense and shut down the RoughRiders in the field to set up a chance at a sweep. Clint Robinson hammered his 23rd homer of the season for a 2-run shot in the 1st and Paulo Orlando clubbed a 3-run homer in the 2nd for his 9th of the season. Frisco scored a run in the 2nd thanks mostly to a triple but would only get 4 hits the rest of the way. Robinson hit his 2nd homer of the day and 24th of the season in the 3rd and a wild pitch scored a run to make it 7-1 Nats. Frisco got the first 2 batters on in the 6th but Duffy struck out the side from there. The bullpen came up with 3 hitless innings to slam the door. NWA is 29-17. RP Barry Bowden was added back to the roster as Alex Caldera went on the DL with shoulder inflammation.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: rainout

* The finale with the Dash will not be made up. A 3-game home set with the Salem Red Sox (23-21) starts Friday. Aaron Crow starts game 1.

A - Burlington: Clinton 3, Bees 0 (3-hitter)

RF Testa 1-4, 2B (19), K, 2 OF assists at home -- .268
1B Kuebler 1-4 -- .304
LF H. Richardson 1-3 -- .182
CF Merrifield 0-4, 2 K, OF assist at home -- .211
SS McClure 0-4, K -- .190

Marimon 6 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA, 2 WP -- L, 2-5, 6.61 ERA, not a bad start, necessarily
M. Mitchell IP, H, K -- 5.28 ERA
Morizio IP, H, 2 K -- 15.00 ERA

* Sugar Ray Marimon got nary a whiff of run support as the Bees got 3-hit. He stumbled thru the 1st as Carlo Testa threw a runner out at the plate to end the inning and Marimon gave up a leadoff homer in the 3rd to get Clinton on the board. The 'Kings pushed across another run in the 4th and the third run scored on a wild pitch in the 6th. The Bees left the bases full in the 7th and that was their best scoring chance. The Bees are 15-28. The series ends Friday.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Casper is up, 5-4, in the 7th

SS Trapp 2-3, K, RS, E (25) -- .258
LF Polonia 2-3, 2B (2), RS -- .278
RF Adams 1-2, BB, 3B (3), RBI (17), K, 2 RS -- .301
C David 1-3, RBI (13), K, SB (2) -- .312
1B Watts 0-2, SF, RBI (38), K -- .301
3B Zebroski 0-2, BB, K -- .194

Garrido 4 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, BB, 2 K, 2 WP -- 6.75 ERA
Roualdes 2 1/3 IP, H, 2 K, WP -- 4.22 ERA

* IF has pulled the deficit close entering the last three innings. Murray Watts hit a sac fly and Kevin David singled in a run in the 1st for Idaho Falls. Casper stranded 2 in the 2nd but tied it off Santiago Garrido in the 3rd. The Ghosts rallied for 3 runs with 2 out in the 5th to surge ahead. Juan Polonia led off the IF 5th with a double and scored on a Lane Adams triple before a 2-out wild pitch allowed Adams to score to cut it to 5-4. Malcom Culver was thrown out at home during the 6th. The game has gone to the 8th. A 3-game home set with the Ogden Raptors (7-4, Rookie Dodgers) starts Friday.

Rookie - Burlington: Bristol 1, B-Royals 0 (3-hitter)

SS Ad. Martinez 2-3 -- .200
CF Llanos 1-3, CS (6) -- .254
2B Piterson 0-3, S -- .277
3B Stovall 0-4, K, CS (6) -- .299
DH Jenkins 0-2, BB, SB (3) -- .260

Avinazar 7 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- L, 4-2, 2.25 ERA
R. Wood 2 IP, H, K -- 0.00 ERA

* Bristol edged the Royals as only Adrian Martinez seemed to bring his bat for Burlington. Willian Avinazar and Robert Young had a pitchers' duel going thru 6 but Avinazar gave up a solo homer in the 7th that made the difference. Burlington had a chance in the 4th as they put 2 on with 1 out but Ryan Stovall was thrown out trying to sneak to third from second on a walk and the Royals got nothing. Alex Llanos was caught stealing third in the 5th. Martinez led off the Royals 9th with a single and Burlington got runners at the corners with 1 out but Stovall grounded into a 6-4-3 DP to end the game. The Royals are 23-27. Game 2 is Friday.

Rookie - AZL: The Giants are up, 1-0, in the 5th

SS Antonio 1-2 -- .260
1B Moreno 0-1, BB -- .322
LF Sandford 1-2, K, CS (4), OF assist at home -- .295
DH Fields 0-2 -- .000, official organizational debut
C Marquez 0-1, BB -- .174

Yambati 5 IP, ER, 6 H, 5 K, WP -- 3.02 ERA, having a good night thus far

* The middle innings have the Royals down a run to the Giants. Darian Sandford bailed Robinson Yambati out in the 1st with an assist at the plate to end a rally. The Royals stranded 2 in the 4th and a Yambati wild pitch scored the game's only run in the 5th.