12 September 2010

Royals on the Farm 9/12 -- Yes, there will be a game 5

I gotta be honest, I have a hard time giving baseball any attention anymore when football season starts. Right now I'm basking in the warm glow of having Arian Foster and Hakeem Nicks in my starting fantasy football lineup Sunday. Wake me up baseball-wise when the Royals are relevant.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 6, Springfield 5 (best-of-5 tied, 2-2)

1B Hosmer 2-4, 2 HR (5), 4 RBI (9), K, 2 RS -- .389, shades of 2005 Chris Lubanski in the Cal League playoffs, and that's saying something
2B Giavotella 3-4, 3 RS -- .500
DH C. Robinson 1-4, HR, 2 RBI (3), K, RS -- .267
CF D. Robinson 0-4, K -- .222

W. Smith 5 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- 5.06 ERA
B. Johnson 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 K -- BS, 1, W, 1-0, 4.50 ERA
Keating 2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- SV, 1, 4.91 ERA

* Will Smith made his first Royals' AA start a passable one and Eric Hosmer continued his great play in the batter's box as the Naturals forced a decisive game 5. For a second-straight game, Hosmer slammed a 2-run homer in the 1st for his 4th of the playoffs but the Cardinals got a run off Smith in each of the first 3 innings to take the lead. Clint Robinson turned it around with a 2-run homer in the 6th for his 1st of the playoffs but Blake Johnson gave up 3 straight doubles in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-4 Springfield. Johnson stranded 2 in the 7th and Hosmer greeted RP Scott Gorgen with another 2-run homer in the 8th for his 5th of the playoffs and 2nd of the game. Patrick Keating stranded the bases full in the 8th but struck out the side around a single in the 9th to keep NWA alive. Game 5 is Monday evening in Springdale. Will we see Mike Montgomery start game 5?



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