Royals on the Farm 4/10

A 6-3 start for the Royals. I'll take it. Let's keep it rolling...

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 10, Albuquerque 4 (10, Saturday)

SS Zawadzki 2-5, BB, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, K, 2 RS, SB, E -- .200
1B Hosmer 2-4, BB, RBI (2), RS, E (2) -- .500, starting strong at the plate
CF Orlando 1-5, 2 RBI (3), RS, OF assist at third -- .250
2B Giavotella 0-3, 2 BB, RBI (2), RS -- .333
C May 1-4, BB, RBI, K, RS -- .250
3B Moustakas 0-5, RBI (2), RS -- .143
RF Lough 1-5, 2B, 2 K, RS -- .286
DH C. Robinson 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (2), RS -- .333

Duffy 5 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 7 H, BB, 4 K, HRA -- 3.60 ERA, 76 pitches
Pucetas 4 IP, 3 H, 4 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, nice organizational debut
B. Hardy IP, UER, BB -- 0.00 ERA

* I reported this at 3-3 in the 10th last night. Boy, that didn't last long. The Storm Chasers put up a 7-spot in the 10th to win it, 10-4. Danny Duffy started and weathered some trouble in the 3rd as Paulo Orlando chipped in an assist at third via Duffy as relay man. Duffy gave up a 2-run homer in the 4th but Lance Zawadzki matched that feat in the 5th for his 1st homer for the organization. Zawadzki made a run-scoring error, however, in the 5th to give the lead back to the Isotopes. Omaha finally got it tied in the 8th as David Lough led off with a double and scored on an Eric Hosmer single to tie it at 3. That was the score entering the 10th but Omaha put it away. A run-scoring error got the scoring started, Johnny Giavotella and Lucas May took bases-loaded walks, Orlando hit a 2-run single, and Zawadzki ripped a 2-run double to make it 10-3. The Isotopes scratched out a run off Blaine Hardy in the bottom of the inning but didn't come close to matching the Chasers' rally.

Storm Chasers 9, Albuquerque 6 (Sun.)

CF Orlando 2-3, BB, 2B, 3 RBI (6), K, RS, OF assist at home -- .333
3B Moustakas 2-5, HR, RBI (3), 2 RS -- .211
SS Falu 1-3, S, SF, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 K -- .400
C Pina 1-3, BB, RBI, K, 2 RS -- .286
LF Blanco 1-3, BB, RBI, 2 RS -- .231
1B Hosmer 1-4, BB, K -- .444
RF Lough 1-5, 2 K, CS -- .250
DH C. Robinson 1-4, BB, 2B (3), K, 2 RS -- .313
2B Giavotella 0-4, S, 3 K -- .250

Mazzaro 2 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 2 H, 7 BB, 3 K, WP -- 19.29 ERA, just the tuneup start KC was looking for for their 5th starter
Mendoza 2/3 IP, H -- 3.38 ERA
Shell 3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K, HRA -- W, 1-0, 11.25 ERA
B. Wood 2 IP, H, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Coleman IP, 3 K -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA, dominant save

* A pair of 4-run rallies helped Omaha salvage the first series of the season with a 4-game split. Vin Mazzaro had a rough day as he gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk in the 1st, but the offense picked him up with 4 runs in the 2nd on a 2-run Paulo Orlando double and a 2-run Irving Falu triple. The Chasers poured on 4 more in the 3rd on a Manny Pina RBI single, RBI fielder's choice by Gregor Blanco, Orlando RBI single and Falu sac fly. Mazzaro worked around 2 walks in the 2nd but 2 walks and a HBP loaded the bases with 0 out in the 3rd. A bases-loaded walk, a sac fly and another walk ended Mazzaro's day and Luis Mendoza gave up an RBI single, although Orlando threw out a runner at the plate on the play. Mike Moustakas made it 9-5 with a solo homer (his 1st) in the 4th and it was a matter of hanging on from there. Steve Shell gave up a solo homer in the 5th but he, Blake Wood and Louis Coleman brought it home from there. Coleman struck out the side in the 9th for his 1st save. Two Isotopes had 2 hits, including LF Jerry Sands, who picked up his 2nd homer as well. Omaha is 2-2. A 4-gamer at the Round Rock Express (AAA Astros) starts Monday. Everett Teaford is set to start game 1.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 3, Corpus Christi 2 (14)

RF Myers 3-6, BB, 2B, GW RBI, K -- .333
C S. Perez 2-5, S, 2B, HR, RBI, K, 2 RS, E -- .182
SS Bianchi 2-5, S, 2B -- .333
3B Mertins 1-5, S, RBI -- .250
CF D. Robinson 0-5, 2 BB, 3 K -- .335
DH Colon 0-6, BB, 2 K -- .313
NWA stranded 14.

Rollins 6 IP, ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, WP -- 1.50 ERA, not a bad debut
B. Johnson 4 IP, H, 5 K -- 0.00 ERA, maybe Blake has found his niche in long relief, but left with hand injury
Keating 3 IP, UER, H, 3 K -- 4.50 ERA
Sisk IP, nothing -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA

* The Nats and Hooks kept it nip-and-tuck through 9, traded shots in the 12th, then NW Arkansas finished it in 14. Kurt Mertins hit an RBI forceout in the 2nd to spot the Nats an early lead. Heath Rollins was rolling into the 6th when he finally gave up a run on 2 hits to tie the game. Blake Johnson worked 4 very clean innings in relieve of Rollins but the offense couldn't pick him up. The Nats stranded 2 in the 9th and Johnson was pulled with a hand injury in the 11th. The Hooks scratched out a run in the 12th off Patrick Keating but Salvador Perez, who had committed an error in the top of the inning, redeemed himself with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the 12th to retie it at 2. NWA stranded 2 in the 13th but Nick Van Stratten hit a 1-out triple in the 14th and Wil Myers came through with a walkoff single to end it. The Hooks only had 5 hits in the game. NWA is 3-1. Game 2 is Monday. Edgar Osuna takes the mound for NW Arkansas.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 7, Myrtle Beach 6 (11)

recapped most of this one last night
John Whittleman and Tim Ferguson had RBI doubles in today's last couple innings

Herrera 2 IP, H, BB, 4 K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA
Chapman IP, ER, 2 H, K -- SV, 1, 9.00 ERA

* Play picked up with nobody on and nobody out in the Rocks' 9th and the game tied at 5, and the Rocks pulled it out in 11. Both teams stranded 2 in the 10th but the Rocks scored 2 in the 11th on back-to-back RBI doubles by John Whittleman and Tim Ferguson. Kevin Chapman came on to close after two solid innings from Kelvin Herrera, and 2 hits and a Rocks error allowed a run to score before Chapman locked it down. The Rocks are 1-1 after the win.

Myrtle Beach 4, Blue Rocks 3 (reg. Sun. game)

2B Navarro 2-3, BB, 3B, RBI (2), RS -- .583, nice weekend for Rey
CF Ferguson 2-4, RBI (2), CS -- .250
LF Merrifield 1-3, S, K, RS, SB (2) -- .250
1B Lewis 1-4, RS -- .250
RF Nick Francis had yet another OF assist at the plate, although he had an error in the field too on Sunday.

Odorizzi 4 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 6 K -- 2.25 ERA, not great, but pretty good
Lafferty 4 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, BB, 2 K, 3 WP, balk -- L, 0-1, 4.50 ERA

* Three late runs helped the Pelicans take the rubber match of the series. The first Rocks highlight came in the MB 2nd when Nick Francis gunned down a runner at the plate for yet another OF assist. I believe that's 4 in 3 games. Gotta figure they'll stop testing him at some point. A 2-out run-scoring wild pitch and a Rey Navarro RBI triple broke the scoring open in the 3rd to make it 2-0 Rocks. Two doubles broke the ice off Jake Odorizzi in the 4th and he was pulled to start the 5th. It appears they're holding pitch counts low at all levels early on, which is probably a good move. Tim Ferguson singled in a run in the 6th to make it 3-1 Wilmington. A run-scoring error in the 7th cut it to 3-2 and Brendan Lafferty continued to have problems as a run-scoring wild pitch tied it and a 2-out RBI single gave the Pelicans a 4-3 lead. The Rocks went down in order in the 9th. C Vincent DiFazio had 3 hits, including the eventual game-winner, and 2 RBI for Myrtle Beach. The Rocks are 1-2. A 3-game set at the Kinston Indians starts Monday. Noel Arguelles will make his much-anticipated official debut in piggybacking with Mike Mariot.

A - Kane County: Cougars 9, Wisconsin 5

3B Stovall 3-4, SF, HR, 4 RBI, K, 2 RS -- .600
2B A. Franco 2-3, 2 BB, 2B (2), 2 RBI (4), K, RS -- .267
CF Llanos 2-5, HR, 2 RBI (4), RS -- .353
LF Fletcher 2-4, BB, K, RS -- .294
DH Cruz 2-5, K, RS -- .375
SS Espinal 1-3, 2 BB, 2 K, RS, CS (2) -- .182
1B Watts 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (2), RS -- .250

Hayenga 5 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 4 K, E -- W, 1-0, 1.80 ERA, not a bad opening start...
Odenbach 2 IP, BB, 3 K -- 0.00 ERA
Byrne 2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 K -- 9.00 ERA

* The Cougs scored 9 unanswered runs to move to 2-2 after the first set of the season. KC threatened in the 1st but Yowill Espinal was thrown out at the plate in the inning as they came up empty. Keaton Hayenga gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and a throwing error on his own part in the 2nd as the Rattlers took the early lead. Alex Llanos tied the game 2 batters into the 3rd with a 2-run shot for his 1st of the season. Ryan Stovall hit a sac fly in the 4th to give the Cougars the lead and Angel Franco singled in a run in the 5th to greet RP Stosh Wawrzasek (great name, had to note it). Hayenga retired the last 11 he faced. KC squandered a bases-loaded, 0-out situation in the 6th but struck for 4 runs in the 7th on a Franco RBI double and a 3-run blast by Stovall for his 1st of the season to make it 8-2. A run-scoring error in the 8th made it 9-2 Cougars and Chaz Byrne struggled through the 9th when he gave up 3 runs on 4 hits before putting it to rest. C Tyler Roberts had 2 hits and 3 RBI for the T-Rats. Kane County is 2-2. The home part of the slate opens Monday with the first of 4 with the Quad Cities River Bandits (A-Cards). Crawford Simmons will climb the hill to make his first 2011 start.