Royals on the Farm 4/23

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 9, Nashville 0

CF Cain 3-4, BB, HR, RBI (2), K, 2 RS, SB (3) -- .242
DH C. Robinson 2-4, BB, RBI (14), RS -- .407
3B Moustakas 1-4, BB, 3B, 3 RBI (12), 2 K, 2 RS -- .242
1B Hosmer 2-4, BB, K, 2 RS, SB -- .381
SS Zawadzki 2-5, 2B (2), 3B (2), K -- .163
RF Orlando 1-4, 2 RBI (8) -- .217
2B Giavotella 1-5, 2 RBI (12), K, RS -- .277
LF Lough 0-4, BB, RS -- .290

Mazzaro 7 IP, 5 H, BB, 5 K -- W, 1-0, 5.02 ERA, those are the kind of outings that get you a #5 rotation slot, but Sean-O has been holding his own in KC...
Chavez 2 IP, H, BB -- 0.00 ERA

* Vin Mazzaro was on top of his game and the Storm Chasers routed the Sounds to grab sole possession of first place. Omaha wasted no time as the first 3 batters drew walks and Mike Moustakas cleared the bases with a 3-run triple before scoring on a Clint Robinson groundout to make it 4-0. Nashville SP Mark Rogers had another rough outing versus Omaha as the Chasers tacked on 4 more runs in the 3rd. They loaded the bases with 0 out again, and Johnny Giavotella stroked a 2-run single before Paulo Orlando did the same to make it 8-0. Lorenzo Cain tacked on the final run with his 1st organizational homer in the 8th. Mazzaro's roughest inning was the 6th, when he gave up 2 hits, but he was never in dire straits until putting the first 2 on in the 8th. Jesse Chavez came in to put out the fire and finished the game. DH Jeremy Reed had 2 hits for the Sounds. Omaha is 10-7. Game 2 is Sunday as Jeff Suppan faces.....former Royal Zack Greinke, who is rehabbing with the Sounds.

AA - NW Arkansas: rainout

* The game will be made up May 21 when the teams meet once again. Sunday's game will be played as scheduled to finish the set with the Travs as Edgar Osuna takes the mound.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 10, Winston-Salem 2 (7/G1)

1B Whittleman 2-3, BB, 2B (3), RBI (8), RS -- .255
2B Batista 2-4, RS -- .189
LF Merrifield 1-2, 2 BB, 2B (3), 3 RBI (5), 2 RS -- .313
C Bonilla 1-4, HR, 2 RBI (4), RS -- .161
SS Navarro 1-4, 2B (4), RBI (8) -- .426
CF Ferguson 1-3, SF, 2B (2), RBI (8), RS -- .174
3B Frost 1-3, RBI (3), K, RS -- .167

Arguelles 4 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 K, WP -- 1.46 ERA
Mariot 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- W, 3-0, 0.84 ERA

* Nine late runs blew open a tight game as the Rocks rolled past the Dash. A run-scoring double play put Wilmington on top in the 1st but Noel Arguelles gave up a run on 2 hits in the bottom of the inning. Arguelles and ChiSox prospect P Cameron Bayne retired 18 straight from the 2nd thru the 4th but the Rocks surged ahead in the 5th. Adam Frost singled in a run before Whit Merrifield hit a bases-loaded double that scored 3 to make it 5-1. Mike Mariot came in with the bases loaded and 1 out in the 5th and only allowed 1 run before getting out of the jam with a double play. John Whittleman doubled in a run in the 6th and Jose Bonilla cracked a 2-run homer for his 1st of the season to make it 8-2. Rey Navarro doubled in a run and Tim Ferguson hit a sac fly to finish the scoring. Mike Mariot pitched well out of the pen to finish the victory for his 3rd win of the season. Bayne got rocked for 7 runs over 5 IP to drop to 2-1. 2B Daniel Wagner had 2 hits for the Dash.

Winston-Salem 3, Blue Rocks 2 (8/G2)

RF Francis 2-4, 2B (4), HR (3), 2 RBI (11), 2 K, RS -- .218
LF Merrifield 0-4, K -- .288
2B Navarro 0-3, BB -- .404

Odorizzi 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 10 K, HRA -- 3.46 ERA, I'll take that line, tho
Herrera IP, ER, 3 H, HRA -- L, 1-1, 1.35 ERA

* Jake Odorizzi's good start went for naught as the Dash made a late comeback and won it in 8. Nick Francis hit an RBI double in the 1st and then went deep in the 3rd for his 3rd homer of the season to make it 2-0. Odorizzi stranded 2 in the 3rd but took a 2-hit shutout into the 6th. With 1 out and 1 on, DH Ian Gac slammed a 2-run homer (his 6th) to tie it. Kelvin Herrera stranded 2 in the 7th but gave up a walkoff shot to lead off the 8th as Chicago OF prospect Jared Mitchell ended it. Gac's 2 RBI gave him 16 on the season. The Rocks are 10-5. The series wraps Sunday afternoon as Tim Melville (1-2, 5.02) starts.

A - Kane County: Cougars 10, Clinton 3 (7/G1)

LF Fletcher 4-4, HR (2), 2 RBI (10), 2 RS -- .350, nice
RF Beltre 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI (3), K, 2 RS -- .218
3B Stovall 2-3, HBP, 2B (4), 2 RBI (10), K, RS, CS (2) -- .419
2B Espinal 1-4, RBI (4), K, RS -- .188
DH Llanos 0-4, RBI (9), K, RS -- .317
1B Watts 1-3, BB, RBI (6), RS, E (2) -- .239
SS Hall 1-2, BB, RBI (8) -- .357

L. Santiago 6 IP, ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 6 K -- W, 2-2, 5.03 ERA
Hodge IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 3 K, WP -- 4.66 ERA

* An 8-run inning propelled the Cougars to the win in the first of 2 Saturday. Leonel Santiago had a solid start but allowed a run in the 2nd on 2 hits and a walk. Santiago stranded 2 in the 4th but Kane County got to work in the bottom of the inning. Murray Watts singled in a run, Geulin Beltre singled in 2, Ryan Stovall singled in a run, Gerard Hall joined the RBI single parade, Alex Llanos hit an RBI groundout, and Yowill Espinal and Brian Fletcher added 2 more RBI singles to make it 8-1. Stovall doubled in a run in the 5th but the Cougs left the bases loaded. Fletcher led off the 6th with his 2nd homer of the season to finish the rout. Mitch Hodge allowed 2 in the 7th but it was too little, too late for Clinton. Three 'Kings had 2 hits.

Clinton 3, Cougars 2 (7/G2)

2B Espinal 1-2, BB, 3B, RBI (5), RS -- .200
LF Fletcher 1-3, RBI (11), K, E (4) -- .349
CF Llanos 1-3, RS, SB (3), picked off, OF assist at second -- .317
1B Stovall 0-3, K -- .382

Simmons 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, 4 K, WP -- L, 0-3, 6.97 ERA
Billo 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K -- 1.69 ERA

* Each team's one-inning rally ended up with the LumberKings on top to earn the split. An Alex Llanos pickoff helped thwart a Kane County rally in the 1st and Crawford Simmons ran into trouble in the 3rd. A Brian Fletcher error helped fuel a 3-run Clinton inning. Greg Billo came in to strand the bases full in the 4th and a baserunning gaffe would help do in the Cougars. Gerard Hall led off the 6th with a double but got thrown out at third on a fielder's choice before Yowill Espinal hit an RBI triple and scored on a Brian Fletcher groundout. The Cougars stranded 2 in the 7th to fall 1 run short. Three Kings had 2 hits. Kane County is 7-10 and has Easter Sunday off.