Royals on the Farm 5/12 and 5/13

I guess I should thank Blogger for a needed night off? It wouldn't cooperate last night to work up the report. Not that I was in a posting mood, last night was rough...on a side note tho, hard to not be hyped right now about Eric Hosmer, he has stepped right up and looks like he belongs in MLB.

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 6, Reno 5 (Wed.)

DH C. Robinson 3-4, HR (9), 2 RBI (24), RS -- .328
SS Arias 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB -- .250, announcing his presence with authority in his second game of '11
LF Lough 1-3, BB -- .321
3B Moustakas 1-4, RS -- .260
2B Giavotella 0-4 -- .272
1B Ka'aihue 0-3, BB, RS -- .167
CF Cain 1-4, 2B (9), 2 K, RS -- .293

Suppan 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K -- W, 3-4, 4.93 ERA
Tejeda IP, K -- 0.00 ERA
Mendoza IP, ER, H, BB, 2 WP -- 4.95 ERA
Chavez IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB -- SV, 5, 1.62 ERA

* Jeff Suppan pitched serviceably but the bullpen had to hold on tight to pull the game out for Omaha. Suppan didn't get off to the greatest start as Reno plated a run in the 1st, and the Chasers had to throw a runner out at the plate to keep the Aces off the board in the 3rd. Suppan gave up his third triple of the game to allow another run in the 4th, but Omaha answered in the 5th as Joaquin Arias jacked a 3-run homer for his 1st longball of the season. Clint Robinson rang the bell in the 6th for a 2-run homer for his 9th of the season to make it 5-2 Storm Chasers. Suppan stranded 2 in the 6th and Johnny Giavotella drove in a run on a groundout and error in the 7th. Luis Mendoza came in for the 8th and 2 wild pitches and a 2-out RBI single trimmed the Omaha lead to 6-3. Jesse Chavez came on for the save attempt in the 9th and loaded the bases with 1 out. A sac fly and RBI single cut the lead to 6-5 and put the tying run at third, but Chavez induced a forceout to end the game. 1B Brandon Allen and 3B Sean Burroughs (late '90s Padres top prospect) had 2 hits for the Aces. Former late '90s Yankees top prospect DH Wily Mo Pena drove in his 34th run and is hitting .366 for Reno.

Reno 11, Storm Chasers 3 (Thu.)

LF Lough 2-4, HR (4), 2 RBI (19), RS -- .326
2B Giavotella 1-4, HR, RBI (21), 2 K, RS, E (3) -- .271
3B Moustakas 0-2, HBP -- .256, left game after HBP in 5th
1B C. Robinson 0-3, BB, K -- .320
DH Ka'aihue 1-4, 2B, K -- .188
CF Cain 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB (5) -- .284

Pucetas 3 IP, 8 R (6 ER), 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HRA, 2 WP -- L, 3-1, 3.13 ERA
M. Santiago 2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, K, HRA -- 13.50 ERA, AAA debut
Texeira 2 IP, H, 3 BB -- 6.48 ERA
Holland IP, 2 K -- 2.65 ERA

* The Aces racked up 11 runs on 12 hits to drub the Chasers on Thursday. Johnny Giavotella got Omaha started on the right foot as he hit his 1st homer of the season in the 1st. The problem was Kevin Pucetas gave up a 2-run homer and RBI triple as part of a 4-run Reno 1st. Pucetas loaded the bases with 0 out in the 2nd thanks in part to a Giavotella error but almost got out of the jam before a 2-out, 2-run single made it 6-1 Reno. David Lough hit a 2-run homer in the 3rd for his 4th of the season to cut it to 6-3 but the Aces got a solo homer and run-scoring wild pitch in the bottom of the inning. Mario Santiago got a rough AAA greeting with a solo homer from 1B Brandon Allen (his 2nd of the game) in the 4th and Omaha left the bases loaded in the 5th. Reno racked up another 2-run double in the 5th as the onslaught continued. Kanekoa Texeira somehow worked around 3 walks in the 6th and neither team could score from there. Mike Moustakas was hit by a pitch in the 5th and would leave the game. No report on the Omaha website on his status. Allen was 3-4 with the 2 HR (5), 3 RBI (28) and 3 RS to move to .310. Three other Aces had 2 hits. Omaha is 19-15. The late games finally end for now as the series wraps tonight. Danny Duffy (3-0, 2.25) is set to start. I'll sum up that game on the morrow....

AA - NW Arkansas: rainout Thursday

* Thursday's game will be made up as a Sunday twinbill.

Naturals 7, Springfield 5

CF Van Stratten 2-3, HBP, HR (3), 3 RBI (14), 2 RS, SB (4) -- .245
3B Lisson 2-4, 2B (4), K, RS -- .309
1B Romak 1-4, HBP, HR (4), 3 RBI (19), K, RS -- .275
C S. Perez 1-4, RBI (5), 2 K, picked off runner -- .244
SS Colon 1-4, S -- .262
2B Bianchi 0-4, K -- .245

Dwyer 4 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HRA -- 6.89 ERA
Rollins 2 IP, K -- 4.88 ERA
Sisk IP, 3 K -- W, 2-0, 6.94 ERA
Keating 1 2/3 IP, H, 5 K -- SV, 5, 4.02 ERA

* The Naturals took the lead, lost it, then got it back to win the opener with Springfield. NWA stranded 2 in the 1st and C Salvador Perez picked a runner off at third to end the Cards 1st. Chris Dwyer gave up a solo homer in the 2nd but Jamie Romak cranked a 3-run homer in the 3rd for his 4th of the season and Perez singled in an additional run to make it 4-1. Dwyer allowed another solo shot in the 3rd and then he and Heath Rollins allowed 3 in the 5th to turn the lead to 5-4 Springfield. The Nats had 2 out and none on in the 8th when Mario Lisson singled, Kurt Mertins walked and Nick Van Stratten slammed a 3-run shot for his 3rd of the season to flip it to 7-5 NWA. Patrick Keating struck out the side around a single in the 9th. Three Cards had 2 hits as SS Ryan Jackson hit his 12th double, 3rd homer and 3 RBI (15). NW Arkansas is 15-14. John Lamb (0-2, 3.49) starts game 2 Saturday.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Salem 5, Blue Rocks 4 (Thu.)

RF Francis 3-4, 2B (11), RBI (21), K -- .270
LF Merrifield 2-3, BB, RBI (10), RS, CS (3) -- .327, just seems to get it done
C Bonilla 2-3, 2 RS -- .242
DH Testa 1-3, S, 2B (6), 2 RBI (8), RS -- .254, has come around a little in the 2-slot
2B Navarro 1-4, E (5) -- .333

E. Pimentel 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP -- L, 2-1, 4.73 ERA
Paukovits 3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 4 K -- 3.68 ERA
G. Gibson IP, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA, organizational debut

* A late Rocks comeback was not to be as Salem salvaged the series finale. Salem dinged Elisaul Pimentel for a run in the 3rd and the Sox added 2 in the 4th. The Sox scored a run off Bryan Paukovits in the 6th but the Rocks' offense didn't awaken until the bottom of that inning. Whit Merrifield hit an RBI single but Wilmington would strand 2. Paukovits allowed a run in the 7th to make it 5-1 but Carlo Testa ripped a 2-run double in the 8th and scored on a Nick Francis single to cut the lead to 5-4. Francis was thrown out at second on the play to end the rally and the Rocks went down in order in the 9th. Glenn Gibson pitched the Rocks 9th in his organizational debut. He was a minor league FA signing. Salem SP Chris Hernandez allowed an unearned run over 5 2/3 IP to improve to 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA. Two Sox had 2 hits. A 3-gamer at Potomac (12-20) is starting tonight.

Blue Rocks 13, Potomac 4

2B Navarro 3-6, 2B (9), 3B (5), 3 RBI (17), 2 RS -- .341
C Bonilla 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI (10) -- .268
RF Testa 3-6, 2 2B (8), RBI (9), 2 K, 2 RS -- .277
3B Whittleman 2-2, 2 BB, 2B (7), 3B (3), 2 RBI (22), 2 RS -- .250
LF Ferguson 2-5, 2B (5), 2 RBI (13), K, RS, E -- .164
SS McClure 2-5, 2 RBI (7), K, 2 RS, SB (8) -- .149
1B Lewis 0-2, 2 BB, SF, RBI (7), RS -- .231
CF Merrifield 1-6, 2 K, RS -- .319

Melville 5 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K, pickoff -- W, 3-4, 4.95 ERA
Dennick 2 IP, 5 K -- 1.93 ERA
Chapman 2 IP, UER, H, 5 K -- 4.40 ERA

* The teams combined for 6 errors and the Rocks rocked the P-Nats. Tim Melville had 1 on with 2 out in the 1st when Potomac got 2 RBI doubles and a run-scoring error to grab a 3-0 lead. Nick Francis led off the Wilmington 2nd with a double and scored on a John Whittleman triple to get the Rocks on the scoreboard. Whittleman doubled in a run in the 4th, Alex McClure singled in a run and Jose Bonilla singled home a run to make it 4-3 when the dust settled. Melville allowed 1 hit after the 2nd and the Rocks went off for 6 runs in the 5th on a Rey Navarro RBI single, a 2-run Tim Ferguson double, a McClure RBI single, a Bonilla RBI double and Joey Lewis sac fly to make it 10-3. Navarro doubled in a run in the 6th. An error helped the Nationals score a run in the 8th but Carlo Testa singled in a run and a Navarro groundout made it 13-4 in the 9th. Kevin Chapman struck out the side in the 9th. The Rocks are 19-14. Game 2 is Saturday night. Tyler Sample and Justin Marks will tagteam it.

A - Kane County: Beloit 10, Cougars 3 (Thu.)

3B Stovall 2-3, BB, 2B (7), HR (3), 2 RBI (15), RS -- .323
2B Espinal 2-3, 2B (2), K -- .192
C Jenkins 1-4, HR, RBI (9), K, RS, PB (4) -- .263
CF Llanos 0-4, 2 K -- .254
SS Hall 1-3, BB, K, RS, SB -- .333
DH Caseres 0-4, K -- .000, organizational debut, another minors FA

Penny 4 1/3 IP, 7 R (4 ER), 11 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP -- L, 0-3, 5.02 ERA
Wooley 2 2/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, BB, 2 K, WP -- 5.85 ERA
Odenbach 2 IP, 2 BB, K -- 2.84 ERA

* A 3-0 Cougars lead disappeared in a big way as the Snappers rolled to the win. Robert Penny left the bases full in the 1st and Ryan Stovall started a good personal night at the plate with an RBI double in the bottom of the 1st. Penny stranded 2 in the 2nd and then Stovall and Ryan Jenkins went back-to-back for their 3rd and 1st homers of the season, respectively, in the 3rd. Beloit woke up in the 4th as 2 hits, a walk and 2 errors helped the Snappers knot it at 3. They surged ahead off Penny and Nick Wooley with 4 runs in the 5th on 4 hits, an error and wild pitch. KC stranded 2 in the 5th and Beloit poured on 2 more in the 6th and 1 in the 7th. The Cougars wouldn't threaten again. 1B Michael Gonzales was 4-5 to improve to .298 for Beloit. Four other Snappers had multiple-hit games. A 3-gamer with Peoria (18-15) starts tonight.

Cougars 4, Peoria 0 (4-hitter)

LF Aparicio 3-4, 2B (4), RBI (4), RS -- .149
RF Beltre 2-3, BB, HR, RBI (8), 2 RS, SB (2) -- .236
C Jenkins 2-4 -- .275
CF Llanos 1-3, SF, 2 RBI (21), SB (6), E, OF assist at home -- .255
3B Stovall 0-4 -- .311

Billo 8 IP, 4 H, BB, 4 K -- W, 1-1, 1.57 ERA, nice
Byrne IP, K -- 4.96 ERA

* Greg Billo pitched very well as the Cougars shut down the Chiefs in the series opener. Alex Llanos hit a 2-out RBI single in the 3rd and the Cougars scored 2 in the 5th on Geulin Beltre's 1st homer of the season and Llanos sac fly. Billo lost a no-hit bid with 1 out in the 6th and Llanos stepped up with an OF assist at the plate to end the Peoria 8th. Julio Aparicio singled in a run in the 8th to make it 4-0 and Chas Byrne stranded 1 in the 9th to finish it. CF Rubi Silva had 2 hits for Peoria. KC is 12-24. Game 2 is Saturday with the Chiefs (A Cubs). Leonel Santiago is set to start.