Royals on the Farm 6/30

Anybody else hear the rumors about the Soria and Francoeur for Hamels deal? I don't know how much, if any, stock to put in it, but I'd take it. The Royals pitching staff has been an abyss this season.

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 18, Albuquerque 13

2B Giavotella 3-5, BB, 2B (23), HR (6), 3 RBI (56), 3 RS -- .327
DH Ka'aihue 2-4, BB, HR (6), 4 RBI (37), K, 3 RS -- .312
CF Cain 2-3, BB, HBP, HR (9), RBI (43), 3 RS, SB (8) -- .303
SS Aviles 2-5, BB, HR (8), RBI (14), 2 RS -- .333
1B Robinson 2-5, 2 2B (21), K, RS, CS -- .331
LF Orlando 1-5, 3 RBI (26), RS, E (4) -- .233
RF Falu 1-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI (22), 2 RS -- .306, quietly gets it done, and they have him hitting 9th
3B Zawadzki 1-5, RBI (32), K, RS, E (9) -- .255

Mazzaro 4 IP, 8 ER, 8 H, 6 BB, 3 K, 2 HRA -- 4.97 ERA
Pucetas 2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, K, 2 HRA -- W, 5-4, 5.55 ERA
Hardy 2/3 IP, UER, 2 BB, K -- 7.14 ERA
Tejeda 1 1/3 IP, 2 BB, 3 K -- 2.41 ERA
Sisk IP, 3 K -- 1.42 ERA, nice

* An 8-run 6th propelled the Chasers to the shootout victory. Vin Mazzaro stumbled out of the gate as the Isotopes scored 4 in the 1st. Omaha got a 2-run homer from Kila Ka'aihue in the 1st for his 2nd straight AB with a homer and his 6th of the season. Paulo Orlando hit an RBI groundout in the 2nd and an error scored another run to tie it. Lorenzo Cain went deep in the 3rd for his 9th homer of the season to make it 5-4 Omaha. Johnny Giavotella then touched 'em all in the 4th for a 3-run shot for his 6th of the season. Mazzaro and Pucetas got hammered in the 5th for 6 runs as Albuquerque took a 10-8 lead. Pucetas then gave up a 2-run homer in the 6th to make it 12-8 'Topes. Mike Aviles got the Chasers started in the 6th with a solo homer for his 8th at AAA, and Ka'aihue hit a 2-run single, Orlando hit a 2-run single, and Irving Falu put the exclamation point on the rally with a 3-run homer for his 1st of the season. Albuquerque scored a run in the 7th, but Omaha scored 2 in their half on a Lance Zawadzki groundout and a run-scoring error. Brandon Sisk struck out the side in the 9th. Omaha is 44-37. Game 2 is Friday as Mike Montgomery starts.

AA - NW Arkansas: San Antonio 8, Naturals 2

RF Myers 1-3, BB, 2 RBI (18), K, picked off -- .289
SS Colon 1-4, 2B (7), K, SB (12) -- .253
CF Robinson 1-4, K, RS -- .256
2B Bianchi 0-3, K -- .272
C S. Perez 1-3 -- .263
3B Navarro 0-3 -- .000, NWA debut

Dwyer 1 2/3 IP, 7 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, K, 2 WP, balk -- L, 2-8, 6.16 ERA, he's having a lost season
Lebron 3 1/3 IP, H, 3 BB, 3 K -- 3.54 ERA
Rollins 2 IP, 2 H, BB -- 3.57 ERA
Chapman IP, 3 K -- 0.71 ERA
Barrera IP, ER, H, HRA -- 4.50 ERA

* Chris Dwyer had another poor start as the Missions ran roughshod over the Nats. The Missions got it started with 2 in the 1st and added 5 in the 2nd off Dwyer on 3 doubles, 3 walks and a hit batsman. Wil Myers hit a 2-run single in the 6th but that was all the Nats would get. The Naturals are 1-6. Game 2 is Friday. Zach Miner is set to start. C Salvador Perez was 0-2 in the TL All-Star Game Wednesday, 2B Anthony Seratelli was 1-2 with a double and K, Jeff Bianchi was 1-2 with an SB and RF Wil Myers was 0-2. Buddy Baumann pitched a scoreless inning with 2 Ks and Kelvin Herrera pitched a perfect inning.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Salem 5, Blue Rocks 3

LF Ferguson 2-4, RBI (24), K, SB (7) -- .204
1B Lewis 2-4, 2B (9), RBI (13) -- .230
RF Van Stratten 2-4, 3B, 2 K, RS, SB, OF assist at first -- .500, good first game back in A-Advanced
CF Prades 1-4, RBI (8), 2 K -- .293
2B Merrifield 0-3, S -- .263
DH Testa 0-4, 3 K -- .258

Odorizzi 6 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 8 H, 6 K, HRA -- L, 5-4, 2.87 ERA, 4 straight Ls
Odenbach 3 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 1.93 ERA

* Jake Odorizzi's woes continued as Salem dealt him another loss. A 3-run homer did most of the damage in the 1st, but Yem Prades and Tim Ferguson hit RBI singles in the Rocks 1st to keep them close. Salem scored another run in the 2nd, but Odorizzi settled down from there. The offense didn't help him out, tho, and Salem added a run in the 6th in Odorizzi's final inning of work. Joey Lewis doubled in a run in the 6th to cut it to 5-3 but the Rocks stranded 2 and the last 10 went down in order. The Rocks are 3-5. The series ends Friday. Justin Marks and Tyler Sample will piggyback it. IF Kurt Mertins has also been sent to Wilmington. Odorizzi has been reported as heading to AA soon, so maybe his next start will be in Naturals colors.

A - Kane County: Cougars 4, Beloit 3

CF Eibner 2-4, BB, clutch HR (6), 3 RBI (12), RS, OF assist at home -- .227, despite the low BA, starting to hit his stride last couple games
DH Aparicio 1-2, BB, RBI (12), K, RS -- .170
3B Cuthbert 1-4, 2 K, E (3) -- .307

Adam 5 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- 4.11 ERA
Caldwell 3 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K, WP -- W, 2-0, 1.74 ERA
Rogers IP, 2 K -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA, KC debut

* Brett Eibner had perhaps his biggest hit as a pro as the Cougars got a comeback win Thursday. Eibner started the game with a good defensive play as he gunned down a runner at the plate to end the Beloit 1st. Neither team scored until Beloit got a solo homer off Jason Adam in the 5th and a 2-out RBI single made it 2-0 Snappers. Julio Aparicio responded with an RBI single in the 5th. The Cougars caught a runner stealing home in the 7th but Beloit added a run in the 8th to make it 3-1. Eibner came up with 2 on and 1 out in the 8th and came up big with a 3-run homer for his 6th of the season. Nick Rogers pitched a perfect 9th in his Cougars debut for his 1st save. KC is 6-1. Leonel Santiago pitches game 2 Friday.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 6, Casper 4 (6/Wed.)

3B Threlkeld 2-2, SF, HR, 3 RBI (5), RS, CS -- .250, first pro homer
CF Sandford 1-3, 3B (2), RBI (6), RS -- .267
C T. Smith 0-3, RBI, K, RS -- .000, Chukar debut
2B Mateo 1-3, 2B (3), RBI (5) -- .407
LF Chism 1-3, RS -- .323

Patton 4 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- 3.12 ERA
Moen 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 27.00 ERA, not pretty, but his first pro win

* The Chukars used an early onslaught to gain the advantage and got some help from Mother Nature as Kellen Moen got his first victory as a professional. Mark Threlkeld took the Casper starter deep in the 1st for a 2-run homer to notch his first as a pro. The Chukars added 4 in the 2nd on a Darian Sandford RBI triple, a Tyler Smith RBI fielder's choice, a Daniel Mateo RBI double and a Threlkeld sac fly that made it 6-0. Spencer Patton got a bases-loaded double play to escape trouble in the 3rd but the Ghosts scored 2 in the 4th. Moen came on for the 5th and allowed a triple as Casper scored, then added a run in the 6th. After that inning, rain claimed the rest of the game. IF is 5-5. Game 3 is tonight as Jonathan Dooley starts. The game is tied at 3 in the 7th.

Rookie - Burlington: Bristol 10, B-Royals 6

SS Antonio 3-5, 2 2B (5), RBI (4), RS, E (2) -- .371
LF Rodriguez 2-5, RBI, 2 RS, SB -- .263
C Shin 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI, K -- .250
1B Watts 1-5, HR (5), 2 RBI (9), 2 K, RS -- .231
2B Trapp 1-3, 2 BB, HR (3), RBI (8), K, 2 RS, SB (3) -- .216

Pizziconi 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K, HRA, WP -- 2.35 ERA
Cantrell IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, K, WP -- BS, 1, 12.60 ERA
Culver 1 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K, HRA, 2 WP -- L, 0-1, 5.14 ERA
Ferguson 1/3 IP, K -- 1.80 ERA

* The B-Royals blew a 6-2 lead as the Sox stormed back for the win. Justin Trapp led off the game with his 3rd homer and Jin-Ho Shin hit an RBI double to spot the Royals a 2-0 lead in the 1st. The Royals stranded 2 in the 2nd but got a 2-run homer out of Murray Watts (his 5th) in the 5th to make it 4-0. Italian Stallion Andrea Pizziconi worked 4 solid innings but got into trouble in the 5th as a 2-run homer cut the lead in half. Jose Rodriguez hit an RBI single and Mike Antonio doubled home a run in the 6th to get the runs back and make it 6-2. Eric Cantrell took over in the 6th and things soured quickly. An RBI single and then a 2-out, 3-run double by 1B Mike Schwartz tied the game. Malcom Culver gave up the go-ahead run in the 7th and the Sox added 3 in the 8th to polish it off. The B-Royals are 1-9. Game 2 is Friday. No announced starter on the team site.

Rookie - AZL: Reds 14, Royals 6

LF Cuckovich 2-5, 2 RBI (5), 3 K, 2 RS, 2 SB (8), E (2) -- .424
DH A. Howard 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI (3), 2 K, RS -- .500
C Bello 0-1, RBI (2) -- .154
CF Toney 1-3, HBP, K, SB (2), CS (5) -- .316
3B DelGuidice 1-3, HBP, K, RS -- .400

Witt 1 1/3 IP, 9 R (7 ER), 7 H, BB, K -- L, 0-2, 50.14 ERA, yikes
Bangs 1 2/3 IP, ER, 4 BB, 4 K, WP -- 2.84 ERA
N. Johnson 3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 5 H, 4 K -- 2.57 ERA
F. Cruz 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, K, WP -- 19.64 ERA, never good when your ERA is a 20th century year, but better than it being the year 5014

* The Royals were down, 10-0, about as quick as the game began, and couldn't recover. Christian Witt's second pro start didn't go any better than his first as, after the Royals stranded 2 in the 1st, the Reds tallied 3 in the 1st on 2 hits, a walk and error. Witt didn't survive the 2nd as the Reds plated 7 in the inning on 5 hits and a hit batsman off Witt, then 4 walks off Parker Bangs. Nick Cuckovich hit a 2-run single in the 3rd and scored on a passed ball as the Royals cut it to 10-3. Anthony Howard tripled and scored on a double play in the 4th, but the Reds scored a run off Nathan Johnson in the bottom of the inning. Howard hit an RBI double in the 6th but the Reds matched it again. Rainier Bello hit an RBI groundout in the 7th and the Reds finished it off with 2 in the 8th. The Royals are 2-6. They play the Cubs tonight. They are down, 2-1, in the middle innings.

Royals on the Farm 6/29 -- Eibner goes deep twice

AAA - Omaha: off day

* The Storm Chasers start a 4-game home set with the Albuquerque Isotopes (42-37, AAA Marlins) on Thursday. Vin Mazzaro will start. IF Johnny Giavotella and 1B/DH Clint Robinson will start for the PCL All-Stars when they play the IL All-Stars July 13. P Luis Mendoza also made the squad.

AA - NW Arkansas: all-star break day 2

* The 1-5 Nats start a 3-game home set with the San Antonio Missions (4-2, AA Padres) Thursday.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Salem 2, Blue Rocks 0

3B Whittleman 2-4, K -- .234
LF Merrifield 1-4 -- .266
RF Testa 0-4, 2 K -- .263

Arguelles 6 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 4 K, HRA, WP -- L, 2-3, 2.32 ERA
Lafferty 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, K -- 3.90 ERA
Dennick IP, 2 K -- 3.60 ERA

* The Rocks were shut out again as Salem got a 5-hitter on Wednesday. Salem got single runs off Noel Arguelles in the 5th and 6th and the Rocks' best chance came in the 7th when they stranded 2 in scoring position. Wilmington is 3-4. Game 2 is Thursday as Jake Odorizzi is set to start. IF Rey Navarro and OF Nick Francis were moved up to AA as C Ryan Eigsti and OF Nick Van Stratten took their roster slots.

A - Kane County: Burlington 9, Cougars 5

CF Eibner 3-4, 2 HR (5), 3 RBI (9), K, 2 RS -- .206
2B Franco 2-5, HR, 2 RBI (11), K, 2 RS -- .226
3B Cuthbert 2-4, K, RS -- .309
RF Beltre 2-4, K, RS, OF assist at second -- .271
1B Stovall 1-4, K -- .307
LF Fletcher 0-2, BB, K -- .327

Ventura 3 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 4 K, WP -- L, 2-3, 5.26 ERA
Hodge 3 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA -- 5.40 ERA
Boruff 1 2/3 IP, 2 K -- 1.34 ERA

* Multiple run rallies for the Bees brought the Cougars' win streak to a screeching halt on Wednesday. Yordano Ventura allowed 2 runs in the 1st but Brett Eibner hit his 4th homer of the season for a 2-run shot to tie it and Angel Franco singled in a run in the 2nd to make it 3-2 Cougars. The Cougars stranded 2 in the 3rd. Ventura walked the bases loaded to start the 4th and two singles brought home 2 runs and brought in Mitch Hodge. Two more singles allowed 2 more runs to score to make it 6-3 Bees. Angel Franco led off the 5th with his 1st homer of the season and Eibner hit a leadoff blast in the 6th for his 5th of the season and 2nd of the game. Hodge served up a 3-run homer in the 7th and the Cougars didn't threaten again. The Cougars are 5-1. A 3-game home set with the Beloit Snappers (5-1, A Twins) starts Thursday with Jason Adam starting.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 5, Casper 4

1B Moreno 2-4, 2B (3), RS -- .200
C Escobar 2-4, 2B (2) -- .296
CF Davis 1-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI (5), K, 2 RS, SB (2) -- .400, keeps it rolling with first pro homer
LF Sandford 1-5, 3B, 2 RBI (5) -- .259
SS Martinez 1-4, RBI (2), RS -- .250

B. Martin 7 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 4 K, HRA, pickoff -- 3.21 ERA
Carl 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA

* Darian Sandford and Runey Davis had big hits in the Chukars' series-opening win over Casper. The Ghosts scored 2 runs in the 1st but Adrian Martinez hit an RBI groundout in the 2nd to cut the lead in half. IF left the bases loaded in the 3rd and Brennon Martin gave up a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-1 Casper. Davis cut the lead to 1 with his first pro round-tripper, a 2-run shot in the 4th. Edwin Carl stranded 2 Ghosts in the 8th and Sandford hit a 2-out, 2-run triple in the 9th to turn the lead around to the Chukars' favor. Carl pitched a 1-2-3 9th for his 1st win of the season. IF is 4-5. IF is up, 6-2, in the 4th in tonight's game.

Rookie - Burlington: B-Royals 1, Pulaski 0 (completion of Tue. game)

DH Watts 3-3, BB, HR (4), RBI (7), RS, CS -- .258
RF Pickett 2-4, K, E (2) -- .387
SS Antonio 0-2, K -- .333
C Shin 1-4, 3 K -- .200

Murray 2 IP, 3 K -- 1.80 ERA
Mitchell 5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- W, 1-1, 4.00 ERA
Graffeo 2 IP, 2 H, 5 K, WP, E -- SV, 1, 2.08 ERA

* The Royals finally got their first win in the weather-suspended game from Tuesday. Neither team had put a runner on when play was suspended after an inning and a half on Tuesday. Murray Watts fixed that as the first batter of the day with a solo homer for his 4th at Burlington. Jason Mitchell took over for Matt Murray in the 3rd and stranded 2 in the 3rd and 4th. Mitchell left a runner at third in his final inning of work in the 7th. Nick Graffeo then stranded 2 in the 9th as the Royals broke the goose egg in the wins column for 2011.

Pulaski 4, B-Royals 1 (7/reg. Wed. game)

CF Bonifacio 2-3, HR (2), RBI (4), RS -- .273
LF Brooks 1-3, K -- .333
3B Hamblen 0-3 -- .000

A. Baez 3 2/3 IP, 4 R (1 ER), 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, WP, balk -- L, 0-1, 11.25 ERA
Rivers 2 1/3 IP, H, BB, 3 K -- 0.00 ERA
R. Brown IP, H -- 0.00 ERA

* The Mariners put the Royals back on the losing track in the second game of the doubleheader. Angel Baez got out of trouble in the 2nd and the Royals left the bases loaded in their half. Jorge Bonifacio went solo for his 2nd homer of the season in the 3rd but a balk, passed ball and error helped the Mariners tie it off Baez in the 4th. A 3-run double cleared the bases and sent Baez to the showers. The last 11 Royals went down in order to finish it. The B-Royals are 1-8. A 3-game set at the Bristol Sox (4-4, Sox as in White) starts Thursday. Non-drafted free agents IF/OF Derek Hamblen and OF Steven Brooks have been added to the roster. C Tyler Smith was moved to IF. P Nick Rogers got moved up to Kane County.

Rookie - AZL: Mariners 8, Royals 5 (Tue.)

RF Allen 3-4, HR, RBI (3), K, 2 RS -- .240, first pro longball
LF Toney 2-5, 2B, K, CS (4) -- .313
2B C. Garcia 1-3, BB, 3B (3), 2 RBI (6), K -- .160
C Marquez 1-3, BB, 2B, RBI -- .167
1B Gaylord 1-3, BB, 2B (2), RBI (2), K, 2 RS -- .222
SS DelGuidice 0-5, K, E (2) -- .407
3B Cuckovich 0-4, K, RS -- .429

Ogando 3 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA, balk, pickoff -- L, 0-1, 12.00 ERA, pro debut of earliest 2011 Royals signed draftee
A. Williams 2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- 5.40 ERA
Avinazar IP, ER, 3 H, K -- 9.00 ERA
E. Amador 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, K -- 3.00 ERA

* One pitch spoiled Cesar Ogando's pro debut for the Royals in Tuesday's loss to the Mariners. Brian Gaylord and Alex Marquez hit RBI doubles in the 2nd to give the Royals the lead, but Ogando allowed his first base hit and 2 walks to load the bases to start the 3rd. SS Martin Peguero then blasted a grand slam to make it 4-2 M's. Ali Williams allowed a run in the 4th but Carlos Garcia hit a 2-run triple in the 4th to cut it to 5-4. Willian Avinazar gave up another run in the 6th but the Royals kept pace again as Jerrell Allen clubbed his 1st pro homer in the 6th to cut it back to 6-5. Ezequiel Amador worked his 3rd inning in the 9th and gave up 2 runs to help the Mariners ice it. The Royals left 2 in scoring position in the 9th. The Royals are 2-5. They play the Reds tonight.

Royals on the Farm 6/28 -- Kila goes grande for the walkoff

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 6, Memphis 2

DH Ka'aihue 2-4, BB, walkoff GS (5), 4 RBI (33), K, RS -- .307
CF Cain 2-3, BB, RBI (42), K -- .299
1B Robinson 2-4, 2B (19) -- .330
SS Aviles 1-4, S, HR (7), RBI (13), RS -- .329
2B Giavotella 1-4, BB, 2B (22), K, RS, SB (9) -- .323

Mendoza 7 IP, ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 2 K, HRA -- 2.75 ERA
Jeffress 2 IP, ER, H, K, HRA -- W, 2-3, 6.05 ERA

* Kila Ka'aihue did his best to keep his name in the running in a crowded Royals 1B picture as he clubbed a big walkoff homer and Omaha got a key win in the series finale with Memphis. Memphis got a solo homer off Luis Mendoza in the 4th but stranded the bases full and squandered the chance to do further damage. The Chasers returned the favor by getting a lineout double play to spoil their own bases-loaded situation in the 4th. Mike Aviles went deep in the 5th for his 7th homer at AAA to tie the game. Jeremy Jeffress took over in the 8th and served up a solo homer to put Omaha down, 2-1, but Lorenzo Cain hit an RBI single in the Omaha 8th to retie it. The Chasers had the bases loaded and 2 out in the 9th when Ka'aihue greeted RP Cory Rauschenberger with a walkoff grand slam (his 5th at AAA) to end it. Omaha is 43-37 and 1 1/2 games up on Memphis exiting the series. The Chasers have Wednesday off.

AA - NW Arkansas: all-star break day 1

* The TL All-Star Game is Wednesday.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 5, Frederick 2

RF Francis 2-4, 2B (20), HR (7), 3 RBI (35), RS -- .319
CF Prades 2-4, 2 2B (9), 2 K, 2 RS -- .303
LF Merrifield 0-4, SF, RBI (26) -- .266
2B Navarro 1-2, 2 BB, RS -- .285

Melville 6 2/3 IP, ER, 7 H, BB, 6 K, HRA -- W, 7-6, 4.23 ERA
Mariot 2 1/3 IP, ER, H, 2 K -- SV, 4, 2.91 ERA

* Tim Melville put together a good start and the Rocks used a good 8th to defeat the Keys. Melville gave up a leadoff homer in the 1st but didn't allow any more runs for the next 6 2/3 innings. He left the bases loaded that inning and Joey Lewis tripled in the 3rd and scored on a Whit Merrifield sac fly to tie the game. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 4th but took the lead in the 6th on a Rey Navarro RBI single. Nick Francis went deep in the 8th for a 3-run shot for his 7th of the season to make it 5-1 Rocks. The Keys scored a run in the 8th but Mike Mariot shut the door for his 4th save. The Rocks are 3-3. A 3-game home set with the Salem Red Sox (1-5) starts Wednesday. Noel Arguelles will start.

A - Kane County: Cougars 4, Burlington 1

1B Kuebler 2-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI (7), RS, CS -- .177
RF Beltre 2-5, 2B (10), 2 K, RS -- .267
3B Stovall 1-2, 2 BB, HR (8), RBI (31), 2 RS -- .308
CF Eibner 0-4 -- .169

Billo 5 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K, WP -- W, 5-1, 1.64 ERA
Garrido 2 IP, H, BB, K -- 5.84 ERA
Byrne 2 IP, H, K -- SV, 5, 3.50 ERA

* Jake Kuebler had the big hit and the Cougars won their 5th straight. KC left the bases full in the 1st and Kuebler blasted his 1st homer of the season for a 3-run dinger in the 3rd. Greg Billo allowed a run in the 3rd but he and two relievers would hold the Bees in check thereafter. Ryan Stovall hit a solo shot in the 5th for his 8th of the season. Santiago Garrido and Chas Byrne took care of business from the 6th on. KC is 5-0. They go for the sweep Wednesday as Yordano Ventura starts.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 11, Orem 2 (Mon.)

3B Threlkeld 3-4, BB, 2B (2), 2 RBI -- .217
1B Espy 3-5, 2B, RBI (2), K, 3 RS -- .276
LF Davis 3-3, BB, 2B (3), 2 RBI (3), 3 RS, SB -- .409
2B Mateo 2-5, 2B (2), 3 RBI (4), 2 K, 2 RS -- .417
DH Moreno 1-5, RBI (3), 3 K -- .161
RF Alcantara 2-5, 2B, K, RS -- .286

Brooks 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 K -- W, 1-0, 3.38 ERA, solid pro debut, got the W
Peacock 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K -- SV, 1, 3.00 ERA, nice outing in relief

* Ninth rounder righty Aaron Brooks got the win in his pro debut Monday. Brooks worked around a triple in the 1st but allowed a run on 2 hits in the 3rd. The Chukars answered with 3 runs in their half on a Daniel Mateo RBI double, Matt Threlkeld RBI double and run-scoring Orem error. The Owlz got a run in the 5th but IF scored 4 in the bottom of that inning on a 2-run Mateo single, Henry Moreno RBI single and Ysmelin Alcantara double-play ball that scored a run to make it 7-2. The Chukars kept it up in the 6th as Runey Davis hit an RBI double, Richard Espy hit an RBI double and Threlkeld singled home a run. A Davis RBI single in the 7th finished the scoring for IF. Brian Peacock loaded the bases in the 9th but got a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and pick up his 1st save of the season. IF is 3-5. A 4-game set at the Casper Ghosts (2-6, Rookie Rockies) starts tonight. Casper is leading, 4-3, after 5.

Rookie - Burlington: suspended at 0-0 in the 2nd

* The game will be completed as part of a doubleheader Wednesday.

Rookie - AZL: Rangers 11, Royals 4 (Mon.)

C David 2-3, 2B, 3B, RBI, K, RS -- .222
3B Cuckovich 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (4), RBI (3), 2 SB (6), CS -- .500
DH Gore 1-3, BB, RBI, K, SB (2) -- .167
SS DelGuidice 0-4, BB, 2 K -- .500
RF J. Blanco 1-3, BB, SB, OF assist at third -- .458
CF Gray 1-2, 3B, K, RS -- .333

Lumpkins IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, K, WP, E -- 18.00 ERA, pro debut of 13th round lefty
J. Morales 3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K, WP -- L, 0-1, 4.50 ERA
Edelen 3 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, 5 K, HRA, WP -- 14.21 ERA
Durden IP, ER, 2 H, BB, WP -- 9.00 ERA, pro debut of 38th round righty
Stueve IP, K -- 0.00 ERA

* A barrage of 2-run innings powered the Rangers past the Royals on Monday. Stephen Lumpkins' pro debut was as unlucky as him being the Royals' 13th pick, if you're into that sort of thing, as a triple, single, Lumpkins throwing error and wild pitch prefaced his first out as a pro. The Rangers scored 2 and the Royals stranded 2 in the 1st. Terrance Gore hit a 2-out RBI single in the 2nd for his first pro RiBbIe, and Kevin David tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the 3rd to tie it. Another triple keyed a 2-run Rangers 4th off Julio Morales. Brian Edelen then served up a 2-run shot in the 5th to make it 6-2. David hit an RBI double in the 5th to trim it to 6-3, but the Rangers put up another 2-spot in the 6th off Edelen. Edelen gave up another 2 runs in the 7th to make it 10-3. Nick Cuckovich hit an RBI ground-rule double in the 7th but Andrew Durden helped the Rangers get the run back in the 8th. The Royals are 2-4. They play the Mariners tonight. The Royals are up 2-0 early.

Royals on the Farm 6/27

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 2, Memphis 1 (7/G1)

C Pina 2-2, 2B (5), HR (3), RBI (12), RS -- .220
2B Giavotella 2-3, SB (8) -- .324
1B Ka'aihue 0-1, BB, SF, RBI (29), K -- .308
SS Aviles 1-3, K, RS, SB (3) -- .317
DH Robinson 0-3, K -- .331
CF Cain 0-2, HBP -- .297

Suppan 6 IP, ER, 6 H, BB, K, HRA -- W, 7-4, 4.88 ERA
Chavez IP, nothing -- SV, 9, 4.04 ERA

* Omaha made 2 early runs stand as Jeff Suppan held the Redbirds pretty much in check. Kila Ka'aihue hit a sac fly in the 1st to get Omaha started and Manny Pina went solo in the 2nd for his 3rd homer of the season to make it 2-0 Chasers. Memphis got a solo homer in the 5th to halve the lead, but that was all the Redbirds would get. Jesse Chavez stranded the tying run at third in the 7th for his 9th save.

Memphis 5, Storm Chasers 2 (7/G2)

SS Aviles 2-3, RBI (12) -- .333
RF Falu 1-2, RBI (19) -- .307
2B Giavotella 1-3 -- .324
1B Robinson 0-3 -- .327
DH Ka'aihue 0-3 -- .301
CF Cain 0-2, BB, K -- .295

O'Sullivan 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K -- 5.68 ERA
Tejeda 2 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 4 K, 2 HRA -- L, 0-2, 2.60 ERA
Teaford IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- 3.25 ERA

* Omaha held a 2-0 lead but kissed it goodbye late as Memphis roared back to split the doubleheader. Sean O'Sullivan made the rehab start and stranded 2 in the 2nd. Paulo Orlando tripled and scored on an Irving Falu single in the 3rd and Mike Aviles singled in a run in the 5th. Robinson Tejeda came on for his second inning of work in the 6th and got roughed up as a 3-run homer and solo homer made it 4-2. Everett Teaford allowed a run in the 7th and Omaha didn't have an answer. Omaha is 42-37. The series ends Tuesday as Luis Mendoza starts.

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 3, Naturals 0

C Theriot 2-3, BB, 2B (5), K -- .215
CF Robinson 1-4, BB, 2 SB (27), CS (7) -- .256
RF Myers 1-3, BB -- .288
SS Colon 0-4 -- .253
2B Seratelli 0-4, 2 K -- .297
LF Nick Van Stratten had an assist at the plate.
NWA stranded 10.

W. Smith 5 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 4 K -- L, 5-7, 4.52 ERA
Rollins 2 IP, UER, 2 H, BB, 2 K, E -- 3.74 ERA
Baez IP, H -- 5.06 ERA

* The Naturals' offense was nearly non-existent on Monday as Arkansas got a shutout win. Derrick Robinson singled and stole two bases in the 1st but got stranded at third. The Travs got to Will Smith quickly as they scored a run in the 1st, but Nick Van Stratten teamed up with Christian Colon to nail a runner at the plate to end the inning. Arkansas added a run in the 2nd. NWA stranded 2 in the 4th and Heath Rollins allowed a run in the 6th. The Naturals stranded 2 in the 9th. NWA is 1-5. The two-day Texas League all-star break begins tomorrow.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Frederick 2, Blue Rocks 0 (3-hitter)

DH Testa 2-4 -- .269
SS Navarro 1-4, 2B (17), K, E (10) -- .284
LF Merrifield 0-4, K -- .270

E. Pimentel 7 IP, UER, 4 H, BB, 6 K, E (2) -- L, 4-5, 3.72 ERA
Paukovits IP, ER, H, HRA -- 3.38 ERA

* Anemic offense was also the trend in Wilmington as the Rocks got shut down by Keys SP Oliver Drake. Both teams stranded 2 in the 1st, but Frederick scored in the 2nd on 2 hits. Drake scattered 2 hits before retiring the last 11 Rocks. Bryan Paukovits gave up a leadoff homer in the 8th for the Keys' other run. Drake K'd 6 while going the distance. Wilmington is 2-3. The series ends Tuesday. Tim Melville is set to start.

A - Kane County: Cougars 4, Burlington 1

2B Franco 3-5, 2 RBI (9), CS (4) -- .220
RF Beltre 2-3, BB, SB (7) -- .264
LF Fletcher 1-4, HR (6), RBI (29), 2 K, RS -- .331
3B Cuthbert 1-3, BB, RS, E (2) -- .302
DH Eibner 0-4, K -- .182

L. Perez 7 IP, UER, 7 H, 2 K -- W, 2-7, 2.85 ERA
Keck 2 IP, H, 2 K, E (2) -- SV, 1, 3.03 ERA

* Leondy Perez pitched well and the Cougars kept it rolling with a win over the Bees. Perez stranded 2 in the 1st and the Cougars scored 2 in the 2nd on an error and an Angel Franco RBI single, although Geulin Beltre got thrown out at the plate to end the inning on the play. A Cougars error helped the Bees score a run in the 4th but Brian Fletcher went deep in the 5th for his 6th homer of the season. Franco added an RBI single in the 9th and Jon Keck stranded 2 in the 9th for his 1st save. Kane County is 4-0. Game 2 is Tuesday as Greg Billo is supposed to start.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: The Chukars are up, 3-2, in the 5th

* Recap to come tomorrow.

Rookie - Burlington: Pulaski 4, B-Royals 2

RF Pickett 2-4, HBP, 3B, RBI (2), RS, SB (2) -- .370
2B Trapp 1-4, BB, 2B, RBI (7), K, SB (2) -- .259
SS Antonio 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (3), K -- .357
DH Dyer 1-3, BB, RS -- .200
The Royals stranded 11.

Ridings 5 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, HRA, WP -- L, 0-2, 6.75 ERA
Ferguson 2 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- 1.93 ERA
Culver 1 1/3 IP, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA

* Pulaski kept the Royals in search of their first win as they stymied a late rally. The Mariners got a 2-out, 2-run single in the 3rd, and a Cameron Conner caught-stealing at home cost the Royals as Justin Trapp followed with an RBI double. The M's got a solo homer in the 5th to make it 3-1 and a leadoff homer in the 6th off Andrew Ferguson made it 4-1. The Royals stranded 2 in the 6th and 7th. Jovan Pickett hit a 2-out RBI triple in the 9th and walks loaded the bases before Murray Watts struck out swinging to end the game. Burlington is 0-7. Game 2 is Tuesday, and there's no announced starter yet on the team site.

Rookie - AZL: The Royals are down, 2-0, early to the Rangers

* Recap to come tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 6/26

AAA - Omaha: rainout

* The game with Memphis will be made up as part of a Monday doubleheader. Jeff Suppan and Sean O'Sullivan are set to start.

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 7, Naturals 6 (10)

CF Robinson 4-5, 2 RS, 2 SB (25) -- .256
2B Seratelli 1-4, BB, HR (8), RBI (39), K, SB (18) -- .303
DH Smith 1-5, RBI (39), 2 K, SB (8) -- .299
RF Myers 1-3, 2 BB, 2B (12), 2 RBI (16) -- .287
3B Mertins 1-4, BB, RBI (29), CS (2) -- .254
SS Bianchi 0-3, BB, S, K, RS -- .275
C S. Perez 1-5, K -- .262

Baumann 2 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP -- 4.08 ERA
Paulino 3 IP, 3 BB, K -- 6.49 ERA
Lebron 1 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 K -- 4.01 ERA
Herrera 1 2/3 IP, H -- BS, 3, 1.61 ERA
Barrera 1 2/3 IP, ER, H, 3 BB, 2 K -- L, 0-1, 3.60 ERA

* The Naturals lost a 2-run lead late and then lost the game in 10. NWA left 2 in scoring position in the 1st and the Travelers got started with 4 runs on 2 walks and 3 hits off Buddy Baumann. Tim Smith hit an RBI single in the 3rd and an error scored a run to cut it to 4-2. The Naturals took the lead in the 4th as Kurt Mertins singled in a run and Wil Myers hit a 2-run double to make it 5-4. Anthony Seratelli went deep in the 7th for his 8th homer to make it 6-4 but Willy Lebron gave up a run in the bottom of the 7th before getting pulled for Kelvin Herrera. Herrera gave up a 2-out single to tie the game. Henry Barrera walked 2 (one intentionally) and gave up a single in the 10th to load the bases and an RBI forceout ended the game. NWA is 1-4. The series ends Monday as Will Smith starts.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Frederick 6, Blue Rocks 2

3B Navarro 2-4, 2B (16), RS, CS (4) -- .284
RF Francis 2-4, picked off -- .321
1B Whittleman 1-4, RBI (36), 2 K -- .232
CF Merrifield 0-4 -- .275
DH Testa 0-4, 2 K -- .264
2B Hall 0-1, 2 BB, RS, SB (2) -- .273

Sample 7 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, K, HRA -- L, 5-5, 4.46 ERA
Marks IP, ER, H, BB -- 4.97 ERA

* Tyler Sample was left in a bit too long as the Keys took the opener from Wilmington Sunday. Gerard Hall drew a 1-out walk in the 3rd, stole second, advanced on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Rocks. Sample held the lead into the 6th as he had a perfect game going. Long ago Royals farmhand Adam Donachie broke it up with a leadoff single in the 6th and Frederick came away with 2 runs in the inning to take the lead. Donachie struck again in the 7th as Sample served up a 2-out, 3-run homer to the designated hitter to make it 5-1. Wilmington stranded 2 in the 8th and Justin Marks gave up an RBI triple in the bottom of the inning. The first 3 Rocks reached in the 9th as John Whittleman hit an RBI single but the Rocks would strand runners at the corners. Wilmington is 2-2. Game 2 is Monday as Elisaul Pimentel is set to make the start.

A - Kane County: Cougars 11, Peoria 5 (Sat.)

LF Fletcher 3-3, 2B (12), 2 HR (5), 7 RBI (28), 3 RS, E (5) -- .336
CF Eibner 3-4, BB, 2B, HR (3), RBI (6), K, RS, picked off -- .191
C Graterol 3-5, 2B, RBI, RS -- .222
2B Espinal 2-4, BB, 2B (5), 2 RS, SB (8), E (8) -- .189
3B Cuthbert 1-4, BB, RBI (16), K -- .293

Adam 3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 K -- 4.39 ERA
Caldwell 3 IP, BB, 5 K -- W, 1-0, 1.23 ERA
Billo IP, 3 K -- 1.63 ERA
Hodge 2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 2 K -- 5.14 ERA

* The Cougars poured it on early to outlast a rain delay and take down the Chiefs. Brian Fletcher got it started with a 2-run homer in the 1st for his 4th of the season and the Chiefs got a run off Jason Adam in the 2nd. Geulin Beltre hit an RBI triple in the 3rd and Fletcher hammered his 2nd homer of the game for a 2-run shot for his 5th of the season. Brett Eibner followed two batters later with his 3rd homer of the season to make it 6-1. Peoria got a run back in the 3rd but Kane County answered with 4 in the 4th on a 3-run Fletcher double and Cheslor Cuthbert RBI single to make it 10-2. Juan Graterol hit an RBI single in the 7th and Mitch Hodge gave up 3 late runs before closing it out.

Cougars 6, Peoria 1

1B Stovall 3-3, BB, HR (7), 2 RBI (30), 2 RS, picked off -- .307
C Jones 3-4, SB, picked off runner -- .235
SS Calixte 2-4, RBI (8) -- .250
DH Llanos 2-5 -- .232
3B Cuthbert 2-4, 2 RS -- .301
LF Fletcher 1-4, RS -- .333
CF Eibner 1-4, K, CS (2) -- .196

L. Santiago 7 IP, ER, 5 H, 7 K, WP -- W, 6-6, 2.90 ERA
Garrido IP, 2 H, 2 K -- 6.97 ERA
Boruff IP, H -- 1.41 ERA

* Leonel Santiago pitched well and the offense once again was clicking as the Cougars swept the Chiefs. A Cheslor Cuthbert double-play ball scored the Cougars' first run in the 1st but Peoria got it tied off Leonel Santiago in the 4th. Orlando Calixte came up with the bases loaded and 2 out in the 6th and got a single with an error helping all 3 runs score to make it 4-1. Ryan Stovall cranked a 2-run homer in the 8th for his 7th of the season. Santiago Garrido and Chase Boruff worked around base hits late to finish it. KC is 3-0. A 3-game set at the Burlington Bees (1-1) starts Monday with Leondy Perez starting.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Orem 6, Chukars 3 (Sat.)

LF Davis 3-4, 2 2B, RBI -- .313
CF Chism 2-5, 2B (2), K, RS -- .350
SS Liberto 1-4, BB, RBI -- .222
3B Threlkeld 1-4, 2B, 2 K, RS -- .105

Dooley 4 2/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 6 H, 6 BB, 5 K, HRA, pickoff -- L, 0-2, 8.00 ERA
Cuevas 2 1/3 IP, 2 ER, H, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 WP -- 4.76 ERA
Fassold 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA

* Orem scored 3 unanswered runs to deal the Chukars another loss. The Chukars got 2 on with 0 out in the 1st but scored only 1 run on a wild pitch to grab the early lead. Orem tied it in the 2nd but Runey Davis hit an RBI double in the IF 2nd for his first pro RBI. Jonathan Dooley walked in a run in the 3rd (walks were a problem throughout the game for IF) and gave up a solo homer in the 4th to make it 3-2 Owlz. Mike Liberto hit an RBI groundout in the bottom of the inning to tie it but Dooley gave up the go-ahead run before getting pulled in the 5th. Orem loaded the bases in the 7th off Gary Cuevas and got a 2-run single to increase the lead to 6-3. Idaho Falls didn't threaten again. The Chukars are 2-4. Robert Penny starts today's game 3.

Orem 12, Chukars 3

2B Liberto 3-4, K, RS -- .385
LF Chism 2-4, BB, RBI (3), K -- .375
C Escobar 2-4, RS -- .263
CF Sandford 1-4, BB, 2 RBI (3), 2 K, E, OF assist at home -- .273
RF Davis 1-3, BB, K, RS -- .316

Penny 4 IP, 7 ER, 12 H, BB, 4 K -- L, 0-2, 11.42 ERA
Moen 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, BB, K, WP -- 135.00 ERA, rough pro debut
Giovenco 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Middendorf 3 IP, 4 H, 3 K -- 9.00 ERA

* Orem pounded out 22 hits to rout Robert Penny and Kellen Moen as the Chukar offense couldn't keep up. Orem got 2 on Penny in the 1st on 4 hits and a walk. The Owlz poured on 5 more runs in the 3rd on 5 hits off Penny, including 3 triples. Then they greeted Moen in the 5th with 4 hits and a walk, as he was pulled with 3 runs in, 1 out and the bases loaded. Mike Giovenco allowed 2 inherited runners to score before getting out of the jam. Darian Sandford broke the ice finally with an RBI single in the 5th, but the Chukars had too big a hole to dig out of. Tyler Chism and Sandford worked bases-loaded walks in the 9th but a miracle rally wasn't in the cards. Idaho Falls is 2-5. The series ends Monday as Brian Peacock makes the start.

Rookie - Burlington: Elizabethton 12, B-Royals 7

CF Bonifacio 3-5, RBI (3), RS -- .217
SS Antonio 2-5, HR (2), RBI (3), RS -- .360
RF Pickett 2-4, BB, K, RS -- .348
2B Trapp 1-3, SF, HR (2), 3 RBI (6), K, RS -- .261
C Dyer 1-3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI, E -- .143

Yambati 2 2/3 IP, 12 ER, 13 H, K, 2 HRA, 3 WP -- L, 0-2, 45.00 ERA, ooooooof
Graham 5 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K -- 1.13 ERA

* The Twins clubbed Robinson Yambati and Burlington dropped to 0-6. Elizabethton scored 3 in the 1st on 4 hits and a sac fly. They followed that with 4 in the 2nd on 4 hits and 5 in the 3rd on 5 hits off Yambati and a hit and walk off Tyler Graham to make it 12-0. Justin Trapp slammed a 2-run homer in the 5th for his 2nd of the season, then followed up with a sac fly in the 6th. Jared Dyer hit a 2-run double to cut it to 12-5. Jorge Bonifacio hit an RBI single in the 7th and Mike Antonio went solo in the 9th for his 2nd homer of the season but it wasn't enough. As mentioned, the B-Royals are 0-6. A 3-game home set with the Pulaski Mariners (5-1) starts Monday.

Rookie - AZL: A's 10, Royals 7 (Sat.)

DH Lane 3-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI (7), K, RS -- .474
3B DelGuidice 1-3, HR, 2 RBI (4), 2 RS -- .611
2B C. Garcia 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI (4), K, E (3) -- .167
CF Allen 1-4, 2B, RBI (2), K, RS -- .118
3B-LF Cuckovich 1-4, K, RS -- .524
RF J. Blanco 1-4, 2B, K -- .476

E. Diaz 3 2/3 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA, WP -- L, 0-2, 11.37 ERA
A. Williams 1 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H -- 6.75 ERA, pro debut
Bangs 2 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K, WP, balk -- 1.93 ERA
F. Cruz 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, balk -- 32.40 ERA
N. Johnson IP, nothing -- 2.25 ERA

* The Royals fell behind, 6-0, and a late push wasn't enough to overcome the Athletics. The A's plated 1 in the 1st and 3 in the 2nd as a 3-run homer made it 4-0. The A's added 2 in the 4th to chase Eric Diaz. Travis Lane hit a 2-run double in the 4th to get the Royals on the board. The A's got a run back in the 5th and Parker Bangs gave up a run in the 6th to make it 8-2 A's. Fernando Cruz allowed a run in the 8th but Nick DelGuidice hit his 1st pro homer to lead off the Royals 8th to cut it to 9-3. The A's got an insurance run in the 9th and it almost came into play as the Royals rallied in the 9th for a Jerrell Allen RBI double, run-scoring error and 2-run Carlos Garcia double. The surge stopped there, tho, as the A's pulled out the 10-7 win. The Royals are 2-3. They have today off.

Royals on the Farm 6/25

AAA - Omaha: Memphis 3, Storm Chasers 1

SS Aviles 2-4, HR (6), RBI (11), RS, CS -- .317
DH Ka'aihue 1-3, 2B (9) -- .310
1B C. Robinson 0-3, K -- .335
2B Giavotella 0-4, 3 K, E (9) -- .321
CF Cain 0-3, 2 K -- .300

Davies 7 IP, 2 UER, 4 H, 9 K -- L, 1-1, 0.75 ERA
M. Santiago 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K, HRA, WP -- 5.89 ERA
Chavez 2/3 IP, BB, K -- 4.15 ERA

* Kyle Davies pitched well in a rehab start but the Storm Chasers fell to the Redbirds Saturday. Mike Aviles got the Chasers off to a good start with a leadoff homer in the 1st for his 6th of the season. The defense led Davies down in the 3rd as errors by C Cody Clark and 2B Johnny Giavotella helped lead to 2 Redbird runs. The teams went 3 full innings without a baserunner, and the Redbirds got an insurance run on a solo homer in the 9th to make it 3-1. Former Royal RP Victor Marte slammed the door in the 9th to finish it for Memphis. Omaha is 41-36. Game 2 is Sunday as Jeff Suppan starts.

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 2, Naturals 0

SS Colon 1-3, 2 BB -- .257
LF Robinson 1-5, 3 K, 2 SB (23) -- .242
CF Myers 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (5) -- .287
1B Seratelli 0-3, BB, K, 2 SB (17) -- .304
2B Bianchi 1-4, K -- .279
C S. Perez 1-3, BB, K, CS -- .264
NWA stranded 12.

Dwyer 5 2/3 IP, ER, 4 H, 5 K -- L, 2-7, 5.43 ERA
Chapman 2 1/3 IP, UER, 2 H, 3 K -- 0.77 ERA

* Chris Dwyer took a tough loss on Saturday as he only allowed 1 run but the Nats kept a scoreless streak going offensively. Derrick Robinson singled and swiped two bases in the 1st but got left at third. The Naturals went on to strand 2 in each of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Dwyer pitched well through 5 but staggered in the 6th to finally allow a run. Kevin Chapman allowed a run in the 7th and the Nats left 2 in scoring position in the 8th, then stranded 2 more in the 9th. NWA is 1-3. The series continues Sunday as Buddy Baumann starts.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Lynchburg 6, Blue Rocks 0 (3-hitter)

DH Francis 1-3, BB, 2B (19) -- .317
2B Hall 1-3, SB, E -- .300
LF Merrifield 0-3, BB, K -- .279
RF Testa 0-4, OF assist at second -- .270

Odorizzi 6 IP, ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- L, 5-3, 2.61 ERA
Ed. Garcia 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 K -- 4.91 ERA
Dennick IP, 3 ER, 4 H, K -- 3.75 ERA

* Jake Odorizzi's losing streak continued despite a solid start on Saturday. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 1st and Odorizzi allowed a run on 2 doubles in the 2nd. The Rocks left the bases full in the 2nd and the 1-0 lead held into the 7th. Edgar Garcia took over for Odorizzi that inning and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and an error. Ryan Dennick then gave up 3 in the 9th to give the Hillcats some insurance. The Rocks didn't have a hit after the 5th. Wilmington is 2-1. A 3-game set at the Frederick Keys (1-2, A-Adv. O's) starts Sunday. Tyler Sample and Justin Marks are piggybacking it.

A - Kane County: the game was delayed but the Cougars are up, 10-2, in the 4th

* I'll recap this one on Sunday.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Orem 13, Chukars 6 (Fri.)

1B Moreno 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K, 2 E -- .176
C Harper 2-4, RS -- .286
LF Chism 1-3, HBP, SF, 2 RBI, RS -- .333
CF Davis 1-4, 3B, K, 2 RS, OF assist at home -- .167

Patton 4 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 8 K, WP -- 3.86 ERA, K rate is good
Jo. Sanchez 2/3 IP, 8 R (3 ER), 7 H, BB, HRA, 2 WP -- L, 0-1, 24.00 ERA
Giovenco 2 1/3 IP, H, 4 K -- 0.00 ERA
R. Wood IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 K, HRA, WP -- 22.50 ERA
Carl IP, 3 K -- 0.00 ERA

* There were pitching highlights and lowlights for Idaho Falls on Friday. Starter Spencer Patton pitched relatively well, as did RPs Mike Giovenco and Edwin Carl. Jose Sanchez and Ryan Wood? Not so much. An 8-run 5th keyed the Owlz victory. Henry Moreno hit a 2-run double in the 1st and the Chukars got 3 runs on 4 Orem errors in the 2nd to stake a 5-0 lead. Patton was looking good thru 3 but hit trouble in the 4th as the Owlz scored 2 runs on 4 hits. Sanchez took over in the 5th and, 12 batters and 8 runs later, was pulled for Giovenco, who got the final out to put a merciful end to the inning. Runey Davis led off the IF 7th with a triple and scored on a Tyler Chism sac fly to cut it to 10-6 but Wood came on to give up a 3-run homer in the 8th. The Chukars wouldn't threaten again. They are 2-3. Tonight's game with Orem is tied at 3 going into the 5th. Jonathan Dooley is still pitching in his start.

Rookie - Burlington: Elizabethton 3, B-Royals 1

3B Bringas 2-3, 2B, RBI -- .231
LF Conner 2-3, 2B, K, RS -- .250
SS Antonio 1-4, 2 K -- .350
C Shin 0-1, K -- .188, pulled in 4th

Cantrell 4 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- L, 0-1, 6.75 ERA
Pizziconi 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
Culver 1 1/3 IP, K, WP -- 0.00 ERA

* The Twins kept the Royals winless Saturday. Eric Cantrell allowed single runs in each of the first 3 innings. Burlington didn't do much early but rallied in the 5th as Adrian Bringas drove in his first pro RBI with a double but the Royals left 2 in scoring position. The Royals stranded 2 in the 6th and the last 8 went down in order. The Royals are 0-5. They'll try to break the string Sunday as Robinson Yambati takes the mound.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 7, Mariners 5 (Fri.)

3B DelGuidice 3-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS -- .667
C Lane 2-5, RBI (5), K, RS, E -- .400
LF Cuckovich 2-5, 2B (3), RBI (2), K, RS, 2 SB (4) -- .588
SS Arteaga 2-3, HBP, BB, RS -- .263
2B C. Garcia 1-5, 3B (2), 2 RBI, 2 K -- .154
RF J. Blanco 1-4, RBI (7), K, RS -- .529

Rivers 3 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 5 K -- 8.44 ERA
Amador 3 1/3 IP, 4 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 1-0, 1.50 ERA
N. Johnson 2 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 K -- SV, 1, 3.00 ERA

* The Royals made a 7-run 1st stick versus the M's on Friday. Things started slowly as the Royals had 1 on with 2 out, but sped up as Nick Cuckovich hit an RBI double, Travis Lane hit an RBI single, Nick DelGuidice singled in 2 runs, Jerico Blanco hit an RBI single, and Carlos Garcia made his 2nd AB of the inning count with a 2-run triple. Alex Rivers allowed a run in the 1st and another in the 3rd. Rivers and Ezequiel Amador combined to allow 2 runs in the 4th to cut it to 7-4. Amador and Nathan Johnson held it down from there, but Johnson allowed a run in the 9th before stranding 2. The Royals are 2-2. They're playing the A's tonight with the A's up, 4-0, early.

Royals on the Farm 6/24

AAA - Omaha: Nashville 3, Storm Chasers 2

2B Giavotella 3-4, 2B (21) -- .325
SS Aviles 2-4, 2 RS -- .304
3B Falu 2-3 -- .308
1B Ka'aihue 1-4, RBI (28), K -- .309
LF C. Robinson 0-4, RBI (54) -- .338, interesting position move
CF Cain 0-4, K -- .303

Pucetas 5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, HRA -- L, 4-4, 5.19 ERA
Hardy 2 IP, 3 H, 2 K -- 7.31 ERA
Sisk IP, H -- 1.69 ERA

* Kevin Pucetas allowed 3 runs in the 1st and the Chasers couldn't recover. A double and single scored the first run, and DH Mat Gamel went deep for his 16th homer to make it 3-0 Sounds. Omaha got a Clint Robinson RBI force out in the 4th and Kila Ka'aihue hit a bases-loaded RBI single but Johnny Giavotella got thrown out at the plate on the play and Lorenzo Cain hit into a rally-ending forceout. Giavotella hit a 2-out double in the 8th but Omaha made nothing of it and it was their last shot. Omaha is 41-35. A 4-game home set with the Memphis Redbirds (39-35, AAA Cardinals) starts Saturday. Kyle Davies will start. In recent days, OF Jarrod Dyson was moved to KC with P Vin Mazzaro moving down, and P Everett Teaford got moved down as Bruce Chen was activated today.

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 3, Naturals 0 (3-hitter)

RF Myers 1-3, BB, 2B (11), K -- .292
SS Bianchi 1-3, 2B (17) -- .279
CF Robinson 0-4, K -- .243
2B Colon 0-4 -- .256
LF Seratelli 0-4, E (4) -- .308
C S. Perez 0-3, K -- .260

Miner 4 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K, 2 WP -- L, 1-3, 5.90 ERA
Baez 2 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- 5.31 ERA
Barrera IP, K -- 2.70 ERA

* NWA got shut down by Travs SP Garrett Richards on Friday. Both teams wasted scoring chances early and Zach Miner allowed 2 runs in the 5th on 3 hits and an error. Arkansas added a run off Manauris Baez in the 7th before he left the bases full. The last 8 Rocks went down in order. Arkansas CF Mike Trout had 2 hits and his 25th RBI. The Naturals are 1-2. Chris Dwyer starts game 2 Saturday.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 4, Lynchburg 2

RF Francis 3-4, 2 RBI (32), K, SB (7), OF assist at second -- .316
CF Prades 3-3, BB, 2 RS, SB (5) -- .316
C Bonilla 1-4, RBI (19) -- .234
LF Merrifield 0-3, S, OF assist at home -- .282
2B Navarro 0-4 -- .281

Arguelles 6 IP, 3 H, 2 K -- 2.28 ERA
Odenbach 2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, K -- BS, 1, W, 2-0, 2.45 ERA
Mariot IP, 2 H, 2 K -- SV, 3, 2.86 ERA

* Noel Arguelles pitched well but got a no-decision as the Rocks improved their second half record. The Rocks squandered several chances early and Arguelles got a Nick Francis assist at second behind him in the 5th. Francis then came through with a 2-out, 2-run single in the 5th to give Wilmington the lead, although he was thrown out at second on the play. Dusty Odenbach replaced Arguelles in the 7th and allowed an RBI double that inning, then a game-tying single in the 8th. The Rocks rallied with 2 out in the 8th as a run-scoring error and Jose Bonilla RBI single made it 4-2. Mike Mariot had 2 in scoring position with 0 out in the 9th but got 2 Ks and a flyout to end the game for his 3rd save. The Rocks are 2-0. They go for the sweep Saturday as Jake Odorizzi starts.

A - Kane County: Cougars 6, Peoria 2

3B Cuthbert 2-5, 2 2B (4), K, RS -- .295
SS Calixte 2-3, BB, 2 SB (4), picked off -- .224
DH Stovall 1-5, HR (6), RBI (28), K, RS -- .296
LF Fletcher 1-4, HBP, HR (3), RBI (21), RS -- .321
CF Eibner 1-5, HR (2), 2 RBI (5), K, RS -- .140
RF Beltre 1-1, BB, S, SF, RBI (18), RS -- .260
C Jones 1-3, BB, RBI (14), 2 K -- .217

Ventura 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, BB, 3 K, WP -- W, 2-2, 4.21 ERA
Keck 1 1/3 IP, K -- 3.23 ERA
Byrne 2 IP, K -- 3.71 ERA

* Peoria started the scoring but Kane County finished it on Friday. Yordano Ventura allowed 2 runs in the 1st on 3 hits. After a Cheslor Cuthbert leadoff double in the 2nd, Brett Eibner smoked a 2-run homer for his 2nd of the season to tie the game. Travis Jones hit an RBI single in the 4th and Brian Fletcher went solo in the 5th for his 3rd of the season to make it 4-2 Cougars. Ventura stranded 2 in the 5th and Ryan Stovall led off the 7th with his 6th homer. Geulin Beltre added a sac fly in the 8th to finish the scoring. Chas Byrne pitched 2 perfect innings to finish it. KC is 1-0. Jason Adam starts game 2 Saturday.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 6, Ogden 1 (Thu.)

3B Mateo 3-4, 2B, RBI, E (2) -- .556
SS A. Martinez 2-4, K, RS -- .250
RF Alcantara 1-4, RBI (4), K -- .375
CF Chism 1-3, 2 HBP, 2B, 2 RS -- .333
1B Espy 0-4, 2 K, 2 RS, HBP -- .250

B. Martin 7 IP, ER, 3 H, 8 K, HRA -- W, 1-0, 1.29 ERA
Middendorf 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 18.00 ERA

* Brennon Martin's first 2011 start went very well as the Chukars coasted past Ogden to split the 4-game set. A run-scoring balk got Idaho Falls on the board first in the 3rd and the Chukars added 3 in the 5th as Tyler Chism stole home on a double steal and Ogden made a 2-run error. Martin had a 1-hitter going into the 5th when a leadoff homer cost him the shutout. Ysmelin Alcantara and Daniel Mateo hit RBI singles in the 7th. David Middendorf stranded the bases loaded in the 8th and finished it in the 9th. IF is 2-2. A 4-game home set with the Orem Owlz (3-1, Rookie Angels) starts tonight. Spencer Patton made the start. Orem is up, 8-5, in the 5th.

Rookie - Burlington: Elizabethton 8, B-Royals 7 (10)

2B Trapp 2-5, SB -- .313
1B Watts 1-4, BB, HR (3), 2 RBI (6), 2 K, 2 RS -- .250
CF Bonifacio 1-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI, K, 2 RS -- .143
RF Pickett 1-5, RBI, 2 K, picked off, E -- .400
SS Antonio 1-4, BB, K, RS, CS -- .375
C Shin 1-3, 2 BB, K, RS -- .200

Baez 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, WP -- 108.00 ERA
R. Brown 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K -- 0.00 ERA
Rogers 2 2/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K, WP -- 4.91 ERA
Graffeo 2 2/3 IP, ER, H, BB, K, WP -- L, 0-1, 2.70 ERA

* Burlington pushed it to extras but lost in 10 to stay winless on the season Friday. They dug a hole early as Angel Baez started but lasted 1 out as 4 Twins scored and Rudy Brown came in to finish the inning. Murray Watts scored on a 2-out wild pitch in the 2nd. Brown stranded 2 in the 3rd and the Royals got a 2-run homer from Watts for his 3rd of the season in the 4th. Nick Rogers took over in the 5th and allowed the Twins to score 2 to make it 6-3. Jorge Bonifacio hit a 2-run homer in the 7th for his 1st of the season and Jovan Pickett hit an RBI single to tie the game. Rogers allowed a run before Nick Graffeo finished the 7th. Bonifacio drew a leadoff walk in the 9th and scored on a 1-out error to tie the game. Graffeo stayed out for the 10th and walked the leadoff man. A 1-out single put 2 on and a wild pitch moved them into scoring position. An infield hit brought the winning run home to end it. Burlington is 0-4. They'll try to right the ship Saturday as Eric Cantrell starts.

Rookie - AZL: Cubs 18, Royals 1 (Thu.)

RF J. Blanco 3-3, RBI (6) -- .615
LF Cuckovich 2-4 -- .667
3B DelGuidice 2-4, 2B (2), RS, E -- .636
1B Gaylord 1-4, 2B, 2 K, E -- .333

Witt IP, 9 R (6 ER), 7 H -- L, 0-1, 54.00 ERA, tough pro debut
Edelen 3 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, BB, 2 K, 2 HRA, WP -- 10.80 ERA
F. Cruz 1 1/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 5 H, BB -- 27.00 ERA, pitching debut not much better than most of his hitting career
Stueve 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA

* A night after defeating the Padres 17-1, the Royals got the tables turned on them by the Cubs. The Cubs wasted little time as they greeted Christian Witt in his pro debut with 4 runs in the 1st on 4 singles, an error and a passed ball. The Royals stranded 2 in scoring position in the 2nd and the Cubs posted an 8-spot in the 2nd off Witt and Brian Edelen. Things settled down until the 5th, when Fernando Cruz made his pitching debut and 2 Cubs runs scored. The Royals left 2 in scoring position again in the 5th and Cruz gave up 4 more runs in the 6th. Nick DelGuidice hit a 1-out double in the 7th and came home on a Jerico Blanco single to break up the shutout. The Royals are 1-2. They take on the Mariners tonight and are puttin' it on 'em, 7-1, early.

Royals on the Farm 6/23 -- Myers and Herrera to Futures Game

Gonna keep it short tonight. Just one of those days.

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 8, Nashville 2

CF Cain 2-4, SF, 3B (5), 2 RBI (41), K, RS -- .308
C Clark 2-4, HR (3), RBI (5), K, RS -- .275
2B Giavotella 2-4, HBP, 2 RS -- .319
DH Zawadzki 1-5, HR (5), 2 RBI (31), K, RS -- .272
SS Aviles 1-4, BB, HR (5), RBI (10), K, 2 RS -- .288
LF C. Robinson 1-4, BB, 2B (18), K, RS -- .343
1B Ka'aihue 1-5, 3 K -- .311

Mazzaro 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 K, HRA -- W, 4-0, 3.93 ERA
B. Johnson 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K -- SV, 1, 7.42 ERA

* The Chasers scored 6 late runs to pick up a win for Vin Mazzaro. Lance Zawadzki hammered his 5th homer of the season for a 2-run shot in the 2nd. Mazzaro allowed single runs in the 5th and 6th to tie it, but Omaha scored 4 in the 7th on a Cody Clark leadoff homer (his 3rd), a Mike Aviles solo homer (his 5th), a run-scoring error and Lorenzo Cain RBI single. Aviles scored on a wild pitch and Cain added a sac fly for some insurance in the 9th. Blake Johnson retired the last 9 Sounds. Omaha is 41-34. The series ends Friday. Kevin Pucetas is set to start. C Manny Pina got activated from the DL as Ryan Eigsti was returned to Wilmington.

AA - NW Arkansas: Tulsa 12, Naturals 8

LF T. Smith 3-5, 2 2B (9), RBI (38), K, RS -- .310
3B Lisson 2-3, BB, 2B (13), RBI (29), RS -- .255
CF Van Stratten 1-4, BB, HR (5), 2 RBI (27), 2 RS -- .237
DH Seratelli 1-5, 2 RBI (38), 2 K -- .313
SS Colon 1-4, BB, RBI (35), RS, E (10) -- .260
1B Romak 1-4, BB, RBI (40), K, RS -- .249
RF Myers 1-5, 2B (10), K, RS -- .291

Osuna 4 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 K, 3 HRA, 2 WP -- L, 6-3, 7.36 ERA
Paulino IP, 5 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K, HRA -- 6.97 ERA
Rollins 2 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, K, WP -- 3.92 ERA
Lebron IP, K -- 3.47 ERA

* A 10-run Tulsa surge helped the Drillers take the series finale. Anthony Seratelli hit a 2-run single in the 1st to put NWA on top, but Tulsa scored a run off Edgar Osuna to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning. NWA got the run back on a Tim Smith RBI double in the 3rd, but that was the peak of the night for the Nats. The Drillers went back-to-back off Osuna in the bottom of the inning for 3 runs, then got a 2-run homer in the 4th, then got a grand slam in a 5-run 5th off Eduardo Paulino to make it 11-3. Jamie Romak hit an RBI single in the 6th and Mario Lisson singled in a run before Christian Colon hit an RBI forceout to cut it to 11-6. A Colon error scored a Tulsa run in the 6th and Nick Van Stratten went deep in the 8th for a 2-run shot (his 5th) to knock it down to 12-8. That was NW Arkansas' last hit. NWA is 1-1. A 4-game set at the Arkansas Travelers (2-0, AA Angels) starts Friday. Wil Myers and Kelvin "Absolute Zero" Herrera have been selected to play in the 2011 Futures Game July 10 in Phoenix.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 10, Lynchburg 7

2B Merrifield 2-5, 2B (16), HR (3), 3 RBI (25), RS -- .286
CF Prades 2-5, 2B (7), 2 RBI (7), 3 K, RS -- .295
LF Testa 2-4, SF, 2B (16), RBI (21), K, RS -- .276
3B Navarro 2-5, 2B (15), RBI (41), RS, E (9) -- .285
RF Francis 2-4, BB, K, RS -- .306
1B Whittleman 1-3, 2 BB, HR (8), RBI (35), 2 RS -- .234
DH Ferguson 1-4, BB, RBI (23), K, RS -- .196

Melville 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, BB, 5 K, WP -- 4.50 ERA
Lafferty 2 2/3 IP, 2 UER, H, BB -- W, 2-2, 4.06 ERA
Gibson IP, 3 ER, 2 H, BB -- 7.45 ERA

* An 8-run 7th helped the Rocks get a good start to the second half. Tim Melville gave up runs in the 1st and 3rd and Lynchburg had a 2-0 lead in the 5th. The Rocks stranded 2 a couple times early but got a Carlo Testa sac fly in the 5th. Rey Navarro kickstarted a rally with an RBI double in the 7th and Yem Prades hit a 2-run double, Tim Ferguson hit an RBI fielder's choice, a passed ball scored a run, and Whit Merrifield slammed a 3-run homer (his 3rd). The Hillcats got 2 in the 8th off Brendan Lafferty but John Whittleman hit his 8th homer to lead off the Rocks 8th. Glenn Gibson mopped up and gave up 3 runs in the 9th before finishing it. Wilmington is 1-0. Game 2 is Friday. Noel Arguelles is set to start.

A - Kane County: all-star break day 4

* The second half starts with 3 games at the Peoria Chiefs (A Cubs) beginning Friday. Yordano Ventura will start the opener.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 7, Ogden 6 (10/Wed.)

CF Sandford 3-5, RBI, K, RS, 3 SB, picked off -- .444
RF Alcantara 2-4, SF, HR, 2 RBI (3), K, RS, OF assist at second -- .417
2B Piterson 1-3, S, 2B, 2 RBI (3), RS -- .500
3B Mateo 2-5, K, RS, E -- .400
LF Chism 0-0, HBP, RS -- .333, pulled after taking pitch to head in 1st, stayed in to score run tho
LF Davis 1-4, BB, 2 K, RS -- .125
1B Espy 1-4, BB, 2 K, RS, 2 E -- .333

Peacock 5 IP, 5 R (3 ER), 6 H, 4 K -- 5.40 ERA
Brooks 3 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 K, WP -- 3.00 ERA
Giovenco IP, H, 3 K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA
Carl IP, H, 2 K -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA

* The Chukars lost 2 leads but came out on top in 10. Richard Espy hit a single that scored 2 runs thanks to an Ogden error in the 1st and Ysmelin Alcantara hit a sac fly to make it 3-0 IF. The Raptors struck back to tie it in the 3rd off Brian Peacock but a Luis Piterson RBI double in the 5th gave the Chukars back the lead. Ogden answered with 2 in the bottom of the inning as Espy committed 2 errors to aid the rally. Darian Sandford stole 2 bases and scored on a Piterson squeeze play in the 7th to tie it, but Ogden got the run back on 2 extra-base hits in the bottom of the inning. Alcantara went deep for his 1st homer of the season in the 8th to retie it. With 2 out and 2 on in the 10th, Sandford came through with the key go-ahead RBI single. Edwin Carl stranded 2 in the bottom of the frame for his 1st save of the season. IF is 2-1. The teams are wrapping up their first head-to-head of the season tonight. The Chukars lead, 6-1, in the 8th. Recap tomorrow.

Rookie - Burlington: Princeton 6, B-Royals 3

2B Trapp 1-4, RBI (3), RS -- .273
SS Antonio 1-4, 2B (2), RBI (2) -- .417
DH Figueroa 1-3, 2B (2), RBI (2) -- .333
C Shin 1-4, K, E -- .167
3B Bringas 1-3, RS -- .143
RF Jovan Pickett had an assist at third.

Murray 3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 5 K -- 3.00 ERA
Mitchell 4 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HRA -- L, 0-1, 9.00 ERA
Ferguson IP, 2 H -- 0.00 ERA

* A 3-run 8th earned the Rays the season-opening sweep. Matt Murray stranded 2 in the 1st but wasn't so lucky in the 2nd as the Rays plated 2 runs. Mike Antonio hit an RBI double in the 4th and the Royals added 2 in the 5th on a Yunior Figueroa RBI double and Justin Trapp RBI forceout before they left 'em loaded. Jason Mitchell served up a solo homer in the Rays 6th to tie the game, and a solo homer and 2 runs off Andrew Ferguson (both inherited runners) in the 8th broke it open. The Royals didn't really threaten after the 5th. Burlington is 0-3. A 3-game set at the Elizabethton Twins (1-2) starts Friday. Angel Baez is slated to start the opener.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 17, Padres 1 (Wed.)

2B DelGuidice 5-6, 2B, 3 RS -- .714, pretty quick run to first 5-hit game for non-drafted free agent
3B Cuckovich 4-4, 2 BB, 2B (2), RBI, 3 RS, SB (2) -- .750, nice line with first pro RBI
LF Toney 3-6, HBP, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 K, 2 RS, CS (3) -- .333
RF J. Blanco 3-6, HR, 3 RBI (5), K, 3 RS -- .500
DH A. Howard 1-2, 3 BB, SF, HR, 2 RBI, 3 RS -- season debut
C Lane 1-5, BB, 2B (2), 2 RBI (4), K, RS -- .400
1B Gaylord 1-4, 2 BB, RBI, K, RS -- .375
CF Allen 1-5, BB, RBI, 3 K, RS -- pro debut
The Royals stranded 12.

J. Morales 3 IP, ER, 2 H, 5 K -- 3.00 ERA
Fassold 3 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA
N. Johnson IP, H -- 0.00 ERA
Bangs 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K, WP -- 0.00 ERA

* The Royals scored 16 unanswered runs to demolish the Pads on Wednesday. Brian Gaylord hit an RBI forceout in the 1st but the Padres matched the run. Jerico Blanco hit an RBI groundout to give the Royals the lead in the 2nd and they wouldn't look back. Nick Cuckovich doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the 3rd, and Anthony Howard hit a sac fly, a Nick DelGuidice single scored a run on a Pads error, and Blanco slammed a 2-run homer for his 1st of the season. Cuckovich scored on another wild pitch in the 4th and Jerrell Allen singled home a run to make it 9-1. Travis Lane hit a 2-run double in the 5th, Howard went deep in the 6th for his 1st homer of 2011, a 2-run error and Cuckovich RBI single in the 8th made it 15-1, and D'Andre Toney hit a 2-run triple in the 9th to keep pouring it on. The Royals are 1-1. They're down, 12-0, early on to the Cubs tonight.

Royals on the Farm 6/22

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 4, Nashville 1 (7/G1)

DH C. Robinson 3-4, K, RS -- .346
3B Zawadzki 2-4, RBI (29), 2 K, SB (11) -- .269
CF Cain 1-3, BB, 2B (19), RBI (39), RS -- .305
1B Ka'aihue 1-2, BB, SF, RBI (27), K, RS -- .317
C Clark 0-2, S, RBI (4) -- .255
2B Giavotella 1-4, K, RS -- .318
SS Aviles 0-4, K -- .295

Mendoza 5 1/3 IP, ER, 10 H, 2 BB -- W, 5-3, 2.90 ERA
Chavez 1 2/3 IP, BB -- SV, 8, 4.24 ERA

* Luis Mendoza tapdanced through trouble to allow only 1 run and the Storm Chasers won the first of two with Nashville Wednesday. Omaha left the bases loaded in the 1st and Mendoza got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 2nd thanks to a 6-4-3 double play. Kila Ka'aihue got Omaha on the board with a sac fly in the 3rd but Mendoza loaded the bases again and didn't get out of it as lucky as the Sounds tied the game. Omaha regained the lead in the 5th as Lorenzo Cain hit an RBI double, Lance Zawadzki singled home a run and Cody Clark hit an RBI groundout to make it 4-1 Chasers. Mendoza was pulled with the bases loaded and 1 out in the 6th and Jesse Chavez got out of the jam. He finished it from there to pick up his 8th save. Three Sounds had 2 hits.

Nashville 5, Storm Chasers 4 (7/G2)

LF Orlando 2-3, 2B (10), RS -- .250
2B Giavotella 1-4, RBI (53), K -- .317
1B C. Robinson 1-4, RBI (53), E (3) -- .345, probably wasn't expecting an RBI run from Giavotella
3B Arias 0-2, SF, RBI (9) -- .198
SS Aviles 1-4 -- .292
CF Cain 1-3 -- .305
DH Ka'aihue 1-4, 2B (8), RS -- .315

O'Sullivan 2 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 K, HRA, 2 WP -- L, 0-1, 15.43 ERA
Tejeda 1 2/3 IP, K -- 0.59 ERA
Jeffress 2 IP, ER, 2 H, K, HRA -- 6.23 ERA

* A late Omaha charge came up short as the Sounds earned a split on Wednesday. Sean O'Sullivan's first rehab start went poorly as Nashville scored 2 in the 1st on 4 hits and an error. Omaha stranded 2 in the 2nd and the Sounds added 2 more runs in the 2nd to make it 4-0. Paulo Orlando led off the 5th with a double and scored on an error before Johnny Giavotella singled in a run to cut the lead in half. Joaquin Arias added a sac fly in the 6th and Nashville got an insurance homer off Jeremy Jeffress in the bottom of the inning. Clint Robinson singled in a run in the 7th but Kila Ka'aihue grounded out to end the game. DH Mat Gamel had 2 hits, including his 15th homer, and 2 RBI (50) for the Sounds. Omaha is 40-34. Game 4 is Thursday night. No announced starter as of yet on the team site.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 6, Tulsa 2

3B Lisson 2-5, 2 2B (12), 2 RBI (28), 2 K, RS -- .247
CF-LF Van Stratten 2-5, 2 K -- .237
LF-2B Seratelli 2-5, K, RS, E (3) -- .316
C Theriot 1-3, BB, 2 RBI (14) -- .207
2B Mertins 1-2, BB, S, HR (3), RBI (28), 2 RS -- .259
DH Colon 1-4, BB -- .260
RF Myers 1-4, HBP -- .295
SS Bianchi 1-4, S, K, RS -- .279
C S. Perez 1-1 -- .267
NWA stranded 12.

W. Smith 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 3 K, HRA -- W, 5-6, 4.58 ERA
Lebron IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 3.63 ERA
Herrera 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K -- 1.74 ERA

* The Naturals slapped out 13 hits and made their way past the Drillers to start the second half on a good note. NWA stranded 2 in the 2nd and Will Smith stranded 2 Drillers in the 3rd. Kurt Mertins broke the ice with a 2-out solo homer in the 4th for his 3rd of the season. Smith gave up a 2-run homer in the 5th to give the Drillers a 2-1 lead. Ben Theriot hit a 2-out, 2-run single in the 6th and NWA regained control. Mario Lisson hit a 2-run double in the 8th and scored on a Nick Van Stratten single that was aided by a Tulsa error. Kelvin Herrera took it from there to get through the last 2 innings. RF Michael Mitchell had 2 hits for the Drillers. NWA is 1-0. Edgar Osuna starts the series finale Thursday.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: all-star break day 3

LF Merrifield 1-4
3B Whittleman 0-2
2B Navarro 1-2, RBI, K, E -- Carolina League's only RBI

Odorizzi IP, K
Mariot IP, ER, 2 H, K

* The Cal League all-stars took down the Carolina League all-stars for the third straight season, 6-1, as Rey Navarro drove in the Carolina League's only run. The second half starts Thursday with the first of 3 at home with the Lynchburg HillCats (A-Adv. Rangers). No starter is announced on the team site. OF Nick Francis was named the Carolina League Player of the Week for June 13-19 after hitting .458 with 5 2B, a HR and 3 RBI over the final week of the first half.

A - Kane County: all-star break day 3

L. Santiago IP, BB, 2 K
Billo 1/3 IP, 2 H, K
Boruff 1/3 IP, nothing

* The MWL West defeated the East, 8-3. The Cougars don't get back into action until Friday.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Ogden 12, Chukars 4 (Tue.)

RF Alcantara 2-4, RBI, K, RS -- .375
LF Chism 2-5, 3B, RS, E -- .333
2B Piterson 1-4, SF, RBI, E (2) -- .571
SS Martinez 1-4, RBI, K -- .125
3B Threlkeld 0-4, K, RS -- .000
1B Espy 1-4, 2 K, RS -- .375
C Harper 0-3, K, 2 PB -- pro debut
CF Davis 0-4, 2 K -- pro debut

Penny 4 2/3 IP, 8 R (4 ER), 8 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HRA -- L, 0-1, 7.71 ERA
Cuevas 3 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K -- 2.70 ERA
R. Wood IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 K -- 18.00 ERA

* It was another ugly game for Idaho Falls pitching as Ogden racked up 12 runs to outscore the Chukars, 32-4, in the first 2 IF home games. Ogden started it off with 4 in the 1st off Robert Penny on 3 hits, a hit batsman and an error. Tyler Chism, who made the error in the top of the 1st, led off the IF 1st with a triple and scored on a Luis Piterson sac fly to score the Chukars' first run of the season. Penny gave up a 2-run homer in the 2nd and the Raptors added a run in the 4th to make it 7-1. IF caught up a little in the 4th as Ysmelin Alcantara hit an RBI single, Adrian Martinez hit an RBI single and an error scored a run to cut it to 7-4. Gary Cuevas entered in the 5th and allowed an inherited runner to score before stranding the bases full. Ogden got 2 runs in the 6th to make it 10-4 and IF stranded 2 in the 7th. Ryan Wood allowed 2 runs in the 9th and the Chukars didn't threaten again. Four Raptors had multiple hits. IF is 0-2. The series shifts to Ogden for two games starting tonight. Brian Peacock is making his 2011 debut. Tonight's game is tied at 6 in the 10th. Recap to come tomorrow.

Rookie - Burlington: Princeton 6, B-Royals 3

SS Antonio 2-4, 2B, RS, E -- .500
1B Watts 1-4, HR (2), 2 RBI (4), RS -- .375
3B Figueroa 1-3, 2B, RBI -- .333
C Shin 1-4, K -- .125
LF Cameron Conner had assists at second and home.

Ridings 4 1/3 IP, 6 R (4 ER), 7 H, BB, 6 K -- L, 0-1, 8.31 ERA
Culver 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 K -- 0.00 ERA
Rogers IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA

* The Rays got the better of the Royals once more on Wednesday. Matt Ridings' organizational debut got a bumpy start as Princeton scratched out a run in the 1st. The Rays then churned out 4 runs in the 3rd to make it 5-0. Yunior Figueroa hit an RBI double in the 5th and Ridings allowed another run before getting pulled in the 5th. Murray Watts made it 2 homers in 2 games as a 2-run shot in the 6th cut it to 6-3. The Royals stranded single runners in the 8th and 9th. Five Rays had 2 hits. 1B Cameron Seitzer hit 2 doubles and drove in 2 (4). The Royals are 0-2. The series ends Thursday. Matt Murray is set to start.

Rookie - AZL: The Royals are up, 9-1, on the Padres in the middle innings, recap to come tomorrow

Royals on the Farm 6/21

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 7, Nashville 0 (2-hitter)

DH Ka'aihue 3-4, BB, 2B (7), RS -- .315
CF Cain 2-4, BB, 3 RBI (38), CS (3) -- .304
SS Zawadzki 2-4, BB, 2B (11), RBI (28), K -- .264
2B Giavotella 1-5, 2B (20), 2 RBI (52) -- .319
LF Lough 1-3, RBI (33) -- .308
1B C. Robinson 1-3, 2 BB, K, 3 RS -- .340

Suppan CG, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- W, 6-4, 5.11 ERA, still has some in the tank?

* Jeff Suppan spun a 2-hitter and the Storm Chasers steamed past the Sounds. Lance Zawadzki broke the early ice with an RBI double in the 4th and Omaha added 3 in the 5th on a David Lough RBI single and 2-run Johnny Giavotella double. Suppan retired the final 13 Sounds, and Omaha added a 2-run Lorenzo Cain single in the 8th and a Cain RBI single in the 9th. Omaha is 39-33. The teams play a Wednesday doubleheader. Luis Mendoza and Sean O'Sullivan will start.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 10, Tulsa 2

RF Myers 3-4, BB, 2B (9), RBI (14), K, 2 RS -- .296
DH Smith 2-3, RBI (37), RS, CS (2) -- .302
1B Romak 2-5, HR (9), RBI (39), 2 K, RS -- .249
3B Mertins 2-4, RBI (27) -- .256
2B Bianchi 1-5, 2B (16), 3 RBI (32), K -- .279
LF Seratelli 1-5, HR (7), 2 RBI (36), 2 K, RS -- .314
C S. Perez 1-5, 2B (9), RBI (14), RS -- .263
SS Colon 2-4, BB, 2B (6), 3 RS -- .261
CF D. Robinson 0-4, BB, K, RS -- .250

Baumann 6 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 8 K, HRA -- W, 3-2, 3.58 ERA, good start
Baez 1 2/3 IP, H, 2 K, WP -- 5.60 ERA
Rollins IP, ER, H, 2 K, HRA -- 3.89 ERA

* The Naturals got a clutch start from Buddy Baumann to win in the must-win situation, but Arkansas clinched the first-half title anyway. Anthony Seratelli hit an RBI groundout and Tim Smith hit an RBI single to give the Naturals a 2-0 lead. Wil Myers hit an RBI double in the 3rd and the Nats scored 2 in the 4th on a Salvador Perez RBI double and Kurt Mertins RBI single. Seratelli went deep in the 5th for his 7th homer of the season to make it 6-0. Baumann retired 14 in a row at one point. The Naturals took walks to load the bases with 0 out in the 7th and Jeff Bianchi cleared the bases with a 2-out double. Baumann allowed a solo homer before getting pulled in the bottom of the inning but Jamie Romak matched it with a leadoff longball in the 8th for his 9th of the season. Heath Rollins allowed a homer in the 9th before closing it out. C Wilin Rosario hit his 11th homer and 1B Ben Paulsen hit his 8th homer of the season for Tulsa. NWA finished the first half 35-32. Arkansas is whipping Springfield to clinch the first-half title. The series concludes Wednesday. Will Smith will start. Wil Myers and Kelvin Herrera have been added to the all-star team.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: all-star game tonite

* I'll recap the Blue Rocks' action tomorrow.

A - Kane County: all-star game tonite

* I'll recap the Cougars' doings in the game tomorrow.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Ogden 20, Chukars 0 (Mon.)

2B Piterson 3-3, 3B, SB, E -- he started hot last year too
DH Espy 2-4, K -- nice pro debut
LF Chism 1-4, 2 K
3B Threlkeld 0-4, 2 K

Dooley 4 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 6 K, WP -- L, 0-1, 10.38 ERA, starting with WHIP of 3 probably wasn't in the plans
Patton 2/3 IP, K -- 0.00 ERA, at least he had a solid pro debut
Middendorf IP, 7 R (6 ER), 7 H, 2 WP -- 54.00 ERA, not so solid pro debut
Jo. Sanchez 2 1/3 IP, 7 R (5 ER), 6 H, 3 BB, 2 K, HRA, WP -- 19.29 ERA
Liberto 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, HRA -- 13.50 ERA

* Ogden took 9 innings of batting practice on Monday...oh wait, that was the game. The Raptors scored 20 runs on 24 hits and 6 walks to dominate the season opener over the Chukars. Five singles scored 2 runs in the 1st before Jonathan Dooley struck out the side with the bases loaded. Dooley allowed a run on a wild pitch in the 3rd and 4 more singles scored 2 more runs in the 5th before Dooley was pulled. David Middendorf made his pro debut in the 6th and struggled to say the least. The Raptors scored 7 runs thanks to the benefit of 5 doubles in the inning and the inning came to an end with Ogden up, 12-0. Jose Sanchez gave up 4 more runs in the 7th and IF stranded 2 in the 8th. Sanchez handed a bases-loaded, 1-out situation to position player Mike Liberto in the 9th and a 3-run homer and sac fly finished the slaughter. The Chukars stranded 2 more in the 9th. Ogden SP Gustavo Gomez allowed 3 hits with 6 Ks over 5 IP to start the season 1-0. Six Raptors had multiple hits led by 5 hits from 1B Matt Kirkland. IF is 0-1, but it can only go up from here, right? Robert Penny starts tonight's game.

UPDATE -- IF is down, 10-4, in the late innings tonight. I'll recap it Wednesday.

Rookie - Burlington: Princeton 7, B-Royals 5

RF Pickett 3-4, K, SB, picked off
1B Watts 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, K, RS
SS Antonio 2-4, HR, RBI, 2 RS
DH Trapp 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, K, RS
C Shin 0-4, 2 K
3B Bringas 0-4, 2 E -- not the debut he was looking for

Yambati 1/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, K, WP -- L, 0-1, 108.00 ERA, yowch, only lasted 7 batters
Graham 2 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 K, HRA, WP -- 3.38 ERA
Graffeo 4 IP, ER, 2 H, 7 K, HRA -- 2.25 ERA
Ferguson IP, nothing -- 0.00 ERA

* The Rays used a big 1st to take command and held on to grab the season opener from Burlington. Prospect starter Robinson Yambati's outing went like this: single, single, walk, bases-loaded walk, 2-run single, K, wild pitch, walk, pulled for Tyler Graham. 3B Adrian Bringas committed a 2-run error to make it 5-0 Rays before the 1st inning ended. Graham gave up a solo homer in the 3rd but Mike Antonio led off the 4th with a homer to get the Royals on the board. The Royals stranded 2 in the 5th and Nick Graffeo gave up a solo homer to his stepbrother Cameron Seitzer in the bottom of the inning to make it 7-1. That remained the score entering the 8th, when Antonio reached on an error and Murray Watts hit an inside-the-park homer to cut it to 7-3. Justin Trapp ripped a 2-run homer in the 9th to trim it to 7-5 but the Royals stranded 1. Two Rays had 2 hits. Burlington is 0-1. Game 2 is Wednesday as Matt Ridings starts.

Rookie - AZL: Rangers 8, Royals 7 (Mon.)

DH Lane 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, K, 2 RS -- best pro debut of Monday night
RF J. Blanco 2-4, BB, 2 RBI, K
3B Cuckovich 2-4, HBP, 2B, RS, SB, E -- solid first game
1B Gaylord 2-4, BB, K, RS -- also nice debut for non-drafted free agent
SS Arteaga 2-5, 2 K, RS, E
C Bello 1-4, SF, RBI, K, E, PB
CF Toney 0-3, BB, HBP, K, SB, 2 CS -- at least he got on base a couple times in the leadoff slot, but made a couple key missteps on the basepaths
LF Gore 0-3, BB, 2 K, RS, SB, E
PH DelGuidice 0-1
The Royals stranded 11.

E. Diaz 2 2/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- L, 0-1, 10.13 ERA
Rivers 1 2/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), H, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 WP -- 5.40 ERA
Amador 2 2/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA, WP -- 3.38 ERA
Stueve IP, H, K -- 0.00 ERA

* The Royals made a comeback attempt but fell 1 run short on Monday. Nick Cuckovich swiped his first pro base with 2 out in the 1st but was thrown out at the plate on a Brian Gaylord single to end the inning. Eric Diaz hit 3 batters in the 1st and a passed ball and 2 singles allowed the Rangers to tally 3 runs in the frame. A run-scoring wild pitch and run-scoring error got the Royals within a run in the 3rd (a DeAndre Toney caught stealing at third bit the Royals) but the Rangers got a run back before Diaz was pulled in the 3rd. The Royals loaded the bases with 0 out in the 4th but 2 Ks and a Toney groundout killed the threat. The Rangers kept the pressure on with 2 runs off Alex Rivers in the 4th thanks in part to 2 errors and 2 wild pitches. Ezequiel Amador stranded the bases full in the 5th and the Royals scored on an error in the 6th to trim it to 6-3. Amador gave up a 2-run homer in the 6th and it would factor in the end result. The Royals loaded the bases with 0 out again in the 7th (hitting 3 singles after another Toney caught stealing) and Travis Lane hit a 2-run double to cut it to 8-5. Rainier Bello hit a sac fly and Jerico Blanco hit an RBI single. The Royals got the tying runner to third but Carlos Garcia got picked off at first to end the inning. The Royals stranded the bases full in the 8th then stranded 1 in the 9th. C Joe Maloney had 2 hits for the Rangers. The Royals doubled up the Rangers in hits, 13-6, but had 5 errors to 4 for the Rangers. The Royals are 0-1. They have today off.

Royals on the Farm 6/20 -- Short season leagues crank into action

AAA - Omaha: Round Rock 8, Storm Chasers 5

2B Aviles 3-4, RS -- .325
DH C. Robinson 2-4, 2B (17), RBI (52), RS -- .340
1B Ka'aihue 2-4, HR (4), RBI (26), K, RS -- .300, finally found power stroke?
3B Giavotella 2-4, E (8) -- .321
C Clark 2-4, RS -- .262
CF Cain 1-4, 3B (4), RBI (35), K, RS, OF assist at first -- .301
LF Lough 0-5, RBI (32), K -- .308

M. Santiago 5 IP, 7 ER, 7 H, BB, 6 K, 3 HRA -- L, 2-2, 5.86 ERA, Chasers pitchers have been teeing 'em up lately
Pucetas 2 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, WP -- 5.32 ERA
Tejeda IP, nothing -- 0.66 ERA

* A big Round Rock 5th spelled a loss for Omaha on Monday. Clint Robinson doubled in a run in the 1st to get Omaha started but the Express tied it on a solo homer off Mario Santiago in the bottom of the inning. The Chasers surged ahead in the 4th as Lorenzo Cain tripled in a run, scored on an error and Kila Ka'aihue went solo for his 4th homer to make it 4-1 Chasers. Santiago loaded the bases with 0 out in the 5th and gave up a grand slam to C Robinzon Diaz for his 2nd of the season. A 2-run homer later in the inning made it 7-4 Express. Kevin Pucetas allowed a run in the 6th, but David Lough hit an RBI groundout in the 7th to get the run back. Mike Aviles was thrown out at second to end the inning shortly thereafter, and Omaha didn't threaten again. LF Chris Davis and Diaz had 2 hits each, as Davis hammered 2 HR (14) and drove in 3 runs (41) and Diaz's 4 RBI gave him 7 on the season for Round Rock. Omaha is 38-33. A 4-day, 5-game set at the Nashville Sounds (31-38, AAA Brewers) starts Tuesday. No announced starter on the team site as of yet.

AA - NW Arkansas: Tulsa 2, Naturals 0 (4-hitter)

1B Romak 2-4, 2 K -- .245
RF Myers 1-3, BB, 2 SB (4) -- .283
C S. Perez 1-4 -- .265
CF D. Robinson 0-4, K -- .256
SS Colon 0-3, BB -- .256
LF Seratelli 0-2, 2 BB, SB (15) -- .317
2B Bianchi 0-4, 2 K -- .281

Dwyer 5 1/3 IP, ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K, WP -- L, 2-6, 5.76 ERA
Chapman 1 2/3 IP, 2 K -- 0.96 ERA
Barrera IP, ER, 2 H, 3 K, WP -- 3.86 ERA

* The Drillers crippled the Naturals' first-half title chances with a shutout win Monday. NWA stranded 2 on walks in the 1st and Tulsa took the lead off Chris Dwyer with a run in the 4th. NWA stranded 2 in the 6th and Henry Barrera allowed an insurance run in the 8th. The Nats stranded 1 in the 9th. Tulsa SP Christian Friedrich allowed 3 hits and 3 walks with 3 K over 6 IP to improve to 5-5 with a 3.89 ERA. 1B Ben Paulsen and 3B Darin Holcomb had 2 hits for Tulsa. NWA is 34-32 and stayed alive as Springfield pounded Arkansas. The first half finale is Tuesday with Buddy Baumann starting the must-win for NWA.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: off day

* All star break day 1 for Wilmington. The game is tomorrow.

A - Kane County: off day

* All star break day 1 for Kane County. The all-star game is Tuesday.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Ogden 16, Chukars 0 late

* As a side note, I may hold off on the Idaho Falls and AZL wrapups most games until the next day, being that their games usually don't wrap until after 11 p.m. my time. We'll see tho. And no, that wasn't supposed to be 1-0 or 6-0, the Raptors are walloping the Chukars by 16 on opening night. This one can wait.

Rookie - Burlington: opening day Tuesday

* The B-Royals start the 2011 Appalachian League campaign with 3 games at the Princeton Rays. They finally updated the roster on the team site. The pitching staff is led by 10th rounder righty Matt Murray and 18th round righty Andy Ferguson. As mentioned yesterday, converted IF Malcom Culver and righty Robinson Yambati are on the staff, as are 2010 7th rounder righty Eric Cantrell, 2010 15th rounder Jason Mitchell and 2010 22nd rounder righty Tyler Graham. The only lefty is Rudy Brown, but others on the staff are Angel Baez, Nick Graffeo, Andrea Pizziconi (who the Royals got in the Lucas May deal), Matt Riding, Alex Rivers and Nick Rogers. Catchers are Jin-Ho Shin, Tyler Smith, and Jared Dyer. IFs are Murray Watts, Mike Antonio (2010 3rd rounder), Justin Trapp, Yunior Figueroa and 2011 46th rounder 3B Adrian Bringas. OFs are Lane Adams, Jovan Pickett, Jorge Bonifacio and Cameron Conner. Former WVU and Dolphins QB Pat White was to be an outfielder on the Royals' roster but retired in spring training.

Rookie - AZL: The Royals are down, 8-3, in the late innings

* I'll recap this one Tuesday. Quick rundown on the AZL roster: Pitchers include converted IF Fernando Cruz; 2011 draftees 38th round righty Andrew Durden, 45th round righty Julio Morales, 6th round lefty Cesar Ogando, 34th round righty Ali Williams and 36th rounder righty Christian Witt; lefty Eric Diaz (only other lefty than Ogando); Ezequiel Amador, Parker Bangs, Brian Edelen, Cody Fassold, Nathan Johnson, Jonathan Rodriguez, Jorge Soto and Andrew Stueve. Catchers are Rainier Bello, 41st round C Travis Lane, Alexander Marquez and rehabbing Jason Kendall; IFs are Humberto Arteaga, 17th rounder Nick Cuckovich (drafted as a pitcher according to BA), Carlos Garcia, Brian Gaylord and Nick DelGuidice; and OFs are 11th rounder Jerrell Allen, 14th rounder D'Andre Toney, 20th rounder Terrence Gore, Jerico Blanco and 35th rounder Gabriel Gray.

Royals on the Farm 6/19

AAA - Omaha: Round Rock 11, Storm Chasers 7

1B Ka'aihue 3-5, 2B (6), HR (3), 4 RBI (25), 3 RS -- .293
2B Giavotella 3-5, RBI (50), K -- .318, he's really looking good
CF Cain 3-5, 2 RS, SB (7) -- .302
3B Falu 2-4, RBI (18), RS, SB (7) -- .309
C Clark 2-5, 2 2B (3) -- .237
RF Dyson 1-5, RBI (3), K -- .288
DH C. Robinson 1-5, 2 K -- .337
LF Lough 1-5, 2B (18), RS, SB (9) -- .314

Montgomery 3 IP, 9 ER, 10 H, K, 4 HRA, WP -- L, 2-4, 5.83 ERA, something appears not right
B. Johnson 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 K -- 8.23 ERA
Hardy 2 IP, 2 H, K -- 7.86 ERA
Sisk IP, BB, 2 K -- 2.08 ERA

* The Express were all over Mike Montgomery on Sunday and put the game away early. Three hits scored 2 runs in the Express 1st and 2 solo homers made it 4-0 Round Rock in the 2nd. Omaha stranded 2 in the 3rd and Round Rock went to work again in the bottom of the inning to score 5 off Montgomery on 5 more hits, including 2 HR. Kila Ka'aihue hit a 2-run double to get Omaha started in the 4th, Jarrod Dyson hit an RBI groundout and Johnny Giavotella singled in a run to cut it to 9-4. Blake Johnson gave up 2 runs in the 4th and the score remained 11-4 into the late innings. Irving Falu hit an RBI single in the 8th and Ka'aihue went deep in the 9th for a 2-run shot for his 3rd at AAA to cut it to 11-7. Alas, that was all Omaha would get. SS Omar Quintanilla and LF Chris Davis had 3 hits for the Express. Three others had 2 hits and 5 in all had 2 RBI each. Omaha is 38-32. The series ends Monday with Mario Santiago starting.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 15, Springfield 10

1B Seratelli 4-5, BB, 2B (6), 3B (4), 3 RBI (34), 3 RS -- .320
3B Lisson 3-5, 2 2B (10), 2 RBI (26), 2 RS, E (6) -- .250
LF T. Smith 1-3, BB, HR (8), 4 RBI (36), RS -- .290
SS Colon 1-4, 2 BB, RBI (34), 2 RS -- .260
PH-RF Myers 1-2, RBI (13), K, RS -- .281
2B Bianchi 1-4, BB, RBI (29), 2 K, RS -- .286
C S. Perez 1-5, RBI (13), 2 K, 2 RS -- .265
DH Mertins 1-4, S, 2B (12), RBI (26), K, RS -- .253
CF D. Robinson 1-4, 2 BB, RS -- .262

Miner 4 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 2 K, HRA -- 6.20 ERA
Osuna 2 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, K -- 6.88 ERA
Rollins 0 IP, 2 H, WP -- BS, 1, 3.76 ERA
Herrera 2 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 K, HRA -- W, 2-0, 1.93 ERA
Paulino 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB -- 6.00 ERA

* A late 8-run rally propelled the Naturals to the slugfest win. Jeff Bianchi hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 1st before NWA stranded 2. The Cardinals answered with 3 runs on 5 hits off Zach Miner in the 3rd. A solo homer made it 4-1 Cards in the 4th. Tim Smith tied it in the 5th with a 3-run blast for his 8th of the season but the Cards scored a run in the 6th to regain the lead. The Naturals punched back as Christian Colon hit an RBI forceout and Tim Smith hit an RBI fielder's choice to make it 6-5 NWA. Three Nats pitchers collaborated in the 7th as Springfield tied the game again. A run-scoring error in the 7th made it 7-6 NWA but Kelvin Herrera gave up a solo homer in the 8th to tie it at 7. The Naturals put it all together in the 8th as Wil Myers singled in a run, Salvador Perez hit an RBI single, Kurt Mertins doubled in a run, Mario Lisson doubled in 2, and Anthony Seratelli hit a big 3-run triple to continue his strong play this season. Eduardo Paulino gave up 3 runs in the 9th before closing it out. 1B Eric Duncan and SS Ryan Jackson had 3 hits for the Cards as Duncan slugged his 4th homer with 3 RBI (23). Three others had 2 hits. NWA is 34-31 and still a game back of Arkansas. A 4-game set at the Tulsa Drillers (32-35, AA Rockies) starts Monday as the first 2 games will end the first half. Chris Dwyer starts game 1.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Winston-Salem 3, Blue Rocks 2

SS Navarro 1-4, HR (8), 2 RBI (40), 2 K, RS -- .283
CF Merrifield 1-4, CS (8) -- .283
DH Testa 1-3, BB, 2 K, RS, SB (6) -- .271
2B Hall 1-4, 2 K -- .286

E. Pimentel 6 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 11 H, 6 K -- L, 4-4, 4.10 ERA
Odenbach 3 IP, 3 BB, 2 K -- 1.00 ERA

* The Rocks' offense began and ended in the 1st as they ended the first half on a losing note. Elisaul Pimentel allowed a run on 3 hits in the 1st, but Rey Navarro had the answer with a 2-run homer for his 8th of the season in the bottom of the inning. An error and 2 hits in the 3rd tied the game for the Dash. Gerard Hall hit a 2-out single in the 4th but Nick Francis was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. A triple helped the Dash score their 3rd run in the 5th to give them the lead they needed. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 6th and didn't get another hit. RF Jose Martinez had 3 hits and three others had 2 hits for the Dash. The Rocks finished the first half 36-33. They're now off until Thursday.

A - Kane County: Clinton 1, Cougars 0

3B Cuthbert 1-4, K -- .289
LF Fletcher 1-3 -- .323
DH Eibner 0-3, K -- .132

Adam 5 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K, HRA -- L, 2-3, 4.26 ERA
Caldwell 2 IP, 3 K -- 2.08 ERA
Boruff IP, K -- 1.45 ERA
Keck IP, nothing -- 3.38 ERA

* Kane County tripled up the 'Kings on hits, 6-2, but a solo homer did all the damage Clinton needed. The big swing came in the 4th as Jason Adam gave up a leadoff homer to CF Julio Morban. The Cougars could get no traction against Clinton SP Anthony Fernandez as they scattered 4 singles. They got 2 1-out singles off RP Tyler Burgoon in the 9th but a Cheslor Cuthbert double play ball ended the game. Fernandez gave up 4 hits with 5 Ks over 7 IP to improve to 2-2 with a 4.17 ERA. Morban hit his 1st homer with his 13th RBI. Kane County finished the first half 28-41. They're now off until Friday.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: opening day Monday

* The Chukars start the 2011 campaign with 2 home games against the Ogden Raptors (Rookie Dodgers). Jonathan Dooley starts for IF.

Rookie - Burlington: season starts Tuesday

* The B-Royals roster includes three former players for the squad -- RP Malcom Culver (no longer a position player), IF Yunior Figueroa and OF Jovan Pickett. 1B Murray Watts got moved down from Kane County. They don't seem to have a full roster on the team site yet.

Rookie - AZL: opening night Monday

* The Royals play the Rangers in game 1. The team site doesn't appear to have a full roster either, as there are 8 position players listed and 3 are catchers. Headliners on the posted roster are P Robinson Yambati, P Carlos Fortuna, IF Mike Antonio and OF Jerico Blanco.

Royals on the Farm 6/18

AAA - Omaha: Round Rock 7, Storm Chasers 5

SS Aviles 2-4, 3B, HR (4), RBI (9), K, 2 RS -- .290
LF Lough 2-4, 2B (17), 3B (6), RS, SB (8) -- .316
3B Zawadzki 2-4, RBI (27), K -- .258
CF Dyson 1-5, RBI (2), 2 K -- .293
1B C. Robinson 0-3, SF, RBI (51) -- .340
2B Giavotella 1-4 -- .313
RF Cain 0-4, K, RS -- .295
DH Ka'aihue 1-3, BB, RS -- .279

Chen 5 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, BB, 7 K, 2 HRA -- 6.00 ERA
Pucetas 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 HRA -- L, 4-3, 5.34 ERA
Jeffress IP, H -- 6.46 ERA

* Round Rock reaped the benefits of 4 homers in the victory over Omaha Saturday. David Lough led off the 2nd with a triple and scored on an error, and Lance Zawadzki singled in a run later in the inning to make it 2-0 Omaha. Bruce Chen gave up a solo homer in the 2nd but Mike Aviles tripled and scored on a Clint Robinson sac fly in the 3rd. Chen gave up a 3-run homer in the 3rd to make it 4-3 Express. Aviles led off the 6th with his 4th homer to tie the game but Kevin Pucetas came on in relief and served up a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning as Round Rock again had an answer. Jarrod Dyson hit an RBI single in the 7th to trim the lead to 1, but the Express got a solo homer in the bottom of the frame to get the run back. Former Royal P Brett Tomko got the win for Round Rock. Three Express batters had 2 hits led by 3B Chris Davis, who homered twice (12) and drove in 4 runs (36) and stole a base while committing 2 errors (5). 2B Luis Cruz and RF Joey Butler also homered. Omaha is 38-31. Game 3 is Sunday as Mike Montgomery starts.

AA - NW Arkansas: Springfield 3, Naturals 1

3B Lisson 2-4, 2B (8), HR (11), RBI (24), RS -- .238
CF D. Robinson 2-4, 2B (3) -- .262
SS Colon 1-3, S -- .260
RF Myers 0-4, 2 K -- .278
1B Seratelli 0-3, BB, K -- .308
C S. Perez 0-2, BB, HBP -- .267
2B Bianchi 0-4 -- .287

Davies 6 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 4 K -- L, 0-2, 5.63 ERA
Chapman 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, BB, K -- 1.17 ERA
Barrera 1 1/3 IP, H, K -- 0.00 ERA, 2011 NWA debut

* Just as the Naturals took the lead, Springfield stormed back to pull out a victory on Saturday. NWA stranded 2 in the 1st and then again in the 3rd, and Kyle Davies cruised through 5 in his third rehab outing. Mario Lisson went deep in the 5th for his 11th of the season and Davies hit the skids in the 6th. With 2 on and 1 out, Cards DH Charles Cutler hit a 2-run triple and scored on a sac fly to make it 3-1 Springfield. NWA got two in scoring position with 1 out in the 7th but got nada and didn't get another hit. Cutler and SS Ryan Jackson had 2 hits, as Cutler had 2 RBI (12) and is hitting .328. NWA is 33-31 and the loss was a crippler as Arkansas swept a doubleheader from Tulsa to regain first place. Zach Miner starts the series finale Sunday.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 7, Winston-Salem 2

2B Navarro 3-5, 2B (14), 2 HR (7), 3 RBI (38), 3 RS -- .283, what a season for Rey
DH Francis 3-4, BB, 2 2B (17), K, 3 RS -- .301
3B Whittleman 2-4, SF, 2B (17), 2 RBI (34) -- .231
CF Prades 2-4, BB, 2 RBI (5), K -- .289
LF Merrifield 2-4, BB, 2 K, picked off, CS (7) -- .284
RF Testa 1-4, BB, 3B (3), K, RS -- .269
The Rocks stranded 11.

Marks 6 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 12 K (!) -- W, 3-5, 4.91 ERA, booyakasha
Ed. Garcia 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA, organizational debut for Edgar
Mariot IP, 2 H, 3 K, WP -- 2.93 ERA

* Justin Marks and Rey Navarro keyed another Wilmington win as the Rocks look to end the first half strong. Navarro hit a solo blast in the 1st for his 6th of the season and Yem Prades hit an RBI single before Wilmington stranded 2. Marks got out of a bases-loaded situation with only 1 run scored in the 2nd, and John Whittleman hit an RBI double in the 3rd to get the run back. Navarro followed a Carlo Testa triple in the 4th with a 2-run homer for his 2nd of the game and 7th of the season to make it 5-1 Rocks. Marks allowed a run in the 5th but the Rocks picked it up in the 6th with another Prades RBI single. Newest Rock P Edgar Garcia got out of trouble in the 8th and Whittleman added an insurance sac fly in the bottom of the inning. Mike Mariot struck out the side around 2 hits in the 9th to finish it. LF Nick Ciolli and 3B Jake Oester (son of former Red Ron) had 2 hits for the Dash. Former LSU standout CF Jared Mitchell was 0-3 with a walk and 2 K to drop to .223. Wilmington is 36-32 and finishes the first half Sunday as Elisaul Pimentel starts the series finale.

A - Kane County: Clinton 4, Cougars 2

LF Fletcher 2-4 -- .323
1B Stovall 1-4, 3B (5), RBI (27), K, RS -- .298
SS Espinal 0-1, BB, SF, RBI (14), E (7) -- .181
3B Cuthbert 1-3, BB -- .291
CF Eibner 1-3, BB, RS -- .143

Ventura 5 2/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K, HRA -- L, 1-2, 4.40 ERA
Billo 3 1/3 IP, BB, 3 K -- 1.66 ERA

* Yordano Ventura and the Cougars came out on the short end of the stick in Saturday's tilt with Clinton. Ventura allowed 2 runs on 2 hits in the 1st but Ryan Stovall hit an RBI triple and scored on a Yowill Espinal sac fly to tie it in the 2nd. KC stranded 2 in the 3rd and Ventura stranded 2 in the 5th. The backbreaker came on a 2-run homer in the 6th as the LumberKings took the lead. Kane County didn't threaten therafter. Clinton SP Jandy Sena allowed 2 runs (1 ER) with 3 walks and 0 K over 7 IP but got the win to move to 4-3 with a 3.62 ERA. DH Mickey Wiswall and 3B Matt Browning had 2 hits for Clinton as Browning hit his 2nd homer and drove home 3 runs (13). KC is 28-40. The Cougars wrap up the first half in Sunday's finale as Jason Adam gets the start. Then they have 4 days off. P Sugar Ray Marimon has been scratched from an all-star appearance and will be replaced by Cougars RP Chase Boruff.

Royals on the Farm 6/17 -- Colon has a career night

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 4, Round Rock 0 (3-hitter)

2B Giavotella 3-5, 2 2B (19), RBI (49), CS (3) -- .314
LF Lough 2-3, BB, 2 RS, SB (7) -- .313
RF Cain 1-4, HR (8), 2 RBI (34), 2 K, RS, E (2) -- .300
CF Dyson 1-5, 2 K, RS, SB (14) -- .298
SS Aviles 0-5, K, SB (2) -- .259
1B C. Robinson 0-4, K -- .344
DH Ka'aihue 0-2, BB, HBP, 2 K -- .278

Mendoza 8 IP, 3 H, BB, 2 K -- W, 4-3, 3.00 ERA, every once in a while he'll bust one of those out
Chavez IP, K -- 4.45 ERA, working him often

* Luis Mendoza had a lockdown start for the Chasers as they shut down the Express. Omaha stranded the bases full in the 2nd but finally plated a run on a wild pitch in the 4th. Johnny Giavotella doubled in a run in the 5th and Lorenzo Cain popped a 2-run homer (his 8th) in the 6th to make it 4-0. Mendoza didn't allow more than a baserunner in an inning until putting 2 on in the 8th. Jesse Chavez pitched a perfect 9th. 2B Luis Cruz had 2 hits for Round Rock. Omaha is 38-30. Game 2 is Saturday. Bruce Chen will rehab in the start. C Manny Pina was put on the DL and Ryan Eigsti got moved up.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 15, Springfield 6

2B Colon 3-5, GS (4), 5 RBI (33), 2 RS, SB (11), E (9) -- .259
SS Bianchi 3-5, 2B (15), RBI (28), 2 RS, E (7) -- .293
C S. Perez 3-5, 2B (8), RBI (12), RS -- .270, keeps this up he'll be in Omaha soon
LF T. Smith 2-3, BB, 2B (7), 2 RS -- .290
CF D. Robinson 1-4, BB, 2 RBI (8), 2 RS, SB (21) -- .256
RF Myers 1-4, BB, RBI (13), RS, OF assist at third -- .295
DH Romak 1-4, BB, 2B (12), RBI (38), K, 2 RS -- .245
3B Mertins 1-4, BB, RBI (25), 2 K, 2 RS -- .253
1B Seratelli 0-3, 2 BB, RS, E (2), SB (14) -- .313, still getting on base well even when he doesn't hit

W. Smith 5 2/3 IP, 5 R (2 ER), 8 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 4-6, 4.71 ERA
Lebron 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, BB, WP -- 3.80 ERA
Paulino IP, ER, 2 H, HRA -- 5.63 ERA

* Two big rallies keyed the Naturals' win Friday. Walks loaded the bases with 2 out in the NWA 1st and a wild pitch scored Wil Myers. The Cardinals answered with 3 in the 2nd off Will Smith, then added 1 in the 3rd and 1 in the 4th to make it 5-1. NW Arkansas swung it around in the 4th as Jeff Bianchi hit an RBI single, Salvador Perez doubled in a run, Kurt Mertins hit an RBI single and Christian Colon had the big blow with a grand slam for his 4th homer of the season. Derrick Robinson stole third and scored on a throwing error in the 6th to make it 9-5 NWA. NWA put it away with 6 in the 7th on a Bianchi RBI double, Jamie Romak RBI double, 2-run Robinson single, and RBI singles by Colon and Myers that made it 15-5. Eduardo Paulino gave up a solo homer in the 9th but that was it. CF D'Marcus Ingram had 3 hits for the Cards and 4 others had 2 hits. NWA is 33-30. Game 3 is Saturday. Kyle Davies will make a rehab appearance. RP Patrick Keating was put on the DL with shoulder soreness as P Henry Barrera got called up. IF Jeff Bianchi has been added to the all-star team.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Blue Rocks 10, Winston Salem 5 (comp. of Thu. game)

RF Francis 4-4, 2B (15), HR (6), 2 RBI (30), 3 RS -- .296
1B Lewis 3-4, 2B (8), HR (3), 2 RBI (12), K, 2 RS -- .243
SS McClure 3-5, 2B (3), RBI (13), K, RS -- .199, pushing the Mendoza line, but better than where he was
C Bonilla 2-4, RS, E (3) -- .255
CF Merrifield 2-5, 2B (15), K, RS, picked off -- .281
2B Navarro 1-5, HR (5), RBI (35), RS -- .276
3B Batista 1-4, HR (2), 3 RBI (16), K, RS -- .214
DH Whittleman 1-4, 2B (15), RBI (32), 2 K -- .223

Arguelles 4 IP, 2 H, 3 K -- 2.53 ERA
Sample 4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA -- W, 5-4, 4.23 ERA
Lafferty IP, K, E -- 4.45 ERA

* The Rocks emerged from suspended play with a 9-run lead and held on to win it Friday evening. Whit Merrifield got picked off at third in the 1st but the Rocks recovered to get RBI doubles from Nick Francis and John Whittleman to take a 2-0 lead. Joey Lewis socked his 3rd homer of the season in the 2nd and Alex McClure hit an RBI double to make it 4-0. The big rally came in the 3rd as Rey Navarro went solo for his 5th homer of the season and, after a Lewis RBI single, Deivy Batista went deep for his 2nd homer of the season as the 3-run shot made it 9-0. Play was suspended afer Noel Arguelles pitched his 4th strong inning. Tyler Sample started when play resumed tonight and allowed a run in the 6th, but Francis hit a longball in the bottom of the inning for his 6th of the season. Winston-Salem scored 2 in both the 7th and 8th but Sample got the win anyway to improve to 5-4. DH Ian Gac hit his 17th homer and drove in 2 runs (47) for the Dash.

Winston-Salem 3, Blue Rocks 1 (7/G2)

CF Prades 2-3, 2B (6) -- .279
LF Merrifield 1-4, 2 K -- .280
DH Testa 0-3, K -- .270
3B Navarro 1-3, E (8) -- .277
2B Hall 1-3, 2B, RS -- .333, Wilmington debut

Odorizzi 5 2/3 IP, 2 UER, 4 H, 2 BB, 11 K, WP -- L, 5-2, 2.71 ERA, tough loss
Dennick 1 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, K, WP -- BS, 1, 2.74 ERA

* The Dash got revenge in the nightcap as they dealt Jake Odorizzi his 2nd loss in a row. Odorizzi stranded 2 in the 1st but was pitching well with a shutout thru 5. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 4th but Gerard Hall came through with his first Carolina League hit with a double in the 5th and scored on an error on the play. Odorizzi was pulled with 2 out and the bases loaded in the 6th thanks in part to a Rey Navarro error, and Ryan Dennick allowed a 2-run single to turn the lead around. The Rocks left 2 in scoring position in the 6th and Dennick allowed an insurance run in the 7th. SS Daniel Wagner and RF Nick Ciolli had 2 hits for the Dash. Wilmington is 36-31. Game 3 is Saturday as Justin Marks starts.

A - Kane County: Cougars 1, Clinton 0

SS Calixte 2-3, RBI (7), SB (2) -- .197
LF Fletcher 1-2, BB, 2B (11), K, RS -- .317
CF Eibner 0-3, 3 K -- .125
3B Stovall 0-4, 2 K, E (9) -- .299

L. Santiago 6 IP, 5 H, 6 K -- W, 5-6, 3.03 ERA, Leonel looking good again, 10 quality starts in 12 appearances
Byrne 3 IP, 4 K -- SV, 4, 3.94 ERA

* Leonel Santiago and Chas Byrne combined on a 5-hit shutout of the LumberKings Friday. The Cougars didn't get much offense either, but Brian Fletcher led off the 2nd with a double and scored on a 2-out Orlando Calixte single, and that was enough. Santiago left the bases loaded in the 4th, and that was Clinton's biggest threat. Byrne pitched 3 hitless innings of relief to pick up his 4th save. Starter Taijuan Walker took the hard-luck loss for Clinton with an ER over 7 IP and 11 Ks to fall to 2-3 with a 2.40 ERA. Kane County is 28-39. Yordano Ventura pitches game 2 Saturday.