Royals on the Farm 7/17 -- And we're back....with a nice game from Giavotella

So.....what'd I miss? Didn't miss the epic Women's World Cup Final soccer match today, tough loss for the U.S. but Japan did their share of winning the match too. Missed opportunities haunted the Americans tho...

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 7, New Orleans 4

2B Giavotella 4-4, 2B (28), 2 HR (9), 2 RBI (64), 3 RS -- .334, too bad Getz is SOOOO vital
1B Ka'aihue 2-4, 2B (13), RBI (43), 2 K -- .291
RF Cain 2-4, 2 K, CS (5) -- .321
DH C. Robinson 1-2, BB, HBP, HR (18), 2 RBI (61), 2 RS -- .325
SS Aviles 1-3, SF, RBI (25) -- .315
LF Lough 1-4, RBI (43), RS -- .308

Suppan 7 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 2 K -- W, 8-5, 4.68 ERA
M. Santiago IP, H -- 5.79 ERA
Chavez IP, 3 K -- SV, 11, 3.73 ERA, dominant save

* The 7th was the pivotal inning as the Chasers took the series finale from the Zephyrs on Sunday. Johnny Giavotella started a great personal day for the Chasers with a solo homer in the 1st for his 8th of the season, but Omaha would strand 2 in the inning. Jeff Suppan gave up the tying run in the 2nd but Clint Robinson blasted a 2-run shot in the 3rd for his 18th of the season to regain the lead for Omaha. Giavotella went solo again in the 4th for his 9th of the season and 2nd of the game to make it 4-1. Suppan had pitched fairly well but allowed a run in the 6th, then a 2-run triple in the 7th to tie it. The Chasers responded off RP Dan Jennings as David Lough hit a go-ahead single in the 7th followed by a Mike Aviles sac fly and Kila Ka'aihue RBI double that made it 7-4. Jesse Chavez struck out the side in the 9th to put the exclamation point on the victory. Omaha is 52-43 and went 2-2 while the Pipeline was dark. Despite the PCL's 3-0 loss in the AAA All-Star Game, Johnny Giavotella and Clint Robinson both went 1-2 for 2 of the PCL's 3 hits. Luis Mendoza pitched a scoreless inning as the first reliever out of the pen for the PCL. A 4-game set at the Memphis Redbirds (49-45, AAA Cards, second place 2.5 games back of the Chasers) starts Monday. Mendoza is set to start.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 7, Springfield 5

DH Romak 2-4, BB, HR (15), RBI (49), RS -- .253
RF Myers 1-2, 2 BB, SF, 2 RBI (23), K, RS -- .272
C S. Perez 1-3, BB, 2 RBI (27) -- .267
2B Navarro 1-2, 2 BB, 2B (3), RBI (6), RS, SB (2), E (3) -- .254
3B Lisson 1-3, BB, 2B (14), RBI (32), RS -- .251
CF Robinson 1-4, S, K, RS, SB (36) -- .275
SS Bianchi 1-3, 2 BB, K, RS, picked off -- .270
LF Paulo Orlando had an assist at first.

Odorizzi 4 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 K, HRA -- 5.63 ERA
B. Hardy 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, BB, K -- W, 2-0, 1.86 ERA
Herrera 1 2/3 IP, nothing -- SV, 6, 2.03 ERA

* The Naturals dug themselves out of a 5-1 hole to take the series finale. Wil Myers got it started with a sac fly in the 1st but Jake Odorizzi gave up a solo homer in the 3rd. NWA stranded 2 in the 3rd and the Cardinals got to Odorizzi for 4 runs in the 4th on 3 walks and 2 hits, including a bases-loaded, 3-run double. NWA crawled back into it with 3 in the 5th on a Myers RBI single and 2-run Salvador Perez single, altho Jamie Romak was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning. Mario Lisson hit an RBI groundout in the 6th to tie the game and Romak redeemed his baserunning miscue with a solo homer in the 7th (his 15th) with Rey Navarro adding an RBI double to make it 7-5. Kelvin Herrera got the last 5 outs for his 6th save. NW Arkansas is 9-13 and went 2-4 over the week. OF Paulo Orlando was demoted from Omaha as RP Henry Barrera hit the DL with a forearm strain. OF Tim Smith was also put on the DL with a back injury. P Eduardo Paulino was placed on the DL with an elbow problem and P Edgar Garcia got moved up from Wilmington. In case you missed it, OF Wil Myers went 0-3 with an RBI in the MLB Futures Game last Sunday and Kelvin Herrera blew the save and took the loss with 3 ER in 2/3 IP. A 4-game set at the Arkansas Travelers (13-8, AA Angels) starts Monday. No announced starter on the team site.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: off day

* The Rocks are 9-13 and went 3-3 over the week. A 4-game set at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (12-11, A-Adv. Rangers) starts Monday. Justin Marks is set to start.

A - Kane County: Great Lakes 6, Cougars 4

1B Graterol 2-4, RBI (3) -- .224
SS Calixte 1-3, SF, 3 RBI (13), E (11) -- .213
C David 1-4, HBP, 2B (3), 2 K, 2 RS, E -- .265
CF Eibner 0-2, 2 BB, RS -- .190

L. Santiago 5 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 6 H, BB, 2 K -- L, 7-7, 3.06 ERA
C. White IP, 3 ER, 3 H, K -- 13.50 ERA
Caldwell 2 IP, H, 3 K -- 3.15 ERA
Rogers IP, H, BB -- 1.08 ERA

* The Loons scored 6 straight runs and then held off the Cougars to win on Sunday. Kane County rallied for 2 runs with 2 out in the 1st as Kevin David doubled and Orlando Calixte came through with a 2-run single to grab an early lead. Leonel Santiago returned the favor as the Loons rallied for 2 runs with 2 out in the 3rd to tie it. Great Lakes added a run in the 4th then tagged Cole White for 3 runs in the 6th to take a 6-2 lead. Juan Graterol hit a 2-out RBI single in the 6th and Calixte hit a sac fly in the 8th to cut the lead to 2 runs. That was as close as KC would get. The Cougars are 13-10 and on a 5-game skid (went 2-5 on the week), so they NEED the Pipeline to return. Leondy Perez pitches the series finale on Monday. OF Jovan Pickett got called up from Burlington.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Missoula 16, Chukars 8

RF Chism 2-4, 2 BB, 2B (4), HR (3), 2 RBI (13), 3 RS, SB (3) -- .263
3B Threlkeld 2-4, BB, 2B (5), 2 K, RS, E (6) -- .250
SS Martinez 2-5, 3 K, RS -- .250
DH Moreno 1-4, SF, HR (3), 3 RBI (14), 2 K, RS -- .258
2B Liberto 1-2, HBP, SF, 2 RBI (6) -- .364
1B Espy 1-3, BB, HBP, 2B (9), RBI (15), RS -- .311
CF Davis 0-4, BB, 4 K -- .352
Idaho Falls stranded 12.

Dooley 3 2/3 IP, 10 R (9 ER), 6 H, 5 BB, 4 K, 3 HRA, WP -- L, 0-3, 9.96 ERA, appeared to either miss plate or groove the pitch
Sanchez 2 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K -- 6.89 ERA
N. Johnson 2 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 HRA -- 7.20 ERA

* Missoula chewed up Jonathan Dooley and the Chukars on Sunday. Dooley gave up a grand slam and 2-run homer in the 1st, but Richard Espy hit an RBI double and Mike Liberto singled in a run to cut it to 6-2 in the bottom of the frame. IF left 'em loaded, however. The Osprey got another solo homer in the 3rd and Dooley and Jose Sanchez gave up 3 runs in the 4th to make it 10-2. Tyler Chism ripped a 2-run homer in the 4th for his 3rd of the season and the Chukars added 3 in the 5th on a 2-run Henry Moreno shot (his 3rd) and a Liberto sac fly to trim it to 10-7. Nathan Johnson gave up 2 homers for 5 runs in the 7th and then gave up a solo homer in the 8th to make it 16-7. A Moreno sac fly finished the scoring for IF in the 8th. Idaho Falls is 11-16 and went 2-4 on the week. Game 3 is Monday.

Rookie - Burlington: Danville 11, B-Royals 4

CF Adams 2-4, HBP, 2 RBI (3), RS, SB (2) -- .269
LF Conner 2-4, RBI (4), CS (3) -- .313
SS Antonio 1-4, BB, RBI (15), SB (7) -- .283

Murray 4 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, K -- 5.73 ERA
Culver 2 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, K, 2 WP -- L, 1-2, 8.04 ERA
Pizziconi 2 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 2 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- 9.69 ERA
C. Hall IP, ER, H, 2 BB, K -- 10.57 ERA

* Danville scored the last 7 runs to take down the Royals on Sunday. Matt Murray gave up a run in the 1st and the Royals stranded 2 that inning, but Cameron Conner singled home the tying run in the 2nd. The Braves regained the lead in the 3rd and the Royals retied it that inning on a Mike Antonio RBI single. Both teams scored 2 in the 4th as Lane Adams hit a 2-run single but the Royals left the bases full. It was all Danville thereafter as they nicked Malcom Culver for runs in the 5th and 6th and then Andrea Pizziconi served up a grand slam in the 8th. Cory Hall allowed another run in the 9th and the Royals didn't threaten after the 4th. The Royals are 10-16 and went 3-3 on the week. A 3-game set at the Bluefield Blue Jays (15-11) starts Monday.

Rookie - AZL: off day

* The Royals are 8-13 and went 2-3 on the week. They play the Angels Monday.