Royals on the Farm 7/8 -- Billo strikes again

In a Pipeline programming note, I'm headed out for a week's vacation on Sunday, so tomorrow's report will be followed by a short hiatus. In the meantime, it's all-star week in MLB, Danny Duffy got demoted to Omaha to get a start or two in while KC has time off, and I'm tired of watching Kyle Davies pitch. If tonight's game becomes a slaughter will this do it for him in KC? For some reason I doubt it.

AAA - Omaha: Oklahoma City 4, Storm Chasers 3

2B Giavotella 3-5, RBI (62), CS (4) -- .324
CF Cain 3-4, HR (11), RBI (45), K, RS -- .317
LF Lough 2-4, BB, RS -- .309
DH Robinson 2-4, K -- .320
SS Aviles 0-4 -- .318
1B Ka'aihue 1-4, K -- .294

Suppan 7 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 3 K -- 4.65 ERA, another decent start
Tejeda 1 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, balk -- BS, 1, L, 0-3, 3.42 ERA

* Omaha took and lost a 3-2 lead in the later innings as the RedHawks stung 'em late again. Omaha stranded 2 in both the 1st and 2nd. The Hawks got a run in the 3rd off Jeff Suppan but Lorenzo Cain tied it in the 4th with his 11th homer. Omaha stranded 2 in the 5th and OKC regained the lead in the 6th. Johnny Giavotella hit a 2-out RBI single in the 7th and a double-play ball scored the go-ahead run for the Chasers in the 8th. Suppan was pulled for Robinson Tejeda with 1 out and 1 on in the 8th and Tejeda allowed 2 singles to tie the game. A single, balk and sac bunt put the winning run at third in the OKC 9th and SS Tommy Manzella hit a walk-off sac fly. Omaha is 48-41. Game 3 is Saturday with Luis Mendoza set to start. Everett Teaford got moved back up to KC temporarily with Duffy sent back down.

AA - NW Arkansas: Naturals 10, San Antonio 4

1B Seratelli 3-5, 3B (5), HR (9), 4 RBI (43), K, 3 RS, SB (20) -- .287
LF Robinson 3-5, 2 RBI (12), K, 2 RS, 3 SB (34), E (5) -- .270
2B Navarro 3-5, 2 K, RS, SB -- .267
SS Colon 2-4, BB, 2 RBI (38), 2 SB (15) -- .254
C Perez 2-5, 2B (12), RBI (22), K -- .281
DH Bianchi 2-5, 2B (19), K, 2 RS -- .274
3B Lisson 1-4, RBI (31), K, RS, SB (8) -- .246
CF Myers 0-5, 3 K -- .271

W. Smith 6 1/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, BB, 3 K, HRA -- W, 7-7, 4.18 ERA
Paulino 1 2/3 IP, 3 K -- 5.96 ERA
Herrera IP, ER, H, BB, K -- 1.95 ERA, not the most lockdown night for the two Royals Futures Game reps

* The Naturals went on a 10-run tear early and Will Smith moved to a .500 record with the win. NW Arkansas stranded 2 in scoring position in the 1st and Smith allowed a run to the Missions. With 2 out and 1 on in the 2nd, Mario Lisson singled in a run, Derrick Robinson did the same and Christian Colon also singled in a run to make it 3-1 NWA. The Nats used 3 SBs to their advantage in the rally. They didn't stop there as Anthony Seratelli blasted a 3-run homer for his 9th of the season in the 3rd, and Robinson and Colon added RBI singles to make it 8-1. Seratelli hit an RBI triple in the 4th and Salvador Perez hit an RBI single to make it 10-1 in the 4th. Smith allowed a run in the 4th and another before getting pulled from the game in the 7th. Kelvin Herrera allowed a run before shutting the door in the 9th. NWA is 6-8. The series ends Saturday with Zach Miner set to start.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: suspended with the Rocks leading, 2-0, in the 2nd

* This game won't be done for a while as it will be finished Aug. 26. Noel Arguelles will start game one of a 3-game set with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (7-8, A-Adv. Rangers) on Saturday.

A - Kane County: Cougars 6, Wisconsin 1

3B Cuthbert 2-3, SF, 3 RBI (21) -- .317
RF Beltre 2-4, RBI (20), K, E (6) -- .253
LF Llanos 2-5, 2B (15), K, 2 RS, SB (10) -- .232
C David 1-4, RBI (2), RS -- .364
CF Eibner 0-4, HBP, 2 K, RS -- .191

Billo 6 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K, WP -- W, 7-1, 1.37 ERA, leads MWL in ERA
Boruff 3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 K -- SV, 2, 1.36 ERA, doesn't qualify in ERA race

* Greg Billo is gonna start getting noticed, if he hasn't already been, if he keeps this up. Tonight he hurled 6 strong innings to lead the Cougars to a win over the Timber Rattlers. Billo worked around a leadoff double in the 2nd and KC took command in the 4th with 4 runs on a Cheslor Cuthbert sac fly, Kevin David RBI single, Geulin Beltre RBI single and run-scoring error. Billo stranded 2 in the 4th and the Cougars added 2 in the 5th on a 2-run Cuthbert single. Billo retired the last 7 he faced and Chase Boruff threw 2 perfect innings before spoiling the shutout with a 9th inning run. That's all Wisconsin would get tho. Kane County is 10-5. A 3-game home set with the Burlington Bees (6-9, A A's) starts Saturday. Yordano Ventura will start the opener.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Casper 9, Chukars 5 (Thu.)

LF Davis 2-3, BB, 3B (2), 2 RBI (10), K, RS, CS (2) -- .412
1B Espy 1-3, BB, RBI (5), RS, E (4) -- .305
SS Martinez 1-3, BB, RBI (5), K, RS -- .266

Brooks 6 IP, 7 R (4 ER), 7 H, 7 K, HRA, WP, E -- L, 1-1, 3.71 ERA
J. Sanchez 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K -- 8.44 ERA

* Casper had 4 2-run innings to 2 for the Chukars as the Ghosts averted a sweep. Aaron Brooks gave up a solo homer in the 1st but Richard Espy hit an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to tie it. Casper responded with 2 in the 2nd thanks in part to a Brooks error. Idaho Falls matched it on a Runey Davis RBI triple that scored Davis too on a Casper error. Brooks allowed 2 runs in the 4th and then allowed 2 more in the 6th. The Chukars loaded the bases with 1 out in the 6th and Adrian Martinez and Davis took walks to cut it to 7-5. Jose Sanchez gave up a 2-run triple in the 7th and the Royals had no answer. Idaho Falls is 9-9 and 3 games back. A 4-game set at the Orem Owlz (8-10, Rookie Angels) starts tonight.

Rookie - Burlington: B-Royals 7, Bristol 6

DH Trapp 2-3, SF, 2B (7), 2 RBI (20), K, 2 RS -- .271
1B Watts 2-4, 2B (2), 2 RBI (19), K -- .268
LF Conner 2-4, 2 K, RS, SB (3) -- .294
2B Rodriguez 1-3, S, 2B (3), 2 RBI (7) -- .304
SS Antonio 1-4, RBI (12), RS, E (11) -- .349

Ridings 5 IP, 2 UER, 3 H, BB, 3 K -- 3.60 ERA
Culver 2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, K -- W, 1-1, 9.53 ERA
Graham 2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- SV, 1, 1.17 ERA

* A 5-run Royals 7th broke open the game and Burlington hung on to win its 3rd straight. Justin Trapp hit a sac fly in the 1st but the Sox answered with 2 runs off Matt Ridings in the 4th. Trapp led off the 6th with a double and scored on a Murray Watts single as Burlington got the game tied. The Royals loaded the bases with 1 out in the 7th and got a Trapp RBI single, 2-run Jose Rodriguez double, Mike Antonio RBI single and Watts RBI double to surge ahead, 7-2. Tyler Graham was brought in with the bases loaded and 0 out in the 8th and gave up a sac fly and 3-run homer to quickly cut the lead to 7-6. He ended up stranding 2, then pitched a perfect 9th for his 1st save. Burlington is 6-12. Game 2 is Saturday.

Rookie - AZL: Royals 10, Brewers 7 (Thu.)

DH Bello 2-4, 2 RS -- .296
C Lane 1-5, 2 RBI (12), K, PB (2) -- .333
SS Arteaga 1-5, 2 RBI (6), RS, 2 E (7) -- .217
RF Adams 1-3, HBP, RBI, K, 2 RS -- .500
LF Toney 0-2, 3 BB, 2 RBI (6), RS, SB (3) -- .241
1B Gaylord 0-4, BB, RBI (4), K -- .232
3B DelGuidice 1-3, 2 BB, 3B, 3 RS -- .447
CF Jerrell Allen had an assist at third.

Lumpkins 5 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 3 H, BB, 4 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 6.23 ERA, first pro win
J. Morales 2 IP, 2 H, BB, K -- 3.38 ERA
Amador 1 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, K, HRA -- 7.15 ERA
Stueve 2/3 IP, K -- SV, 1, 0.73 ERA

* A 5-run rally helped give the Royals the juice to hold off the Brewers late. Travis Lane hit a 2-out, 2-run single in the 1st to give the Royals the lead. The Brewers scored a run off Stephen Lumpkins in the 2nd but Jerrell Allen nailed a runner at third from center to cut the rally short. A run-scoring error made it 3-1 Royals in the 2nd but the Brewers got 3 in the 3rd off Lumpkins to grab the lead. The Royals loaded the bases with 0 out in the 4th and D'Andre Toney took a run-scoring walk before a Humberto Arteaga RBI groundout flipped it to 5-4 Royals. The Royals loaded the bases with none out again in the 6th and Toney took another walk, then a run-scoring error, run-scoring catcher interference call, Brian Gaylord bases-loaded walk, and run-scoring wild pitch increased the lead to 10-4. Ezequiel Amador allowed 2 runs in the 8th and a solo homer in the 9th before Andrew Stueve finished it for his 1st save. The Royals are 6-8. They play the Padres tonight.