Royals on the Farm 9/7 -- Playoff night 1, Mendoza, Billo shine

AAA - Omaha: Storm Chasers 4, Round Rock 0 (5-hitter)

RF Cain 2-4, 3B, RBI, K, RS
2B Mertins 2-3
DH Robinson 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, RS
LF Lough 1-4, RS, assist at second

Mendoza 7 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA
Herrera 2 IP, 4 K -- 0.00 ERA

* A 3-run 1st was key along with another good Luis Mendoza outing as Omaha grabbed the early advantage in the series. Jarrod Dyson was caught stealing in the 1st before Lorenzo Cain tripled in a run and Clint Robinson socked a 2-run homer to make it 3-0. Mendoza stranded 2 in the 3rd and 7th. A Dyson double play ball scored another run in the 8th. Kelvin Herrera sat down all 6 he faced. Omaha leads the best of 5 set, 1-0. Game 2 is Thursday. Vin Mazzaro is set to start. Clint Robinson was the PCL player of the month for August, and rightfully so.

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 2, Naturals 1 (11)

DH Smith 1-5, RBI
LF Robinson 1-3, 2 BB, 2 K, RS, CS
SS Colon 0-3, HBP, S, K
RF Myers 1-4, BB

Dwyer 6 IP, UER, 2 H, 3 BB, 7 K, pickoff -- 0.00 ERA, can't ask for much more
Lafferty 1 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, K -- 0.00 ERA
Volz 2 2/3 IP, H, BB, 5 K -- 0.00 ERA
Hardy 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- L, 0-1, 13.50 ERA

* Both teams scored in the 1st, but it would be 10 innings before the next, and final, run would be scored. Tim Smith hit an RBI groundout in the 1st to make it 1-0 NWA, but a 2-out Anthony Seratelli error helped the Travelers tie it in the bottom of the inning. NWA left a runner at third in the 4th and Kendal Volz stranded the bases full of Travs in the 8th. The Nats stranded 2 in the 10th and loaded the bases with 1 out in the 11th only to come up empty, as Paulo Orlando struck out and Wil Myers popped out. Blaine Hardy got 2 outs without incident in the 11th, but a single and walk were followed by a walkoff single by SS Darwin Perez. Arkansas took a 1-0 lead in the best of 5. Game 2 is Thursday. Jake Odorizzi will pitch to try to even the series.

A - Kane County: Cougars 4, Burlington 0 (3-hitter)

LF Fletcher 1-3, SF, RBI, RS
SS Calixte 1-3, 2B, RBI, K, SB
RF Beltre 1-3, SF, RBI, RS
CF Eibner 0-3, BB, 3 K
3B Cuthbert 1-4, 2B, 2 K

Billo 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K -- W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA
Rogers 2 IP, BB, 2 K -- SV, 1, 0.00 ERA

* The Cougars had only 1 more hit than the Bees but rode a great Greg Billo start to the game 1 win. Billo stranded 2 in the 4th. Cheslor Cuthbert broke up a fledgling no-hit bid with a leadoff double in the 5th but he would be thrown out at the plate in the inning as the scoreless tie continued. Geulin Beltre broke the ice with a sac fly in the 6th and Orlando Calixte doubled in a run in the 7th. A passed ball and Brian Fletcher sac fly increased the lead to 4-0 in the 8th. Nick Rogers hurled two hitless innings to finish it. KC is up, 1-0, in the best of 3. They go for the quick sweep Thursday with Yordano Ventura pitching. Brian Fletcher's regular season .328 average was the second best in Cougars' history behind Jason Stokes' .341 in 2002.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 5, Ogden 4 (Tue.)

LF Elder 3-4, 3B (4), HR (9), RBI (27), RS -- .297, double shy of cycle
3B Mateo 2-4, BB, RBI (36), RS -- .341
2B Piterson 2-5, 2 2B (11), K, RS -- .307
SS Antonio 2-5, K, RS -- .333
1B Moreno 1-5, HR (11), 2 RBI (41), K, RS -- .274
DH Gallagher 0-3, BB, K -- .190
RF Davis 1-4, K, assist at second -- .319

B. Martin 6 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 4 K, HRA, WP -- 4.02 ERA
Avinazar IP, 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, K, WP -- BS, 1, 8.89 ERA
Patton 2 IP, H, 4 K -- W, 3-1, 3.40 ERA

* Idaho Falls scored 3 late runs to take down the Raptors. Ogden hit a solo homer in the 3rd off Brennon Martin but an error scored the tying run for IF in the 4th. Daniel Mateo hit the go-ahead single in the 6th. Martin stranded the bases full in the 6th but Willian Avinazar allowed 3 runs in the 7th. Henry Moreno clubbed a 2-run homer in the 8th for his 11th homer of the season to tie the game, and Chris Elder led off the 9th with his 9th homer to regain the lead for the Chukars. Spencer Patton stranded 1 in the 9th for his 3rd win. IF is 16-20. The final series of the season starts tonight with the first of 2 at the Orem Owlz (22-14, Rookie Angels). Orem already has the second half division title sewn up.