Royals in the Fall -- Nov. 14 update

NOTE: Anybody take notice that SP Dan Christensen was sent to Detroit Wednesday as the PTBNL in I assume the Roman Colon trade? Hope he pitches as well for the Tigres as he did in the Royals' farm system.


Hawaii -- West Oahu Canefires: The Canefires are 12-20 and eliminated from the HWB West race with play entering the final weekend.

IF Jeff Bianchi
last update (11/7) -- .290/.347/.709, 3 2B, 1 3B, 12 RS (still tied team lead), 3 RBI, 6 BB/20 K, 5/5 SB, 1 GIDP in 17 games (69 AB)
now -- .284/.338/.702, 4 2B, 13 RS, no other changes in 18 games (74 AB)
-- got one more game in over the week and lowered his numbers but added a double and RS....kinda wonder what's cut into his PT....he might just be tired as he's had the heaviest workload of his pro career in '07.

P Tyler Chambliss
last update -- 1-1, 1 hold, 1 for 3 in saves, 7.50 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 10 BB/18 K, .295 OAV, 2 HRA in 9 games and 18 IP of relief
now -- no change
-- gotten the week off.

P Blake Wood
last update -- 0-1, 3.38 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 13 BB/38 K, .258 OAV in 6 starts and 24 IP
now -- 1-1, 3.54 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 16 BB/45 K, .245 OAV in 7 starts and 28 IP
-- K rate continues to increase, even though K/BB suffered a little over the week....still in good shape, tho....figure Blake will start '08 in Wilmington in A-ball....would like to see his WHIP improve.

Arizona -- Surprise Rafters: The Rafters are 18-12 with the AFL season wrapping Thursday. (Team USA guys were taken off this week as they are in play in Taiwan)

2B Marc Maddox
last update -- .389/.452/1.063, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 7 BB/10 K, 1/3 SB, 3 E in 14 G (54 AB)
now -- .356/.429/.963, 5 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 10 BB/13 K, 2/4 SB, 3 E in 19 G (73 AB)
-- numbers continue to dip from spectacular to great...no matter how the last couple games go, he's made a name for himself this fall....should be in AA to start '08.

OF Chris Lubanski
last update -- .209/.280/.668, 3 2B, 3 3B, HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB/14 K, 10 RS, 3 E in 18 G (67 AB)
now -- .198/.267/.686, 3 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 8 BB/21 K, 12 RS, 3 E in 22 G (81 AB)
-- over the last couple years I've gone from excited about Lubanski's future to pretty damn disappointed....that feeling isn't changing.

1B Kila Kaaihue
last update -- .244/.414/.836, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 13 BB/12 K, 8 RS, 0 E in 13 G (45 AB)
now -- .215/.373/.773, 3 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 17 BB/18 K, 2 E in 19 G (65 AB)
-- numbers still sagging....Ks have caught up with BBs....also not Kila's best defensive week.

OF Jose Duarte
last update -- .185/.281/.466, 4 RBI, 6 RS, 4 BB/9 K, 2/2 SB in 8 G (27 AB)
now -- .154/.244/.398, 4 RBI, 5 BB/12 K, 2/3 SB in 11 G (39 AB)
--as a reminder, Duarte's designated to play only on weekends....not much to remark about for Duarte over the week.

P Dusty Hughes
last update -- 1-0, 1.20 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 2 BB/11 K, 1 HRA in 4 starts and 15 IP
now -- 1-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 8 BB/17 K in 6 starts and 22 IP
-- 6 BB and 6 K in 2 games over the week didn't help his K/BB ratio....may be tiring after long year of work....wonder if he'll see AAA to start '08.

P Tyler Lumsden
last update -- 1-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 4 BB/11 K, 2 HRA in 6 games and 11 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 6.00 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 5 BB/11 K in 7 G (12 IP relief)
-- yo-yo numbers....still waiting to see consistency out of Tyler.

P Nate Hoelscher
last update -- 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, BB/7 K, in 8 G and 8 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, BB/10 K, 2 holds, 1 save in 9 G and 10 IP of relief
-- solid work out of Nate.

P Devon Lowery
last update -- 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 2 holds, 2 BB/3 K, HRA in 4 G and 4 IP of relief
now -- 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3 BB/4 K, 2 HRA in 5 G and 5 IP of relief
-- gave up another dinger.


Dominican Winter League -- various teams: I'm not gonna do full rundowns on each guy, but several Royals are playing in the Dominican this offseason

Billy Butler is batting .234 with a .308 OBP, 3 2B and 5 RBI with 5 BB and 11 Ks in 13 games for the Azucareros del Este, while Angel Berroa is hitting .286 with a .339 OBP, 1 HR and 8 RBI with 4 walks and 9 Ks in 16 games, so need I note again that that comparison makes me kinda nauseated? On the same team, Kyle Davies is 1-1 with a 3.22 ERA and .207 OAV, 8 BB and 19 Ks in 5 games and 22 1/3 IP. Nice K rate and OAV, at least. Julio Pimentel is still 0-1 with a 5.41 ERA but a .167 OAV, 4 BB and 2 Ks in 3 games and 3 1/3 IP.

Matt Tupman is hitting .280 with a .280 OBP, 3 2B, 5 RBI and 5 K in 17 games for the Tigres del Licey.

Mitch Maier is hitting .295 with a .348 OBP, 2 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 4 BB/11 K in 17 games for the Gigantes del Cibao.

Venezuelan Winter League -- various teams:

Andres Blanco is hitting .241/.290/.601 OPS with 2 BB/7 K and an E through 10 games (29 AB) with the Aguilas de Zulia.

P Yovany D'Amico is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 5 BB/9 K in 9 G and 17 IP (1 start) for the Cardenales de Lara.

The Leones del Caracas have several Royals farmhands on hand as IF Luis Castillo's numbers haven't changed -- he's hitting .229 with a .552 OPS, 3 2B and 2 RBI with 4 E in 15 games; IF Mario Lisson is hitting .253 with an .876 OPS, 4 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 15 RS, 15 RBI (still leads team), 8 BB and 18 K with 6 E in 25 games; P Rayner Oliveros is 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 2 BB/12 K in 5 G and 11 1/3 IP of relief (no change from last week); and P Jarod Plummer is 1-1 with 2 saves, a 6.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 3 BB/7 K in 9 G and 9 IP of relief (also no change from last week).

And Mike Aviles is hitting .311 with an .877 OPS, 19 RS, 7 2B, a triple, 4 HR and 15 RBI with 9 BB and 17 Ks along with 3 E in 27 games to lead the Tigres de Aragua. Leads the team in several offensive categories.

Royals in the Fall -- Nov. 7 update

Hawaii -- West Oahu Canefires: The Canefires are 8-19.

IF Jeff Bianchi
last update (10/31) -- .290/.347/.709, 3 2B, 1 3B, 12 RS (still tied team lead), 3 RBI, 6 BB/20 K, 5/5 SB, 1 GIDP in 17 games (69 AB)
now -- no change
-- no notes on any injury for Jeff but it wouldn't exactly be a surprise if he sat out a few games with his track record.

P Tyler Chambliss
last update -- 1-1, 1 hold, 1 for 2 in saves, 5.09 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 8 BB/18 K, .260 OAV, 2 HRA in 8 games and 17 2/3 IP of relief
now -- changes are he is now 1 for 3 in saves with a 7.50 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 10 BB/18 K, .295 OAV in 9 games and 18 IP of relief
-- another bad outing for Tyler made his numbers a step uglier than when last we checked....he still has time to turn it around and finish strong, if he can.

P Blake Wood
last update -- 0-1, 0 for 1 in saves, 4.26 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 11 BB/32 K, .300 OAV, 1 HRA in 5 starts and 19 IP
now -- 0-1, 3.38 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 13 BB/38 K, .258 OAV in 6 starts and 24 IP
-- strikeout onslaught continues as he remains second in the league....good start recently greatly cut his WHIP, ERA and OAV.... K/BB has remained steady, which is a good sign.

Arizona -- Surprise Rafters: The Rafters are 15-9 and have the best record in the AFL.

2B Marc Maddox
last update -- .417/.476/1.087 OPS, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB/9 K, 1/3 SB, 1 E in 10 G (36 AB)
now -- .389/.452/1.063, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 7 BB/10 K, 1/3 SB, 3 E in 14 G (54 AB)
-- not a sparkling defensive week for Marc but he is keeping up the offensive wattage....still leads team in hits and is second in total bases....one of six guys in AFL with over 1.000 OPS, so may be skyrocketing his prospect stock.

OF Chris Lubanski
last update -- .208/.291/.645, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB/7 K, 8 RS, 3 E in 13 G (48 AB)
now -- .209/.280/.668, 3 2B, 3 3B, HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB/14 K, 10 RS, 3 E in 18 G (67 AB)
-- numbers held fairly steady, as a week including a couple triples and a double boosted his slugging percentage and, therefore, his OPS, despite 1 walk and 7 Ks over the week....no errors in 5 games, which is good.

1B Kila Kaaihue
last update -- .273/.455/.970, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 11 BB/9 K, 7 RS, 0 E in 10 G (33 AB)
now -- .244/.414/.836, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 13 BB/12 K, 8 RS, 0 E in 13 G (45 AB)
-- OBP still very healthy but SLG slipped over the week....if he could keep up the on-base numbers, that would be a great addition to his repertoire.

OF Jose Duarte
last update -- .150/.250/.400, 3 RBI, 4 RS, 3 BB/6 K, 1/1 SB in 6 G (20 AB)
now -- .185/.281/.466, 4 RBI, 6 RS, 4 BB/9 K, 2/2 SB in 8 G (27 AB)
--as a reminder, Duarte's designated to play only on weekends....picked it up a little more this week, although it's probably hard to do so in limited action.

P Dusty Hughes
last update -- 1-0, 1.64 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, 1 BB/7 K, 1 HRA in 3 starts and 11 IP
now -- 1-0, 1.20 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 2 BB/11 K, 1 HRA in 4 starts and 15 IP
-- another solid start out of Dusty has his numbers looking very good....we'll see if he hits AAA to start '08.

P Tyler Lumsden
last update -- 1-0, 4.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 3 BB/10 K, 2 HRA in 5 games and 9 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 4 BB/11 K, 2 HRA in 6 games and 11 IP of relief
-- poor outing inflated numbers back up somewhat....still decent peripherals, altho AFL site doesn't offer OAV in stats.

P Nate Hoelscher
last update -- 1-0, 1 save, 1 hold, 1.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, BB/4 K, 0 HRA in 6 G and 6 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, BB/7 K, in 8 G and 8 IP of relief
-- ERA rose some but WHIP and BB/K are still healthy.

P Greg Atencio
last update -- 0-0, 27.00 ERA, 4.00 WHIP, 3 BB/0 K, HRA in 1 G and 1 IP of relief
now -- no change
-- as noted in last week's comments (thanks Keith), Atencio was replaced by Lowery on the roster and is done until spring.

P Devon Lowery
last update -- 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, hold, BB/2 K in 2 G and 2 IP of relief
now -- 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 2 holds, 2 BB/3 K, HRA in 4 G and 4 IP of relief
-- gave up his first ER and HR but picked up another hold over the week.

AFL -- Team USA: 4-2 in tune up for international tourney in Taiwan

P Matt Wright
last update -- 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, BB/2 K, HRA in 2 starts and 7 IP
now -- no change

P Neal Musser
last update -- 1-0, 3.38 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, BB/3 K in 3 games and 2 2/3 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 1 save, 2.45 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, BB/3 K in 4 games and 3 2/3 IP of relief
-- picked up a save in a scoreless IP.

Dominican Winter League -- various teams: I'm not gonna do full rundowns on each guy, but several Royals are playing in the Dominican this offseason

Billy Butler is batting .256 with a .333 OBP, 3 2B and 5 RBI with 5 BB and 9 Ks in 12 games for the Azucareros del Este, while Angel Berroa is hitting .286 with a .348 OBP, 1 HR and 4 RBI with 3 walks and 6 Ks in 12 games, so Butler isn't exactly raking in the Dominican. On the same team, Kyle Davies is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA and .174 OAV, 4 BB and 10 Ks in 3 games and 13 IP. Julio Pimentel's stats didn't change at 0-1 with a 7.73 ERA but a .222 OAV, 3 BB and 2 Ks in 2 games and 2 1/3 IP.

Matt Tupman is hitting .194 with a .194 OBP, 2B, 2 RBI and 4 K in 12 games for the Tigres del Licey.

Mitch Maier is hitting .225 with a .311 OBP, 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB/6 K in 12 games for the Gigantes del Cibao.

Venezuelan Winter League -- various teams:

Andres Blanco is hitting .429 through 3 games with the Aguilas de Zulia. It wouldn't surprise me if he's injured.

P Yovany D'Amico is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 4 BB/7 K in 8 G and 12 relief IP for the Cardenales de Lara.

The Leones del Caracas have several Royals farmhands on hand as IF Luis Castillo is hitting .229 with a .552 OPS, 3 2B and 2 RBI with 4 E in 15 games; IF Mario Lisson is hitting .268 with an .892 OPS, 4 2B, 5 HR, 13 RBI (leads team), 7 BB and 12 K with 5 E in 21 games; P Rayner Oliveros is 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 2 BB/12 K in 5 G and 11 1/3 IP of relief; and P Jarod Plummer is 1-1 with 2 saves, a 6.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 3 BB/7 K in 9 G and 9 IP of relief.

And Mike Aviles is hitting .354 with a 1.029 OPS, 17 RS, 7 2B, a triple, 4 HR and 13 RBI with 8 BB and 10 Ks along with 2 E in 21 games to lead the Tigres de Aragua. Nice to see Mike hitting that well in Venezuela.

Royals in the Fall -- Oct. 31 update

Hawaii -- West Oahu Canefires: The Canefires are 8-16.

IF Jeff Bianchi
last update (10/24) -- .305/.359/.749 OPS, 3 2B, 1 3B, 11 RS (tied team lead), 3 RBI, 5 BB/17 K, 4/4 SB in 14 games (59 AB)
now -- .290/.347/.709, 3 2B, 1 3B, 12 RS (still tied team lead), 3 RBI, 6 BB/20 K, 5/5 SB, 1 GIDP in 17 games (69 AB)
-- Numbers continue to slide for Jeff, as over the week his BA dipped below .300 and his OPS dropped 40 points....still putting up decent numbers but you'd like them to stabilize.

P Tyler Chambliss
last update -- 0-1, 1 hold, 1 for 2 in saves, 3.29 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 6 BB/11 K, .212 OAV, 1 HRA in 13 2/3 IP of relief in 6 games
now -- 1-1, 1 hold, 1 for 2 in saves, 5.09 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 8 BB/18 K, .260 OAV, 2 HRA in 8 games and 17 2/3 IP of relief
-- what a difference a week makes as Chambliss got roughed up a little in his 4 IP over the week....BB/K ratio improved even though his other numbers sagged, and his K rate is still good....despite the rough outing(s), did pick up a win.

P Blake Wood
last update -- 0-1, 4.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 8 BB/27 K, .302 OAV, 1 HRA in 4 starts and 15 IP
now -- 0-1, 0 for 1 in saves, 4.26 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 11 BB/32 K, .300 OAV, 1 HRA in 5 starts and 19 IP
-- still racking up the Ks....HWB site indicates a save opportunity but no relief appearance, so may be a typo....still getting hit, but is also overpowering some, it seems.

Arizona -- Surprise Rafters: The Rafters are 12-6 and have the best record in the AFL.

2B Marc Maddox
last update -- .500/.571/1.253, 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 5 BB/6 K, 1/2 SB, 1 E in 7 games (22 AB)
now -- .417/.476/1.087 OPS, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB/9 K, 1/3 SB, 1 E in 10 G (36 AB)
-- the more he plays, the more his numbers come closer to human so that's to be expected....still doing great, however, as he leads the league in BA and OBP and is second in SLG....picked up his first homer over the last 7 days and also doubled his RBI total....tied for team lead with 15 hits despite not playing full-time.

OF Chris Lubanski
last update -- .189/.279/.630, 2B, 3B, HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB/5 K, 7 RS, 1 E in 10 G (37 AB)
now -- .208/.291/.645, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB/7 K, 8 RS, 3 E in 13 G (48 AB)
-- numbers have moved from God-awful to just awful....in same boat with big Rangers prospect OF John Mayberry Jr., who is hitting .208 but putting up better OBP and SLG numbers....offensive improvement has been offset by tripling his error total over the last week....still disappointing.

1B Kila Kaaihue
last update --.350/.536/1.286, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 8 BB/5 K, 6 RS in 6 G (20 AB)
now -- .273/.455/.970, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 11 BB/9 K, 7 RS, 0 E in 10 G (33 AB)
-- still producing when played, and still ahead on walks per K....wish he could put up these numbers in a regular season.

OF Jose Duarte
last update -- .000/.125/.125, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB/4 K in 4 G (13 AB)
now - .150/.250/.400, 3 RBI, 4 RS, 3 BB/6 K, 1/1 SB in 6 G (20 AB)
--as a reminder, Duarte's designated to play only on weekends....finally picked up his first hits of the season, as he was 3/7 on the week to boost his stats....also scored 3 runs over the week and stole a base.

P Dusty Hughes
last update -- 1-0, 1.64 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, 1 BB/7 K, 1 HRA in 3 starts and 11 IP
now -- no change
-- no action over the week, although Hughes was named starter for the West in the "Rising Stars Showcase" game.

P Tyler Lumsden
last update -- 1-0, 5.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2 BB/7 K, 2 HRA in 3 games and 6 1/3 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 4.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 3 BB/10 K, 2 HRA in 5 games and 9 IP of relief
-- continues to improve his numbers as he is now putting up respectable stats....we'll see if the trend holds.

P Nate Hoelscher
last update -- 1-0, 1 save, 1 hold, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, BB/4 K, 0 HRA in 5 G and 5 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 1 save, 1 hold, 1.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, BB/4 K, 0 HRA in 6 G and 6 IP of relief
-- again, still fairly solid work out of Nate.

P Greg Atencio
last update -- 0-0, 27.00 ERA, 4.00 WHIP, 3 BB/0 K, HRA in 1 G and 1 IP of relief
now -- no change
-- worked his way to bottom of deep bullpen in Surprise, so who knows how much action he'll see moving forward.

P Devon Lowery
last update -- 0-0, 0.00 ERA, hold, K in 1 G and 1 IP of relief
now -- 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, hold, BB/2 K in 2 G and 2 IP of relief
-- so far, so good.

AFL -- Team USA: 2-2 in tune up for international tourney in Taiwan

P Matt Wright
now -- 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, BB/2 K, HRA in 2 starts and 7 IP
-- added to team roster because of an injury to another player and has been all right thus far.

P Neal Musser
now -- 1-0, 3.38 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, BB/3 K in 3 games and 2 2/3 IP of relief
-- got a win out of pen and has been OK thus far...only allowed 1 hit and a walk.

Dominican Winter League -- various teams: I'm not gonna do full rundowns on each guy, but several Royals are playing in the Dominican this offseason

Billy Butler is batting .276 with a .323 OBP, 2 2B and 4 RBI with 5 Ks in 8 games for the Azucareros del Este, while Angel Berroa is hitting .273 with a .385 OBP, 1 HR and 3 RBI with 3 walks and 2 Ks in 7 games, which frightens me that he's arguably outhitting Butler. On the same team, Kyle Davies is 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA and .207 OAV, 3 BB and 7 Ks in 2 games and 8 IP, so that's nice to see. Julio Pimentel isn't faring as well with an 0-1 record, 7.73 ERA but a .222 OAV, 3 BB and 2 Ks in 2 games and 2 1/3 IP.

Matt Tupman is hitting .150 with a .150 OBP, 1 RBI and 3 K in 6 games for the Tigres del Licey.

Mitch Maier is hitting .190 with a .320 OBP, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB/1 K in 7 games for the Gigantes del Cibao.

Royals in the Fall -- Oct. 24 update

Hawaii -- West Oahu Canefires: The Canefires are 6-12 and still have the worst record in HWB.

IF Jeff Bianchi
last update (10/14) -- .371/.421/.850 OPS, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB/11 K in 8 games (35 AB)
now -- .305/.359/.749, 3 2B, 1 3B, 11 RS (tied team lead), 3 RBI, 5 BB/17 K, 4/4 SB in 14 games (59 AB)
-- Bianchi is getting playing time but his numbers have fallen off somewhat....he's dropped to fifth in the league in batting, which still isn't bad....he is scoring runs and is perfect in SB, but hopefully these numbers stabilize rather than continuing to drop.

P Tyler Chambliss
last update -- 0-1, 1 hold, 4.00 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 6 BB/8 K, .222 OAV, 1 HRA in 9 IP of relief in 4 games
now -- 0-1, 1 hold, 1 for 2 in saves, 3.29 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 6 BB/11 K, .212 OAV, 1 HRA in 13 2/3 IP of relief in 6 games
-- Chambliss has picked it up over his last two games to decrease his WHIP, ERA and opponents' batting average while picking up a save....his ERA is fourth best on the team and both his ERA and WHIP are second best out of the pen.

P Blake Wood
last update -- 0-1, 4.91 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 7 BB/20 K, .261 OAV, 0 HRA in 3 starts and 11 IP
now -- 0-1, 4.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 8 BB/27 K, .302 OAV, 1 HRA in 4 starts and 15 IP
-- still tied for league lead in Ks, and his K/IP and K/BB are still pretty good....his K/IP and K/BB have actually improved after getting 7 Ks with 1 BB in his last start....he's getting hit even harder than before as his WHIP has declined but his ERA has improved slightly.

Arizona -- Surprise Rafters: The Rafters are 10-3 and have the best record in the AFL.

2B Marc Maddox
last update -- .571/.625/1.482 OPS, 3B, 2 RBI, BB, SB in 2 G (7 AB)
now -- .500/.571/1.253, 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 5 BB/6 K, 1/2 SB, 1 E in 7 games (22 AB)
-- has deserved and gotten more playing time and is still producing very well....leads team in batting and OBP....also leads team with 11 hits.....we'll see if this lasts, but he could be the team's best story coming out of the AFL.

OF Chris Lubanski
last update -- .200/.250/.650 OPS, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB/2 K in 4 G (15 AB)
now -- .189/.279/.630, 2B, 3B, HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB/5 K, 7 RS, 1 E in 10 G (37 AB)
-- his poor start hasn't gotten any better....he is hitting for some power with 3 XBH out of 7 hits....it's disappointing to see him do this everywhere he goes.

1B Kila Kaaihue
last update --.143/.333/.905 OPS, 1 HR (only hit), 3 RBI, 2 BB/3 K in 2 G (7 AB)
now -- .350/.536/1.286, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 8 BB/5 K, 6 RS in 6 G (20 AB)
-- has picked up the offensive pace nicely since last update....leads team in OPS and SLG (.750) as a part-timer at 1B....also has been able to take some walks at the plate....4 XBH out of 7 hits.

OF Jose Duarte
last update -- .000/.143/.143, 1 RBI, RS, 1 BB/1 K in 2 G (5 AB)
now -- .000/.125/.125, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB/4 K in 4 G (13 AB)
--as a reminder, Duarte's designated to play only on weekends....still no hits in the league, but does have a couple ribbies.

P Dusty Hughes
last update -- 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 0 BB/2 K, 0 HRA in 1 start and 3 IP
now -- 1-0, 1.64 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, 1 BB/7 K, 1 HRA in 3 starts and 11 IP
-- Hughes is pitching well as he's tied for the team lead in IP and also ERA and WHIP for those with more than 5 IP....nothing much to point out as a weakness thus far....after a solid year at Wichita, he's continuing to put himself on the prospect map....surely he can take Dan Christensen's 40-man spot.

P Tyler Lumsden
last update -- 1-0, 13.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 0 BB/3 K, 2 HRA in 1 G and 2 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 5.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2 BB/7 K, 2 HRA in 3 games and 6 1/3 IP of relief
-- an improvement from before, but still not much to brag about out of Tyler....K/BB is good in small sample size....right now is a wait-and-see situation.

P Nate Hoelscher
last update -- 0-0, 1 hold, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, BB/2 K, 0 HRA in 2 G and 2 IP of relief
now -- 1-0, 1 save, 1 hold, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, BB/4 K, 0 HRA in 5 G and 5 IP of relief
-- still fairly solid work out of Nate.

P Greg Atencio
last update -- 0-0, 27.00 ERA, 4.00 WHIP, 3 BB/0 K, HRA in 1 G and 1 IP of relief
now -- 0-0, 27.00 ERA, 3.50 WHIP, 3 BB/2 K, 2 HRA in 2 G and 2 IP of relief
-- I guess it went sideways from last time, but now I'll say again... it can only go up from here, hopefully.

P Devon Lowery
last update -- no stats
now -- 0-0, 0.00 ERA, hold, K in 1 G and 1 IP of relief
-- Devon makes his AFL debut....we'll see how much work he gets from here.

Royals in the Fall -- Oct. 14 update

Hawaii -- West Oahu Canefires: The Canefires are 2-8 with the worst record in HWB.

IF Jeff Bianchi .371/.421/.850 OPS, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB/11 K in 8 games (35 AB) -- Bianchi's BA is third in the league but he isn't hitting for much power, and leads the team in Ks.

P Tyler Chambliss 0-1, 1 hold, 4.00 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 6 BB/8 K, .222 OAV, 1 HRA in 9 IP of relief in 4 games -- Chambliss followed up a promising year at A-ball with a middling start in Hawaii thus far. Other than the opponent's BA, his peripherals aren't especially good, other than 8 Ks in 9 IP.

P Blake Wood 0-1, 4.91 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 7 BB/20 K, .261 OAV, 0 HRA in 3 starts and 11 IP -- At the point these stats were finalized, he led the league in Ks, and his K/IP and K/BB are good. He's getting hit, though, but maybe HWB is a hitter's league.

Arizona -- Surprise Rafters: The Rafters are 4-1 and tied with the Peoria Javelinas for the best record in the AFL.

2B Marc Maddox .571/.625/1.482 OPS, 3B, 2 RBI, BB, SB in 2 G (7 AB) -- isn't getting to start regularly, but is performing when given the chance thus far. He looks promising, but the sample size is VERY small here.

OF Chris Lubanski .200/.250/.650 OPS, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB/2 K in 4 G (15 AB) -- so much for Lubanski getting off to a good start, but he's a notorious slow starter. His homer is one of 3 hits for him.

1B Kila Kaaihue .143/.333/.905 OPS, 1 HR (only hit), 3 RBI, 2 BB/3 K in 2 G (7 AB) -- Kila's in Maddox's boat. His only hit is a longball but he is getting on base with 2 BB. We'll see how much he plays from here.

OF Jose Duarte .000/.143/.143, 1 RBI, RS, 1 BB/1 K in 2 G (5 AB) -- Duarte's designated to play only on weekends, which explains his lesser showing to some extent.

P Dusty Hughes 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 0 BB/2 K, 0 HRA in 1 start and 3 IP -- not enough work to evaluate Dusty at this point, but so far so good after a solid season in Wichita

P Tyler Lumsden 1-0, 13.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 0 BB/3 K, 2 HRA in 1 G and 2 IP of relief -- same ol' same ol' for Tyler, 3 ER and 2 longballs served up in 2 IP.

P Nate Hoelscher 0-0, 1 hold, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, BB/2 K, 0 HRA in 2 G and 2 IP of relief -- so far, so good for Nate

P Greg Atencio 0-0, 27.00 ERA, 4.00 WHIP, 3 BB/0 K, HRA in 1 G and 1 IP of relief -- can only go up from here, hopefully.

Royals on the Farm wrapup post -- Idaho Falls

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Orem 3, Chukars 0 (3-hitter, Orem sweeps best-of-3 series 2-0)

SS Moustakas 0-3, K
3B Juan 2-3, K
2B Bionde 1-3, K
CF Ortiz 0-4, K
1B Robinson 0-3, K, E (2)
LF Seratelli 0-3, 2 K

Baldwin 4 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, WP -- L, 0-1, no run support
Phillips and Swaggerty 5 hitless IP

A great season in Idaho Falls came to a sorry end with a sweep by the Owlz in the playoff semis. Starter Burke Baldwin allowed a run in the 1st on a walk and hit and then allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and a wild pitch in the 3rd. The Chukars got 2 on but could make nothing of it in the 4th as starter Robert Fish pitched a great game. Fish went 8 IP of 2 hits, a walk and 13 Ks to get the win as P Mason Tobin pitched the 9th for the save. Orem also had only 3 hits but cashed in on them, although Justin Phillips and Ben Swaggerty pitched 5 great innings in relief.

IF finished 46-30.

1B/DH Clint Robinson .336 BA (led team)/.388 OBP/.981 OPS, 18 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR (led team), 66 RBI (led team), 19 BB/42 K, 2/2 SB, 9 E in 67 games and 253 AB -- Pioneer League MVP had great season; outclassed rest of '07 draftees at the plate; proved to be perhaps best power hitter in lower minors in organization

SS/1B/3B Anthony Seratelli .327/.417/.966, 19 2B (led team), 5 3B (led team), 10 HR, 46 RBI, 52 RS, 40 BB/53 K, 29/35 SB, 13 E in 72 games (led team) and 266 AB -- durable, steady hitter was a half-step behind Robinson as a nondrafted free agent pickup, another solid power hitter with good plate discipline and speed to boot; hope he sticks around in organization

OF O.D. Gonzalez .297/.372/.842, 15 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 56 RS (led team), 32 BB/74 K, 17/23 SB, 4 E in 69 games and 266 AB -- started at Burlington (A) but didn't play well before rebounding nicely at Idaho Falls; could cut down on Ks but was one of better OFs in low minors in organization with arm

OF Wilson Tucker .328 BA/.930 OPS, 10 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB/10 K, 0 E in 15 games and 67 AB -- played well after late promotion from Burlington (R); assume he'll start at Burlington (A) next season
OF Nick Van Stratten .316/.907, 10 XBH, 13 BB/9 K, 7/9 SB, 0 E in 24 games and 98 AB -- played early but then disappeared, so may have been injured
SS Mike Moustakas .293/.822, 4 2B, 1 3B, 10 RBI, 4 BB/8 K, 1 E in 11 games and 41 AB -- solid debut; be interesting to see where he starts '08, didn't get lot of time at short
C Todd Balduf .308/.790, 4 XBH, 15 BB/21 K, 5 E in 35 games and 104 AB -- .405 OBP was nice for another Burlington (A) demotee
3B Devery Van De Keere .284/.757, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 34 BB/47 K, 5/7 SB, 16 E (led team) in 70 games and 268 AB -- middling debut for low '07 draftee
CF Adrian Ortiz .326/.715, 9 2B, 9 BB/36 K, 17/24 SB, 5 E in 61 games and 264 AB -- like to see more walks out of leadoff guy but he hit well for contact, altho not for power with only 1 triple

P Dane Secott 5-1, 0.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 14 BB/37 K, 0 HRA in 15 games (1 start) and 34 1/3 IP -- better stats in a few ways than pitcher of year Greg Holland, good first season for '07 draftee

P Zach Peterson 5-3, 2.89 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 8 BB/67 K (!!), 5 HRA in 15 games (8 starts) and 56 IP -- made a big splash in debut season with record 11 straight Ks in one game; perhaps best power pitcher in lower Royals minors

P Pat Cassa 2-0, 3.67 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 9 BB/30 K, 3 HRA in 20 games and 27 IP -- solid season in relief
P Jason Roach 4-1, 3.26 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 5 BB/38 K, 1 HRA in 21 games and 30 1/3 IP -- 2 saves and good numbers
P Matt Jensen 1-3, 3.49 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 8 BB/35 K, 2 HRA in 21 games and 28 1/3 IP -- completes trio of good relievers at IF with Cassa and Roach
P Greg Holland 6-1, 3.48 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 15 BB/37 K, 1 HRA in 22 games and 33 2/3 IP -- 6 saves led team, but also blew 5 or 6; not sure what set him apart for "pitcher of the year" award
P Burke Baldwin 5-1, 2.87 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 23 BB/42 K, 4 HRA in 16 games (8 starts) and 53 1/3 IP -- some of best numbers among starters, split time between rotation and pen
P Chris Chavez 3-2, 3.41 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 14 BB/47 K, 2 HRA in 15 games (14 starts) and 60 2/3 IP -- also decent season as starter

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=444&stn=true&sid=t444

I set a new high this season with 154 Royals on the Farm reports, so this wraps up an interesting season in the Royals minors.

Royals on the Farm 9/9 news flash -- IF swept

Internet connectivity problems preclude a full report today, but Idaho Falls was blanked by Orem, 3-0, Sunday to get swept 2-0 in the best-of-3 semis with the Owlz. The Chukars' season ends with the loss. A more detailed report with stats update will be issued Tuesday afternoon, most likely.

Royals on the Farm 9/8

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Orem 6, Chukars 5 (Orem leads best-of-3 series 1-0)

SS Moustakas 0-4, BB, 2 K, RS
RF Gonzalez 2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, K, 2 RS
1B Robinson 2-4, K, E
CF Ortiz 1-5
2B Evangelho 1-4, RBI, K
LF Seratelli 0-4

Chavez 5 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, BB, 4 K
J. Hughes 1 2/3 IP, ER, 4 H
Jensen 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, K, HRA -- BS, 1
Holland IP, ER, 2 H, BB, WP -- L, 0-1

The Chukar bullpen sputtered as Orem took game 1 at home and sent Idaho Falls home for game 2 in a must-win situation. The Chukars left the bases loaded in the 2nd and Orem answered with 2 runs off Chris Chavez on 3 hits in the bottom of the frame. O.D. Gonzalez cranked a 2-out, 2-run homer in the 3rd to tie it but Orem regained the lead on a hit and Clint Robinson error in the bottom of the 3rd. Zach Evangelho tied it with an RBI single in the 4th and IF took the lead with 2 runs in the 5th on another Gonzalez 2-run blast. The score was 5-3 into the 7th but Orem showed some resiliency with a run off Joe Hughes on 2 hits. Matt Jensen gave up a game-tying homer to Orem DH Gordon Gronkowski in the 8th and the Owlz put 2 on with 2 out in the 9th off Greg Holland. Holland gave up a walkoff single to end the IF collapse. Five Owlz had 2-hit games and P Jordan Towns got the win with a perfect inning of relief.

The series shifts to Idaho Falls tonight for game 2. No starters announced on the team site. Clint Robinson was recently named Pioneer League MVP after hitting .336 with 15 HR and 66 RBI in 67 games.

Royals on the Farm 9/7

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: done at 75-62

RF Brian McFall .286 BA/.358 OBP/.841 OPS, 31 2B (led team), 5 3B, 13 HR (led team), 72 RBI (led team), 40 BB/98 K, 10/16 SB, 7 E in 111 games and 406 AB -- led team in 4 offensive categories, and was second in BA and 3B; says something about power at that level in organization that only 13 homers led team; drawback was too many Ks but should get to OF in Northwest Arkansas in '08.

1B/3B/DH Brad McCann .277/.347/.788, 18 2B, 6 HR, 19 BB/55 K, 4 E in 58 games and 220 AB -- one-time hotter prospect had peaks and valleys in 2007, finished up well; he should get a shot at AA in 2008 and could be one of Moore's better under-the-radar pickups, also could use decrease in Ks.

3B Mario Lisson .285/.348/.756, 27 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 61 RBI, 72 RS, 41 BB/93 K, 23/32 SB, 17 E (led team) in 126 games and 463 AB -- offensive standout in '06 at Burlington had decent '07 but was overshadowed by McFall; decent combo of speed and power but Ks a lot and isn't great with the glove. Deserves shot at AA in '08.

UT Wilver Perez .302 BA/.843 OPS, 18 XBH, 20 BB/40 K, 13/17 SB, 4 E in 54 games and 162 AB -- injury derailed solid season; if healthy, will see AA in '08
OF Jeremy Cleveland .274/.752, 12 XBH, 22 BB/30 K, 1 E in 43 games and 146 AB -- another midseason pickup that paid off more as the season progressed; if still with organization will either start '08 at Wilmington or NWA
CF Jose Duarte .290 (led team)/.725, 26 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 82 RS (led team), 42 RBI, 48 BB/77 K, 34/47 SB, 1 E in 128 games and 493 AB (led team) -- durable OF may be one of best at position in organization, solid contact hitter with developing discipline; uses speed to advantage. He's a definite to start '08 in AA.
OF Brett Bigler .259/.710 (led team with .399 OBP), 15 XBH, 74 BB/68 K, 15/26 SB, 5 E in 109 games and 328 AB -- best plate discipline on team, only regular with more BB than strikeouts, needs to develop little more pop in bat; hard to say where they'll start him in '08.
2B Josh Johnson .252/.675, 14 XBH, 41 BB/49 K, 4/11 SB, 13 E in 83 games and 262 AB -- disappointed in '08, showed good discipline but that's about it, wonder if he'll redo level to start '08.
2B/3B Marc Maddox .259/.648, 17 2B, 6 3B (led team), 44 RBI, 28 BB/62 K, 12/15 SB, 6 E in 101 games and 405 AB -- hot start at Burlington earned call to Wilmington, where he had middling season; like others, K'd too much but showed good speed and decent defense.
SS Chris McConnell .236/.644, 14 XBH, 16 BB/43 K, 6/10 SB, 5 E in 66 games and 208 AB -- prospect has to hit at some point if he wants to keep moving up; he hasn't gotten it done for the most part
1B/DH Miguel Vega .233/.602, 23 2B, 19 BB/137 K, 6 E in 120 games and 468 AB -- big whiffer

SP Rowdy Hardy 15-5, 2.48 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 3 CG, 16 BB/91 K, 6 HRA in 26 games (22 starts) and 167 IP -- bad playoff start left bad taste from great season, stood out in every category, best organizational pitching prospect under AAA, even if he's a soft tosser.

SP Blake Johnson 9-6, 3.28 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 1 CG, 33 BB/80 K, 7 HRA in 26 games (22 starts) and 131 2/3 IP -- another guy who should be part of AA rotation in '08, a step behind Hardy in the stat categories but still posted great numbers.

SP Dan Cortes 8-8, 3.07 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 45 BB/120 K, 7 HRA in 24 starts and 123 IP -- got out to 0-5 start but rebounded to post best K rate and improved command. Finished off season with 2 straight league pitcher of week awards. Another one to watch in '08 at AA, plus he's only 20.

SP Julio Pimentel 12-4, 2.65 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 43 BB/73 K, 8 HRA in 27 games (22 starts) and 152 2/3 IP -- second on team in IP but maybe rawest of four starter prospects, will also be part of potentially lethal AA rotation in '08
P Yovany D'Amico 5-2, 4.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 14 BB/31 K, 7 HRA in 27 games and 49 2/3 IP -- split time between high and low A-ball, one of more solid parts of sometimes shaky Wilmington pen
P Rayner Oliveros 2-3, 4.22 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 17 BB/53 K, 10 HRA in 37 games (1 start) and 70 1/3 IP -- led pen in IP but also tied for team lead in HR allowed, disappointed from '06 performance; poor outings late in season drove numbers up.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=426

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Chukars 7, Casper 1 (12)

SS Moustakas 1-6, 2B (4), RBI (10), K, RS -- .293
PH-DH Martin 1-2, BB, S, HR (1), 2 RBI (3), RS -- .583
LF Seratelli 2-4, 2 BB, RBI (46), RS, SB (29), CS (6) -- .327
2B Bionde 2-5, 3B (1), RBI (12), K, RS -- .228
C Billick 1-4, S, RBI (11), K, RS, picked off runner -- .186
1B Balduf 2-2, BB -- .308
3B Juan 2-5, HBP, K, RS -- .182
CF Ortiz 1-2 -- .326
CF Norris 1-4, K -- .091
DH Robinson 0-2 -- .336

Peterson 2 IP, H, 5 K -- 2.89 ERA, conserving for playoffs may be wise move
Leonard 4 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 4 K -- 4.68 ERA
Norton and Swaggerty 4 IP scoreless relief
Roach 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K -- W, 4-1, 3.26 ERA

The Chukars ended the regular season with a 6-run 12th to break a 1-1 tie. Joe Billick hit an RBI ground out in the 2nd to make it 1-0 Chukars but the Rockies tied it in the 4th on a walk and double off John Leonard. IF stranded 2 in the 9th as neither team could piece together a rally. In the 11th, Jason Roach put 2 on with 1 out but Billick picked off the runner at third and a K ended the rally. An error broke the stalemate in the 12th as IF scored a run and then added 5 more on a Mike Bionde RBI triple, RBI double by Mike Moustakas, Anthony Seratelli RBI single and a 2-run homer by Kyle Martin for his first with Idaho Falls. Roach pitched a perfect 12th to get his 4th win. Casper LF Chad Lembeck was 3-5 to finish at .234 and P Juan Nicasio took the loss with 2/3 IP of 5 runs (1 ER) on 4 hits and a K to fall to 0-3 with a 4.36 ERA.

IF finished the second half 23-15 and atop the Pioneer League South. The Chukars were 46-30 on the season, so had identical first and second half records. The playoffs start tonight with game 1 of the best-of-3 in Orem. No announced starters on the team site.

Royals on the Farm 9/6 -- and then there was one

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Frederick 3, Blue Rocks 1 (1-hitter; Frederick wins best-of-3 series 2-0)

CF Duarte 1-4, HR, RBI, RS -- .125, homer with 2 out in 9th broke up no-hitter
everybody else had an 0-fer

Pimentel 6 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA -- L, 0-1, 4.50 ERA, not bad start but less than zero run support
Chambliss 2 hitless IP

Wilmington's playoff race in 2007 lasted all of 2 games as Keys SP Chorye Spoone came within an out of a no-hitter and shutout and was a homer and error away from a perfect game to close out the sweep in style. Rocks starter Julio Pimentel stranded 2 in the 2nd and gave up a 2-run homer in the 4th to make it 2-0 Keys. Spoone was perfect through 4 1/3 IP before an error allowed Brian McFall to reach base. Spoone went on to retire the next 13 consecutively and Pimentel gave up a run on 2 hits in the 7th. Spoone had his no-hitter through 8 2/3 but Jose Duarte clubbed a solo homer in the 9th to break it up as well as the shutout. Marc Maddox followed with a ground out to end the Rocks' season. Keys 3B Ryan Finan was 1-3 with a homer and 2 RBI and Spoone went the distance with an ER on a hit and 9 Ks.

Wilmington finished 75-62. A rehash of Rocks stat highlights will be doled out tomorrow. The Keys also eliminated the Rocks in the 2006 semifinals.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Casper 3, Chukars 2

SS Moustakas 0-3, BB -- .314
LF Tucker 1-3, S, RBI (10), K, CS -- .328
CF Ortiz 2-3, S -- .324
DH Robinson 0-4, K -- .339
1B Seratelli 1-4, 2B (19), 2 K -- .324

Baldwin 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, H, BB, K, HRA -- 2.87 ERA
Snipes 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K -- 5.37 ERA
Denton 1 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 K -- L, 1-2, 4.15 ERA
Hughes 2/3 IP -- 3.59 ERA

An 8th-inning run broke the tie as Casper evened the last regular season series at 1 game each. Starter Burke Baldwin allowed a 2-out, 2-run homer in the 1st to give Casper a 2-0 lead but the Chukars tied it in the 3rd on a Wilson Tucker single that scored 2 runs thanks to a Rockies error. The 2-2 tie held into the 8th when Chukars P Chris Denton gave up a leadoff triple and 1-out single to break the tie. The Chukars stranded 1 in the 9th as RP Randall Taylor notched his 5th save. Casper 1B Jeff Cunningham was 3-4 with 2 errors (12), 2 doubles (14), his 8th homer and 2 RBI (29) to move to .254 and P Marco Duarte got the win with 2 IP of 2 hits, a walk and K to move to 3-1 with a 3.21 ERA.

IF is 22-15. The final game of the regular season is tonight as IF's Zach Peterson (5-3, 3.00, with his stuff kinda hoped they'd saved him for playoffs) vs. Casper's Brandon Miller (2-1, 5.05). The playoffs start Saturday with a best-of-3 set against the Orem Owlz with game 1 in Orem and games 2 and 3 in IF. IF swept Orem in the first round in 2006.

Royals on the Farm 9/5 -- Rowdy gets shelled

AAA -- Omaha: forgot to include stats link yesterday, done at 73-71

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=541&stn=true&sid=t541

AA -- Wichita: also forgot to include stats link, done at 56-84

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=585

The team website is pulling the plug Sept.12 as the Wranglers' office shuts down. The new AA website will be www.nwanaturals.com.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Frederick 9, Blue Rocks 2 (Keys lead best-of-3 semis series 1-0)

3B Lisson 2-4 -- .500
1B Vega 2-4, 2B, RS -- .500
C Thibault 1-4, RBI -- .250
LF Bigler 1-3, 2B, RBI -- .333
RF McFall 1-4, K, RS -- .250

Hardy 5 2/3 IP, 7 R (5 ER), 13 H, 2 BB, K, E (1) -- L, 0-1, 7.94 ERA, season high hits allowed, bad time for worst start of season
D'Amico 1 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, WP -- 6.75 ERA
Haltiwanger IP, ER, BB, 2 K, 3 WP -- 9.00 ERA
Humen IP, H, BB -- 0.00 ERA

Wilmington took a momentary lead in the 2nd but it was short-lived as the Keys hammered Rowdy Hardy and took a 1-0 series lead. The Keys scored first on 2 hits and a walk in the 2nd but Wilmington scored 2 in the bottom of the inning on a Kiel Thibault RBI single and Brett Bigler RBI double. Thibault was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice and the Rocks stranded 2. The Keys came up in the 3rd and scored 3 times on 4 hits and a Hardy error to make it 4-2 Frederick and the Keys didn't look back. Keys starter Brad Bergesen retired 11 in a row at one point and Hardy stranded 2 in the 4th before allowing 3 runs in the 6th on 4 hits to get chased. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 6th and a Yovany D'Amico wild pitch scored a Keys run in the 7th to make it 8-2. Frederick added another run in the 8th and a Thibault double-play ball ended the game in the 9th. Frederick LF Chris Amador was 3-5 with 2 RBI while Topeka native 3B Ryan Finan as well as CF Kennard Jones also had 3-hit games. Bergesen got the win with 7 IP of 2 ER on 6 hits.

Game 2 is tonight in Frederick as the Rocks' backs are already against the wall. Probable starters: Rocks right-hander Julio Pimentel (12-4, 2.65) vs. Keys right-hander Chorye Spoone (10-9, 3.26). Salem also drubbed Kinston in game 1 in the south playoffs.

A -- Burlington: forgot to include stats link, done at 61-77

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=420&stn=true&sid=t420

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Orem 5, Chukars 2 (5; game called in favor of Owlz)

SS Moustakas 0-2, BB -- .321
DH Robinson 1-2, 2B (18), 2 RBI (65) -- .347
CF Ortiz 1-3, RS -- .311
LF Tucker 1-3, RS -- .322
1B Seratelli 0-2 -- .326

Norton 1 2/3 IP, 5 R (2 ER), 5 H, 3 K, WP -- L, 1-6, 4.14 ERA
Phillips 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 6 K -- 3.97 ERA, nice night, too bad power went out

Tuesday's power-shortened finale between Orem and IF was handed to the Owlz rather than being completed at a later date. A Zach Evangelho error put the first runner on base in the game in the Owlz 2nd and Orem went on to touch up Ben Norton for 5 runs on 5 hits, a wild pitch and a Devery Van De Keere error. Justin Phillips finished the inning and pitched 3 more scoreless innings. Clint Robinson hit a 2-out, 2-run double in the 4th to cut it to 5-2 and the Chukars stranded 2 in the 5th. The power went out for good after Mike Moustakas drew a leadoff walk in the 6th. Owlz RF Donato Giovanatto was 2-2 with his 1st triple and 2 RBI (16) to move to .262 and P Jordan Towns got the win with 3 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits and 2 walks to move to 6-3 with a 3.46 ERA.

Chukars 11, Casper 5 (Wed.)

DH Moustakas 2-4, BB, 3B (1), 4 RBI (9) -- .344, hits keep coming for Moose
CF Ortiz 4-5, RBI (24), K, 3 RS -- .320
C Balduf 3-5, 2B (2), RBI (17), 2 RS -- .294
RF Gonzalez 2-5, 2 2B (15), 2 RBI (38), K -- .300
LF Tucker 2-5, 2B (10), K, 2 RS -- .328
1B Robinson 1-5, HBP, HR (15), RBI (66), 3 K, RS -- .344
2B Bionde 2-4, K, RS -- .221

Chavez 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 K, WP -- 3.41 ERA
Secott 2 IP, 2 K -- W, 5-1, 0.79 ERA
Jensen 2 IP, H, K -- 3.49 ERA
Holland IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K -- 3.48 ERA
Cassa IP, ER, 2 H, BB, K -- 3.67 ERA
Roach IP, H, 2 K -- 3.49 ERA

Idaho Falls clinched the second-half division title in style by routing the Rockies in the opener of the final regular season series. O.D. Gonzalez doubled home Adrian Ortiz in the 1st to make it 1-0 IF but Casper scored 2 in the 1st off Chris Chavez on 2 hits, a hit batsman and a wild pitch. The Chukars regained the lead with 2 runs in the 2nd on a run-scoring Casper error and an Ortiz RBI single. Clint Robinson clubbed his 15th pro homer in the 3rd to make it 4-2 and Mike Moustakas hit a 2-run single in the 4th to make it 6-2 as Idaho Falls began to pull away. The Chukars added 2 runs in the 6th on a Wilson Tucker RBI double and run-scoring wild pitch. Greg Holland allowed 2 runs on 3 walks and 2 hits in the 7th before stranding the bases loaded and IF got some insurance with 3 runs in the 8th on a 2-run Moustakas triple and Gonzalez RBI double. Pat Cassa allowed a run in the 8th but Jason Roach got through the 9th to end it. Casper C Beau Seabury was 2-4 with 2 RBI (11) and his 3rd error to move to .296 and SP J.T. Zink took the loss with 5 IP of 6 runs (5 ER) on 10 hits, a walk and 6 Ks to drop to 0-1 with a 5.21 ERA.

The Chukars are 22-14 and won both halves of the division title. They will play Orem in a best-of-3 playoff series starting Saturday. Game 2 with Casper is tonight as IF SP Burke Baldwin (5-1, 2.61) takes on Casper SP Jeff Fischer (0-10, 6.15).

Rookie -- Burlington: done at 38-30
Rookie -- AZL: done at 28-28

Royals on the Farm 9/4

AAA -- Omaha: done at 73-71

1B/LF/DH Billy Butler .291 BA/.412 OBP/.954 OPS, 13 HR, 46 RBI, 43 BB/32 K, 7 E in 57 games -- safe to say he's likely in KC to stay

1B/DH Craig Brazell .307/.337/.942, 33 2B, 32 HR, 76 RBI, 20 BB/83 K, 9 E in 108 games -- led team in batting for those with more than 60 GP, slugged way to great first season in organization, free swinger, but makes more contact than Balboni did

OF Shane Costa .326/.402/.904, 20 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 26 BB/20 K, 8/10 SB, 1 E in 59 games -- who knows what future holds for Shane

OF Joey Gathright .341/.457/.878, 14 XBH, 43 BB/24 K, 25/33 SB, 1 E in 60 games -- hopefully sticks in KC
1B/LF/RF Justin Huber .276 BA/.854 OPS, 13 2B, 18 HR, 68 RBI, 20 BB/48 K, 3 E in 77 games -- still in prospect mix but clock is ticking and he needs to stay healthy
1B Ryan Shealy .262/.837, 7 HR, 15 BB/28 K in 34 games -- a lost season for Ryan
SS Angel Berroa .300/.797, 25 XBH, 25 BB/44 K, 6 E in 81 games -- showed signs of '03 Angel but I, for one, am done with Berroa
SS Mike Aviles .296/.794, 27 2B, 6 3B (led team), 17 HR, 77 RBI (led team), 30 BB/59 K, 23 E (easily led team) in 133 games -- very nice season for Mike, doesn't look like it's been enough for a Sept. call, defensive play still a problem
OF Mitch Maier .279/.749, 29 2B, 5 3B, 14 HR, 62 RBI, 33 BB/89 K, 7/9 SB, 3 E in 140 games -- durable and good defensively but struck out too much and didn't hit consistently
OF Chris Lubanski .208/.636, 13 XBH, 16 BB/48 K, 3 E in 49 games -- didn't exactly blaze through AAA in first chance, will be back in Omaha to start '08, I'd bet

SP Billy Buckner 9-7, 3.78 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 26 BB/83 K, 11 HRA in 27 games (15 starts) and 104 2/3 IP -- better things than Tuesday's poor KC start in store for Billy, K/BB was excellent

SP Luke Hochevar 1-3, 5.12 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 21 BB/44 K, 11 HRA in 10 starts and 58 IP -- if he could cut down on the HRs....we'll see how he does in "the show"

SP Matt Wright 10-5, 4.06 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 40 BB/98 K, 21 HRA in 28 games (21 starts) and 137 1/3 IP -- led team in IP, take out 6 HR allowed game and numbers look much better, think he deserved a bullpen spot in KC in September

P Ben Hendrickson 11-5, 4.12 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 54 BB/66 K, 10 HRA in 27 games (18 starts) and 135 1/3 IP -- led team in wins; had great last couple months, we'll see what Dayton does with him
P Tyler Lumsden 9-6, 5.88 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 59 BB/74 K, 11 HRA in 25 games (24 starts) and 119 1/3 IP -- needs to improve in Omaha next season
P Neal Musser 4-1, 0.49 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 11 BB/47 K in 55 1/3 IP -- when your ERA is less than your walks and hits per inning pitched, that's a good season
P Ryan Braun 2-2, 1.09 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 12 BB/36 K in 33 IP -- led team with 9 saves, wish he'd played more to the level of the other Ryan Braun at the majors
P Roberto Giron 2-5, 3.71 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 30 BB/92 K in 85 IP -- 14 HRA, was better than these numbers over last couple months, deserved a mention

AA -- Wichita: done at 56-84

OF Jorge Padilla .336/.424/.942, 24 XBH, 32 BB/40 K, 11/14 SB, 2 E in 69 games -- roster-filler type pickup paid dividends at AA, didn't do that much in chance at Omaha

1B/LF Mike Stodolka .291/.409/.871, 27 2B, 12 HR (tied for team lead), 59 RBI (led team), 73 BB/91 K, 8 E in 110 games -- another solid offensive season from Mike, if could cut down on Ks would be good step for '08 at Omaha (I presume)

1B/DH Kila Kaaihue .246/.359/.806, 13 2B, 12 HR, 40 RBI, 41 BB/40 K, 4 E in 70 games -- showed improvement at plate, will he start '08 in Northwest Arkansas or Omaha?

OF Adam Greenberg .266 BA/.802 OPS, 30 2B, 11 3B (led team in both), 8 HR, 74 BB/107 K, 23/32 SB, 1 E in 132 games -- comeback bid progressed over course of season, led team in XBH and games played, struck out too much
3B Jeff Nettles .267/.750, 22 XBH, 16 BB/52 K, 10 E in 58 games -- Graig's son did OK at Wichita
2B/OF Geraldo Valentin .288/.688, 24 XBH, 54 RBI, 25 BB/46 K, 5/16 SB (yeesh), 10 E in 112 games -- faltered defensively near end, could be AA or AAA to start '08
C Adam Donachie .207/.643, 9 HR, 31 BB/76 K, 4 E in 84 games -- one of more disappointing farmhands

SP Dusty Hughes 6-2, 3.08 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 45 BB/77 K, 5 HRA in 25 games (16 starts) and 108 IP -- K/BB wasn't great but his last couple starts were excellent and he was the best starter at Wichita

P Jarod Plummer 5-6, 3.08 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 16 BB/90 K, 13 HRA in 77 IP -- led team in appearances (44) and saves (11), had great K/9 and K/BB numbers but gave up too many longballs; will start '08 in Omaha pen

P Gabe DeHoyos 6-0, 1.64 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 19 BB/44 K, 2 HRA in 29 games (2 starts) and 55 IP -- faltered in chance at AAA but put together really good season in Wichita; started last couple games he appeared in, so I have no idea what they'll do with him next season

SP Carlos Rosa 6-6, 4.36 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 43 BB/70 K, 8 HRA in 21 games (17 starts) and 97 IP -- needs more time at AA, it seems; started on fire in Wilmington to earn call but struggled against Texas League bats
SP Dan Christensen 3-15, 6.21 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 56 BB/99 K, 23 HRA in 27 games (24 starts) and 140 2/3 IP -- led team in innings but had nightmare year with only a few good starts; should cost him spot on 40-man but we'll see; I can't imagine anyone rule V-ing him after this line

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: off day, finished regular season 75-62

The playoffs start tonight in Wilmington with game 1 of a best-of-3 with the Frederick Keys (O's affiliate) as Rowdy Hardy takes the mound for the Rocks. Chorye Spoone (10-9, 3.26) is the probable starter for Frederick.

A -- Burlington: done at 61-77

C/1B/DH Brady Everett .266/.324/.756 OPS, 30 2B (led team), 2 3B, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 29 BB/69 K, 3/8 SB, 11 E in 108 games -- best OPS on team, showed some pop but could draw more walks and play better defensively

OF Jamar Walton .278/.349/.752 OPS, 15 XBH, 18 BB/47 K, 8/14 SB, 2 E in 54 games -- midseason pickup started slow but ripped off 20-game hit streak to set team record; likely to start '08 in Wilmington if he's back

OF Joe Dickerson .289/.354/.729 OPS, 23 doubles, 2 3B, 3 HR, 43 RBI, 38 BB/76 K, 26/39 SB, 5 E in 115 games -- led team in OBP at .354, which speaks of the Bees and the Midwest League, has holes in game to fix; season cut short by shoulder injury, hope it doesn't cost him much time in '08

1B/DH Luis Castillo .258 BA/.705 OPS, 11 XBH, 14 BB/22 K, 2 E in 38 games -- didn't start playing at Burlington until midseason after shoulder surgery ended '06 season; may see at Burlington or Wilmington to start '08
3B Mike Thompson .217/.691, 22 2B, 19 HR, 54 RBI (led team in homers and RBI), 15 BB/89 K, 17 E in 108 games -- power but little contact or plate discipline, struck out too much, wasn't exactly good defensively
2B Kurt Mertins .249/.668, 15 2B, 5 3B (led team), 4 HR, 50 BB/95 K, 30/38 SB, 22 E (led team) in 125 games -- led team in walks but swung and missed a lot, too, also had defensive issues to some extent, but did show good speed
SS Jeff Bianchi .247/.611, 19 2B, 25 BB/72 K, 15/19 SB, 13 E in 99 games -- ho-hum season in first shot above rookie ball, but note it was his first season back from shoulder surgery; I expect some rebound in '08
OF Derrick Robinson .243/.599, 16 XBH, 32 BB/100 K, 34/41 SB, 7 E in 102 games -- defensively OK but needs to hit better; I didn't realize his OPS was that low and his Ks that high; will play out playoffs in Wilmington and has much room to improve

SP Jason Godin 5-6, 3.46 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 36 BB/60 K, 0 HRA in 19 games (16 starts) and 96 1/3 IP -- kept ball down and was helped by pitcher's league; got hammered somewhat in Wilmington in chance at advanced A

SP Mario Santiago 5-10, 3.74 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 39 BB/70 K, 13 HRA in 26 games (20 starts) and 132 1/3 IP -- second-most IP on team, season ended with liner off head but no report on any serious harm; K rate wasn't great but kept Bees in games and had several really good starts

P Angelo Morales 4-1, 2.34 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 8 BB/35 K, 3 HRA in 13 games (2 starts) and 34 2/3 IP -- had some injury problems but seemed to have good stuff; K rate was good and he was shutdown for the most part in the MWL

P Chris Hayes 4-4, 3.10 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 14 BB/51 K, 3 HRA in 42 games (tied for team lead) and 69 2/3 IP -- led team with 11 saves, will get shot at Wilmington in '08
P Matt Campbell 4-2, 4.13 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 16 BB/43 K, 5 HRA in 15 games (7 starts) and 56 2/3 IP -- battled shoulder problems for second-straight season, did all right when healthy
P Aaron Hartsock 7-4, 2.62 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 26 BB/51 K, 6 HRA in 42 games and 75 2/3 IP -- had shaky moments but was dependable overall, most IP among relievers
SP Everett Teaford 6-8, 4.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 36 BB/84 K, 11 HRA in 27 games (21 starts) and 134 2/3 IP -- led team in innings pitched, mixed in a handful of good starts with some poor one, K/BB was OK

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: suspended in 6th (power problems)

IF's series finale versus Orem didn't finish because of power problems in Orem that left the game 5-2 Orem in the 6th. The Chukars start their final series of the season tonight in Casper versus the Rockies (11-23). They are 12-3 versus the Rockies. IF has a 2-game lead on Orem for the second-half division crown after winning the first half. I assume the game will only be finished if it has to be, as Orem has the edge for a wild card spot in the playoffs if Idaho Falls wins the second half.

Rookie -- Burlington: done at 38-30
Rookie -- AZL: done at 28-28

Royals on the Farm 9/3

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 5, Iowa 4

SS Aviles 2-4, HR (17), 2 RBI (77), RS -- .296, ends good season on up note; no word on Sept. call
LF Lubanski 2-4, HR (6), RBI (22), K, RS -- .208, another nice way to end shaky AAA debut stint
C Phillips 1-4, 2B (7), RBI (14) -- .238, game-winning hit; deserved or not, getting another call to KC
CF Maier 2-4, 2B (29), K, RS -- .279, no word on Sept. call for Mitch
1B Brazell 2-4, K, RS, E (9) -- .307, HRs tailed off but slugger gets Sept. call
RF Huber 0-4, K -- .276, getting a call-up, too

Hochevar 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K, HRA, WP -- 5.12 ERA, wouldn't be Hochevar start without a HR allowed; getting a chance to impress out of KC pen
Plummer IP, 2 ER, 3 H, K, HRA, WP -- BS, 1, 15.00 ERA, likely starts '08 in Omaha pen
Markray 2 perfect IP -- W, 8-7, 4.62, ditto to Plummer comment

Omaha tied the game in the 8th and won it in the 9th to end the season with a 3-1 series win versus the Cubs and clinch the first Omaha winning season in 5 seasons. Mike Aviles gave starter Luke Hochevar some support with a 2-run homer in the 1st for his 17th of the season and Hochevar had a no-hitter going into the 5th before serving up a leadoff homer to 1B John Nelson to cut the lead in half. Richie Lewis scored on a double-play ball in the 6th but Hochevar gave up another run on a hit and walk in the Iowa 6th to make it 3-2 Omaha. Jarod Plummer took over in the 7th and gave up a leadoff homer to Nelson and a run on 2 more hits and a wild pitch to make it 4-3 Iowa. Chris Lubanski tied it with a leadoff homer in the 8th for his 6th at AAA and, with 1 on and 1 out in the 9th, Paul Phillips doubled home a run off RP Ben Howard to give Omaha the 5-4 lead. Phillips was nailed at third on the play and 2 more singles after that went for naught as the lead held at 1. Thad Markray faced six batters and retired them all for his 8th win. Nelson was 2-4 for Iowa with 2 HR (15) and 2 RBI (44) to finish at .211 and Howard took the loss with an IP of an ER on 4 hits to end the season at 6-9 with a 4.28 ERA.

Omaha finished 73-71 and 16 games back. As noted yesterday, it marks the first winning season for Omaha since 2002. The call-ups thus far were noted above. Pitchers Kyle Davies and Leo Nunez were also "recalled" after making phantom (on-paper only) demotions to Wichita. Iowa and Omaha made Monday's finale notable by sharing the same bat throughout the game. It lasted until breaking in the 6th. I'll wrap up some season stats on the AAA, AA and A teams tomorrow, since A-Advanced Wilmington is in the playoffs and Rookie Idaho Falls starts the postseason soon.

AA -- Wichita: Tulsa 2, Wranglers 1 (10)

1B Kaaihue 1-4, HR (12), RBI (40), RS -- .246, did better in second chance at AA; we'll see where he starts '08
LF Valentin 0-4 -- .288
SS Arce 2-4, 2B (4), K -- .242
*No word on where Mike Stodolka has been the last week or so. He hasn't been in the lineup.

D. Hughes 8 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K -- 3.08 ERA, two great starts to finish the season, should be in Omaha mix in '08
Foster IP, ER, 3 H, HRA -- BS, 1, 3.48 ERA
Cromer 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H -- L, 3-8, 5.25 ERA

Monday's season-ending loss for the Wranglers summed up the 2007 season -- a lead, then a blown save in the 9th, then losing it in extras. It was that kind of year for Wichita. Starter Dusty Hughes battled several Tulsa pitchers through 6 scoreless frames and Wichita broke the tie in the 7th on Kila Kaaihue's 12th AA homer of the year to make it 1-0. John Foster came on to close it in the 9th but served up a 1-out solo homer to DH Christian Colonel to tie the game. Foster stranded 2 and Jason Cromer took over in the 10th only to give up a run on 2 hits and a walkoff sac fly by CF Chris Frey. Colonel was 1-4 with his 17th homer and 84th RBI to finish the season at .309 and RP Jarrett Grube got the win with 2 IP of 3 hits and a K to finish 7-3 with a 2.53 ERA.

Wichita's second half ended at 31-39. They finished 56-84 to wrap their time in Wichita. The team is moving to become the Northwest Arkansas Naturals for the 2008 season. Tulsa squeaked into the playoffs by a game over Arkansas. They will play the Springfield Cardinals, who won both halves of the North title. San Antonio and Frisco square off in the South playoff series.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Potomac 11, Blue Rocks 5

CF Duarte 1-5, 2B (26), 2 RBI (42), CS -- .290
1B McCann 3-4, 2 2B (18) -- .277
DH Vega 1-3, BB, HR (8), RBI (57), K, RS -- .233
LF Robinson 2-5, 2B (1), E (1) -- .385
SS McConnell 2-4, K, RS -- .236
PH-DH Cleveland 1-1, 2B (10), RBI (16) -- .274
*The Rocks stranded 12.

Wood 3 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HRA, 3 hit batsmen -- L, 0-1, 4.66 ERA, rough start
Oliveros IP, 6 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 HRA -- 4.22 ERA, very unkind to ERA
Humen, Chambliss and Haltiwanger 4 1/3 scoreless IP

Hopefully the Rocks got the last loss out of their system to finish the regular season as the Nats pounded Blake Wood and Rayner Oliveros to get an easy win. The Rocks stranded the bases loaded in the 1st and Wood gave up 3 runs to the Nats in the 2nd on 3 hits and 2 hit batsmen. Wilmington answered with 2 runs in the 2nd on a 2-run double by Jose Duarte to cut the lead to 3-2. Wood gave up a solo homer to tie it in the 3rd and the Rocks left the bases loaded again in the 3rd. Potomac took the lead with 2 hits, a walk and a hit batsman in the 4th and then drilled Oliveros in the 5th with a 2-run homer, a 2-out RBI double, and a 3-run homer that chased Oliveros for David Humen, who got out of the inning. Miguel Vega hit his 8th homer of the season in the 5th, Josh Johnson scored on an error in the 8th and Jeremy Cleveland doubled home a run in the 9th but the Rocks didn't threaten the huge Nats lead. Nats CF Justin Maxwell was 1-3 with 2 walks, his 13th homer and 3 RBI (43) to finish at .263 and P Gene Yost went 4 innings in relief with an ER on 3 hits and 3 Ks to get the win and move to 1-3 with a 5.33 ERA.

Wilmington finished the regular season 45-24 for the second-half division title and 75-62 overall (best overall record since 77-win 2004). The Rocks start a best-of-3 versus the Frederick Keys (64-74, first-half champs, A-Adv. Orioles) at home Wednesday with games 2 and 3 slated for Frederick. The Rocks were 10-10 versus the Keys this season. Game 1 playoff starter for the Rocks is, of course, lefty ace Rowdy Hardy (15-5, 2.48), aka the Carolina League pitcher of the year. He was 4-0 with a 1.52 ERA versus Frederick this season. Starter Dan Cortes was named league pitcher of the week for a second time for the week of Aug. 27 to Sept. 2. He was 2-0 in two starts and 12 IP with a 0.00 ERA over that time. It marked his second straight pitcher of the week award. Julio Pimentel will start game 2 versus Frederick while Cortes would start game 3, if necessary.

A -- Burlington: Bees 7, Clinton 5

SS Bianchi 3-5, 2B (19), 2 RBI (36), RS, 2 SB (15) -- .247, ended season on nice note, but overall disappointing; then again, he was coming off shoulder surgery
C Howell 1-4, SF, RBI (22) -- .232
1B Everett 0-2, 2 BB, SF, RBI (46) -- .266
CF Pennell 1-3, BB, RBI (1), K, RS, CS -- .154
2B Mertins 0-2, 3 BB, 3 RS, 2 SB (30) -- .249

Teaford 5 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 2 K, HRA -- W, 6-8, 4.68 ERA, not pretty line but got the win
A. Morales 2 IP, BB, K -- 2.34 ERA
Barrera 2 IP, H, 3 K -- SV, 4, 4.35 ERA

The Bees rallied for the lead in the 6th and the bullpen finished off the season-ending win. Kurt Mertins scored on a double-play ball in the 1st but the Bees stranded 2 and Clinton scored twice in the 1st on 3 hits off starter Everett Teaford. Burlington tied it in the 4th on a 2-out Vinny Pennell RBI single but Teaford gave up a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to give the lead back to the LumberKings. The lead swung back to the Bees in the 5th as they scored 2 runs on sac flies by Brady Everett and Jeff Howell to make it 4-3. Teaford couldn't hold it, however, as Clinton scored 2 runs in the 5th on 3 hits to make it 5-4. With 1 on and 2 out in the Burlington 6th, Pennell walked, the Bees scored the tying run on a Clinton error and Jeff Bianchi hit a clutch 2-run double to make it 7-5 Bees. Angelo Morales followed with 2 hitless innings of relief and Henry Barrera allowed a hit over his 2 innings pitched for his 4th save. Clinton DH Chad Tracy was 2-4 with his 9th SB, 14th homer and 2 RBI (84) to finish batting .250 and P John Slusarz took the loss with 1 1/3 IP of 2 UER on 2 walks to fall to 1-7 with a 2.88 ERA.

Burlington finished at 31-38 for the second half and 61-77 overall.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Orem 6, Chukars 5

SS Moustakas 0-3, BB, HBP, RS -- .346
3B Martin 4-4, 2B (2), RBI (1), SB (1) -- .600
LF Koko 2-5, HR (2), RBI (13), 3 K, 2 RS, SB (5) -- .186
RF Gonzalez 3-5, RBI (36), K, RS, picked off twice -- .301
DH Seratelli 2-4, BB, 2B (18), RBI (45), RS -- .328
1B Van De Keere 2-3, BB, CS -- .282
CF Ortiz 1-5, 2B (9), K -- .311
*IF stranded 10.

Leonard 1 1/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, K -- 4.84 ERA
J. Hughes 2 2/3 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, K, WP -- 3.64 ERA
Swaggerty 2 IP, 3 K -- 3.15 ERA
Roach 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 K -- L, 3-1, 3.62 ERA
Cassa 2/3 IP, K -- 3.46 ERA

Orem inched within another game of the Chukars with an 8th inning run making the difference. Kyle Martin singled home a run to start a nice day for him at the plate in the 2nd but Orem touched up starter John Leonard for 4 runs in the 2nd on 4 hits, a walk, a hit batsman and Leonard error as Joe Hughes finished the inning. Hughes stranded the bases full and Idaho Falls tied it in the 3rd with 3 runs on an O.D. Gonzalez RBI single and 2-run single by Anthony Seratelli that was aided by an Orem error. The Chukars left the bases loaded and Orem regained the lead in the bottom of the inning with a run on 2 hits and a wild pitch off Hughes. A crucial play came in the 6th as Adrian Ortiz hit a 1-out double for IF but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple. Rubi Koko came up next and hit his 2nd homer of the season to tie the game. IF left the bases full again in the 7th and Jason Roach gave up the go-ahead run on an RBI triple in the 8th to make it 6-5. The Chukars went down in order in the 9th as P Ryan Brasier picked up his 9th save. Owlz DH Gordon Gronkowski was 3-4 to move to .345 and P Brian Chambers got the win with 2 IP of 3 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to move to 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA.

IF is 21-13 and 3 games up on first. The series concludes tonight with no announced starters on the team site.

Rookie -- Burlington: done at 38-30

1B/DH Jake Lane .315 BA/.453 OBP/.996 OPS, 16 doubles, 4 triples, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 30 BB, 50 K, 9/15 SB, 2 E in 53 games -- led team in all three percentage categories and tied Wilson Tucker for team RBI lead

OF David Lough .337/.380/.857, 6 doubles, 2 HR, 4 BB, 13 K, 6/7 SB, 0 E in 24 games -- hit well but battled injuries, hope has better health record in '08

OF Wilson Tucker .298/.341/.829, 15 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 10 BB, 36 K, 5/8 SB, 4 E in 54 games -- started hot, cooled off but bat and glove combined plus nice OF arm earned promotion to IF

IF Jose Santos .814 OPS, 15 XBH, 8 E in 38 games -- had good and bad games
IF Kyle Martin .755 OPS (only .294 OBP), led team with 10 HR and 17 doubles, 46 Ks with only 13 BB, 10 E in 58 games -- bat got him to Idaho Falls, free swinger
1B/DH Brett Amyx .748 OPS, 17 XBH, 21 BB/54 K in 50 games -- I expected better; struck out too much

OF Patrick Norris .735 OPS, 8 XBH, 39 BB/59 K, 30/35 SB, 3 E in 60 games -- durable, decent leadoff guy, struck out too much but showed good speed and steady D

P Anthony Bradley 2-2, 2.09 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 13 BB/51 K, 3 HRA in 12 games (7 starts) and 51 2/3 IP -- had great season as undrafted free agent, hopefully back in fold for '08; nice nearly 4-1 K/BB ratio

P Joe Augustine 4-1, 2.36 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 9 BB/27 K, 5 HRA in 11 games (6 starts) and 45 2/3 IP -- not quite as good as Bradley other than WHIP but also a solid undrafted free agent

P Ryan Woods 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 7 saves, 5 BB/18 K, 1 HRA in 17 games and 28 IP as closer -- solid out of pen

P Eduardo Paulino 1.12 WHIP, tied Brian Gausman for team IP lead at 53 2/3, 18 BB/42 K, allowed 7 HR and had 4.86 ERA -- had both really good and bad outings
P Brian Gausman 2.68 ERA with 1.30 WHIP, 12 BB/34 K, only gave up 3 HR in 53 2/3 IP
P Alex Caldera 3.40 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP, 13 BB/39 K, 5 HRA in 42 1/3 IP -- not bad debut

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=483&stn=true&sid=t483

Rookie -- AZL: done at 28-28

1B David Wood .318/.369/.862 OPS, 17 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 17 BB, 29 K, 8 E in 54 games -- won team "triple crown" with nice season as undrafted free agent, hope to see him at A-ball in Burlington next season

C Sean McCauley .286/.375/.851, 10 doubles, 2 HR, 10 BB, 19 K, 4 E in 31 games -- not bad debut for HS draftee, expect to see at IF next season

1B Diego Cruz .276/.348/.725, 9 doubles, 4 triples, 1 HR, 32 RBI, 14 BB, 35 K, 4/9 SB, 2 E in 54 games -- middling season for Diego, second on team in RBI

OF Hilton Richardson .599 OPS, 9 XBH, 20 BB, 66 K, 12/19 SB, 3 E in 48 games -- expected more out of relatively high HS draftee, but he has time to learn
IF Fernando Cruz .519 OPS, 7 XBH, 8 BB, 43 K, 13 E in 48 games -- disappointed more than Richardson, but is even younger

P Eric Van Slyke 1-1, 0.83 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 9 saves in 18 games and 21 2/3 IP as closer, 5 BB/29 K, 0 HRA -- hope he sticks with organization

P Matt Mitchell 5-1, 1.80 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 25 BB/72 K, 0 HRA in 14 games (7 starts) and 55 IP -- earned AZL pitcher of year with great debut, strikeout machine

P Dan Duffy 2-3, 1.45 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 17 BB/63 K, 0 HRA in 11 games (9 starts) and 37 1/3 IP -- nice 1-2 punch with Mitchell, even better K rate and K/BB than Mitchell

P Sam Runion 5.82 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 17 BB/51 K, 4 HRA in 51 IP -- didn't flash as much as Mitchell or Duffy, we'll see where he starts '08
P Williams Farinas 1.24 WHIP, 3.55 ERA, 16 BB/36 K, 4 HRA in 50 2/3 IP -- was solid in rotation
P Michael Lehmann 1.33 WHIP, 2.64 ERA, 23 BB/40 K, 4 HRA in 44 1/3 IP -- another guy who showed flashes
P Mitch Hodge 4.24 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 1-6 record, 23 BB/35 K, 2 HRA in 40 1/3 IP -- had rough go at times

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=412

Royals on the Farm 9/2

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 2, Iowa 1 (10)

DH Lewis 2-4, RBI (32), RS -- .233
2B Cortez 1-4, BB, RBI (24) -- .290
CF Maier 1-4, BB, 2 K, CS -- .278
SS Aviles 0-3, BB, K -- .294
1B Brazell 0-4, 4 K -- .305, golden sombrero
RF Huber 1-4, 2B (13), K -- .280
LF Lubanski 0-4, 2 K -- .201

Hendrickson 8 IP, ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K -- 4.12 ERA
Giron 2 IP, H, 3 K -- W, 2-5, 3.71 ERA

Omaha rallied in the 10th to win Sunday and ensure at least a split of the set with Iowa. The game was scoreless into the 6th as Ben Hendrickson and Iowa's Randy Wells dueled. Carmen Pignatiello took over on the mound for Iowa in the 6th and Omaha capitalized as Fernando Cortez singled in a run but the Royals left the bases loaded. Hendrickson allowed a run on 2 hits and a walk in the 7th but stranded 2 and the game went to extras. In the 10th, Derek Wathan led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Richie Lewis single to make it 2-1 Omaha. Roberto Giron pitched a perfect 10th for his 2nd win. Cubs RF Jake Fox was 2-4 with his 7th double and 2nd SB to move to .295 and RP Ben Howard took the loss with an IP of an ER on 2 hits to fall to 6-8 with a 4.22 ERA.

Omaha moved to 72-71. The Royals finished the season today with a win, so finished 2 games over .500 to mark the first over-.500 season in Omaha since 2002. Thad Markray got the win.

AA -- Wichita: Tulsa 11, Wranglers 0 (4-hitter)

DH Greenberg 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB (23) -- .268
RF Valentin 0-3, BB, K -- .291
1B Kaaihue 1-3, BB -- .246

Christensen 6 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 5 K -- L, 3-15, 6.21 ERA, season ends with whimper, hope he fixes things for next season
Bernat 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, WP -- 13.50 ERA, not pretty numbers in short AA stint
De La Rosa 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, HRA -- 11.12 ERA, time to dump Jorge

Tulsa pounded the Wranglers and all three pitchers used by Wichita. Starter Dan Christensen gave up single runs in both the 1st and 2nd and Wichita stranded 2 in the 4th and 5th. Tulsa rapped out hits for 3 runs in the 5th and Wichita left the bases loaded in the 6th. David Bernat came in to pitch the 7th for Wichita and allowed 4 runs on 4 hits, a wild pitch and sac fly before Jorge De La Rosa came in. De La Rosa gave up a 2-run homer in the 8th to finish the scoring and the last 11 Wranglers went down in order. Drillers DH Aaron Rifkin was 4-5 with 2 doubles (36), his 15th homer and 5 RBI (76) to move to .269 and SP Jon Asahina got the win with 5 IP of 3 hits and 6 BB to improve to 3-5 with a 5.07 ERA.

Wichita dropped to 31-38. They finished the season with a sweep today at the hands of the Drillers in 10 innings, so their time in Wichita came to an ugly end. Jason Cromer took the loss.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 2, Potomac 1

3B Lisson 2-3, HBP, 2 2B (27), RBI (61), RS -- .285
LF Cleveland 1-3, BB, RBI (15), K -- .269
2B Maddox 3-5, 2B (17), K, RS, SB (12) -- .262
RF D. Robinson 1-4, BB, SB (1) -- .375
CF Bigler 1-2, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (15) -- .262
* The Rocks stranded 12.

Cortes 5 IP, UER, 5 H, BB, 8 K -- W, 8-8, 3.07 ERA
Green and D'Amico 3 IP scoreless relief
Santos perfect IP -- SV, 10, 3.16 ERA

Each team had 1 inning's worth of scoring as the Rocks got the narrow win behind starter Dan Cortes. The Nats scored on 2 hits and a Cody Clark error in the 2nd and the Rocks stranded the bases full in the 3rd. Mario Lisson tied it with an RBI double in the 5th and Jeremy Cleveland followed with an RBI single to give Wilmington a 2-1 lead. Yovany D'Amico and Arthur Santos pitched a perfect 8th and 9th to end it. Nats 2B Matt Rogelstad was 2-4 to move to .303 and P Eddy Baeza took the loss with 2 1/3 IP of 2 runs (1 ER) on 4 hits, a walk and K to fall to 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA.

Wilmington moved to 45-23. They finished the regular season today with a loss to Potomac. Blake Wood took the loss. The Rocks open the first round of the Carolina League playoffs with a best-of-3 versus the Frederick Keys (A-Adv. Orioles) at home Wednesday. Sunday's win marked the 300th Blue Rocks managerial win for John Mizerock.

A -- Burlington: Clinton 3, Bees 2 (11)

SS Bianchi 2-5, 2B (18), RBI (34), K, RS, SB (13) -- .242
C Howell 1-5, RBI (21) -- .232

Gutierrez 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 10 K -- 4.88 ERA, great start squandered
Wladyka 1 2/3 IP, H, K -- 5.96 ERA
Hartsock 1 1/3 IP, ER, H, BB, WP -- BS, 4, 2.62 ERA
DiPietro 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 3 K, HRA -- L, 5-10, 5.92 ERA

Clinton came back twice, first to force extras, and then to win in the 11th to give themselves a chance at a sweep. Jeff Bianchi doubled home a run in the 1st and 1-0 stayed the score as Dan Gutierrez handed a 2-hit shutout to the pen in the 7th. With 1 on and 2 out in the 9th, RP Aaron Hartsock gave up a game-tying double and the game went to extra innings. P Ryan DiPietro almost lost it in the 10th but RF Felix Peralta ended the inning by nailing a runner at the plate. Jeff Howell singled home a run in the 11th to make it 2-1 Bees but DiPietro gave up a 2-out solo homer in the bottom of the inning to tie it. The LumberKings then got a walk, 2 steals from CF David Paisano and a walk-off single from RF Wally Backman II to end it. Clinton 1B Chris Kemp was 2-5 with his 3rd error, 4th double, 4th homer and 2 RBI (18) to move to .277 and P Ivan Izquierdo got the win with 4 IP of an ER on 2 hits and a walk to improve to 3-3 with a 2.59 ERA.

Burlington dropped to 30-38. The Bees salvaged the season finale today as Everett Teaford got the win.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Orem 9, Chukars 4 (6/rain)

SS Moustakas 1-2, RS -- .391
RF Tucker 1-3, HR (1), RBI (9), RS -- .321
DH Robinson 1-2, RBI (63) -- .347
1B Seratelli 0-2, RBI (44), SB (28) -- .325
LF Norris 0-3, RS -- .000

Snipes 2 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 3 HRA -- L, 2-6, 5.73 ERA
Denton 2 2/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- 4.10 ERA

Orem supplied the offense and rain washed out the last 3 1/2 innings as IF lost the opener. Starter Clegg Snipes had a rough night and it started with a leadoff homer in the 1st. He gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in the 2nd before serving up a 2-run homer and a solo homer and getting pulled in the 3rd. Chris Denton gave up 2 more runs in the inning to make it 8-0 Owlz. IF notched 3 runs in the 4th on a Clint Robinson RBI single, an Anthony Seratelli RBI force out and steal of home by O.D. Gonzalez. Orem scored another run in the 4th and Wilson Tucker hit his 1st Idaho Falls homer to lead off the 6th before the rains came to wash away any chance of a Chukar comeback. Owlz LF Jeremy Moore was 2-3 with his 16th SB, 14th homer and 2 RBI (54) to move to .271 and P Esmerlin Jimenez got the win with 5 IP of 4 runs (1 ER) on 6 hits, a walk and K to move to 4-2 with a 3.68 ERA.

IF is 21-12 and 4 games up on first. The series continues tonight with no announced starters on the team site.

Rookie -- Burlington: done at 38-30
Rookie -- AZL: done at 28-28

Royals on the Farm 9/1

AAA -- Omaha: O-Royals 8, Iowa 1

RF Huber 1-3, 2 SF, 3 RBI (68) -- .281
C Phillips 2-4, BB, HR (2), 2 RBI (13), 2 RS -- .237
LF Lubanski 2-5, 2B (6), 2 RBI (21), K -- .206
SS Aviles 2-5, 2B (27), 2 K, RS, E (23) -- .296
1B Brazell 2-4, BB, 2 2B (33), 3 RS -- .308
3B Wathan 2-5 -- .242
CF Maier 1-5, K -- .278

Wright 5 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K -- W, 10-5, 4.06 ERA, nice end to season, now will he get call to KC?
Hoelscher 4 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- SV, 3, 5.17 ERA

Omaha poured on the offense in support of Matt Wright to even the series with the Cubs at 1 game each. A Justin Huber sac fly in the 1st gave Omaha a 1-0 lead but Iowa got a run in the 3rd on 2 hits and a sac fly to tie it. Paul Phillips regained the lead for the Royals with a 2-run homer in the 4th for his 2nd of the season and the Royals gained some breathing room with 4 runs in the 5th on a run-scoring error, another Huber sac fly and a 2-run double by Chris Lubanski. Huber singled in a run in the 6th to make it 8-1 and Nate Hoelscher faced the minimum over the last 3 innings to get his 3rd save. Cubs DH Koyie Hill was 2-4 to move to .329 and SP J.R. Mathes took the loss with 4 1/3 IP of 7 R (6 ER) on 8 hits, a walk and 3 Ks to fall to 10-8 with a 5.58 ERA.

Omaha is 71-71. The series is continuing this afternoon and its 1-0 Omaha in the 7th. Ben Hendrickson started for Omaha. RP Neal Musser got called up to KC.

AA -- Wichita: Tulsa 8, Wranglers 5

LF Gaffney 2-4, 2 HR (3), 2 RBI (17), K, 2 RS -- .245
CF Greenberg 2-4, BB, HR (8), RBI (43), K, RS, OF assist at third -- .269
C Donachie 1-4, HR (9), 2 RBI (35), RS, 2 E (4) -- .204
SS Arce 2-4 -- .224
RF Valentin 1-4, BB, K, RS, CS -- .293

Barnes 4 IP, 7 R (4 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, K -- L, 1-1, 3.00 ERA
Cedeno 4 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K, WP -- 6.33 ERA

The teams combined for 11 runs in the first 3 innings but when the dust settled Tulsa came out on top in the opener of the final series. The Wranglers loaded the bases with 1 out in the 1st and an Adam Donachie RBI ground out gave Wichita the lead before the bases were left full. Tulsa got off to a better start versus starter Justin Barnes as the Drillers scored 4 runs in the 1st on a Donachie error and 2 doubles. Wichita answered with 2 runs in the 2nd on solo homers by Michael Gaffney (his 2nd) and Adam Greenberg (his 8th) to cut it to 4-3 but Tulsa scored a run on 3 hits before Greenberg nailed a runner at third to end the rally. Donachie hit his 9th homer to lead off the 3rd and cut it to 5-4 but Tulsa scored 2 in the 3rd on a hit, Donachie's second run-scoring error of the game and a sac fly. The scoring stopped then until the 7th when Tulsa scored on 2 hits, a walk and wild pitch off Juan Cedeno. Gaffney hit his 2nd homer of the game and 3rd of the season to start the 9th but Wichita stranded 1 as Tulsa RP Steven Register notched his 37th save. Drillers 1B Aaron Rifkin was 2-4 with his 34th double and 2 RBI (71) to move to .264 and SP Ching Lung Lo got the win with 5 IP of 4 ER on 7 hits, 3 walks and a K to move to 8-8 with a 5.61 ERA.

Wichita is 31-37 and out of the race. The series continues tonight. Probable starters haven't been announced on the team site.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Blue Rocks 2, Potomac 1

1B Lisson 3-4, 2 E (17) -- .283
LF Robinson 2-4, RS -- .500, nice debut for late call-up Derrick
3B Maddox 1-4, RBI (44), K, SB (11) -- .258
C Thibault 1-4, RBI (36), K, picked off -- .257
CF Duarte 0-4, 3 K -- .291

B. Johnson 6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 WP -- W, 9-6, 3.28 ERA, Rocks rotation has been remarkable; Johnson is 6-0 with a 1.28 ERA in last 12 outings
Humen IP, UER, 2 H -- 3.03 ERA
Haltiwanger IP, BB, K -- 4.01 ERA
Chambliss IP -- SV, 2, 4.47 ERA

Rocks pitchers did the job again as Wilmington started the final series of the regular season with a narrow win. The Rocks stranded 2 in the 1st and both teams stranded 2 in the 3rd. The game was scoreless into the 6th when Marc Maddox and Kiel Thibault hit RBI singles but the Rocks stranded 2. Starter Blake Johnson handed a 2-hitter to the bullpen in the 7th and David Humen allowed a run on 2 hits and a Mario Lisson error before stranding 2 Nats. Russ Haltiwanger left runners at the corners in the 8th and Tyler Chambliss pitched a perfect 9th for his 2nd save. Nats SP Cory VanAllen took the loss with 5 2/3 IP of 2 ER on 9 hits, a walk and 4 Ks to drop to 3-7 with a 5.49 ERA.

Wilmington is 44-23 and has clinched the second-half title. The series continues this afternoon. Starters: Rocks right-hander Dan Cortes (7-8, 3.20) vs. Nationals righty Brad Meyers (0-0, 7.71).

A -- Burlington: Clinton 2, Bees 1

2B Mertins 3-4, 2B (15), RBI (39), K -- .253
SS Bianchi 1-4, K -- .240

Cegarra 4 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 2 K -- L, 1-6, 5.12 ERA
Cribb and Hartsock 3 1/3 IP scoreless relief

Clinton starter Kasey Kiker pitched a solid 5 innings and the LumberKings won a pitchers' duel. Starter Ed Cegarra gave up a run in the 1st as Clinton had 2 hits and Brady Everett committed an error. The Bees loaded the bases with 1 out in the 3rd but Everett lined into a double play to stifle the rally. The LumberKings scored a run on 3 hits off Cegarra in the 3rd to make it 2-0 and Cegarra left the game with a leg injury with 2 outs in the 5th. The Bees stranded 2 in the 6th but scored on a Kurt Mertins single in the 8th before stranding 2 that inning. They went down in order in the 9th as RP Josh Lueke got his 6th save for Clinton. Clinton RF K.C. Herren was 2-4 with 2 doubles (30) and 2 RBI (48) to move to .275 and Kiker got the win with 5 IP of 3 hits, 4 walks and 5 Ks to move to 7-4 with a 2.90 ERA.

Burlington is 30-37. The series has resumed this afternoon with the Bees up, 1-0, in the 6th. Dan Gutierrez started for the Bees.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Chukars 7, Casper 2

DH Robinson 3-5, 2B (17), RBI (62), K -- .346
SS Moustakas 2-5, 2B (3), RBI (5), 2 K, RS -- .381, justifying the pick well so far
RF Gonzalez 1-5, HR (9), 2 RBI (35), 2 K, 2 RS -- .292
C Eigsti 1-4, RBI (12), K -- .211
CF Ortiz 2-5, 2B (8), RS -- .313
LF Tucker 1-5, 2B (9), K, RS, SB (1) -- .321
1B Seratelli 1-5, 2B (17), K, RS, SB (27) -- .328
*IF stranded 11.

Peterson 4 IP, ER, 4 H, 9 K -- 3.00 ERA, strikeout machine
Baldwin 3 IP, ER, 2 H, 5 K -- W, 5-1, 2.61 ERA
Swaggerty 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, K -- 3.34 ERA
Holland 1 2/3 IP, H, 2 K -- SV, 6, 3.03 ERA

IF cranked out all 7 of its runs in the first 4 innings to salvage the series finale versus Casper. Mike Moustakas doubled with 2 out in the 1st and O.D. Gonzalez followed with his 9th homer to make it 2-0 Chukars. Ryan Eigsti singled in a run in the 2nd and another run scored on a Casper error to make it 4-0. Starter Zach Peterson allowed a run in the 3rd but Clint Robinson doubled in a run in the bottom of the 3rd and the Chukars scored 2 in the 4th on another run-scoring Rockies error and a Moustakas RBI single. Burke Baldwin allowed a run in the 6th but Greg Holland got out of a bases-loaded jam left to him in the 8th and induced a double play in the 9th en route to his 6th save. Rockies 2B Zack Murry was 3-4 with his 7th SB, 19th RBI and 3 E (13) to move to .283 and SP Jeff Fischer took the loss with 3 IP of 5 R (3 ER) on 6 hits and 4 Ks to fall to 0-10 with a 6.15 ERA.

Idaho Falls is 21-11 and 5 games up on first with 6 games left. They start a 3-game set at the second-place Orem Owlz (16-16, Rookie Halos) today. No announced starters on the team site. IF is 8-4 versus Orem.

Rookie -- Burlington: finished 38-30
Rookie -- AZL: finished 28-28

Royals on the Farm 8/30 and 8/31

AAA -- Omaha: Nashville 6, O-Royals 2 (Thu.)

RF Huber 1-4, HR (18), RBI (65), K, RS -- .279
CF Maier 1-4, HR (14), RBI (62), K, RS -- .281

Lumsden 6 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 8 H, BB, 4 K, 2 WP -- L, 9-6, 5.88 ERA
Plummer 2 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, HRA -- 13.50 ERA, Omaha debut

I'm cutting these somewhat short since I'm rolling 2 days into 1. Nashville took command in the 4th and Tyler Lumsden didn't get a lot of run support in taking his 6th loss. Mitch Maier led off the game with his 14th homer for his 3rd leadoff homer in the last 7 games. Nashville tied it in the 3rd on a hit, 2 wild pitches and a Paul Phillips error but Justin Huber cracked a 2-out solo shot in the 4th for his 18th of the season to regain the lead for Omaha. Lumsden gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the 4th, however, as the Sounds rapped out 4 hits in the inning. Jarod Plummer made his AAA debut in the 7th after getting the call from Omaha and gave up a single, walk and 3-run homer right off the bat before finishing off 2 innings without further problems. Former Royals farmhand Steve Bray pitched 2 innings to finish it for Nashville. Sounds RF Vinny Rottino was 2-3 with his 17th double, 12th homer and 3 RBI (53) to move to .289 and SP Adam Pettyjohn got the win with 7 IP of 2 ER on 5 hits, a walk and 7 Ks to move to 12-4 with a 3.87 ERA. He left in the 8th with a leg injury.

Iowa 8, O-Royals 0 (Fri.; 2-hitter)

RF Huber 1-3 -- .280
C Phillips 1-2 -- .232

Mildren 3 IP, 8 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 3 K, HRA -- L, 6-8, 6.28 ERA
Atencio 4 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K, WP, E (1) -- 4.85 ERA, best AAA outing yet
Lewis IP, K -- 6.00 ERA, don't know why he's been pitching lately

The Royals got drubbed by Iowa in the opener of the final series of the season. Omaha's hits came in the 2nd and 8th with only 2 walks in between. The Cubs scored 2 in both the 1st and 2nd off Paul Mildren and then scored 4 off Mildren and Greg Atencio in the 4th to take an 8-0 lead that stood. Iowa DH Geovany Soto was 3-5 with his 26th homer and 3 RBI (109) to move to .353 and SP Cory Bailey got the win with 6 IP of a hit, walk and K to move to 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA.

Omaha is 70-71 with 3 games left. Game 2 with the I-Cubs (79-62) is Saturday night. Probable starters: Omaha RH Matt Wright (9-5, 4.15) vs. Cubs LH J.R. Mathes (10-7, 5.38). Mike Sweeney was activated from the KC DL.

AA -- Wichita: Springfield 8, Wranglers 0 (Thu.; 2-hitter)

2B Valentin 1-4, E (10) -- .295, trouble defensively lately
DH Arce 1-3, SB (2) -- .220

Connolly 7 IP, 3 UER, 4 H, BB, 5 K, HRA -- L, 4-7, 5.22 ERA
de la Vara IP, 5 ER, 5 H, BB, 2 K, HRA -- 5.74 ERA

Springfield starter Mitch Boggs shut down the Wranglers to knock them officially out of the playoff race. Wichita's hits came in the 3rd and 8th as the Cardinals scored 3 in the 3rd on 3 hits after a Geraldo Valentin error kept the inning alive. The Cardinals held the 3-run lead into the 8th before knocking Gilbert de la Vara around for 5 runs that inning on 5 hits and an intentional pass. Cards SS Jose Martinez was 2-4 with his 10th homer and 2 RBI (45) to move to .307 and Boggs got the win with 8 IP of 2 hits, 3 walks and 5 Ks to improve to 11-7 with a 3.84 ERA.

Wranglers 2, Springfield 0 (Fri.; 4-hitter)

1B Kaaihue 1-2, 2 BB, HR (11), RBI (39), RS -- .248
RF Valentin 1-5, 2B (19), RBI (54), K -- .293
CF Greenberg 2-3, 2 BB, K, RS -- .267
DH Gaffney 2-3, S -- .240
*Wichita stranded 10.

DeHoyos 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- W, 6-0, 1.64 ERA, maybe thinking Gabe as SP in '08?
Cromer 3 IP, 2 H, 2 K -- 5.19 ERA
Foster IP, 2 BB, 2 K -- SV, 1, 2.89 ERA

Gabe DeHoyos had a solid start as Wichita ended the season series versus the Cards with a 4-hit shutout. Kila Kaaihue led off the 2nd with his 11th homer and Geraldo Valentin doubled in a run in the 8th. DeHoyos got a bases-loaded double play to escape the 5th and John Foster stranded 2 in the 9th for his 1st save for the Wranglers. Cards SP P.J. Walters took the loss with 7 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits, 4 walks and 6 Ks to fall to 3-4 with a 2.37 ERA.

Wichita is 31-36 and out of the race. The final series of the season -- a 3-gamer at the Tulsa Drillers (31-34, AA Rockies) starts Saturday night. P Jason Shiell got called up to KC.

A-Adv. -- Wilmington: Salem 3, Blue Rocks 2 (Thu.)

SS McConnell 2-4, 2B (9), RBI (20), 2 K, RS -- .241
2B Maddox 0-3, SF, RBI (43) -- .258

Hardy 8 IP, 3 ER, 10 H, BB, K -- L, 15-5, 2.48 ERA, tough way to end great regular season
Green IP, 2 BB, K -- 3.94 ERA

Rowdy Hardy gave up a game-breaking 8th inning run to lose his 5th game of the season. Chris McConnell hit a 2-out RBI double in the 2nd but Salem took the lead with single runs in the 3rd and 4th off Hardy. Marc Maddox tied the game with a 5th inning sac fly but Hardy gave up 2 doubles in the 8th to make it 3-2 and the Rocks stranded 2 in the 8th as Raymar Diaz picked up his 2nd save for the Avalanche. Salem 3B Billy Hart was 3-4 with his 28th double and 19th error to move to .308 and P Chris Salamida got the win with 1 2/3 IP of a hit and 2 Ks to move to 8-8 with a 5.69 ERA.

Blue Rocks 4, Salem 0 (Fri.; 4-hitter)

LF Bigler 2-3, BB, 2B (13), 2 RBI (29), K, RS -- .260
2B Johnson 3-4, RBI (31) -- .258
CF Duarte 3-4, 2B (25), RS, CS -- .293

Pimentel 7 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- W, 12-4, 2.65 ERA
Oliveros and Santos 2 hitless IP

Julio Pimentel made his last '07 regular season start a great one by shutting down the Avalanche to clinch a playoff berth for Wilmington. The Rocks threw out a runner at home in the 4th and took the lead in the 6th on a double by Jose Duarte that he scored on after a Salem error. The Rocks finished it off with 3 in the 8th on a 2-out, 2-run double by Brett Bigler and a Josh Johnson RBI single. Salem SP Polin Trinidad took the loss with 6 IP of an UER on 7 hits and 5 Ks to drop to 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA.

The Rocks are 43-23 and have clinched the second-half division title. They finish the regular season with 3 home games versus the Potomac Nationals (39-27) starting Saturday night. Probable starters: Rocks right-hander Blake Johnson (8-6, 3.44) vs. P-Nats lefty Ross Detwiler (2-2, 4.22). The Rocks will play first-half champ Frederick in the first round of the Carolina League playoffs starting Wednesday.

A -- Burlington: Cedar Rapids 10, Bees 3 (Thu.)

RF Peralta 3-4, RBI (11), K -- .265
C Howell 1-3, SF, RBI (20), RS -- .240
SS Mertins 2-4, K, RS, E (22) -- .249
DH Everett 2-4, 2B (30), K, RS -- .272
LF Pennell 1-3, K, SB (1) -- .333, first Burlington start

Godin 3 2/3 IP, 7 R (6 ER), 7 H, 3 BB -- L, 5-6, 3.46 ERA
Wladyka 2 1/3 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K -- 6.38 ERA
DiPietro 2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- 5.84 ERA

The Kernels racked up the runs to take the opener and rout Jason Godin and the Bees. Cedar Rapids took a 1-0 lead in the 1st but Burlington tied it in the 2nd on a Felix Peralta RBI single. The Kernels regained the lead in the 3rd but the Bees tied it in the 4th on a Jeff Howell sac fly. Godin gave up the lead for good in the bottom of the 4th as Cedar Rapids scored 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks off Godin and Jim Wladyka. Kurt Mertins scored on a passed ball in the 8th but the Kernels scored 3 in the 8th off Ryan DiPietro to polish it off. Kernels 1B Mark Trumbo was 3-4 with 4 RBI (75) to move to .275 and SP Trevor Bell got the win with 7 IP of 2 ER on 8 hits and 4 Ks to improve to 8-4 with a 4.14 ERA.

Cedar Rapids 7, Bees 1 (Fri.; 4-hitter)

SS Bianchi 1-4, RBI (33), K -- .240
2B Angel 1-3, 2 K -- .333, first Bees start
RF Craze 1-2, BB, RS, SB (1) -- .500, first Bees start

Santiago IP, UER, H -- 3.74 ERA, took ball off head in 2nd and left game
Hayes 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K -- 3.10 ERA
Barrera 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 K -- L, 2-2, 4.53 ERA
A. Morales 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 K, 2 HRA -- 2.48 ERA

The Kernels broke a tie for good in the 5th to sweep the 2-game set with the Bees. Mario Santiago took a liner off his head from the bat of Kernels C Hank Conger in the 2nd and had to leave the game as the Kernels took a 1-0 lead that inning. No further reports on his status on the team site yet. Jeff Bianchi singled in the Bees' lone run in the 3rd before P Henry Barrera coughed up the lead in the 5th on 2 2-out hits. Barrera allowed 2 runs in the 6th, P Angelo Morales gave up a solo homer in the 7th and then allowed a 2-run homer in the 8th to make the game a laugher for Cedar Rapids. Kernels 2B Ryan Mount was 2-5 with his 7th homer and 4 RBI (36) to move to .258 and SP David Herndon got the win with 8 IP of an ER on 4 hits, a walk and 4 Ks to improve to 13-8 with a 4.02 ERA.

Burlington is 30-36 and out of the race. The season ends with a 3-game set at the Clinton LumberKings (27-40, A Rangers) starting Saturday night.

Rookie -- Idaho Falls: Casper 4, Chukars 0 (Thu.; 5-hitter)

SS Moustakas 0-3, HBP, K -- .333
3B Van De Keere 2-3, 3B (2) -- .279
RF Tucker 1-4, CS -- .318
1B Seratelli 1-4 -- .331
DH Robinson 1-4, K -- .338
CF Ortiz 0-4 -- .308
LF Norris 0-3, K -- .000, IF debut

Norton 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 7 K, HRA -- L, 1-5, 3.93 ERA
Phillips 3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 4 K, WP -- 4.26 ERA

Four Casper pitchers combined to shut out the Chukars in the opener. Starter Ben Norton gave up a triple and 2-run homer in the 1st and Casper scored 2 in the 7th off Justin Phillips on 2 hits and a wild pitch. The Chukars never really threatened. Casper 1B Jeff Cunningham was 1-4 with his 7th homer and 2 RBI (25) to move to .253 and SP Parker Frazier got the win with 6 IP of 4 hits to move to 3-4 with a 9.29 ERA.

Casper 5, Chukars 4 (Fri.)

SS Moustakas 2-4, 2B (2), RBI (4), K, RS, E (1, missed catch) -- .375, four games, 3 2-hit games
1B Robinson 2-4, 2 RBI (61), E (7) -- .341
LF Tucker 2-4, 2 2B (8), RBI (8), RS -- .333
CF Ortiz 2-4, BB, 2B (7), 2 RS, OF assist at third -- .311

Chavez 4 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, 5 K -- 3.22 ERA
Secott 2 1/3 IP, 2 UER, H, 2 BB, 4 K -- L, 4-1, 0.84 ERA
Jensen and Cassa 2 2/3 IP hitless relief

Two errors in the 7th, including the first pro miscue by Mike Moustakas, made the difference as the Rockies got a narrow win. Casper took the lead with 2 hits and a walk in the 1st but IF answered with 2 runs in the 1st on a Moustakas RBI double and Clint Robinson RBI single. Casper tied the game in the 2nd off SP Chris Chavez but the Chukars scored 2 in the 3rd on a Wilson Tucker RBI double and Robinson RBI ground out. Casper tightened the game to 1 run in the 4th with a run on 2 hits and the score stayed 4-3 Chukars into the 7th. A Moustakas error put 2 on with none out with P Dane Secott on the mound and a Robinson error loaded the bases with 1 out. Secott gave up an RBI single and walked in a run to make it 5-4 Casper before Matt Jensen got out of the inning. IF stranded 2 in the 8th and went down in order in the 9th as RP Isaiah Froneberger picked up his 1st save for Casper. Rockies SS Warren Schaeffer was 1-4 with his 3rd double and 2 RBI (11) to move to .217 and P Jonnathan Aristil got the win with 1 1/3 IP of a hit, walk and K to improve to 1-3 with a 5.63 ERA.

IF is 20-11 and 4 games up on first. They finish the set with the Rockies Saturday night.

Rookie -- Burlington: done at 38-30
Rookie -- AZL: done at 28-28