Royals on the Farm 8/14

AAA: Omaha capitalized on 2 of 3 Iowa errors to get a 3-2 win over the Cubs in 12 and win their 4th straight game. The O-Royals opened the scoring with 2 in the 5th on a 2-run single by RF Aaron Guiel that was aided by an Iowa throwing error. Iowa got a run back in the 7th and closer Santiago Ramirez gave up a leadoff homer in the 9th to allow the Cubs to tie the game. A throwing error allowed LF Matt Diaz to reach with 1 out in the 12th, 1B Justin Huber was intentionally walked and 2B Justin Gemoll drew a walk to load the bases. DH Chad Santos came through with a single to drive Diaz home and end the game. SP Dennis Tankersley went 6 1/3 IP and allowed only 1 ER on 2 hits and 3 walks with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 4.42; RP Shane Nance got his 7th hold with 1/3 IP of 1 hit and a K to drop his ERA to 4.38; RP Dave Elder got his 1st hold with 1 1/3 IP of 1 hit and 1 walk with 3 Ks to keep his ERA at 0.00; Ramirez blew his 4th save with an IP of 1 ER on a hit to move his ERA to 5.58; and RP Justin Huisman held the Cubs in check in extras with 3 IP of 1 hit and 3 walks with 2 Ks to move to 5-1 with an ERA of 4.19. Guiel was 2-3 with 2 walks, a HBP and an RBI to improve to .274; Diaz was 1-6 to drop to .381; Huber was 0-5 with a walk to drop to .241; Santos was 3-6 with an RBI to improve to .261; and SS Luis Ugueto was 2-5 to improve to .208.

Omaha is 60-62 and 8 games back of first. The series with Iowa ends today as the O-Royals go for the sweep. Pitchers: Cubs LH Rich Hill (3-1, 4.53) vs. RH Ryan Jensen (1-7, 6.00).

AA: Wichita had Sunday off to rest up for a 4-game home set with San Antonio (26-23) that starts tonight. The Wranglers are 24-24 and 2 1/2 games back of Arkansas. Ryan Baerlocher (7-2, 2.33) pitches for Wichita tonight against the Missions. In other Wichita news, SP Thad Markray was put on the DL with an undisclosed injury and SS Andres Blanco was moved up to Omaha after proving his worth with a robust .189 BA in a short AA stint.

High-A: High Desert swept Lake Elsinore and ran the Storm's losing streak to 14 games Sunday with a 9-3 win. The Mavs scored 2 in the 2nd on a 2-run longball by RF Alan Moye (his 18th) and broke it open with 4 in the 3rd on a Storm fielding error, a 2-run double by 1B Kila Kaaihue and an RBI single by C Adam Donachie. High Desert added runs in the 4th and 5th on RBI singles by SS Angel Sanchez and 2B Walter Sevilla. The Mavs' final run came in the 8th on a Moye RBI single. SP Patrick Green got the win with 5 IP of 2 ER on 5 hits and 9 Ks to improve to 8-9 with a 3.89 ERA; RP Stephen Chamberlain went an inning and allowed a hit and a walk with a K to drop his ERA to 7.68; RP Chris Coughlin went 2 IP and gave up an ER on 3 hits with a K to move his ERA to 7.61; and RP Drew Endicott went a hitless inning to drop his ERA to 5.88. DH Pete Maestrales was 3-6 with 2 doubles to improve to .320; Sanchez was 1-5 with an RBI to drop to .299; CF Chris Lubanski was 1-3 with 2 walks, a triple and 2 RS to improve to .285; Kaaihue was 1-4 with a walk, double and 2 RBI to drop to .310; Moye was 3-4 with a triple, HR, walk, 3 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .285; 3B Michael Gaffney was 2-3 with a double to improve to .296; and 3B Brandon Powell got in 2 ABs and was 0-2 to drop to .299.

High Desert is 28-22 and up 1 1/2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. The Mavs have tonight off.

Low-A: Burlington got some decent relief from Kraig Schambough to get a 5-4 win and take the series over Southwest Michigan Sunday. The D-Rays jumped out to a 3-0 lead but Burlington came back to tie it in the 5th on a solo homer by SS Gary Perez (his 3rd), an RBI single by IF Edward Lucas and a sac fly by 1B Damaso Espino. The Bees took the lead in the 6th on a solo homer by RF Brian McFall (his 11th) but the D-Rays tied it in the 7th on a run off Schambough. Burlington took the lead for good in the bottom of the 7th on an Espino RBI ground out and Schambough took care of the rest as he put SWM down without much trouble in the 8th and 9th. SP Daniel Christensen went 5 IP and allowed 3 R (2 ER) on 6 hits and 2 walks with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 3.93 and Schambough got the win to move to 1-0 with 4 IP of 1 ER on 1 hit and 2 walks with 6 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.29. Lucas was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .305 and CF Kenard Springer was 2-4 to up his BA to .239. Perez was 1-4 with the HR and RBI to improve to .189. Lucas stole his 26th base and Springer swiped his 18th. Perez made his 10th error.

Burlington is 26-24 and 3 games back of Quad Cities. The Bees start a 4-game home set with Wisconsin (28-22) tonight. Pitchers: RH Justin Sherman (3-7, 4.09) vs. Wisconsin RH Mark Lowe (6-4, 5.47). In other Bees news, RHP Gabe DeHoyos was promoted to High Desert and RHP Rusty Begnaud was recalled from Idaho Falls. DeHoyos leaves the Bees with a 4-1 record, a 1.56 ERA, and three saves in 28 games, including his first three professional starts -- at least they aren't just jumping him to AAA like they did earlier in the season, which (surprise!) didn't work out. Begnaud started the season with the Bees and had no record and an 8.49 ERA and one save in nine appearances including one start. In 12 appearances with the Chukars, he was 2-4 with a 5.63 ERA and earned a save in his only relief appearance. In 54.1 innings, he allowed 77 hits and 46 runs (34 earned) while walking 17 and striking out 37.

Rookie: Idaho Falls C Kiel Thibault put on a fireworks show Sunday with 3 HR and 9 RBI in an 18-10 Chukars win over Helena for the Brewers' 3rd loss of the season. Thibault tied the Pioneer League record for homers in a game with 12 other batters and Idaho Falls knocked 6 pitches out of the park Monday. The Chukars scored 1 in the 1st on a solo shot by SS Chris McConnell (his 4th) but went off for 10 in the 2nd on a solo homer by 1B Jase Turner (his 8th), a 2-run shot by 3B Brenan Herrera (his 1st pro homer), an RBI single by RF Felix Peguero, a bases-loaded HBP by Turner, an RBI single by LF Antonio Sabatini and a grand slam by Thibault (his 5th). Five more Chukars scored in the 3rd on a Helena error, a Sabatini RBI single and a 3-run shot by Thibault (his 6th). Idaho Falls padded the lead with 2 in the 8th on a 2-run shot by Thibault (his 7th). Royals 3rd-rounder SP Chris Nicoll had another nice start with 4 2/3 IP of an ER on 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 1.69; RP Cody Harkcom got the win with 1 1/3 IP of 3 ER on 3 hits with 2 Ks to move to 3-5 with a 9.00 ERA; RP Jacob Eckley went an inning and allowed 4 ER on 5 hits to up his ERA to 5.79; RP Travis Trammell went an inning and allowed 2 ER on 2 hits to move his ERA to 10.80; and RP Adam Kalkhof went an inning and allowed 2 hits and a walk with a K to drop his ERA to 3.64. McConnell was 1-4 with 2 walks, a HR and RBI with 3 RS to drop to .354; Peguero was 2-6 with an RBI and 2 RS to improve to .225; DH Brady Everett was 1-4 with a walk to drop to .380; Sabatini was 3-4 with a walk, 2 RBI and 4 RS to improve to .281; Thibault was 4-5 with a double, 3 HR, 9 RBI and 3 RS to improve to .344; and Herrera was 2-5 with a triple, HR and 2 RBI to improve to .265. 2B Joshua Johnson made his 10th error.

Idaho Falls is 7-8 and 2 games out of first. The Chukars continue the set with Helena today.

The ASL Royals' game with the Brewers Sunday was unreported at MiLB's site. The Royals are 6-6 and 3 games back of first with three games unreported on MiLB's site. They have tonight off before 2 with the Angels tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/13

AAA: An offensive outburst in the 8th helped Omaha to a 7-5 win over Iowa and assure at least a split for the O-Royals in the 4-game set. Omaha found itself down, 4-0, after a 3-run Iowa 6th but Omaha got on the board that inning with a run on an RBI single by DH Chad Santos. A leadoff double by LF Matt Diaz in the 8th got the big rally started as 1B Justin Huber walked, 2B Justin Gemoll singled home Diaz, Santos doubled home Huber and a sac fly by 3B Chris Truby drove Gemoll home and made the score 4-4. C Jared Price struck out but SS Luis Ugueto and CF Adrian Brown walked to keep the inning alive and load the bases. RF Aaron Guiel came through with a 3-run double to give Omaha a 7-4 lead and Diaz K'd to end the inning. RP Santiago Ramirez gave up a run in the 9th but allowed nothing further. SP Kyle Snyder went 6 IP and allowed 4 ER on 6 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 3.50; RP Jaime Cerda got the win with 2 IP of 2 hits with 2 Ks to move to 4-1 with a 5.54 ERA; and Ramirez got his 12th save with an IP of 1 UER (thanks to a Price passed ball) on 2 hits with a K to drop his ERA to 5.52. Guiel was 2-5 with the double and 3 RBI to improve to .271; Diaz was 2-5 with a double and 2 RS to improve to .388; Huber was 1-2 with 2 walks to improve to .264; Gemoll was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .280; Santos was 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .257; and Price was 0-4 to drop to .188.

Omaha is 59-62 and 9 games back of first. The series with Iowa continues today. Pitchers: Cubs RH Sergio Mitre (4-4, 4.14) vs. RH Dennis Tankersley (8-6, 4.60).

AA: Wichita lost a battle of 2-run innings in a 6-4 series ending loss to Corpus Christi Saturday. Wichita tied the game with 2 runs in the 4th on a 2-run shot by 1B Josh Pressley (his 19th). The Hooks got 2 more off SP Brian Bass in the 5th and tacked on 2 in the 8th to take a 6-2 lead. Wichita got 2 runs in the 9th on a Corpus Christi fielding error and an RBI single by SS Andres Blanco and the lead run came to the plate but C Mathew Tupman lined out to end it. Bass got the loss with 5 2/3 IP of 4 ER on 8 hits and 2 walks with 6 Ks to drop to 10-7 with a 5.55 ERA; RP Nate Hoelscher went 2 IP and allowed 2 ER on 3 hits and 2 walks to move his ERA to 6.00; and RP Stephen Bray went 1/3 IP and allowed 1 hit with 1 K to drop his ERA to 3.74. Blanco was 1-5 with the RBI to drop to .189; 2B Ruben Gotay was 0-5 to drop to .160; Pressley was 1-4 with a HR and 2 RBI to drop to .297; LF Billy Butler was 1-4 to drop to .286; RF Shane Costa was 2-4 to improve to .271; and CF Mitch Maier was 1-3 with a walk to improve to .236.

Wichita is 24-24 and 2 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The Wranglers have the day off today.

High-A: High Desert took another game from Lake Elsinore with a 3-1 win Saturday. Three Mavs pitchers held the Storm to 4 hits led by SP Cesar Herrera, who went 7 IP. High Desert took the lead in the 3rd on an RBI single by LF Mel Stocker and added runs in the 5th and 6th on RBI singles by DH Pete Maestrales and 2B Adam Keim. Herrera gave up a leadoff homer in the 7th before giving way to RP Greg Atencio in the 8th. Herrera got the win with 3 hits and 2 walks allowed and 5 Ks over 7 IP to improve to 6-6 with a 6.58 ERA; Atencio got his 2nd hold with a hitless IP of a walk with a K to drop his ERA to 4.64; and RP Brian Steffek got his 1st save with an IP of 1 hit and 1 walk to drop his ERA to 3.52. Maestrales was 2-5 with an RBI to improve to .317; SS Angel Sanchez was 2-4 to improve to .300; CF Chris Lubanski was 1-4 to drop to .285; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 1-3 with a walk to improve to .311; and 3B Brandon Powell was 1-3 with a walk and double with 2 RS to improve to .301.

High Desert is 27-22 and up 1 1/2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. The set at Lake Elsinore ends tonight. No announced pitchers.

Low-A: Burlington took down Southwest Michigan in a 12-inning pitchers' duel, 2-1, Saturday. The teams combined for 12 hits -- 5 for Burlington -- and 4 errors (3 for the Bees). Burlington took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd on a sac fly by SS Irving Falu but the D-Rays tied it in the 6th. The Bees didn't threaten again until the 12th as three relievers held SWM in check. 3B Edward Lucas walked and advanced to second on a ground out before he was singled home by RF Geraldo Valentin for a 2-1 win. Newest Bee SP Dustin Dossett had a great first start with 7 IP of 1 ER on 5 hits with 6 Ks to establish a 1.29 ERA; RP Adam Rowe allowed 1 hit over 2 IP to drop his ERA to 5.25; RP Chad Blackwell pitched 2 hitless innings with a walk and 4 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.20; and RP Zane Carlson got the win with an IP of 1 hit and a walk with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.25. Lucas was 0-3 with 2 walks to drop to .303; LF Kenard Springer was 3-4 to improve to .235; and 2B Gary Perez was 1-4 with a double to drop to .182. Springer got his 17th steal of the season. Lucas made his 22nd and 23rd errors and Perez made his 9th.

Burlington is 25-24 and 3 1/2 games back of Quad Cities. The Bees have the finale with Southwest Michigan today. Pitchers: LH Danny Christensen (3-6, 3.95) vs. D-Rays LH Jarrad Lavergne (5-9, 4.87).

Rookie: Idaho Falls' late comeback was stymied by a 2-run Helena 7th in a 5-3 loss to the Brewers Saturday. CF Ethien Santana led off the game with a homer (his 1st) and the Chukars had a 1-0 lead. Helena tied the game in the 3rd and took the lead with 2 off RP Phillip Davidson in the 5th but Idaho Falls came back in the 7th with 2 runs on an RBI single by 2B Joshua Johnson and a bases-loaded HBP by DH Brady Everett. Davidson came back out for the 7th and, along with RP Eliszer Garcia, gave up 2 runs and the Chukars made a small threat in the 8th before going down quietly in the 9th to end it. SP Ryan DiPietro went 4 IP and allowed 1 ER on 3 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 5.64; Davidson got the loss with 2 2/3 IP of 4 ER on 4 hits and 4 walks with 2 Ks to drop to 4-2 with a 3.35 ERA; and Garcia went 1 1/3 IP and allowed 0 hits and 0 walks with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.68. Everett was 2-3 with a walk, HBP and RBI to improve to .385 and C Jeff Howell was 0-4 to drop to .361. The Chukars left 11 on base.

Idaho Falls is 6-8 and 3 games out of first. The Chukars continue the set with Helena today.

The ASL Royals gave up a walkoff triple in the 9th as they dropped a 4-3 game to the Padres Saturday. The Royals took a 2-0 lead with runs in the 2nd and 3rd on a double steal in which SS Pedro Lopez scored and a sac fly by CF Joseph Dickerson. The Padres came back to take a 3-2 lead in the 4th before the Royals tied it in the 5th on a Padre fielding error that allowed LF Jose Duarte to score. The game remained knotted at 3 into the bottom of the 9th when RP Gilbert De la vara gave up a leadoff single and 1-out walkoff triple to end it. SP Juan Abreu went 4 IP and allowed 3 R (2 ER) on 6 hits with 7 Ks to move his ERA to 6.86 and De la vara got the loss with 4 1/3 IP of 1 ER on 2 hits with 6 Ks to drop to 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA. Duarte was 2-3 with a double, 2 walks and 2 RS to up his BA to .350; 3B Valentino Arce was 1-5 to drop to .342; and DH Joseph Dickerson was 0-4 with an RBI to drop to .316. RF Alvi Morel was 0-2 with a walk to drop to .345; and Lopez was 2-4 with a double to improve to .302. Lopez made his 13th error.

The Royals are 6-6 and 2 1/2 games back of first with two games unreported on MiLB's site. They play the Brewers tonight and have tomorrow off.

Royals on the Farm 8/12

AAA: Omaha used two offensive innings to get the job done in a 7-2 win over Iowa Friday. SP Danny Tamayo held Iowa down through five innings and the O-Royals scored 3 in the 5th on an RBI double by CF Adrian Brown and a 2-run homer by RF Aaron Guiel (his 26th). Iowa closed the gap to 3-2 before Omaha pulled away in the 7th on a bases-loaded walk by 1B Justin Huber, a 2-run single by 3B Justin Gemoll and an RBI single by DH Chad Santos. Tamayo went 8 IP and allowed 2 ER on 5 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to move to 7-7 with a 5.49 ERA and RP Nate Field pitched an inning and allowed 1 hit and a walk with a K to drop his ERA to 7.20. Brown was 2-3 with a walk, double and RBI to move to .281; Guiel was 2-3 with 2 walks, a HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .270; LF Matt Diaz was 0-5 to drop to .387; Huber was 0-3 with a walk and RBI to drop to .255; Santos was 2-3 with a walk, double and RBI to improve to .252; and C Jared Price was 0-4 to drop to .250.

Omaha is 58-62 and 10 games back of first. The series with Iowa goes to game 2 tonight. Pitchers: Cubs RH Bobby Brownlie (6-4, 4.46) vs. RH Kyle Snyder (1-2, 3.11).

AA: Wichita churned out 5 runs and held Corpus Christi pretty much in check in a 5-2 win. The Wranglers started the scoring with 2 in the 3rd on an RBI double by C Mathew Tupman and a Hooks fielding error. They added runs in the 4th and 5th on solo homers by 1B Brett Groves (his 2nd) and 3B Mike Aviles (his 13th) and scored their final run in the 7th on a Tupman solo blast (his 2nd). SP Derrin Ebert went 5 IP and allowed 1 ER on 4 hits and a walk with a K to improve to 5-3 with a 5.27 ERA; RP Barry Armitage got his 7th hold with 1 IP of 1 ER on 2 hits and a walk with a K to drop his ERA to 4.08; RP Chris Demaria made his first AA appearance and went 2 IP with 5 Ks to set an ERA of 0.00; and RP Leo Nunez got his 2nd save with a hitless IP that included 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 1.23. SS Andres Blanco was 1-5 to drop to .188; CF Mitch Maier was 0-4 to drop to .235; LF Billy Butler was 1-4 to drop to .292; 2B Ruben Gotay was 0-4 to drop to .200; RF Shane Costa was 1-4 to drop to .267; and Tupman was 2-3 with a walk, double, HR and 2 RBI to improve to .277. Hey! Aviles made his 34th error. He's having a B.J. Upton-like season in the field. DH Wilkin Ruan stole his 17th base.

Wichita is 24-23 and 2 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The series at Corpus Christi continues. Pitchers: Brian Bass (10-6, 5.52) vs. Corpus Christi RHP Tim McClaskey (6-9, 3.08).

High-A: High Desert got back on the winning track with a 9-1 win over Lake Elsinore Friday. DH Chris Lubanski hit an RBI double in the 1st to get the Mavs started and they added 5 in the 4th on a bases-loaded walk by 2B Pete Maestrales, a 2-run single by SS Angel Sanchez, an RBI double by Lubanski and a sac fly by 3B Adam Keim. The Mavs added their final 3 runs in the 7th on an RBI single by C Adam Donachie and a 2-run triple by CF Mel Stocker. SP Devon Lowery is proving why he's on the Royals' 40-man roster as he got another win with 6 2/3 IP of 1 ER on 5 hits and 2 walks with 6 Ks to move to 6-1 with a 2.77 ERA; RP Nate Moore went 1 1/3 IP and allowed only 1 hit with a walk with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.92; and RP Brian Steffek went a hitless inning and walked 1 with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.05. Maestrales was 1-2 with 3 walks, an RBI and 2 RS to improve to .316; Sanchez was 1-5 with 2 RBI to drop to .299; Lubanski was 2-5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI to improve to .285; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 0-4 with a walk to drop to .310; LF Bernard Stephens was 2-5 to improve to .282; and Donachie was 2-4 with a walk, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .291.

High Desert is 26-22 and up 1 1/2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. The set at Lake Elsinore continues tonight. No announced pitchers.

Low-A: Burlington got back in the win column with a 3-2 win over Southwest Michigan Friday. The Bees scored 2 in the 1st on an RBI single by DH Rusty Brown and bases-loaded HBP by 1B Eddie Solis to take a 2-1 lead and, after the D-Rays tied it in the 5th, pulled back ahead with a run that inning on an RBI single by 3B Edward Lucas. The Bees' bullpen allowed 2 hits but 0 more runs to help secure the victory. SP Luis Cota got the win with 6 IP of 2 ER on 7 hits with a walk and 9 Ks to move to 4-6 with an ERA of 3.96; RP Gabe DeHoyos got his 3rd hold with 2 IP of 1 hit with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 1.56; and RP Chad Blackwell got his 12th save with 1 IP of 1 hit to drop his ERA to 2.28. SS Irving Falu was 2-4 with a double and 2 RS to improve to .251; Lucas was 1-2 with 2 walks and an RBI to move to .306; and 2B Gary Perez was 1-4 to improve to .172. Falu stole 2 bases to get to 27 on the season and Lucas stole his 25th base.

Burlington is 24-24 and 4 games back of Quad Cities. The Bees have game 3 with Southwest Michigan tonight. Pitchers: Southwest Michigan's Eddie De La Cruz (5-3, 6.39) vs. Dustin Dossett (0-0, 0.00). In other Bees news, RHP Kyle Crist is out for the year on the disabled list and Dossett was signed from the Shreveport Sports of the independent Central League. Crist is the sixth player lost to a season-ending injury for the Bees. He has a partial tear in the patella tendon in his left knee. Dossett pitched with the Bees last season and went 3-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 38 relief appearances. He tied for the team lead with five saves and allowed 71 hits and 24 walks while striking out 54 in 74 innings. He was released just before the start of the season. In twelve starts with the Sports, Dossett was 4-4 with a 3.22 ERA and struck out 58 batters in 67 innings

Rookie: Idaho Falls dropped the finale of the set with Missoula, 6-3, Friday. The Chukars took the early lead on a sac fly by C Kiel Thibault but the Osprey came back to take a 4-1 lead before Idaho Falls scored late runs on an RBI double by DH Felix Peguero and an RBI single by 2B Josh Johnson. Missoula put the game away, tho, to snap Idaho Falls' 3-game win streak. SP Rusty Begnaud got the loss with 5 IP of 4 ER on 8 hits and 2 walks with 3 Ks to drop to 2-4 with a 5.63 ERA and RP Brandon Brantley went 3 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 2 hits and 2 walks with a K to move his ERA to 7.44. CF Ethien Santana was 2-5 to improve to .311; SS Chris McConnell was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .358; Peguero was 2-5 with a double and RBI to improve to .220; RF Andrew Larsen was 2-3 with a walk to improve to .262; and Thibault was 0-2 with a HBP and RBI to drop to .318. McConnell made his 10th error and Santana stole his 10th base.

Idaho Falls is 6-7 and 3 games out of first. The Chukars start a 4-game series at Helena (10-2) tonight.

The ASL Royals had three pitchers combine for a 1-hit shutout in a 3-0 win over the A's Friday. The Royals scored in the 2nd on an RBI single by SS Pedro Lopez and added 2 in the 8th on a 2-run triple by LF Jose Duarte. SP Angelo Morales got the win with 5 IP of 1 hit and 2 walks with 6 Ks to move to 2-1 with a 3.14 ERA; RP John Sokoll got his 1st hold with 3 hitless IP with 1 K to drop his ERA to 8.03; and RP Henry Barrera got his 2nd save with a hitless IP that included a walk to drop his ERA to 5.31. Duarte was 1-4 with a triple and 2 RBI to drop to .342; 3B Valentino Arce was 1-4 to drop to .349; and DH Joseph Dickerson was 1-3 to move to .324.

The Royals are 6-5 and 1 1/2 games back of first with two games unreported on MiLB's site. They play the Pads tonight and the Brewers tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/11

AAA: Omaha went ahead and lost Wednesday's suspended game with Tucson, 5-2, before coming back to win, 4-3, in the regularly scheduled game Thursday. In the suspended tilt, Omaha scored in the 1st on an RBI single by LF Matt Diaz but Tucson scored 3 off SP Ryan Jensen in the 2nd before the game was held up by rain. Chris George took the mound to finish that half-inning and the O-Royals scored another run in the 2nd on a solo homer by 2B Justin Gemoll (his 8th) to make it a 3-2 game. Tucson tacked on 2 in the 4th and the O-Royals didn't get another base runner from the 3rd until the 8th inning. Diaz came up as the tying run that inning but struck out and Omaha went down easy in the 9th. Jensen went 1 2/3 IP but got the loss with 3 ER on 4 hits and a walk with a K to drop to 1-7 with a 6.00 ERA; George went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 hits and a walk to move his ERA to 5.73; RP Justin Huisman went 3 IP and allowed only 2 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.39; and RP Dave Elder went 1 IP and allowed a hit with a K to keep his ERA at 0.00. Isn't it about time we cut bait with guys like George and Jensen? They're just placeholders. I know Jensen has pitched with KC this season but he's 30 and has a 6.00 ERA at AAA. Dennis Tankersley could do what Jensen has done at the MLB level this season. CF Adrian Brown was 2-4 to up his BA to .278; Diaz was 1-4 with an RBI to drop to .407; 1B Justin Huber was 0-4 to drop to .227; and C Jared Price was 2-3 with 2 doubles to improve to .333. Brown also stole his 27th base.

In Thursday's game (a 7-inning one), Omaha didn't get a big inning but was consistent in scoring a run in each inning from the 4th to the 7th in a 4-3 win. The O-Royals won despite the bullpen faltering again. SP J.P. Howell gave up a run in the 1st but held the Cubs to only 3 hits until he exited after the 6th. Omaha tied it in the 4th on a bases-loaded walk by SS Luis Ugueto, took the lead in the 5th on an RBI single by Huber, and scored again in the 6th on an RBI single by Brown to take a 3-1 lead into the 7th. RP Santiago Ramirez came in to try for the save and came up short as he gave up a 2-run double to allow Tucson to tie it up. Huber stepped up, though, and saved the day with his first AAA homer, a walk-off job to end it, 4-3. Howell went 6 IP and allowed 1 ER on 5 hits and 3 walks with 7 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.67; and Ramirez blew his 3rd save but got the win with 1 IP of 2 ER on 2 hits and a walk with a K to move to 5-5 with a 5.61 ERA. Diaz was 0-4 to drop to .398; Huber had a big game with a 3-4 effort that included a double, HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .271; and Price was 1-2 to improve to .375.

Omaha is 57-62 and 10 games back of first. A 4-game home series with Iowa (55-60) starts tonight. Pitchers: Cubs RHP Bobby Brownlie (6-4, 4.46) vs. RHP Danny Tamayo (6-7, 5.70).

AA: Wichita could get about one hit per inning Thursday but couldn't score until the 9th in a 3-2 loss to Corpus Christi. The Hooks scored 2 early runs off SP Mike Stodolka and scored another off RP Juan Cedeno in the 8th to take a 3-0 lead. Wichita couldn't figure out Hooks SP Jason Hirsh as he pitched into the 9th. Wichita scored twice that inning on an RBI ground out by LF Billy Butler and an RBI single by RF Shane Costa but CF Mitch Maier popped out to end it. Stodolka went 5 IP and allowed 2 ER on 5 hits with 3 Ks to move to 4-9 with a 5.33 ERA; and Cedeno went 3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 3 hits and a walk with 4 Ks to drop his ERA to 7.62. SS Andres Blanco and 2B Ruben Gotay were both 0-4 to drop their BAs to .185 and .250; 1B Josh Pressley was 2-3 with a double and HBP to improve to .297; Butler was 0-4 with an RBI to drop to .300; Costa was 3-4 with an RBI to improve to .267; and Maier was 0-4 to drop to .239.

Wichita is 23-23 and 3 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The series at Corpus Christi continues. Pitchers: LHP Derrin Ebert (4-3, 5.49) vs. Hooks' LHP Blake Allen (0-2, 5.57).

High-A: Maybe that Inland Empire hex wasn't over for High Desert as the Mavs dropped 3 out of 4 to the 66ers, culminating Thursday in a 10-3 loss. The 66ers put up 8 runs in the first 3 innings off pitchers Billy Buckner and Chris Coughlin before the Mavs even got on the board. They did in the 3rd on a solo homer by SS Angel Sanchez (his 1st) but it was 10-1 before they scored again in the 6th on an RBI single by DH Brandon Powell. High Desert added a run in the 8th on a solo homer by 3B Adam Keim (his 19th and first after his return from the DL with a wrist injury). Buckner went 2 2/3 IP and allowed 8 R (5 ER) on 7 hits and 4 walks with 2 Ks to drop to 8-13 with a 4.77 ERA at the A level; Coughlin went 2 1/3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 6 hits and a walk with a K to move his ERA to 7.70; RP Stephen Chamberlain went 3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits and 3 walks with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 7.79; and RP Kahi Kaanoi came off the DL to go 1 IP and allow 2 hits with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.91. 2B Pete Maestrales was 0-4 with a walk to drop to .315; Sanchez was 2-5 with a HR and RBI to improve to .300; CF Chris Lubanski was 1-5 to drop to .284; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 0-4 to drop to .313; Keim was 2-4 with a double, HR and RBI to improve to .290; and Powell was 1-4 with an RBI to drop to .300.

High Desert is 25-22 and up 1 1/2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. They finished the season 7-14 against Inland Empire. A 3-game set at Lake Elsinore (18-27) starts tonight. No announced pitchers.

Low-A: Burlington's late season swoon continued as the Bees dropped their 7th straight in an 8-3 loss to Southwest Michigan. The Bees got on the board in the 1st on a sac fly by RF Brian McFall but the D-Rays broke through in the 5th with 7 runs off SP Patrick Hicklen. Burlington added 2 runs in the 8th on a 2-run double by C Damaso Espino but that was it. Hicklen went 5 IP and allowed 7 R (5 ER) on 9 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to drop to 6-5 with a 3.81 ERA; RP Adam Rowe went 2 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits with a K to move his ERA to 5.43; RP Zane Carlson went a hitless IP and K'd 1 to drop his ERA to 5.73; and RP Yovany Damico went 1 IP and allowed 1 hit with a K to move his ERA to 4.68. 3B Edward Lucas was 1-4 with 2 RS to drop to .305 and Espino was 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .279. Lucas made his 21st error.

Burlington is 23-24 and 5 games back of Quad Cities. The Bees continue the set with Southwest Michigan tonight. Pitchers: Southwest Michigan's James Houser Jr. (6-7, 4.29) vs. Luis Cota (3-6, 4.01).

Rookie: Idaho Falls put out a good effort from start to finish in a 7-5 win over Missoula Thursday. The Chukars scored 3 in the 1st on an RBI single by DH Kiel Thibault and a 2-run double by 3B Brenan Herrera. They added a run in the 4th on a sac fly by SS Chris McConnell and runs in the 6th and 7th on an RBI bunt force out by 2B Joshua Colafemina and solo homer by Thibault (his 4th). Their final run scored in the 9th on a Herrera RBI single. SP Mario Santiago went 3 2/3 IP and allowed 1 UER on 3 hits and a walk with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 9.92; RP David Henninger got the win with 3 1/3 IP of 3 ER on 4 hits and a walk with 3 Ks to move to 4-1 with a 4.14 ERA; and RP Matt Kniginyzky got his 4th save with 2 IP of 1 ER on 3 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 3.60. McConnell was 1-3 with an RBI to drop to .364; 1B Brady Everett was 1-4 with a triple and walk to drop to .376; Thibault was 3-5 with a HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .326; C Jeff Howell was 0-3 with 2 walks to drop to .376; and Herrera was 4-5 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .318. Colafemina swiped three bases to get to 7 on the season.

Idaho Falls is 6-6 and 2 games out of first. The Chukars' series with Missoula ends tonight.

The ASL Royals beat the Giants, 4-1, Thursday to gain a game on the division leaders. The Royals scored 2 in the 4th on a 2-run single by 2B Carlos Avila and added runs in the 5th and 7th on RBI singles by RF Oscar Gonzalez and CF Joseph Dickerson. SP Paul Raglione had a good start with 5 IP of 1 UER on 3 hits and 3 BB with 6 Ks to move to 2-2 with a 5.86 ERA; RP Brent Fisher got his 1st save with 4 IP of 2 hits with 5 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.92. 3B Valentino Arce was 1-4 to drop to .353; Dickerson was 2-2 with 2 walks and an RBI to improve to .324; DH Alvi Morel was 1-3 with a walk to drop to .353; and Avila was 2-3 with 2 RBI to improve to .267. Bianchi didn't play again -- wonder if his back flared up.

The Royals are 5-5 and 2 games back of first with two games unreported on MiLB's site. They play the A's tonight and the Pads tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/10

AAA: Omaha's game with Tucson was suspended in the 2nd with the Sidewinders leading, 3-1, off SP Ryan Jensen. It will be completed tonight as part of a doubleheader with the regular game going 7 innings. Chris George (7-7, 5.74) will take the mound to start the resumed game vs. Tucson's Edger Gonzalez (8-4, 4.86).

Omaha is 56-61 and 9 1/2 games back of first. The Tucson series concludes tonight. Pitchers: Sidewinders LH Bill Murphy (6-5, 4.25) vs. LH J.P. Howell (3-1, 4.29).

AA: A night after nearly losing a 5-run 8th inning lead, Wichita did blow a late 5-run lead Wednesday in a 7-5 loss to San Antonio. The Wranglers scored 2 in the 3rd on RBI singles by 2B Ruben Gotay and 1B Josh Pressley, added another run in the 5th on a solo homer by Gotay (his 1st) and 2 in the 7th on a 2-run shot by 3B Mike Aviles (his 12th) to take a 5-0 lead. SP Kyle Middleton and RP Stephen Bray gave up 2 runs in the 7th and Bray and Wilkerson combined to give up 5 runs on 5 hits, a walk, an error by Aviles (surprise) and a passed ball by C John Draper. Wichita got the lead run to the plate in the top of the 9th but Aviles grounded into a double play to end it. Middleton went 6 1/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 8 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 4.81; RP Nate Hoelscher went 1/3 IP to drop his ERA to 5.86 and get his 8th hold; Bray got his 3rd hold with 2/3 IP of 1 ER on a hit and walk to move his ERA to 3.80; and Wilkerson blew his 1st save and got the loss with 2/3 IP of 4 R (1 ER) on 4 hits and a walk with a K to move to 0-2 with an ERA of 6.52. SS Andres Blanco was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .217; Gotay was 3-5 with a HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .333; Aviles was 2-5 with a HR, 2 RBI and his 33rd error to move his BA to .289; Pressley was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .294; LF Billy Butler was 0-4 to drop to .375; RF Shane Costa was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .259; and CF Mitch Maier was 2-4 to improve to .243.

Wichita is 23-22 and 2 1/2 games back of Arkansas. A 3-game series at Corpus Christi (25-22) starts tonight. Pitchers: LHP Mike Stodolka (4-8, 5.42) vs. Hooks’ RHP Jason Hirsh (10-8, 3.39).

High-A: In a rare low-scoring Cal League game, High Desert dropped its second straight to Inland Empire, 3-2, Wednesday. The 66ers scored 3 early runs off SP John Gragg III and IE starter Brandon Moorhead held the Mavs hitless into the 6th before giving up 2 in the 8th on a 2-run double by LF Bernard Stephens. The Mavs didn't get another hitter to first. Gragg got the loss with 6 IP of 3 ER on 6 hits and 2 walks with 4 Ks to drop to 10-5 with a 4.13 ERA; RP Greg Atencio went 2 IP and allowed 1 hit and a walk with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.71; and RP Chris Demaria pitched a hitless inning with a K to drop his ERA to 2.23. The Mavs ended up with 6 hits in the game. SS Angel Sanchez was 1-4 to keep at .299; CF Chris Lubanski was 0-4 to drop to .285; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 1-4 to drop to .317; C Adam Donachie was 2-3 to improve to .291; and Brandon Powell was 1-1 as a PH to improve to .301.

High Desert is 25-21 and still up 2 1/2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. The set with Inland Empire ends tonight. No announced pitchers.

Low-A: Burlington had a slim early lead Wednesday versus Quad Cities but couldn't hold it in a 9-5 loss. The Swing scored 2 in the first off SP Justin Sherman but the Bees got them back in the 2nd on a 2-run double by 1B Eddie Solis and took the lead in the 3rd on an RBI groundout by 3B Edward Lucas. The lead didn't last long as Quad Cities scored 3 in the 3rd and 2 in the 6th to take a 7-3 lead. Burlington scored 2 in the 7th on a Solis solo homer (his 8th) and a QC fielding error. The Swing regained their 4-run lead with 2 in the 7th and the 9-5 score held as the final. Sherman got the loss with 6 IP of 7 R (5 ER) on 12 hits and a walk with a K to drop to 3-7 with a 4.09 ERA -- might be time to take him back to the 'pen; RP Gabe DeHoyos went 2/3 IP and allowed 2 UER on a hit with a K to drop his ERA to 1.60; and RP Chad Blackwell went 1 1/3 hitless IP with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.32. Lucas was 0-4 with an RBI to drop to .305; Solis was 2-3 with a HBP, double, HR and 3 RBI to improve to .215; and 2B Gary Perez was 0-4 to drop to .160. The Bees made 4 errors on the night as Perez made his 8th (he's quickly becoming the Mike Aviles of Burlington), 2 by SS Irving Falu upped his season total to 16 and Solis made his 7th. Falu also stole his 25th base. CF Geraldo Valentin had 2 outfield assists in the loss.

Burlington is 23-23 and 5 games back of Quad Cities. The Bees start a 4-game home set with Southwest Michigan (25-21) tonight. Pitchers: Southwest Michigan's Matt Larson (3-3, 3.78) vs. Patrick Hicklen (6-4, 3.58).

Rookie: Idaho Falls won its fourth straight Wednesday in a shootout 12-9 win over the Missoula Osprey (they must be big on the obscure bird mascots in the Pioneer League). Idaho Falls took a 4-1 lead in the 3rd on an RBI triple by SS Chris McConnell, an RBI single by LF Antonio Sabatini and a 2-run homer by 1B Jase Turner (his 7th) and 2 in the 5th on a 2-run single by Sabatini made it a 6-2 lead. Missoula closed the gap with 2 in the 5th but Idaho Falls came back with 4 in the 6th on back-to-back jacks by DH Brady Everett (his 5th) and C Kiel Thibault (his 3rd), a wild pitch and a McConnell sac fly. The Chukars took a 10-6 lead into the 9th and added 2 on bases-loaded walks by 3B Joshua Colafemina and CF Ethien Santana. RP Travis Trammell gave up 3 in the 9th but was able to get out of the inning and the game. SP Bennett Cromer got the win with 5 IP of 4 ER on 7 hits with 3 Ks to move to 5-0 with an ERA of 4.50; RP Adam Kalkhof went 3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 hits with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 3.77; and Trammell allowed 3 ER on 4 hits with 2 Ks over 1 IP to move his ERA to 9.82. McConnell was 2-3 with 2 walks, a triple, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .364; Sabatini was 2-5 with 3 RBI to improve to .278; Everett was 3-5 with a HR, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .382; and Thibault was 2-4 with a walk, HR and RBI to improve to .309.

Idaho Falls is 5-6 and 2 games out of first. The Chukars' series with Missoula continues tonight.

The ASL Royals had the day off Wednesday. The Royals are 4-5 and 3 games back of first with two games unreported on MiLB's site. They play the league-leading Giants tonight and the A's tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/9

AAA: Omaha SP Dennis Tankersley held Tucson down and the O-Royals got all their runs in the 4th in a 3-2 win. The Royals scored on a 2-run double by 1B Justin Huber and an RBI single by 3B Chris Truby. Tankersley went 6 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 5 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to move to 8-6 with a 4.60 ERA; RP Shane Nance got his 6th hold with 2 IP of 3 hits on a walk with a K to drop his ERA to 4.41; and RP Santiago Ramirez got his 11th save with an IP that included a K to drop his ERA to 5.40. LF Matt Diaz was 2-4 to improve to .410; Huber was 1-3 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .250; and C Jared Price was 0-3 in his AAA debut. RF Aaron Guiel threw the tying run out at the plate to end the 7th.

Omaha is 56-61 and 9 games back of first. The Tucson series continues tonight. Pitchers: Sidewinders RH Brandon Lyon (0-1, 4.50) vs. RH Ryan Jensen (1-6, 5.72).

AA: Wichita almost blew a 7-2 8th inning lead but salvaged a 7-6 win over San Antonio. The Wranglers trailed, 1-0, entering the 3rd but Wichita scored 2 that inning on RBI singles by 3B Mike Aviles and 1B Josh Pressley. After San Antonio tied it in the 4th, the Wranglers scored 4 in the 5th on an Aviles RBI single and bases-loaded walks by DH Cory Aldridge, 2B Ruben Gotay and C John Draper. Wichita added a run in the 7th on an Aldridge RBI triple and took the 7-2 lead into the 8th. RP Barry Armitage allowed a run in the 8th and RP Stephen Bray entered for the 9th. He and RP Leo Nunez gave up 4 combined runs but Nunez got a line out to end it. SP Ryan Baerlocher got another win with 6 IP of 2 R (1 ER) on 8 hits with 5 Ks to move to 7-2 with a 2.33 ERA; Armitage went 2 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits and a walk with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 4.01; Bray went 2/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 4 hits with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 3.48; and Nunez got his 1st save with 1/3 IP of 1 hit to drop his ERA to 1.42. SS Andres Blanco was 2-6 with 2 RS to improve to .250; RF Shane Costa was 0-4 with a walk to drop to .263; Aviles was 3-5 with 2 RBI to improve to .287; LF Billy Butler was 2-4 with a walk and 2 RS to improve to .500; Aldridge was 2-4 with a walk, triple and 2 RBI to improve to .278; and Gotay was 0-4 with a walk and RBI to drop to .143. Aviles made his 32nd error.

Wichita is 23-21 and 2 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The set with the Missions continues tonight. Pitchers: SP Kyle Middleton (9-8, 4.90) vs. Missions RH Yorman Bazardo (1-0, 0.00).

High-A: High Desert got stung by Inland Empire in an 8-2 loss Tuesday. The 66ers took a 7-0 lead into the 7th before High Desert scored runs in the 7th and 8th on an RBI double by 2B Walter Sevilla and an RBI single by CF Chris Lubanski. SP Patrick Green took the loss with 6 1/3 IP of 6 ER on 10 hits and 2 BB with 7 Ks to drop to 7-9 with a 3.90 ERA; RP Drew Endicott went 1 2/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 2 hits and a walk to move his ERA to 5.96; and RP Nate Moore went 1 IP with a walk to drop his ERA to 5.02. SS Angel Sanchez was 1-3 with 2 walks to keep at .299; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 1-5 with a triple to drop to .317; Lubanski was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .287; and Sevilla was 2-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .236.

High Desert is 25-20 and up 2 1/2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. The set with Inland Empire continues. No announced pitchers.

Low-A: Burlington got only 3 hits in a 9-2 loss to Quad Cities Tuesday. The Bees scored both runs in the 2nd on a bases-loaded walk by SS Gary Perez and a bases-loaded HBP by 2B Irving Falu. SP Daniel Christensen went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 7 R (6 ER) on 7 hits and 2 walks with 2 Ks to drop to 3-6 with a 3.95 ERA; RP Zane Carlson went 1 2/3 IP and allowed 2 hits and 2 walks to drop his ERA to 6.30; RP Yovany Damico went an inning and allowed 1 hit to drop his ERA to 4.76; RP Kraig Schambough allowed 2 ER on 4 hits and a walk with 2 Ks over an IP to move his ERA to 6.23; and RP Adam Rowe went 1 IP and gave up 1 hit to drop his ERA to 5.46. 3B Edward Lucas was 0-5 to drop to .309 and Perez was 0-3 with a walk and RBI to drop to .190. He made 2 errors to get to 7 on the season.

Burlington is 23-22 and 4 games back of Quad Cities. The Bees wrapped up the short set with Quad Cities tonight.

Rookie: Idaho Falls got a sweep with a 4-2 win over Ogden Tuesday. The Chukars scored once in the 1st on an RBI single by LF Antonio Sabatini and, after Ogden tied it, scored 2 in the 5th on an Ogden throwing error and a sac fly by SS Antonio McConnell. Idaho Falls added another run in the 6th on an RBI double by C Jeff Howell. SP Chris Nicoll did all right in his 2nd pro start with 4 IP of 1 ER on 2 hits with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 1.50; RP Cody Harkcom got the win with 3 2/3 IP of 1 ER on 5 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to move to 2-5 with an 8.53 ERA; and RP Jacob Eckley got his 2nd save with 1 1/3 hitless IP that included a K to drop his ERA to 4.43. McConnell was 2-3 with a double and RBI to improve to .359; CF Ethien Santana was 1-4 to drop to .315; and Howell was 2-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .389.

Idaho Falls is 4-6 and 3 games out of first. The Chukars stared a 3-game set with Missoula (3-6) tonight.

The ASL Royals had another phantom game with the Brewers Tuesday. No score reported on MiLB's site.

The ASL Royals are 4-5 and 3 games back of first. They have tonight off.

Royals on the Farm 8/8

AAA: Omaha lost a lead three times but persevered to take out a 10-8 win in 10 over Tucson Monday. The O-Royals scored in the 1st on a fielding error on a ball hit by LF Matt Diaz but Tucson came back to take a 2-1 lead in the 3rd. Omaha scored 4 that inning on a 3-run longball by Diaz (his 11th) and, immediately after, a solo shot by DH Calvin Pickering (his 16th) to take a 5-2 lead. Tucson took a 6-5 lead in the 6th but Omaha surged back ahead with 2 that frame on a 2-run homer by 3B Chris Truby. The O-Royals added a run in the 7th on an RBI single by RF Aaron Guiel but RP Chris George coughed up a 2-run double in the 8th to tie it. 1B Justin Huber tripled in the 8th with 1 out but was stranded and the game remained tied at 8 into the bottom of the 10th when Pickering untied it with a walkoff 2-run homer (his 17th). He's bounced back well from his horrible first half. SP Kyle Snyder allowed 4 ER on 5 hits and 4 BB with 3 Ks over 4 2/3 IP to move his ERA to 3.11; RP Nate Field went 1 1/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 3 hits and 2 BB with a K to bump his ERA to 7.71 (yeesh); George got his 1st blown save with 1 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits with a K to drop his ERA to 5.74; newest O-Royal RP Dave Elder went 2 hitless innings with 3 Ks to keep his ERA at 0.00; and RP Justin Huisman got the win with 1 IP of 1 hit and 2 BB with a K to move to 4-1 with a 4.60 ERA. Guiel was 2-5 with an RBI to move to .269; Diaz was 1-5 with a HR, 3 RBI and 2 RS to drop to .408; Pickering was 2-5 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .256; Huber was 2-4 with a double and triple to move to .243; and Truby was 2-4 with a HR and 2 RBI to move to .263. All of a sudden Omaha has won 10 of 12 over the recent Pacific Conference foes.

Omaha is 55-61 and 9 games back of first. The Tucson series continues tonight. Pitchers: Sidewinders LH Mark Freed (7-4, 4.86) vs. RH Dennis Tankersley (7-6, 4.80). In other Omaha notes, check out Diaz's stats from the last 16 games -- .529, 37-70, 5 HR, 20 RBI.

AA: Wichita got taken down by San Antonio, 8-5, Monday. The Wranglers started the scoring in the 2nd on an RBI single by LF Billy Butler but the Missions came back to take a 5-1 lead. Wichita scored again in the 6th on a sac fly by DH Cory Aldridge but San Antonio scored 3 that inning to make it 8-2. Wichita scored 3 in the 8th on an RBI single by 3B Mike Aviles and a 2-run double by Butler to make it closer but it wasn't that close. SP Brian Bass got the loss with 4 1/3 IP of 4 R (3 ER) on 3 hits and 2 BB with 5 Ks to drop to 10-6 with a 5.52 ERA -- he left the game with an undisclosed injury; RP Wes Wilkerson went 2/3 IP and allowed an UER on 2 hits to drop his ERA to 6.00; RP Juan Cedeno continued his struggles with 2 IP of 3 R (2 ER) on a hit and walk with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 9.00; and RP Leo Nunez was welcomed back with a hitless inning that included a K to drop his ERA to 1.50. CF Mitch Maier was 0-5 to drop to .239; RF Shane Costa was 0-4 with a HBP to drop to .267; 2B Ruben Gotay was 1-3 with 2 walks, a double and 2 RS to set a .333 BA; 1B Josh Pressley was 2-3 with 2 walks and 2 RS to move to .292; Butler was 3-4 with a double and 3 RBI to improve to .500; and SS Andres Blanco was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .214.

Wichita is 22-21 and 2 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The set with the Missions continues tonight. Pitchers: SP Ryan Baerlocher (6-2, 2.41) goes for his third straight complete game and his 5th straight win vs. Missions LHP Thomas Oldham (10-6, 3.52).

High-A: High Desert pounded out 7 runs in the 1st to get started in a 14-7 win over Inland Empire Monday. 1B Kila Kaaihue started it off with a 2-run double followed by a 2-run triple two batters later by RF Bernard Stephens. A wild pitch scored Stephens before 3B Brandon Powell hit a solo longball (his 13th) and 2B Pete Maestrales, batting for the 2nd time in the inning, hit an RBI single to make it a 7-0 lead. The Mavs added 2 in the 2nd on an RBI double by C Luis Gonzalez and an RBI ground out by Powell and poured on 4 more in the 4th on an RBI single by SS Angel Sanchez and a 3-run double by Kaaihue. The Mavs scored their final run in the 6th on a bases-loaded walk by Kaaihue. SP Cesar Herrera got the win with 5 IP of 4 R (3 ER) on 8 hits and a walk with 3 Ks to move to 5-6 with a 6.96 ERA; RP Chris Coughlin allowed 2 ER on 3 hits and 2 BB with 2 Ks over 2 IP to move his ERA to 7.83; and RP Stephen Chamberlain went 2 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits to move his ERA to 8.03. Almost every Mav had 2 hits. Maestrales was 2-4 with 2 walks, a double, an RBI and 3 RS to improve to .318; Sanchez was 3-4 with 2 walks and an RBI to improve to .299; CF Chris Lubanski was 2-5 with a walk and 2 RS to improve to .285; Kaaihue was 4-5 with a walk, 3 doubles, 6 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .319 -- he's raking again; and 3B Brandon Powell was 2-5 with a HR and 2 RBI to improve to .302. Powell also had 2 errors to get to 11 on the season.

High Desert is 25-19 and up 2 1/2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. The set with Inland Empire continues. Pitchers: SP Patrick Green (1-1, 0.60) vs. 66ers SP Ryan Feierabend (6-6, 3.93).

Low-A: Burlington had Monday off and starts a 2-game set at Quad Cities (26-18) tonight. Burlington is 23-21 and 3 games back of Quad Cities. The Bees will try to snap a 4-game losing streak.

Rookie: Idaho Falls took advantage of Ogden pitching blunders to win, 3-2 Monday. The game was scoreless into the 6th before the Chukars scored 2 on a 2-run double by C Kiel Thibault. RP Phillip Davidson gave up a run in both the 8th and 9th to tie it but Thibault singled with 1 out in the 9th, moved to second on a passed ball, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch by Ogden RP Nathan Hochgesang with 2 out to end it. SP Ryan DiPietro went 4 IP and allowed only 1 hit and 3 BB with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.98; RP David Henninger went 3 IP and allowed 1 ER on a hit with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 3.79; and Davidson blew his 1st save but got the win with 2 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits and a walk with a K to move to 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA. SS Chris McConnell was 1-4 to drop to .354; 1B Brady Everett was 1-4 to drop to .369; and Thibault was 2-3 with a walk, double and 2 RBI to improve to .299. 3B Joshua Colafemina made 2 errors to get to 11 on the season.

Idaho Falls is 3-6 and 3 games out of first. The Chukars go for the sweep over Ogden tonight. SP Chris Nicoll (0-0, 0.00) makes his second pro start for Idaho Falls.

The ASL Royals went into extras with the Cubs Monday before dispatching them, 6-3, in 13. The Royals scored in the 2nd and 4th to take a 2-0 lead (no game log so I'm not sure how they scored) and took a 3-1 lead into the 7th before the bullpen allowed the Cubs to tie it. The game remained scoreless into the 13th when the Royals rallied for 3 runs and RP Henry Barrera pitched a perfect inning to end it. SP Juan Abreu went 5 IP and allowed 1 ER on 5 hits with 6 Ks to drop his ERA to 7.11; RP Drew Coffey got his 1st hold with 1 2/3 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits with 2 walks and a K to move his ERA to 10.45; RP Nelson Trifolio blew his 1st save with 2/3 IP of 2 hits to drop his ERA to 4.61; RP Troy Garrett got the win with 4 2/3 IP of 2 hits and a walk with 6 Ks to move to 2-2 with a 6.14 ERA; and Barrera got his 1st save with 2 Ks in his IP to drop his ERA to 5.59. 3B Valentino Arce was 1-4 with a HBP to drop to .357; CF Joseph Dickerson was 2-4 with 2 walks to improve to .315; RF Alvi Morel was 0-5 with a walk and 2 RS to drop to .354; and SS Pedro Lopez was 2-6 with a triple and 2 RBI to improve to .303. Jeff Bianchi didn't play.

The ASL Royals are 4-5 and 3 1/2 games back of first. They play the Brewers tonight and have tomorrow off.

Royals on the Farm 8/7

AAA: Omaha nearly blew an early 4-run lead but the O-Royals pulled it out, 7-6, over Las Vegas in the 9th. Las Vegas scored 2 in the 1st but Omaha came back with 3 on an RBI single by DH Cal Pickering and a 2-run homer by C Scott Walter (his 7th). The O-Royals scored 3 in the 2nd on an RBI double by CF Adrian Brown and a 2-run shot by LF Matt Diaz (his 10th) to take a 6-2 lead but Las Vegas came back to tie it in the 7th off RP Shawn Sonnier. The score held at 6-6 into the bottom of the 9th when Walter, Huber and Truby came through with three straight singles to end it. SP Danny Tamayo went 6 IP and allowed 5 ER on 5 hits (inc. 3 HRs) and a walk with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 5.70; Sonnier blew his 4th save with 1 IP of 1 ER on 1 hit and 2 BB with a K to make his ERA 4.81; and RP Jaime Cerda got the win with 2 IP of 0 hits and 0 BB with 4 Ks to move to 3-1 with a 5.84 ERA. Brown was 2-4 with a walk, double and RBI to improve to .278; Diaz was 3-5 with a double, HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .414; Pickering was 2-5 with an RBI to move to .253; Walter was 3-4 with a HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to move to .277; Huber was 2-5 to improve to .212; and SS Luis Ugueto was 2-4 with a double and triple to move to .212.

Omaha is 54-61 and 9 games back of first. A 4-game set with Tucson (58-57) started tonight. Pitchers: Sidewinders SP Russ Ortiz (0-0, 0.00) vs. RH Kyle Snyder (1-2, 2.45). In other Omaha news, Sonnier, who had two blown saves in his last three appearances, was released. The Royals signed 29-year old RHP Dave Elder, who had been pitching for the Somerset Patriots in the independent Atlantic League. Elder was 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA and 6 saves. In 43.0 innings, he allowed only 24 hits and 19 walks, while chalking up 61 strikeouts and not giving up a home run. Elder was named to the 2005 Atlantic League South Division All-Star team and helped the Patriots win their division’s first half championship. The Georgia Tech product pitched in parts of the 2002 and 2003 seasons in the big leagues with Cleveland.

AA: Wichita had the day off Sunday. Wichita is 22-20 and 1 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The set with San Antonio (23-20) started tonight. In other Wranglers news, RHP Ryan Baerlocher was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for August 1-7. Baerlocher threw a 3-hit complete game shutout at Tulsa Aug. 4 in an 11-0 Wichita victory. Ryan’s record now stands at 6-2 on the season with a 2.41 ERA in 10 starts. He has struck out 33 over 59.2 innings.

High-A: High Desert held off Lancaster to salvage one game of the series with a 5-3 win Sunday. Lancaster took an early 1-0 lead but High Desert tied it in the 2nd on an RBI double by LF Bernard Stephens and took the lead with 2 in the 3rd on RBI singles by Stephens and RF Alan Moye. After Lancaster trimmed the lead to 1, High Desert scored 2 in the 6th on RBI singles by 2B Pete Maestrales and SS Angel Sanchez to take a 5-2 lead. RP Chris Demaria gave up a run in the 9th but got his 19th save. SP Devon Lowery got the win with a quality start of 7 IP of 2 ER on 5 hits and a walk with 2 Ks to improve to 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA; RP Brian Steffek got his 2nd hold with a hitless IP to drop his ERA to 4.76; and Demaria allowed 1 ER on 2 hits with a K in 1 IP to move his ERA to 2.26. Maestrales was 1-5 with an RBI to drop to .316; Sanchez was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .295; CF Chris Lubanski was 1-4 to drop to .284; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 0-4 to drop to .312; 3B Adam Keim was 2-4 with 2 RS to improve to .291; Stephens was 2-3 with a walk, double and 2 RBI to improve to .279; DH Brandon Powell was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .301; and C Adam Donachie was 3-4 to up his BA to .285.

High Desert is 24-19 and up 2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. A 4-game home set with Inland Empire (19-23) started tonight. No announced pitchers on either team site.

Low-A: Burlington dropped another game with an 8-1 loss to Quad Cities Sunday. The Bees only had 5 hits in the game and scored their run in the 7th on an RBI triple by CF Cody Cure. SP Luis Cota got the loss with 6 1/3 IP of 8 ER on 7 hits and 4 BB with 5 Ks to drop to 3-6 with a 4.01 ERA; and RP Yovany Damico went 1 2/3 IP and allowed only 3 hits with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.83. 3B Edward Lucas was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .314.

Burlington is 23-21 and 3 games back of Quad Cities. The Bees had today off before starting 2 more with Quad Cities.

Rookie: Idaho Falls went extra innings to beat Ogden, 7-6, in 12 innings Sunday. Idaho Falls scored in the 1st on an RBI single by LF Antonio Sabatini and took a 2-1 lead in the 3rd on a wild pitch. Ogden took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the 7th and Idaho Falls scored 1 that inning on a bases-loaded walk by Sabatini and tied it in the 8th on an RBI single by RF Felix Peguero and an RBI double by 1B Brady Everett. RP Travis Trammell gave up a run in the 9th to put Idaho Falls down, 6-5, but the Chukars scrapped out extras on a 2-out RBI single by 2B Joshua Johnson. Everett ended it in the 12th with a 1-out RBI single. SP Rusty Begnaud went 5 2/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 5 hits and 3 BB with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 5.47; RP Eliszer Garcia went 2 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 2 hits and 3 BB with a K to move his ERA to 3.86; Trammell allowed 1 ER on 1 hit and 2 BB with a K in 1 IP to move his ERA to 7.11; and RP Matt Kniginyzky got the win with 3 1/3 IP of 2 hits with 4 Ks to move to 1-3 with a 3.50 ERA. SS Chris McConnell was 4-6 to improve to .356; Everett was 3-5 with 2 BB, a double and 2 RBI to improve to .375; and C Jeff Howell was 2-5 to improve to .384. Idaho Falls left 17 on base.

Idaho Falls is 2-6 and 4 games out of first. The series vs. Ogden continues tonight.

All but one of the ASL Royals' phantom games has been reported as the Aug. 2 Cubs game remains a mystery. The Royals lost to the Mariners Saturday, 5-2. The Royals scored their runs on a 7th-inning 2-run single by SS Jeff Bianchi. Bianchi was 1-3 with a walk and 2 RBI to drop to .418; CF Joseph Dickerson was 1-4 to drop to .319; 2B Pedro Lopez was 3-4 to improve to .309; and 3B Valentino Arce was 0-4 with a walk to drop to .363. SP Brent Fisher got the loss to drop to 4-2 with a 3.25 ERA.

The Royals beat the Rangers Sunday, 5-4, as a 3-run 8th did the trick. The Royals scored in the 1st on an RBI ground out by Arce and again in the 6th on an Arce RBI double but the Rangers took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 8th. DH Felix Peralta turned the tables with a 3-run homer in the 8th (his 3rd) and RP Gilbert De la vara finished it. SP Angelo Morales went 5 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 4 hits and a walk with 2 Ks to move to 3.80; RP John Sokoll went 2 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 2 hits and a walk with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 10.61; and De la vara got the win with 2 hitless IP with 5 Ks to move to 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA. Bianchi was 1-4 with a triple and 2 RS to drop to .411; Arce was 1-3 with a walk, double and 2 RBI to move to .362; Dickerson was 0-4 with 4 Ks to drop to .309; and OF Alvi Morel was 1-3 to drop to .382.

The ASL Royals are 3-5 and 3 1/2 games back of first. They play the Cubs tonight and the Brewers tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/5 and 8/6

AAA: Omaha lost to Vegas, 9-5, Friday, but bounced back to get in position for a series win Saturday with a 6-4 victory over the 51's. Friday night, Las Vegas got to SP Ryan Jensen in the 4th and ran away for the 9-5 win. The game was scoreless as neither team had a hit going into the 4th before the 51's got to Jensen for 3 runs and tagged Jensen and RP Chris George for 4 in the 5th (on a GS served up by George). Omaha scored once in the 5th on a solo shot by 3B Chris Truby (his 15th). Las Vegas matched that run in the 6th to take an 8-1 lead before Omaha scored 3 in the 6th on a 2-run longball by LF Matt Diaz (his 9th) and an RBI single by C Scott Walter. The O-Royals scored their final run in the 9th on an RBI ground out by SS Luis Ugueto. Jensen went 4 2/3 IP and was credited with 5 ER on 2 hits and 4 BB with 2 Ks to drop to 1-6 with a 5.72 ERA; George went 1 1/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 4 hits (inc. 2 HRs) and 3 BB with 2 Ks to up his ERA to 5.64; RP Nate Field went 2 IP and gave up 1 ER on 2 hits with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 7.11; and RP Santiago Ramirez pitched a perfect 9th to drop his ERA to 5.43. CF Adrian Brown was 3-5 to improve to .274; Diaz was 2-4 with a HR and 2 RBI to improve to .406; and 1B Justin Huber was 2-4 with a double to improve to .200.

Saturday, four homers, including 2 by Brown, propelled the O-Royals to a 6-4 win over Vegas. The 51's scored first in the 5th before Omaha scored 4 that inning on Truby's 16th homer -- a solo shot -- a 2-run shot by Brown (his 7th) and a solo homer by RF Aaron Guiel (his 25th). Omaha added 2 in the 7th on another 2-run shot by Brown for his 8th of the season. Las Vegas scored 3 late runs but Omaha held the 51's off to win. SP J.P. Howell got his 3rd AAA win with 5 2/3 IP of 1 ER on 6 hits and 3 BB with 4 Ks to move to 3-1 with a 4.29 ERA; RP Shane Nance got his 5th hold with 2 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 2 hits and a walk to move his ERA to 4.60; and RP Santiago Ramirez got his 10th save with 1 IP of 1 ER on 1 hit to move his ERA to 5.49. Brown was 2-4 with a walk, 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .276; RF Matt Diaz was 2-4 to improve to .409; Walter was 2-4 with 2 doubles to improve to .263; Huber was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .179; and Ugueto was 2-3 with a walk and 2 RS to improve to .207. Ugueto stole 2 bases to get to 11 on the season.

Omaha is 53-61 and 10 games back of first. The finale with the 51's is this afternoon. Pitchers: 51's RH Mike Neu (1-1, 4.50) vs. RH Danny Tamayo (6-7, 5.61). In other Omaha news, C Paul Phillips and UT Denny Hocking got the call to KC and SP Kyle Snyder was returned to the team. Also, 23-year old C Jared Price was brought to Omaha from high-A High Desert. Price was selected by KC from the Dodgers in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft last December and was hitting .318 with eleven home runs and 32 RBI in 30 games from June 5-Aug. 4 with the Mavs. IF Rudy Gomez was also promoted to Omaha from Wichita. Gomez hit .262 with 1 homer and 14 RBI in 39 games for the Wranglers. He also made three relief appearances for Wichita, going 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA.

AA: Wichita got smoked by Tulsa, 10-1, Friday before bouncing back for a 5-4 win Saturday. In Friday's game, Tulsa tagged SP Kyle Middleton for 8 ER over 4 innings and it was never a contest. Wichita's only run scored in the 4th on a sac fly by 1B Josh Pressley. Middleton allowed 8 ER on 9 hits and 2 BB with 2 Ks to drop to 9-8 with a 4.90 ERA as the bullpen got a workout; RP Stephen Bray went a hitless IP to drop his ERA to 2.50; RP Nate Hoelscher went 1 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits with 1 K to move his ERA to 6.00; RP Wes Wilkerson went 1 IP and allowed 1 UER to drop his ERA to 3.38; and RP Juan Cedeno walked 1 and K'd 1 in 1 IP to drop his ERA to 9.00. CF Mitch Maier was 2-4 with a double to improve to .241; LF Shane Costa was 1-4 to drop to .277; and SS Andres Blanco was 0-3 to drop to .250. Pressley made 2 errors to get to 9 on the season.

Saturday, each team got 1 inning's worth of offense as Wichita came out on top, 5-4. The game was scoreless into the 5th when Wichita broke free for 5 runs on a 2-run single by Pressley and a 3-run homer by RF Cory Aldridge (his 19th). Five Wrangler pitchers held Tulsa scoreless into the 9th before the Drillers rallied for 4 runs. Tulsa left the bases loaded to end it. SP Mike Stodolka went 3 IP and allowed 3 hits and 2 BB with 0 ER and 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.42 before a rain delay hit; RP Barry Armitage went 2 IP and allowed 2 hits and 2 BB with a K to get the win and improve to 4-3 with a 4.00 ERA; Bray went 2 IP and allowed 1 hit and 1 BB with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.25; Hoelscher went 2/3 IP and allowed 1 hit with a K to drop his ERA to 5.91; Wilkerson went 1/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 3 walks with a K to move his ERA to 6.48; and RP Derrin Ebert got his 1st save with 1 IP of 1 ER on 2 hits and 2 walks with a K to move his ERA to 5.49. Maier was 2-5 with a double to improve to .244; Costa was 0-4 with a walk to drop to .272; 3B Mike Aviles was 2-5 to improve to .284; Pressley was 2-4 with a walk and 2 RBI to improve to .289; DH Billy Butler made his first Wichita appearance and went 1-4 with a 2nd-inning single to establish a .250 BA; 2B Brett Groves was 3-4 to improve to .236; and Blanco was 1-3 with a walk to improve to .273.

Wichita is 22-20 and 1 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The Wranglers have tonight off before starting a 3-game set at San Antonio Monday. In other Wranglers news, OF Billy Butler was promoted to Wichita from High Desert (finally) after hitting .348 with 25 home runs and 91 RBI in 92 games with the Mavs ; RHP Jonah Bayliss was recalled to Kansas City and OF Mel Stocker was sent to High Desert. Stodolka was also activated from the disabled list for his start. IF Ruben Gotay and RHP Leo Nunez have been optioned to Wichita from KC as well.

High-A: High Desert got obliterated by Lancaster in the series opener Friday, 16-2, and then lost again to the JetHawks Saturday, 6-3. Lancaster jumped out to a 7-0 lead Friday before High Desert scored its runs in the 4th on an RBI single by RF Bernard Stephens and an RBI double by 3B Brandon Powell. SP John Gragg III didn't get out of the 1st as he went 1/3 IP and allowed 5 R (3 ER thanks to 2 Powell errors) on 4 hits and 2 BB to drop to 10-4 with a 4.11 ERA; RP Drew Endicott allowed 2 ER on 4 hits and a walk with a K over 3 2/3 IP to move his ERA to 5.85; RP Chris Coughlin went 1 1/3 IP and allowed 6 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB with a K to move his ERA to 7.79; RP Nate Moore went 2/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 5 hits and a walk to bump his ERA to 5.18; RP Brian Steffek went 2 IP and allowed 2 hits with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.79; and RP Chris Demaria went an inning and allowed 2 hits to drop his ERA to 2.15. 2B Pete Maestrales was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .321; LF Billy Butler was 1-3 with a walk and double in his final HD game of the season to drop to .348; DH Kila Kaaihue was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .312; Stephens was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .279; and Powell was 1-4 with a double and RBI to drop to .304 -- his 2 errors moved his season total to 9.

Saturday, the Mavs took an early 1-0 lead before the JetHawks finally got to SP Billy Buckner in the 6th and took the 6-3 win. Kaaihue hit an RBI single in the 1st and the game remained 1-0 HD into the 6th before Buckner gave up a leadoff homer to tie it and helped contribute to the 2nd Lancaster run on a throwing error. Lancaster added 4 runs in the 7th to take a 6-1 lead before High Desert scored 2 in the 9th on RBI singles by CF Mel Stocker and Kaaihue. Buckner went 6 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 3 hits and 4 BB with 2 Ks to drop to 8-12 with a 4.52 ERA; RP Greg Atencio went 2 IP and allowed 4 R (3 ER) on 4 hits and 2 walks with a K to move his ERA to 4.86; and RP Nate Moore went 1 IP and allowed 1 hit and 1 walk to drop his ERA to 5.10. Maestrales was 0-4 with a walk to drop to .318; SS Angel Sanchez was 2-5 to improve to .293; Kaaihue was 3-5 with 2 RBI to improve to .316; RF Alan Moye was 2-5 to improve to .287; and Powell was 1-4 with a double to drop to .304. Kaaihue made his 15th error.

High Desert is 23-19 and up a game on Rancho Cucamonga. The Lancaster series ends tonight.

Low-A: Burlington lost to Lansing, 12-4, Friday before faltering late Saturday to drop a game to Quad Cities, 6-5, in 10 innings. The Bees took a 2-0 lead over Lansing in the 1st Friday on a sac fly by C Damaso Espino and a solo homer by DH Rusty Brown (his 15th). Another Burlington run in the 6th on 3B Edward Lucas' 1st homer tied the game at 3 but Lansing added 4 in the 7th and 5 in the 8th to get all the lead the Lugnuts needed. The Bees scored their final run in the 8th on a solo homer by 1B Eddie Solis (his 7th). SP Justin Sherman went 5 IP and allowed 7 ER on 7 hits and a walk with 2 Ks to drop to 3-6 with a 3.75 ERA; RP Zane Carlson went 2 IP and allowed 5 ER on 6 hits to bump his ERA to 7.56; and RP Yovany Damico went an inning and allowed 2 hits with a K to drop his ERA to 4.96. Lucas was 3-3 with a HR and RBI to improve to .318; RF Geraldo Valentin was 2-4 to up his BA to .247; and SS Gary Perez was 0-4 to drop to .267. 2B Irving Falu made his 14th error.

Burlington took a 5-0 lead into the 8th Saturday but came away with a 6-5 loss in 10 after the bullpen squandered the lead. The Bees scored 4 in the 3rd on a Quad Cities error, a 2-run double by Brown and RBI single by RF Brian McFall. They tacked on a run in the 6th on a Falu RBI ground out and SP Patrick Hicklen left in the 7th with a 5-0 lead. The Swing tied it in the 8th and the game went into extras before the Swing got a walkoff single in the 10th. Hicklen went 6 2/3 IP and allowed 7 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.58; RP Kraig Schambough allowed 5 R (3 ER) on 4 hits over 2/3 IP to bump his ERA to 5.25; and RP Chad Blackwell blew his 3rd save and got the loss with 2 IP of 1 UER on 3 hits and a walk with a K to drop to 7-3 with a 2.38 ERA. Lucas was 1-4 with a walk to drop to .317 and Perez was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .222. McFall and Falu each stole 2 bases to get to 15 and 24 on the season, respectively, and Lucas also stole his 24th base. Lucas also made his 20th error. Perez had 3 errors to get to 5 on the season.

Burlington is 23-20 and 2 games back of Quad Cities. The 2-gamer with Quad Cities ends today.

Rookie: Idaho Falls got its first win of the second half Friday over Orem, 10-0, but took another loss to the Owlz Saturday in a 12-6 game. Friday, the Chukars got on the board early and often as they scored 3 in the 1st on an RBI single by LF Antonio Sabatini and a 2-run double by C Jeff Howell. They added 2 in the 2nd on a 2-run double by SS Chris McConnell and scored 4 in the 3rd on a 2-run double by 2B Joshua Johnson, an RBI single by RF Byron Barber and an RBI double by CF Ethien Santana. The final run scored in the 7th on an RBI single by McConnell. SP Bennett Cromer got the win with 6 IP of 2 hits with 5 Ks to improve to 4-0 with a 4.09 ERA. RP Cody Harkcom got his 1st save with 3 IP of 2 hits with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 9.32. Santana was 4-5 with a double and RBI to improve to .319; McConnell was 2-3 with a walk, double and 3 RBI to improve to .345; Howell was 2-4 with a walk, double and 2 RBI to improve to .383; Johnson was 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .242; 3B Brenan Herrera was 2-5 with a double to improve to .250; and Barber was 2-4 with a double, HBP, RBI and 3 RS to improve to .306.

Saturday, the Chukars gave up 4 to Orem in the 1st and the Owlz never trailed. Idaho Falls scored 2 in the 2nd on a solo homer by 1B Jase Turner (his 6th) and a Johnson RBI ground out. Orem expanded its lead to 8-2 in the 3rd but Idaho Falls scored 2 that inning on a Owlz throwing error and wild pitch. The Chukars scored again in the 5th and 9th on a bases-loaded HBP by DH Kiel Thibault and another Orem error. SP Mario Santiago got the loss with 2 1/3 IP of 7 ER on 6 hits and a walk with 3 Ks to drop to 0-3 with a 12.79 ERA; RP Jacob Eckley went 2 2/3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 4 hits and 3 BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 4.71; RP Brandon Brantley went 1 1/3 IP and gave up 4 ER on 2 hits and 3 BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 7.89; and RP Adam Kalkhof went 2 2/3 IP and allowed 2 hits with 4 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.51. McConnell was 1-3 with 2 BB to stay at .345; Turner was 2-2 with 3 BB, a HR, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .295; Everett was 1-4 with a walk and double to drop to .360; and Santana was 1-4 with a walk to drop to .317. Idaho Falls left 12 on base.

Idaho Falls is 1-6 and 4 games out of first. A 3-game set with Ogden (5-2) starts tonight.

The ASL Royals have another phantom game as both the Aug. 2 Cubs game and Saturday's Mariners game have yet to be posted at MiLB.com. The Royals lost to the Padres, 6-0, Thursday as they mustered only 5 hits. SP Rayner Oliveros went 6 IP and allowed 3 hits with 4 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.08; RP Troy Garrett went 1/3 IP and allowed 4 ER on 4 hits to drop to 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA; RP Tim Rice went 1 2/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 3 hits and 3 BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 10.50; and RP Gilbert De la vara went 1 IP and allowed 1 hit with a K to drop his ERA to 3.38. LF Jose Duarte was 1-4 with a walk to drop to .365; 3B Valentino Arce was 1-3 with a HBP to drop to .379; SS Jeff Bianchi was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .420; CF Joseph Dickerson was 1-2 with 2 walks to improve to .321; and PH Alvi Morel was 1-1 to improve to .384.

The ASL Royals are 2-4 with the Cubs and M's scores unposted. They play the Rangers tonight and the Cubs tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/4

AAA: Omaha jumped on former Twins big shot SP Scott Erickson for 5 runs en route to a 6-3 win in the opener vs. Las Vegas Thursday. The O-Royals scored in the 1st on an RBI single by LF Matt Diaz and added 4 in the 3rd on another Diaz RBI single and a 3-run longball by DH Calvin Pickering (his 15th). Omaha added its final run in the 7th on a sac fly by SS Denny Hocking and led, 6-1. RP Justin Huisman gave up 2 runs in the 9th but closed it out. SP Dennis Tankersley went 4 IP and allowed 1 ER on 3 hits and 5 BB with a K to drop his ERA to 4.80; RP Jaime Cerda got the win with 3 hitless IP of 1 BB and 2 Ks to move to 2-1 with a 6.17 ERA; and Huisman went 2 IP and allowed 2 ER on 5 hits with a BB and K to move his ERA to 4.67. CF Adrian Brown was 2-3 with a walk to improve to .270; Hocking was 2-2 with a walk, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .287; Diaz was 2-4 with 2 RBI to improve to .404; Pickering was 2-4 with a HR and 3 RBI to improve to .250; 1B Justin Huber was 0-4 to drop to .143; and RF Aaron Guiel was 1-4 to drop to .272.

Omaha is 52-60 and 8 1/2 games back of first. Game 2 with the 51's is tonight. Pitchers: 51's LH Eric Stults (1-3, 5.71) vs. RH Ryan Jensen (1-5, 5.40).

AA: Wichita's newest Wrangler announced his presence with authority and the team went on to an 11-0 victory over Tulsa Thursday. SP Ryan Baerlocher also had another great start with a complete game 3-hitter for the Wranglers. Wichita exploded onto the scoreboard with 4 in the 2nd on a grand slam by SS Andres Blanco in his first Wichita AB (his 1st, obviously) and added 6 in the 4th on a 2-run triple by CF Mel Stocker, a 2-run longball by DH Josh Pressley (his 18th) and RBI singles by C Mathew Tupman and 1B Rudy Gomez. The 11th run was tacked on in the 5th on a solo homer by LF Shane Costa (his 8th). Baerlocher took a no-hitter into the 5th and went the full 9 IP with 3 hits and 3 BB allowed and 5 Ks to move to 6-2 with a 2.41 ERA. Six Wranglers had at least 2 hits. Stocker was 2-4 with a BB, triple and 2 RBI to improve to .245; Costa was 2-5 with a double, HR and RBI to up his BA to .277; Pressley was 2-5 with a double, HR and 2 RBI to improve to .289; Tupman was 2-5 with an RBI to improve to .279; Gomez was 3-5 with a double, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .266; and Blanco was 2-5 with the GS, 4 RBI and 2 RS to set a .400 BA. Stocker stole his 16th base. 3B Brennan King left the game in the 2nd with a leg injury -- no report on the site to its severity.

Wichita is 21-19 and 1 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The Tulsa series continues tonight. Pitchers: SP Kyle Middleton (9-7, 4.51) vs. Drillers SP Ubaldo Jimenez (1-3, 5.82). RP Colt Griffin was DL'ed to open a roster spot for Blanco. No report on Griffin's injury at the team site either.

High-A: High Desert took a big series with Rancho Cucamonga thanks in part to a 5-run 1st and a great start from SP Patrick Green Thursday in an 8-3 win. High Desert jumped out of the gates in the 1st on a bases-loaded walk by 1B Kila Kaaihue, an RBI force out by RF Bernard Stephens and a 3-run homer by CF Alan Moye (his 17th). The Mavs tacked on a run in the 3rd on a solo shot by Kaaihue (his 14th) and scored in the 8th and 9th on an RBI force out by Moye and a Kaaihue RBI single. Green went 8 IP and allowed 2 UER (thanks to a WP and an error by 3B Brandon Powell) on 3 hits and 2 BB with 5 Ks to move to 7-8 with a 3.65 ERA; RP Chris Coughlin finished it with 1 IP of 1 ER on 2 hits with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 7.11. DH Pete Maestrales was 1-3 with 2 BB and 2 RS to improve to .324; SS Angel Sanchez was 2-5 with a double to up his BA to .295; LF Billy Butler was 1-4 with a walk and double to drop to .348; Kaaihue was 2-3 with 2 BB, a HR and 3 RBI to improve to .315; C Jared Price was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .318; Powell was 0-4 to drop to .305; and Moye was 1-4 with a HR and 4 RBI to drop to .286. Moye also threw in his 20th SB.

High Desert is 23-17 and up 2 games on Rancho Cucamonga. A 3-game home set with Lancaster (17-24) starts tonight. No announced pitchers on either team site.

Low-A:Burlington got blown off the field Thursday in a 16-2 loss to Lansing. The Lugnuts scored 7 off Bees' SP Kyle Crist and Burlington couldn't recover. The Bees actually took a 1-0 lead in the 1st on an RBI single by 3B Edward Lucas but by the time they scored again in the 8th it was a 16-1 game. The 8th-inning run came on an RBI single by RF Brian McFall. Crist got the loss in his worst start of the season as he allowed 7 ER on 8 hits and 3 BB over 2 2/3 IP to drop to 9-3 with a 4.73 ERA; RP Adam Rowe went 3 2/3 IP and allowed 8 R (3 ER thanks to 2 errors) on 7 hits with 1 K to move his ERA to 5.56; and position player Eddie Solis made a relief appearance and gave up 1 ER on 2 hits and 2 BB over 1 2/3 IP to establish an ERA of 5.40. 2B Irving Falu was 2-5 with a double to improve to .257; Lucas was 2-5 with an RBI to improve to .311; and SS Gary Perez was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .364. Lucas stole his 22nd and 23rd bases.

Burlington is 23-18 and a game back of Quad Cities. The series with the Lugnuts comes to an end tonight. Pitchers: SP Justin Sherman (3-5, 2.95) vs. Lansing SP Daniel Core (4-7, 7.47).

Rookie: Idaho Falls dropped its fourth straight game and SP Chris Nicoll's pro debut with a 9th-inning collapse in a 4-2 loss to Orem Thursday. The Chukars took a 2-0 lead on a 6th-inning RBI single by LF Antonio Sabatini and a 7th-inning solo homer by C Kiel Thibault (his 2nd pro shot). The lead held into the 9th before the Owlz got to RP Matt Kniginzyzky and took the lead. The Chukars went down quietly in the 9th to end it. Nicoll (Royals 3rd-rounder) only went 2 IP in his first pro appearance but allowed 0 hits and 1 BB with 3 Ks to keep a 0.00 ERA; RP Phillip Davidson went 5 IP and allowed 2 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.58; Kniginyzky blew his 3rd save and took the loss with 1 1/3 IP of 4 R (3 ER) on 5 hits and a walk with a K to drop to 0-3 with a 4.30 ERA; and RP Eliszer Garcia went 2/3 hitless IP and K'd 1 to drop his ERA to 3.81. SS Chris McConnell was 1-4 to drop to .340; 1B Jase Turner was 2-3 with a HBP to improve to .283; DH Jeff Howell was 0-3 with a walk to drop to .377; Sabatini was 2-4 with a triple and RBI to improve to .277; and Thibault was 1-3 with a walk, HR and RBI to improve to .290. 3B Joshua Colafemina made his 9th error.

Idaho Falls is 0-5 and 5 games out of first. The series vs. Orem resumes tonight.

One of the ASL Royals' phantom games has been reported but the Aug. 2 Cubs game and Thursday's Padres game have yet to be posted. The Royals lost to the A's Wednesday, 10-2. A sac fly by SS Jeff Bianchi cut the early A's lead to 2-1 in the 3rd and the Royals tied it in the 4th on a solo longball by RF Oscar Gonzalez (his 3rd). The A's pulled away with 4 later that inning and the Royals couldn't generate any more runs. SP Juan Abreu got the L with 3 IP of 5 ER on 4 hits and 4 BB with a K to drop to 2-3 with a 7.91 ERA; RP Matt Pena went 2 IP and allowed 3 R (2 ER) on 4 hits and a walk with a K to move his ERA to 4.32; RP Drew Coffey went 2 IP and allowed 2 ER on 2 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 10.38; and RP Nelson Trifolio went a hitless IP and walked 1 and K'd 1 to drop his ERA to 4.85. LF Jose Duarte was 2-5 to improve to .370; 2B Valentino Arce was 1-4 with a double to drop to .381; Bianchi was 0-3 with an RBI to drop to .435; CF Joseph Dickerson was 0-4 to drop to .318; Gonzalez was 3-4 with a HR and RBI to improve to .315; DH Alvi Morel was 1-4 to drop to .375; and 3B Pedro Lopez was 2-4 with a double to improve to .304. Lopez also made 2 errors to get to 10 on the season.

The ASL Royals are 2-4 according to their MiLB site, so they must have lost one of the phantom games with the Cubs and Pads. They have tonight off and play the Mariners tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/3

AAA: Omaha (51-60) had Wednesday off as they headed back to Nebraska to start a 4-game set with the Las Vegas 51's (47-64). Game 1 is set to pit 51's RH Scott Erickson (0-0, 0.00) vs. RH Dennis Tankersley (7-6, 4.91) tonight. The O-Royals are 9 games out of first.

AA: Wichita got shut down by two Tulsa pitchers in a 4-hit 5-0 shutout from the Drillers. The Wranglers only had 6 base runners and didn't put up much of a threat in any inning. SP Brian Bass got the loss with 5 1/3 IP of 5 ER on 9 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to drop to 10-5 with a 5.49 ERA; RP Barry Armitage went 1 2/3 IP and K'd 3 with 0 hits and 0 BB allowed to drop his ERA to 4.11; and RP Jonah Bayliss made his first appearance after some minor heel problems to go an inning and allow 1 hit and 1 BB with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.98. Pitchers Sandy Nin and Jentry Beckstead did the trick for Tulsa. LF Shane Costa was 0-4 to drop to .274; SS Mike Aviles was 2-4 to improve to .286; and CF Mitch Maier was 0-3 to drop to .236.

Wichita is 20-19 and 1 1/2 games back of Arkansas. The Tulsa series continues tonight. Pitchers: SP Ryan Baerlocher (5-2, 2.84) vs. the Drillers' SP Jon Asahina (11-6, 3.36).

High-A: High Desert let Rancho Cucamonga have a chance at a split tonight after dropping Wednesday's game with the Quakes, 10-7. Both teams didn't waste any time getting going as the Mavs scored 1 in the 1st on an RBI double by 1B Kila Kaaihue. The Quakes came back to score 2 in the 1st off SP Cesar Herrera but High Desert took the lead back with 4 in the 2nd on RBI doubles by CF Alan Moye, 3B Walter Sevilla and a 2-run two-bagger by 2B Pete Maestrales. A Mavs run in the 4th on an RBI single by SS Angel Sanchez made it a 6-4 game but Rancho Cucamonga tied it in the 6th. The score remained knotted at 6 into the bottom of the 8th when the Quakes got to the High Desert pen for 4 runs. The Mavs loaded the bases with 0 outs in the 9th but couldn't get the magic going as Kaaihue hit an RBI ground out but the next two batters struck and flew out to end it. Herrera went 5 IP and allowed 5 ER on 7 hits with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 7.04; RP Stephen Chamberlain blew his 1st save with 1 IP of 1 ER on 4 hits with a K to move his ERA to 8.15; RP Nate Moore got the loss with 1 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits and a BB with a K to drop to 2-5 with a 4.81 ERA; and RP Greg Atencio went 2/3 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on a hit and BB with a K to move his ERA to 4.57. Maestrales was 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .324; Sanchez was 3-5 with an RBI to improve to .293; LF Billy Butler was 0-3 with a HBP and walk to drop to .349; Kaaihue was 1-5 with a double and 2 RBI to drop to .312; DH Jared Price was 1-5 with 3 Ks to drop to .327; Moye was 2-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .286; C Adam Donachie was 2-4 with 2 RS to improve to .278; and Sevilla was 2-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI to improve to .240. Kaaihue made his 14th error.

High Desert is 22-17 and up a game on Rancho Cucamonga. The Quakes series ends tonight. Pitchers (again courtesy rcquakes.com): RHP Patrick Green (0-1, 1.29) vs RHP Chris Hunter (6-7, 4.86).

Low-A: Burlington got on the board early and often in taking down Lansing, 7-1. The Bees scored 2 in the 1st on an RBI single by DH Rusty Brown and RBI fielder's choice by RF Brian McFall; added 1 in the 2nd on a solo homer by SS Gary Perez (his 2nd in 2 games with the Bees); scored 2 more in the 3rd on a Brown RBI single and McFall sac fly; and padded the lead with runs in the 4th and 5th on an RBI single by 2B Geraldo Valentin and RBI force out by Perez. SP Daniel Christensen had a good start with 6 2/3 IP of 1 ER on 8 hits with 9 Ks and 0 BB to improve to 3-5 with a 3.43 ERA. RP Kraig Schambough finished the game with 2 1/3 IP of 1 BB and 0 hits allowed to drop his ERA to 3.18. 3B Edward Lucas was 2-3 with 2 BB and 2 RS to improve to .310; C Damaso Espino was 3-4 with a walk and 2 RS to improve to .280; Brown was 2-5 to up his BA to .286; and Perez was 2-4 with a HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to keep his BA at .500.

Burlington is 23-17 and in a three-way tie for first with Quad Cities and Wisconsin. The series with the Lugnuts continues tonight. Pitchers: SP Kyle Crist (9-2, 3.99) vs. Lansing SP Chi-Hung Cheng (5-6, 2.88).

Rookie: Idaho Falls grabbed an early lead but couldn't hang on in a 7-4 loss to get swept by Ogden. The Chukars scored 2 in the 1st on a 2-run homer by CF Andrew Larsen (his 7th) and, after Ogden scored once in the 1st, the score remained that way until the 5th when Ogden stepped on the gas. The Raptors scored 6 that inning off SP Ryan DiPietro and RP Brandon Brantley and the Chukars didn't recover. Idaho Falls scored in both the 6th and 8th innings on a Larsen RBI ground out and RBI double by SS Chris McConnell. DiPietro got the loss with 4 1/3 IP of 5 ER on 6 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to drop to 0-4 with a 6.63 ERA; Brantley went 1 2/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to bump his ERA to 6.99; RP Adam Kalkhof went 1 hitless IP with 1 K to drop his ERA to 3.91; and RP Travis Trammell went an inning of perfection to drop his ERA to 6.75. McConnell was 3-4 with a double, triple and RBI to improve to .342; 1B Brady Everett was 0-4 to drop to .366; and C Jeff Howell was 1-4 to drop to .392. 3B Joshua Colafemina made 2 errors to get to 8 on the season.

Idaho Falls is 0-4 and 4 games out of first in a thus-far dismal second half. A 3-game home set with Orem (1-3) starts tonight.

A day after no score reported with the Cubs, the ASL Royals were supposed to play the A's Wednesday but no score was reported again in any of the league games at the MiLB site.

The ASL Royals were 2-2 entering Tuesday before the phantom games with the Cubs and A's. They play the Pads tonight and have a day off tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/2

AAA: Omaha 1B Justin Huber broke out in a big way Tuesday and the O-Royals took the series with Tacoma with a 7-1 win. Tacoma got on the board first in the 3rd with a run on 2 hits off SP Mike Wood and the 1-0 score held until the 7th, when Omaha loaded the bases and, with one out, Huber hit a 3-run double to center to clear the bases. DH Chad Santos followed two batters later with a sac fly to score Huber and Omaha had a 4-1 lead. Huber padded it in the 8th as Omaha loaded the bases again, and again Huber hit a bases-clearing double to make the final 7-1. Wood went 5 2/3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 4 hits with 6 Ks to make his ERA 2.00. RP Shawn Sonnier got the win with 1 1/3 IP of 1 hit with 1 K to move to 3-0 with a 4.68 ERA; RP Shane Nance finished it with 2 IP of 1 hit and 1 K to drop his ERA to 4.43. C Paul Phillips was 2-4 with a HBP to improve to .271; LF Matt Diaz was 1-3 with a BB and double to drop to .401; Huber was 2-4 with 2 doubles and 6 RBI to improve to .176; and 2B Justin Gemoll was 2-4 to improve to .283. Huber's 6 RBI were a team season high.

Omaha is 51-60 and 9 games out of first. Omaha has today off before starting a homestand with a set against Las Vegas tomorrow.

AA: Wichita had its second off-day in a row Tuesday. Wichita is 20-18 and a game back of Arkansas. A 4-game set at Tulsa (18-21) starts tonight.

High-A: High Desert kept the pressure on in the second half of Tuesday's tilt with Rancho Cucamonga to take a 4-3 win over the Quakes and pad the division lead. The Quakes took an early 1-0 lead but the Mavs flipped it to a 2-1 advantage in their favor in the 4th on a 2-run homer by DH Jared Price (his 11th) after a leadoff double by LF Billy Butler. Price has been raking the last couple weeks. Rancho Cucamonga tied the game in the 5th before High Desert regained the lead in the 6th on an RBI force out by 3B Brandon Powell. The Quakes again tied the game before High Desert scored again in the 8th on an RBI double by 2B Pete Maestrales. SP Devon Lowery got through the 8th and RP Chris Demaria closed it out in the 9th. Lowery went 8 IP and allowed 3 ER on 7 hits with 7 Ks to move to 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Demaria's save was his 18th as he pitched a hitless 9th, including a K, to drop his ERA to 2.18. Maestrales was 1-2 with 3 BB, a double and RBI to improve to .323; Butler was 1-5 with a double to drop to .353; Price was 1-4 with a BB, HR and 2 RBI to drop to .333; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 1-2 with 3 BB and a double to move to .313; and Powell was 1-4 with an RBI to drop to .309.

High Desert is 22-16 and up 2 games on Rancho Cucamonga for the division lead. The series with the Quakes continues tonight as the Mavs go for three in a row over RC. Pitchers (courtesy rcquakes.com -- nice site): RHP Cesar Herrera (4-6, 6.93) vs Quakes RHP Rafael Rodriguez (3-2, 7.46).

Low-A: Burlington forced free baseball with a big contribution from the new guy and won it in 10, 5-4, over Lansing. The Lugnuts scored 2 off Bees SP Gabe DeHoyos in the 1st and DeHoyos didn't come back out for the 2nd (no reported reason). The Bees cut the Lansing lead to 2-1 in the 4th on an RBI single by 1B Eddie Solis but Lansing came right back with 2 that inning to make it a 4-1 game. Burlington scored again in the 5th on an RBI single by C Damaso Espino and remained behind by 2 entering the 9th. After Solis led off the inning with a single, SS Gary Perez, in his first game up from Idaho Falls, homered to left (his 1st) and the game was tied. RP Zane Carlson put Lansing down quietly in the 9th and the Bees got 2 on with 2 out in the 10th when a passed ball allowed Espino to score. RP Chad Blackwell shut the door in the 10th to end it. DeHoyos moved his ERA to 1.62 with the IP of 2 ER on 2 hits and 2 BB; RP Yovany Damico went 5 IP and allowed 2 ER on 5 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 5.04; Carlson got the win with 3 IP of 0 hits and 0 BB with 1 K to move to 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA; and Blackwell got his 11th save with a hitless IP with 1 BB and 1 K to drop his ERA to 2.47. 2B Irving Falu was 4-5 to improve to .255; 3B Edward Lucas was 3-4 to improve to .306; Espino was 2-4 with a BB and RBI to improve to .273; Solis was 2-4 with a BB and RBI to improve to .214; Perez was 2-4 with a BB, HR and 2 RBI to establish a .500 BA; and CF Cody Cure was 0-5 to drop to .283.

Burlington is 22-17 and a game behind Quad Cities. The series with the Lugnuts continues tonight. Pitchers: SP Daniel Christensen (2-5, 3.63) vs. Lansing SP Russell Savickas (6-4, 5.21).

Rookie: Idaho Falls dropped a rain-shortened game to Ogden, 6-1, as the Chukars could only piece together 3 hits in the loss. Ogden took a 1-0 lead in the 1st before Idaho Falls tied it in the 5th on a wild pitch and throwing error by the Raptors. Ogden bounced back to take the lead that inning and had 4 more on the board in the 6th before the rains washed it out to give Ogden the 6-inning win. SP Rusty Begnaud took the loss with 2 ER on 8 hits with 5 Ks over 4 1/3 IP to drop to 2-3 with a 5.56 ERA. RP David Henninger went 2/3 of an inning and allowed 4 ER on 5 hits with a K to bump his ERA to 3.86. CF Ethien Santana was 2-2 with a HBP to move to .301; SS Chris McConnell was 1-2 to move to .331; and DH Brady Everett was 0-3 to drop to .388.

The Chukars are 0-3 and 3 games out of first. The series with Ogden concludes tonight.

The ASL Royals were supposed to play the Cubs Tuesday but no score was reported in any of the league games at the MiLB site. I'll check back later.

The ASL Royals were 2-2 entering Tuesday. They play the A's tonight and the Padres tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 8/1

AAA: Omaha SP Danny Tamayo had the best start of his season thus far and the O-Royals beat Tacoma, 6-0, Monday. Tamayo took a perfect game into the 7th before losing it on a walk and then losing his no-hit bid on a single later in the inning. Meanwhile, Omaha scored 3 in the 4th on consecutive RBI singles by C Scott Walter, 3B Chris Truby and 1B Justin Huber (his first AAA hit of the season); and added 3 in the 5th on a fielding error, a fielder's choice RBI by LF Matt Diaz and a sac fly by DH Calvin Pickering. Tamayo went 8 1/3 IP and allowed only 2 hits and a walk with 9 Ks to move to 6-7 with a 5.61 ERA. RP Jaime Cerda finished it off with 2/3 IP and 1 BB to drop his ERA to 6.75. SS Denny Hocking was 3-4 with a BB to up his BA to .281; Diaz was 0-3 with a BB and RBI to snap his hitting streak and drop to .403; RF Aaron Guiel was 0-5 to drop to .272 but scored 2 runs; and Huber was 1-4 with an RBI and 2 Ks to improve to .077 (1-13).

Omaha is 50-60 and 10 games back of first. The teams wrap up their series today as it's RH Mike Wood (0-0, 2.70) vs. Tacoma RH Chris Buglovsky (3-2, 5.16).

AA: Wichita had Monday off to recover from dropping the series to Arkansas. Wichita is 20-18 and a game back of the Travs. The Wranglers also have today off before starting a 4-game set at Tulsa Wednesday.

High-A: High Desert LF Billy Butler put the Mavs in front early and High Desert did enough to win, 5-2, over Rancho Cucamonga to take sole possession of first in the Cal League South. Butler cracked a 2-run homer (his 25th) in the opening frame to give the Mavs a 2-0 lead before SP Billy Buckner allowed 1 run that inning. The Mavs added a run in the 3rd on a Butler sac fly and scored 2 in the 6th on a 2-run double by 3B Brandon Powell to take a 5-1 lead. Buckner went 6 1/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB with 9 Ks to improve to 8-11 with a 4.67 ERA; RP Brian Steffek (recently signed as an FA out of the Northern League) went 1 2/3 IP and K'd 1 with 0 hits or walks to get his 1st hold and drop his ERA to 10.12; and RP Chris Demaria got his 17th save with a hitless 9th that included a K to drop his ERA to 2.22. 2B Pete Maestrales went 0-3 with 2 BB to drop to .322; SS Angel Sanchez was 4-5 with 2 doubles to improve to .291; Butler was 3-4 with a HR and 3 RBI to move to .354; DH Jared Price was 0-4 to drop to .337; CF Chris Lubanski was 0-4 to drop to .284; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 1-4 to drop to .312; and Powell was 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .310. Butler is up to 91 RiBbIes this season.

High Desert is 21-16 and up a game on Rancho Cucamonga for the division lead. The series with the Quakes continues tonight.

Low-A: Burlington started the game well but Wisconsin was helped by 3 Bees errors to a 6-4 win and series win. The Bees scored all 4 of their runs in the 1st on an RBI single by C Damaso Espino, a sac fly by RF Brian McFall and RBI singles by LF Kenard Springer and 1B Eddie Solis. Unfortunately they only got 1 hit from then on. 3B Edward Lucas made 2 errors to get to 19 on the season and McFall made his 7th error to help the Rattlers to 2 unearned runs in the loss. SP Patrick Hicklen went 5 2/3 IP and allowed 4 R (2 ER) on 4 hits and 3 BB with 2 Ks to make his ERA 3.81; and RP Adam Rowe blew his 6th save and got the loss with 3 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits and a walk with 2 Ks to drop to 5-5 with a 5.44 ERA. CF Cody Cure was 0-4 with a walk to drop to .296; Lucas was 0-3 with a HBP to drop to .300; and Solis was 2-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .210. SS Irving Falu stole his 22nd base and drew 3 walks in the game.

Burlington is 21-17 and 2 games behind Quad Cities. A 4-game set at Lansing (17-21) starts tonight. Pitchers: RH Gabe DeHoyos (4-1, 1.37) vs. Lansing RH Po-Hsuan Keng (2-4, 5.10). In other Bees news, IF Gary Perez joined the Bees from Idaho Falls, where he was batting .362 with 2 home runs, 23 RBI, 11 doubles, 4 triples, and 29 runs scored in 36 games. Perez split time between second base and third base with the Chukars, playing 22 games at second and 14 at third. He spent the 2004 season with Salcedo in the Dominican Summer League and earned the team's Player of the Year award from the Royals. He hit .366 with 2 home runs, 26 RBI, 14 doubles, 4 triples, 56 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases in 60 games for Salcedo.

Rookie: Idaho Falls blew three leads in an 11-10 loss to Ogden in 11 innings Monday. The Chukars scored 3 in the 1st on RBI singles by RF Felix Peguero and CF Andrew Larsen and an RBI double by 1B Jase Turner but Ogden scored 6 unanswered runs to take a 6-3 lead into the 5th. Idaho Falls closed the lead to 2 in the 5th with a solo homer by Turner (his 5th) but Ogden scored again to make it a 7-4 game. The Chukars tied it in the 6th on an RBI double by 2B Joshua Johnson, a sac fly by 3B Joshua Colafemina and a Peguero RBI single before taking the lead in the 7th on a Colafemina RBI single. Ogden regained the lead that inning at 9-8 but Idaho Falls tied it in the 8th on a Turner RBI single. C Jeff Howell led off the 9th with a double but ended up getting thrown out at home later in the inning and the game stayed tied into the 11th, when the Chukars broke through with a Colafemina RBI single to take a 10-9 lead. RP Jacob Eckley came in for the bottom of the 11th and didn't get an out after two singles and a double ended it. SP Mario Santiago went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 6 ER on 5 hits and 2 BB to move his ERA to 9.58; RP Phillip Davidson went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 3 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to bump his ERA to 8.10; RP Matt Kniginyzky blew his 2nd save with 1/3 IP of 1 hit and 1 BB to drop his ERA to 2.70; RP Eliszer Garcia went 3 IP and allowed 1 hit with 2 BB and 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.91; and Eckley picked up his 4th blown save and the loss with 2 ER on 3 hits in 0 IP to drop to 3-2 with a 4.91 ERA. LF Ethien Santana was 3-7 with 2 RS to improve to .289; SS Chris McConnell was 2-7 to move to .329; Turner was 4-6 with a double, HR and 3 RBI to improve to .280; and Howell was 4-4 with 2 walks, a double and 2 RS to improve to .400. The Chukars left 13 on base.

The Chukars are 0-2 on the second half and 2 games out of first. The series with Ogden continues tonight as SP Rusty Begnaud (2-2, 5.72) goes for Idaho Falls.

The ASL Royals dropped their game with the Rangers, 6-3, Monday. The Royals scored in the 1st on a solo shot by DH Jeff Bianchi, who finally made his return to the lineup in style with his 6th of the season. The Rangers came back with 4 in the 1st off SP Paul Raglione and didn't look back. The Royals scored again in the 2nd on a solo homer by RF Oscar Gonzalez (his 2nd) and then not again until the 8th on a Gonzalez sac fly. Raglione got the loss with 4 IP of 5 ER on 8 hits and 4 BB to drop to 1-2 with a 7.07 ERA and RP Brent Fisher went 4 IP and allowed an UER on a hit and 3 BB with 7 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.38. LF Jose Duarte was 1-5 to drop to .368; Bianchi was 2-4 with a BB, HR and RBI to improve to .451; SS Andres Blanco was 1-4 with a BB and 3 Ks to drop to .286; CF Joseph Dickerson was 1-4 with a double to drop to .328; and IF Valentino Arce was 1-4 to drop to .388.

The ASL Royals are 2-2. They play the Cubs tonight and the A's tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 7/31

AAA: Omaha LF Matt Diaz put on a show again Sunday and the O-Royals' bullpen tried to blow it but couldn't in a 7-6 win over Tacoma. Omaha scored 2 in the 1st on an RBI single by RF Aaron Guiel and a sac fly by C Paul Phillips and added 3 in the 5th on a 3-run blast by Diaz (his 7th) to take a 5-0 lead. After SP J.P. Howell left the game, the Rainiers got to RP Nate Field for 3 in the 7th and RP Chris George for another in the 8th to close the gap to 1. Omaha bounced back to score 2 in the 9th on a 2-run shot by Diaz (his 8th) to apparently put the game on ice but RP Santiago Ramirez gave up a 2-run homer in the 9th before settling down to close it out. Howell went 6 IP and allowed only 4 hits and 3 BB with 5 Ks to improve to 2-1 with a 5.28 ERA; Field went 2/3 of an inning and allowed 3 ER on 3 hits and a BB to move his ERA to 7.59; George got his 1st hold with 2/3 IP of 1 UER on 2 hits with 2 BB and 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.48; and Ramirez got his 9th save with 1 2/3 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits with 2 Ks to bump his ERA to 5.53. Diaz was a measly double from the cycle as he went 5-5 with a triple, 2 HR, 5 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .411. This came just four days after his 6-for-6 game. Since July 23, he has hit .619 (26-for-42) with eight doubles. The rest of the team had 3 hits Sunday. CF Adrian Brown stole his 26th base. Justin Huber didn't play.

Omaha was 49-60 entering today. RH Danny Tamayo (5-7, 6.92) goes for Omaha tonight as the Tacoma series continues. In other Omaha news, Diaz (who else?) was named the PCL’s Player of the Week. In seven games, the Royals outfielder hit .606 (20-33) with 7 doubles, 2 triples and 2 home runs. His 5 RBI Sunday tied the Royals season high, set by Aaron Guiel in a game against Round Rock on July 19. Diaz is on a nine-game hitting streak, one shy of his longest of the season.

AA: Wichita took its second straight beating with a 14-1 loss to Arkansas Sunday to fall a game behind the Travs. Travs SP Jered Weaver shut the Wranglers down over 6 IP as Wichita's only run came in the 4th on an RBI single by C Mathew Tupman. SP Thad Markray only went 2 IP and allowed 1 ER on 3 hits with 4 Ks before giving way to RP Juan Cedeno for no apparent reason on the Wichita site. Markray dropped to 4-7 with a 5.26 ERA; Cedeno allowed 6 ER on 6 hits and a BB with a K over 3 1/3 IP to bump his ERA to 10.29; RP Barry Armitage allowed 4 ER on 4 hits and 3 BB with a K over 2 1/3 IP to bump his ERA to 4.21; and RP Nate Hoelscher went 1 1/3 IP, giving up 3 ER on 2 hits and a BB with a K to move his ERA to 5.93. CF Mitch Maier was 0-4 to drop to .239; DH Shane Costa was 1-4 to drop to .280; and 1B Josh Pressley was 0-4 to drop to .291. SS Mike Aviles showed up on the wrong end of the box score again with his 31st error.

Wichita was 20-18 and a game back of Arkansas entering today. They have today and tomorrow off before a game against Tulsa Wednesday.

High-A: SP John Gragg III did the work on the mound with a complete game 4-hitter and the High Desert offense did more than enough in an 18-0 win to end the series with Lake Elsinore. The Mavs started slowly with a run in the 1st on an RBI double by DH Billy Butler and scored again in the 3rd on a sac fly by SS Angel Sanchez. They added 3 in the 4th on an RBI double by 3B Brandon Powell and RBI singles by Sanchez and Butler before scoring 2 in the 5th on a solo homer by C Jared Price (his 10th) and a double play ball by RF Alan Moye. The Mavs padded the lead with 2 in the 6th on a 2-run double by Sanchez and 1 in the 7th on a Storm throwing error. High Desert polished it off with 3 in the 8th on an RBI singles by CF Chris Lubanski and Moye along with a sac fly by LF Bernard Stephens; and 5 in the 9th on a 2-run double by 1B Kila Kaaihue, a 2-run shot by Moye (his 16th) and a solo homer by Stephens (his 11th). Gragg allowed 4 hits and 3 BB with 3 Ks over 9 IP to improve to 10-3 with a 3.91 ERA. It was only the third complete-game shutout in the Cal League this season. All the starters had 2 hits each. 2B Pete Maestrales was 2-3 with 3 BB and 2 RS to improve to .325; Butler was 4-6 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI to improve to .350; Price was 1-4 with the HR and RBI to drop to .352; Lubanski was 3-6 with an RBI and 3 RS to improve to .287; Kaaihue was 2-3 with 3 BB, 2 doubles and 2 RBI along with 2 RS to improve to .313; and Moye was 2-5 with a HR and 5 RBI to improve to .284. Powell was 2-5 with a BB, 2 doubles, an RBI and 3 RS to improve to .307. Butler is up to 88 RBI.

High Desert was 20-16 entering today and tied with Rancho Cucamonga for the division lead. A 4-game set at Rancho Cucamonga (20-16) starts tonight.

Low-A: Burlington had a bad 6th and dropped a game to Wisconsin, 4-1, Sunday. The Bees tied the game at 1 in the 2nd on a solo homer by RF Brian McFall (his 10th) and it remained that way into the 6th, when Wisconsin got to SP Justin Sherman for 3 runs to take the lead for good. Sherman got the loss with 6 IP of 4 R (3 ER) on 7 hits and 2 BB with 6 Ks to drop to 3-5 with a 2.95 ERA; RP Kraig Schambough went 2 IP and allowed only 2 hits to drop his ERA to 4.00; and RP Chad Blackwell went a hitless IP with a BB and K to drop his ERA to 2.52. CF Cody Cure was 2-4 with a double to up his BA to .308 and 3B Edward Lucas was 0-4 to drop to .303.

Burlington was 21-16 and 2 games behind Quad Cities entering today. Actually, they ended the series with Wisconsin today and not yesterday as reported.

Rookie: Idaho Falls had Sunday off and starts a 3-game set at 1-0 Ogden today. The Chukars are 0-1 to open the second half.

The ASL Royals had Sunday off and are 2-1. They play the Rangers tonight and the Cubs tomorrow.