Promising start, depressing end

Rain intervened as the Royals dropped a truncated 6-2 loss to Cleveland Monday. DeJesus led off the game with a homer for the second time in 3 games and the Royals scored another run in the 1st but D.J. Carrasco, simply put, didn't have it. He gave up 5 ER over 2 1/3 IP and the Royals only got 4 hits in 5 innings to lose.

That makes it 32-60 for the Royals. Tomorrow it's Zack v. Millwood as the Royals try to even it up. This one is winnable.

Royals on the Farm 7/17

AAA: To put it simply, the Omaha Royals blew it "royally" Sunday in an 11-10 loss to Iowa after leading 10-1 at one point. Iowa scored in the 1st but it was all Omaha for the next four innings. The O-Royals scored 4 in the 2nd on a solo homer by C Scott Walter (his 6th), RBI singles by CF Adrian Brown and 2B Justin Gemoll and a wild pitch before adding a run in the 3rd on an RBI single by 1B Chad Santos. Omaha poured on 4 more in the 5th on a 3-run force attempt by Brown that he reached second on because of a fielding error. He scored on a pop out by LF Aaron Guiel after a second consecutive error by Iowa 3B Mike Fontenot. The final run came in the 6th on a Santos RBI single before Iowa pounded out 7 runs in the 6th to close the gap to 10-8. RP Wes Wilkerson gave up the backbreaker on a 3-run shot by Iowa LF Jason Dubois in the 8th to give Iowa the edge and Omaha went down in order in the 9th to put the mess to an end. SP Danny Tamayo went 5 1/3 IP and allowed 6 ER on 9 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 5.68. RP Justin Huisman came in and gave up 2 R (1 ER) over 2/3 IP on 2 hits and a BB with 1 K to make his ERA 3.96 and Wilkerson blew his 4th save and picked up the loss with 3 ER on 2 hits with 1 K over 2 IP to move to 2-3 with a 5.04 ERA. Brown was 2-5 with a double, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .277; Gemoll was 2-5 with an RBI to move to .293; RF Jaime Jones was 2-5 to improve to .251; 3B Chris Truby was 2-4 with a BB and 2 RS to improve to .249; and Santos was 3-5 with 2 RBI to improve to .256.

Omaha is 42-53 and 10 games out of first. Sunday showed why. RH Kyle Snyder (0-2, 3.00) takes the mound for Omaha today in the first of 4 against Round Rock (48-47).

AA: Wichita also suffered through a wild one as Frisco snapped a 13-game losing streak with a 13-11 10 inning win over the Wranglers Sunday. Wichita scored 2 in the 2nd on RBI ground outs by 2B Mike Aviles and C Mathew Tupman to take a 2-1 lead but Frisco tied it in the 3rd and the score remained knotted at 2 into the 5th. Wichita scored 4 that inning on an RBI fielder's choice by CF Mitch Maier and a 3-run homer by 1B Justin Huber (his 11th). Wichita scored again in the 6th on an RBI triple by LF Mel Stocker to make it a 7-4 lead for the Wranglers before it got wild. Frisco scored 4 in the 7th to take an 8-7 advantage and Wichita tied it that inning on a solo homer by SS Donnie Murphy (his 9th). The RoughRiders scored 3 in the 8th to take an 11-8 lead but Wichita scored 2 in the 8th on a Tupman RBI ground out and solo homer by 3B Brennan King (his 6th) to close the gap to 1. Murphy hit a solo tater to lead off the 9th for his 10th of the season and tie the game but Frisco scored twice in the 10th off RP Derrin Ebert. Wichita went down quietly in the 10th to finish the game. SP Brian Bass went 6 1/3 IP and allowed 6 ER on 10 hits with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 5.53. RP Jonah Bayliss blew his 1st save at Wichita with 2/3 IP of 4 ER on 2 hits and 2 BB with a K to bump his ERA to 3.12. RP Trae McGill pitched an inning and gave up 1 ER on 2 hits and 2 BB to make his ERA 5.01 before Ebert got the loss with 2 IP of 2 R (1 ER thanks to a Murphy throwing error) on 2 hits with 1 K to drop to 3-3 with a 5.71 ERA. Murphy had a great day at the plate in going 4-5 with a double, 2 HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .313; Huber was 1-5 with a HR and 3 RBI to drop to .342, which leads the league; DH Josh Pressley was 1-3 with a BB and HBP to improve to .298; and King was 2-4 with a BB, HR, RBI and 3 RS to improve to .274.

Wichita is 13-10 and still 2 games up on first. The Wranglers have today off before starting a 5-game set at Springfield (11-12) Tuesday. The Thursday game will be televised on FSN. Follow the time-tested principle of checking your local listings.

High-A: High Desert built an 8-2 lead and hung on for an 8-6 win Sunday to take 3 of 4 from San Jose. The Mavs had a 5-run 2nd thanks to an RBI double by DH Jared Price, a 3-run homer by C Adam Donachie (his 9th) and a wild pitch that allowed strikeout victim CF Chris Lubanski to reach and SS Angel Sanchez to score. The Mavs scored again in the 4th on a solo homer by Donachie (his 10th for his second multi-homer game in a calendar week) and added 2 in the 5th on a 2-run shot by Price (his 5th) to take an 8-2 lead. San Jose rallied for 4 in the 8th but went down meekly in the 9th. SP Devon Lowery went 3 2/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 hits and 4 BB with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 3.06. RP Chris Coughlin tried to keep his snakebit streak going but actually got the win with 3 2/3 IP of 4 ER on 8 hits with a K to move to 2-10 with a 7.27 ERA. He's the Greinke of High Desert. RP Chris Demaria got his 14th save with 1 2/3 IP of 2 hits with 4 Ks to drop his ERA to 2.36. He has taken on the closer's role well. 2B Pete Maestrales was 0-3 with a BB and HBP to drop to .319; Lubanski was 1-4 to drop to .282; LF Billy Butler was 0-4 to drop to .352; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 0-2 with 2 BB to drop to .314; RF Bernard Stephens was 3-4 with 2 RS to improve to .288; Price was 2-4 with a double, HR, 3 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .322; 3B Brandon Powell was 0-3 with a BB to drop to .307; and Donachie was 2-3 with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .279. Maestrales stole his 11th base.

High Desert is 14-10 and 1/2 a game up on first. The Mavs start a 3-game set at Visalia (6-17) tonight. The pitchers: Oaks RHP Jeremy Flanagan (2-5, 5.38) vs. RHP Cesar Herrera (4-4, 6.03).

Low-A: The Burlington Bees won their 4th straight with a 7-4 victory over Clinton Sunday thanks to a big late surge. The Bees tied it at 1 in the 6th (the teams combined for 7 base runners before that inning) on an RBI single by CF Cody Cure but Clinton took a 2-1 lead in the 7th. A Clinton fielding error helped the Bees out to start the 8th and the Bees cashed in on an RBI double by DH Felipe Del Rosario to tie the game. 2B Geraldo Valentin followed with a 2-run single later in the inning to give Burlington a 4-2 lead before Clinton tied it in the bottom of the inning off RP Adam Rowe. The Bees came back in the 9th with a solo homer by RF Brian McFall (his 8th) and, after 2 Clinton errors and the 2nd out of the inning, SS Irving Falu stole home on a double steal and Cure singled home another run. RP Chad Blackwell shut the door on the win. SP Luis Cota pitched well but got a ND as he went 7 IP and allowed 2 ER on 6 hits and 2 BB with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 3.58. Rowe blew his 5th save but got the win despite 1 IP of 2 ER on 2 hits and a BB to move to 5-4 with a 5.32 ERA. Blackwell's save was his 8th as he went 1 IP and allowed 1 BB to drop his ERA to 2.49. 3B Edward Lucas was 0-4 to drop to .313 and Cure was 2-4 with 2 RBI to improve to .303. The Bees stole 5 bases in the win led by 2 from Cure to allow him to move to 7 on the season. LF Kenard Springer stole his 12th and Falu's steal of home was his 14th swipe.

Burlington is 13-11 and 4 games out of first. Tonight's pitchers: LH Danny Christensen (1-4, 3.63) vs. LumberKings RH Kyle Rogers (4-6, 6.49).

Rookie: Idaho Falls swept Great Falls with an 11-7 win over the White Sox Sunday. Idaho Falls started it right with 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st on an RBI single by 1B Blake Adkison and a 2-run longball from CF Andrew Larsen (his 4th) but the Sox tied it in the 3rd. The Chukars regained the lead with 1 in the 3rd on an Adkison sac fly but Great Falls scored 3 in the 5th to take a 6-4 lead. The seesaw game kept going as Idaho Falls scored 3 of its own in the 5th on a throwing error on an Adkison pop out, an RBI double by DH Kiel Thibault and an RBI single by C Jeff Howell. Both teams scored 1 in the 7th as the Sox tied it again momentarily before the Chukars got a sac fly by RF Felix Peguero. Idaho Falls put it away with 3 in the 8th on a throwing error on a sac bunt by LF Ethien Santana and a 2-run single by 3B Gary Perez. SP Rusty Begnaud went 5 innings and allowed 6 ER on 7 hits and 2 BB with 6 Ks to move his ERA to 5.72. RP Eliszer Garcia blew his 1st save and vultured the win with 2 2/3 IP of 1 ER on 3 hits and 1 BB with 4 Ks to move to 2-1 with a 5.82 ERA. RP Zane Carlson got his 5th save with 1 1/3 IP of 1 hit and 1 BB to drop his ERA to 1.12. Santana was 0-4 to drop to .359; SS Chris McConnell was 2-5 with a double to up his BA to .386; Perez was 2-3 with a BB, triple, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .288; Adkison was 2-4 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 RS to move to .300; Larsen was 2-4 with a HR and 2 RBI to up his BA to .310; Thibault was 1-4 with a double and RBI to drop to .349; and 2B Joshua Colafemina was 2-4 to move to .286.

Idaho Falls is 14-12 and a game back of first. The Chukars start a 4-game road set at Billings (15-10) tonight.

The ASL Royals lost to the Mariners for the second time this season in an 8-2 loss Sunday. The M's took a 6-0 lead before the Royals scored 2 in the 6th on RBI singles by 2B Joshua Johnson and SS Jeff Bianchi. That was the extent of the Royals' O on Sunday, tho. SP Angelo Morales got the loss with 2 IP of 3 ER on 5 hits with 2 Ks to drop to 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA. RP Phillip Davidson went 3 innings and gave up 3 ER on 6 hits with 2 Ks to bump his ERA to 2.28. RP Mario Santiago went 2 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 hits with 1 K to make his ERA 18.00 and RP Henry Barrera went 1 IP and allowed 1 BB with 1 K to drop his ERA to 9.58. Bianchi was 1-4 with an RBI to drop to .467; CF Joseph Dickerson was 0-4 to drop to .296; and 3B Valentino Arce was 0-3 to drop to .371. Bianchi stole his 5th base.

The ASL Royals are 15-6 and a game back of the Giants. They play the Rangers today and the Cubs tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 7/16

AAA: Omaha put an end to an 8-game road losing streak Saturday with a 5-4 win over Iowa. The O-Royals tied the game at 1 in the 2nd on an RBI double by DH Cal Pickering and took the lead in the 4th on a solo homer by 2B Justin Gemoll (his 7th). Another run in the 6th on another Pickering RBI double gave Omaha a 3-1 lead before Iowa scored to close the gap in the bottom of the frame. Omaha added runs in the 7th and 8th on a solo homer by 3B Chris Truby (his 11th) and a Gemoll RBI single before RP Jaime Cerda gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th to make it close. RP Santiago Ramirez sat Iowa down quietly to close it out. SP Dennis Tankersley got the win with 5 IP of 1 ER on 6 hits and a BB with 1 K to move to 7-6 with a 4.65 ERA. RP Shane Nance got his 3rd hold with 2 IP of 1 ER on 1 hit with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 4.11. Cerda got his 5th hold despite giving up 2 R (1 ER) on 4 hits over 1/3 IP to move his ERA to 7.77 and Ramirez got his 6th save with 1 2/3 IP of 1 hit and 1 K to drop his ERA to 5.70. Gemoll was 3-3 with a BB, double, HR, 2 RBI and 3 RS to improve to .291 and Pickering was 2-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI to improve to .253. Truby made 2 errors to get to 7 on the season.

Omaha is 42-52 and 10 games out of first. Today's pitching matchup: RH Danny Tamayo (4-6, 5.44) vs. Cubs RH Jon Leicester (1-3, 6.38).

AA: Wichita extended Frisco's losing streak to 13 games with a 9-4 win Saturday. The Wranglers scored 1 in the 1st on an RBI ground out by 1B Justin Huber and added 3 in the 3rd on RBI doubles by 2B Mike Aviles and RF Brett Groves and an RBI single by 3B Brennan King. Wichita tacked on 4 in the 5th on a 3-run triple by Aviles that he scored on after a Frisco throwing error and an RBI single by LF Mel Stocker. The final run came in the 7th on an RBI double by SS Donnie Murphy. SP Mike Stodolka had a good start with 7 IP of 3 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB with 5 Ks to move to 4-8 with a 5.75 ERA. RP Barry Armitage went 2 innings and allowed 1 ER on 3 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 4.15. Murphy was 2-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI to improve to .301; Huber was 1-5 with a double and RBI to drop to .345; Aviles was 2-4 with a BB, double, triple, 3 RBI and 2 RS to move to .292; Groves was 2-5 with a double, RBI and 2 RS to move to .236; King was 3-4 with an RBI to improve to .271; and Stocker was 2-4 with a double and RBI to move to .240.

Wichita is 13-9 and 2 games up on first. Today's matchup: RH Brian Bass (8-4, 5.35) vs. Frisco RH Nick Masset (3-9, 6.24).

High-A: High Desert jumped out in front early and held on for a 9-4 win over San Jose Saturday. The Mavs scored 2 in the 1st on an RBI single by CF Chris Lubanski and an RBI force out by LF Billy Butler. Another run scored in the 2nd on an RBI single by DH Bernard Stephens and a 4th run scored in the 3rd on a Butler RBI single. A 4-run 5th blew it open on RBI singles by C Adam Donachie, 2B Walter Sevilla and SS Angel Sanchez and an RBI double play hit into by Stephens. The Mavs' final run came in the 6th on an RBI force out by RF Alan Moye. SP Billy Buckner got the win with 6 IP of 1 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB with 7 Ks over 6 IP to move to 7-10 with a 4.11 ERA. RP Greg Atencio allowed 3 UER on 3 hits and a BB with 2 Ks over 2 IP to move his ERA to 3.69 and RP Stephen Chamberlain went an inning, allowing 1 hit with 1 K to drop his ERA to 7.35. Stephens was 3-5 to improve to .282; Sanchez was 2-5 with an RBI to move to .286; Lubanski was 3-4 with a BB, double, triple and RBI to improve to .282; Butler was 2-5 with an RBI to up his BA to .356; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 2-4 with a BB to improve to .316; and 3B Brandon Powell was 4-5 with a double to improve to .311. Moye had 2 errors to move to 7 on the season.

High Desert is 13-10 and 1/2 a game back of Rancho Cucamonga. No announced starters on either team site.

Low-A: A run in the 8th made the difference for Burlington in a 5-4 win to open the series with Clinton. Burlington tied the game at 1 in the 4th on an RBI single by 1B Rusty Brown and scored 3 in the 5th on a 2-run single by DH Damaso Espino and an RBI single by Brown. Clinton came back to tie the game in the 7th but Burlington manufactured a run in the 8th on two singles, a sac bunt and then an RBI single by PH Geraldo Valentin to take a 5-4 lead before RP Chad Blackwell finished the game. SP Patrick Hicklen went 5 innings and allowed 3 R (2 ER) on 9 hits and a BB with a K to move his ERA to 4.04. RP Gabe DeHoyos blew his 1st save but got the win with 1 ER on 3 hits with 2 Ks over 3 IP to move to 4-1 with a 1.54 ERA. Blackwell got his 7th save with 1 hitless IP to drop his ERA to 2.55. 3B Edward Lucas was 1-5 to drop to .319; Brown was 2-4 with 2 RBI to improve to .286; RF Brian McFall was 2-4 to improve to .242; and 2B Eddie Solis was 2-4 to improve to .195. SS Irving Falu stole his 13th base and made his 12th error in the win.

Burlington is 12-11 and 4 games back of first. The series with Clinton continued today as the game is in progress.

Rookie: A huge 8th propelled Idaho Falls to a 9-8 win over Great Falls Saturday. Idaho Falls fell behind, 2-0, early but scored 1 in the 2nd on an RBI double by C Jeff Howell. The White Sox scored 3 in the 3rd to take a 5-1 lead before the Chukars scored 1 on an RBI single by DH Felix Peguero. A run in the 6th on an RBI force out by LF Byron Barber made it a 7-3 game and the Chukars kept the deficit at 4 with a run in the 7th on an RBI single by 2B Gary Perez. With 2 out in the bottom of the 8th, Barber singled and then moved to third on a double by 3B Joshua Colafemina. CF Ethien Santana drove both of them home with an RBI triple and then the bases were loaded on two walks. 1B Blake Adkison followed with a 3-run single that was aided by a Great Falls throwing error and gave the Chukars a 9-8 lead. RP Matt Kniginyzky set the White Sox down in the 9th to end it. SP Brandon Brantley went 2 2/3 IP and allowed 5 ER on 9 hits and a BB with 1 K to move his ERA to 6.19. RP Mitch Goins went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 5 hits and a BB with 3 Ks to make his ERA 7.84. RP Adam Kalkhof went 2 innings to get the win as he allowed 1 ER on a hit with 3 Ks to move to 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA. Kniginyzky got his 2nd save with 1 IP of 1 hit and a BB with 2 Ks to keep his ERA at 0.00. Santana was 1-4 with a triple and 2 RBI to drop to .378; SS Chris McConnell was 2-4 with a BB, double and 3 RS to improve to .385; RF Andrew Larsen was 2-4 with a triple and 2 RS to improve to .300; Howell was 1-3 with a BB, double and RBI to drop to .341; Barber was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .241; and Colafemina was 3-4 with a double to improve to .258.

Idaho Falls is 13-12 and 2 games back of Ogden. The series concludes tonight.

The ASL Royals had Saturday off. They are 15-5 and tied atop the league standings with the Giants. They play the Mariners today and the Rangers tomorrow.

Brawlball

Forget the brawl in today's game with the Tigers. What's more important is that the Royals' four pitchers shut out the Tigers on 6 hits in a 5-0 win as the Royals became the last MLB team to get a shutout this season. Only took 91 games. The brawl caused several players, including SP Runelvys Hernandez, who was in the midst of a 2-hitter in the 6th, to get ejected after Runelvys conked Carlos Guillen on the helmet with a pitch. He had hit two batters in the first and Mike Maroth had in turn hit a Royals player to lead to a warning for both teams. No injuries were noted coming out of the fight. Anyway, when they actually played, the Royals did well as Sweeney and Teahen hit homers, Emil Brown was 3-3 before getting ejected after the fight, and DeJesus and Long had 2-hit games. Only Graffanino, Buck and Berroa had 0-fers. Runelvys was well on his way to his best start of the year before the ejection. Leo Nunez had 2 hitless innings and Affeldt and MacDougal finished it. For once the offense and pitching were both somewhat on today.

So its Cleveland for 4 more starting Monday as D.J. Carrasco takes the mound against Cliff Lee. Let's hope D.J's "shoulder tightness" was a momentary thing and he keeps pitching like he has.

Bad case of Inge

Another lead built and lost by KC tonight in a 5-3 loss to Detroit, although this one was fairly small at 2. Brandon Inge and 4 Royals errors combined to doom KC tonight. Inge had 3 RBI and contributed to another run by singling to right in the 6th on a hit that Terrence Long flubbed to allow Nook LaLoosh, I mean Logan, to score. Inge then proceeded to score the Tigers' 5th run so he had a hand in each score for the Tigres. Teahen (who's having a bad time defensively lately), Berroa, Long and Jimmy Gobble all had miscues in the game but they only led to one unearned run. J.P. Howell had an actually OK start fouled up in the loss as he gave up 3 R (2 ER) in 4+ innings pitched before being pulled in the 5th. Mike Wood gave up 2 in 1 2/3 IP to get the loss but Gobble pitched 2 good innings in the game. Sweeney and Stairs had 2-hit games, Long, Berroa, Gotay and Costa had 0-fers. Mistakes tend to bite into teams and, when you make, 4, whether they lead to runs or not, they're no good.

The Royals need a win tomorrow to salvage a split of the series. Runelvys is the guy to take the ball against Mike Maroth. I can see the Royals getting it done -- I'll call a 6-4 win. Then it's on to Cleveland.

Royals on the Farm 7/15

AAA: Omaha's bullpen blew a late lead in a 3-2 loss to Iowa Friday. The O-Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead on runs in the 2nd and 5th on a solo homer by DH Cal Pickering (his 11th) and an RBI single by 2B Justin Gemoll. Iowa got on the board in the 5th with a run but Omaha held a 2-1 lead into the 8th. RP Matt Ford gave up a game-tying HR to his first batter, Iowa 1B Scott McClain, and RP Justin Huisman allowed an RBI double later in the inning to give Iowa the 3-2 lead. Omaha went down in order in the 9th to end it. SP Shawn Camp had a great start, going 7 IP and allowing 1 ER on 6 hits and 3 BB with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.01. Ford blew his 1st save and got the loss with 2/3 IP of 2 ER on 2 hits to drop to 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA. Huisman pitched 1/3 innings and allowed 1 hit with 1 K to drop his ERA to 3.83. 1B Denny Hocking was 3-4 with a double to improve to .256. No one else had more than a hit. After a hot start at AAA, LF Cory Aldridge was 0-4 Friday to drop his average to .232 as the plummet continues.

Omaha is 41-52 and 11 games out of first in the cellar of the PCL American North division. Tonight's pitching matchup: RH Kyle Snyder (0-2, 3.00) vs. LH John Koronka (7-6, 4.22).

AA: Wichita blew 2 leads and survived a nightmare top-of-the-9th to take an 8-7 win in the opener with Frisco. Frisco took a 2-0 lead in the 4th off SP Thad Markray but Wichita came back with 3 that inning on an RBI single by 1B Justin Huber and a 2-run homer by DH Josh Pressley (his 12th). Frisco tied it in the 5th but Wichita scored 4 in the 8th on RBI singles by RF Matt Diaz and 3B Mike Aviles and a 2-run single by C Mathew Tupman to take a 7-3 lead into the 9th. RP Colt Griffin started the 9th and got 2 outs before allowing a run, RP Trae McGill then allowed a single to load the bases and RP Nate Hoelscher came in. Hoelscher gave up 2 straight singles to score 3 runs and then got a strike out to end the inning. SS Donnie Murphy was hit by a pitch to start the 9th and Huber followed with a single to move him to third. Pressley then hit an RBI single to end the game. Markray went 5 IP and allowed 3 ER on 6 hits and 2 BB with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 4.89. RP Stephen Bray pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 hits and a BB with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.00. Griffin went 2/3 of an inning and was credited with 3 ER on 1 hit with 2 BB and a WP to move his ERA to 4.15. McGill was marked for 1 ER on 1 hit without an out to move his ERA to 4.93. Hoelscher blew his 2nd save but got the win with 1/3 IP of 2 hits and a K to move his ERA to 5.65. His record is 2-2. Murphy was 2-4 with a HBP, double and 3 RS to improve to .298; Huber was 3-4 with a walk, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .347; Pressley was 4-5 with a HR, 3 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .297; Diaz was 2-4 with an RBI to move to .278; and Tupman was 1-4 with 2 RBI to drop to .295.

Wichita is 12-9 and 1/2 a game up on first. No announced starters on either team site.

High-A: High Desert scored 10 runs but a 7-run 6th helped San Jose to 12 in a 2-run win over the Mavs. The Giants jumped out to a 3-0 lead but High Desert tied it in the 2nd on a 3-run homer by C Jared Price. San Jose scored in the 4th to retake the lead but High Desert took it with 2 that inning on a 2-run homer by Price. San Jose's big 4th gave the Giants a 11-5 lead before High Desert made a late rally. The Mavs scored 3 in the 8th on a Price RBI double and a 2-run homer by 3B Walter Sevilla (his 4th) before San Jose tacked on its final run in the 9th to take a 12-8 lead. High Desert scored 2 with 2 out in the 9th on a 2-run shot by DH Alan Moye (his 15th). SP Dusty Hughes went 4 IP and allowed 4 R (3 ER) on 8 hits and 2 BB with a K to move his ERA to 5.67. RP Chris Coughlin is like the #13 for High Desert. He went 1 2/3 IP and allowed 6 UER (thanks to an error by 2B Pete Maestrales) on 6 hits with 1 BB with 1 K to drop to 1-10 with a 7.08 ERA. RP Nate Moore went 1 1/3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits and 3 BB to move his ERA to 4.58. RP Kahi Kaanoi went 2 innings and allowed 1 UER on 1 hit with 4 BB to drop his ERA to 5.98. Maestrales was 1-4 with a BB to drop to .322; LF Billy Butler was 1-5 with 4 Ks to drop to .356; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 1-5 to drop to .313; Moye was 2-5 with a double, HR and 2 RBI to improve to .275; RF Bernard Stephens was 2-5 with a double and 3 RS to improve to .276; Price was 3-4 with a double, 2 HR, 6 RBI and 3 RS to improve to .309; and Sevilla was 2-2 with 2 BB, a HR and 2 RS to improve to .230. Maestrales made 3 errors on the night.

High Desert is 12-10 and a 1/2 game back of Rancho Cucamonga. Tonight's pitching matchup: RHP Billy Buckner (3-3, 4.83 at HD) v. Giants RHP Garrett Broshuis (7-7, 4.86).

Low-A: Burlington used several multi-run innings to beat Peoria. 9-5. The Bees scored 1 in the 1st on an RBI double by DH Rusty Brown and 3 in the 3rd on an RBI double by 2B Geraldo Valentin, an RBI ground out by C Damaso Espino and a Brown sac fly. Burlington tacked on 2 in the 4th on a 2-run shot by LF Kenard Springer (his 3rd) and the rest of the Bees' runs came in the 7th on a 3-run shot by Brown (his 11th). SP Justin Sherman went 5 1/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 5 hits with 4 Ks to improve to 2-3 with a 2.43 ERA. RP Kraig Schambough went 2 1/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 1 hit and 2 BB with 4 Ks to set his A ERA at 11.57. RP Yovany Damico went 1 1/3 hitless IP with 1 K to drop his ERA to 4.86. Brown was 2-3 with a double, HR and 5 RBI to improve to .283; and 3B Edward Lucas was 1-4 to drop to .321. He stole his 19th base.

Burlington is 11-11 and 4 games back of first. The Bees start a 4-game set at Clinton (12-10) tonight as RH Patrick Hicklen (5-4, 4.07) goes against LumberKings RH John Bannister (5-8, 4.80).

Rookie: Idaho Falls held off the Great Falls White Sox for an 8-5 win Friday. The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd but the Chukars scored 5 on a 2-run double by CF Ethien Santana, RBI triples by SS Chris McConnell and 3B Gary Perez and an RBI ground out by 1B Jase Turner to take a 5-2 lead. A run in the 7th on an RBI double by C Kiel Thibault expanded the lead but Great Falls scored 3 in the 8th to close the gap. Two by Idaho Falls in the 8th on an RBI triple by RF Felix Peguero and an RBI single by DH Brady Everett put it away as RP Jacob Eckley shut the door. SP Cody Harkcom went 5 innings and allowed 2 ER on 6 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to get the win and move to 1-2 with an 8.04 ERA. RP David Henninger got his 2nd hold with 2 1/3 IP of 3 R (2 ER) on 3 hits and a BB with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 2.38. Eckley got his 1st save with 1 2/3 IP that included 1 K but 0 hits and 0 BB to drop his ERA to 2.53. Santana was 1-3 with a BB, double and 2 RBI to drop to .386; McConnell was 2-4 with a triple and RBI to improve to .380; Peguero was 2-4 with a triple and RBI to improve to .266; Everett was 1-4 with an RBI to drop to .389; and Thibault was 1-2 with a BB, double and RBI to move to .359.

Idaho Falls is 12-12 and 2 games back of Ogden. The series with Great Falls continues tonight.

The ASL Royals won their fifth straight with a 4-2 win over the Padres Friday. The Royals scored 2 in the 3rd on a bases loaded HBP by DH Felix Peralta and bases loaded walk by RF Oscar Gonzalez. The other 2 runs came in the 6th on a 2-run fielding error on a ball hit by C Ross Boudreaux. The Royals scored their runs on only 5 hits but were helped by 5 Padre errors. SP Brent Fisher went 3 2/3 IP and allowed 1 ER on 8 hits and a BB with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 5.00. RP Paul Raglione got the win with 4 1/3 IP of 1 ER on 5 hits with 6 Ks to move to 1-0 with a 6.19 ERA. RP John Sokoll got his 1st save with a hitless Ip that included 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.60. SS Jeff Bianchi was 2-3 with 2 BB and a double to improve to .479; CF Joseph Dickerson was 0-4 with a BB to drop to .312; Gonzalez was 2-4 with a BB and RBI to improve to .329; and LF Alvi Morel was 1-4 to drop to .390. Gonzalez stole 2 bases to get to 7 on the season.

The ASL Royals are 15-5 and tied with the Giants for first. They have today off before facing the Mariners Sunday.

Tigers 4, Royals 1

All that needs to be known about tonight's Royals loss was that Joe McEwing provided the Royals' lone run. His first homer of the year, 25th of his career, was it for the Royals. Meanwhile, Jose Lima pitched instead of D.J. Carrasco, who reportedly has "shoulder stiffness" and got yet another loss despite not getting completely shelled. Nunez and Sisco pitched well in relief and Buck and Gotay had 2-hit games. Sweeney, Graffanino and Costa had 0-fers tonight. Only DeJesus had an extra-base hit, other than McEwing, with a double. Another power outage for KC and Lima continued to be snakebit.

Since D.J. vs. Sean Douglass was way off on tonight's matchup, I'm hesitant to comment on tomorrow night's matchup. I think it's J.P. Howell vs. Jason Johnson. We'll see if J.P.'s growing pains continue. At least Comerica is a pitcher's park.

Royals on the Farm 7/14

Let's lead this off with a bit of good Royals news....They announced Thursday the signing of 3rd-round pick right-hander Chris Nicoll of the University of California-Irvine. Nicoll was 6-4 with a 2.50 ERA for the Anteaters. He had 113 strikeouts and just 24 walks in 111 2/3 innings. That leaves 9 of the top 35 picks in the draft unsigned with Alex Gordon the trump card in that pack.

AAA: Omaha's offense sputtered coming off the all-star break as the O-Royals were held silent (or to 4 hits and a couple walks, anyway) for the first 6 innings of a 7-4 loss to Iowa Thursday. Iowa scored all its runs by the start of the 6th and Omaha didn't get on the board until the 7th on RBI singles by 2B Denny Hocking and LF Aaron Guiel. The O-Royals tacked on 2 in the 9th on an RBI force out by C Paul Phillips and an RBI single from DH Cal Pickering before 3B Chris Truby popped out to end the game. SP Chris George picked up the loss with 7 ER on 11 hits and 2 BB with a K over 4 2/3 IP to drop to 6-6 with a 5.21 ERA. RP Wes Wilkerson went 1 1/3 IP and didn't give up a hit or walk with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.72. RP Shawn Sonnier went a hitless inning with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 5.31. RP Jaime Cerda also pitched a hitless inning with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 7.50. I don't know what to think about the fact none of the ERAs I just typed was under 4.72 at KC's AAA team. Sonnier has had about a 2.xx ERA since coming back up from Wichita, so that's a good sign. Hocking was 2-5 with a double and RBI to move to .246; Guiel was 2-4 with a HBP and RBI to improve to .263; and Pickering was 3-4 with a BB, double and RBI to improve to .247. Omaha left 11 on base.

Omaha is 41-51 and 10 1/2 games back of Nashville. Tonight's pitching matchup: RH Shawn Camp (3-6, 4.36) vs. Cubs LH Rich Hill (3-1, 3.90).

AA: Wichita overcame a 5-run 6th from Midland to defeat the Rockhounds, 8-6, Thursday. The Wranglers scored 4 in the 3rd as 2 plated on a throwing error off a force attempt by CF Mitch Maier, 1B Justin Huber followed with an RBI single and LF Matt Diaz hit a sac fly. After Midland scored once in the 5th, the Wranglers pushed across 2 more on a solo homer by SS Donnie Murphy (his 8th) and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt that allowed Maier to score to make it a 6-1 game in the 5th. The Rockhounds touched up SP Kyle Middleton for the 6th inning runs to tie the game but Wichita came right back with 2 of its own in the 6th on a bases loaded walk by Huber and a passed ball. Four relievers finished off the win. Middleton went 5 1/3 IP and allowed 6 R (4 ER as Huber made an error in the 6th) on 6 hits and 3 BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 4.09. RP Barry Armitage got his 1st blown save as he gave up the last run charged to Middleton on a sac fly. He went 1 2/3 hitless IP, had 2 Ks and eventually got the win to move to 3-3 with a 4.14 ERA. RP Derrin Ebert got his 2nd hold with 2/3 IP of 1 hit with 1 K to drop his ERA to 5.75. RP Trae McGill got his 3rd hold with 1 IP of 1 hit with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.73. RP Nate Hoelscher went 1/3 IP to get his 3rd save and lower his ERA to 5.70. Murphy was 1-3 with 2 BB, a homer, RBI and 3 RS as his average bumped to .294; Huber was 2-3 with a BB and 2 RBI to move to .342; 3B Brennan King was 2-4 to move to .265; and RF Brett Groves was 2-3 with a BB to improve to .237. Huber's error was his 11th.

Wichita is 11-9 and tied with Tulsa atop the TL East. The Wranglers start a 3-game home set with Frisco (5-16) tonight. Starters: RH Thad Markray (4-4, 4.84) v. Frisco RH Nick Masset (3-9, 6.24).

High-A: High Desert had 4 multi-run innings to escape with a win in a 10-9 victory over San Jose Thursday. The Mavs scored 2 in the 1st on an RBI single by LF Billy Butler and an RBI force out by RF Alan Moye and added 2 in the 3rd on RBI doubles by Butler and DH Bernard Stephens. The Giants tied it with 4 in the 4th and took the lead with a 5th-inning solo shot by RF Nate Schierholtz. The Mavs struck back with 4 in the 5th on an RBI triple by Moye, an RBI single by Stephens and a 2-run shot by 3B Walter Sevilla (his 3rd). San Jose wouldn't go away with 4 in the 6th to take a 9-8 lead but High Desert delivered the death blow with 2 in the 6th on RBI singles from Moye and Stephens. RPs Nate Moore and Chris Demaria did the rest to secure the win. SP John Gragg III went 5 IP and allowed 5 R (1 ER because of errors by Sevilla and Butler (throwing E for his 2nd in LF)) on 5 hits and 2 BB with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 3.75. RP Drew Endicott got his 2nd blown save with 1/3 IP in which he allowed 4 ER on 6 hits and a BB to bump his ERA to 5.52. Moore got the win with 2 2/3 IP of 1 hit to move to 2-3 with a 4.53 ERA. Demaria got his 13th save with 1 IP of 1 hit and 1 K to lower his ERA to 2.44. 2B Pete Maestrales was 1-5 to drop to .323; SS Angel Sanchez was 2-5 to improve to .288 and had 2 errors to move to 21 on the season; Butler was 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .358; 1B Kila Kaaihue came back from the aftereffects of a collision earlier this week and was 0-2 with 3 BB and 2 RS to move to .315 -- his OBP is only 2 points behind Butler; Moye was 3-4 with a triple and 3 RBI to move to .273; and Stephens was 3-4 with a double and 3 RBI to move to .274. CF Chris Lubanski stole his 12th base in the win (and made an outfield assist) and Butler's error was his 21st on the season.

High Desert is 12-9 and 1/2 a game up on Lake Elsinore and Rancho Cucamonga. Tonight's mound matchup: Giants SP Juan Serrato (3-2, 5.06 ERA) v. Dusty Hughes (5-7, 5.63 ERA).

Low-A: A 3-run 1st paid off for Burlington later as the Bees manufactured an 8th-inning run for a 5-4 win over Peoria Thursday. The Bees' first inning included a 2-run double by C Damaso Espino and an RBI single by 1B Eddie Solis. The score remained 3-0 until the 6th when Peoria scored 1 but Burlington matched it in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by CF Cody Cure. The Chiefs tied it with 3 in the 7th and 8th but Burlington got back on top to stay in the 8th on an RBI ground out by 2B Geraldo Valentin. SP Patrick Green went 7 innings and allowed 3 ER on 6 hits and a BB with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 4.28. RP Adam Rowe blew his 4th save but still got the win with 1 IP of 1 ER on 1 hit to move to 4-4 with a 5.04 ERA. RP Yovany Damico got his 2nd save with a hitless IP that included a K to drop his ERA to 5.00. Espino was 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .259; Edward Lucas made it back to the starting lineup at 3B and responded with a 3-4 game to improve to .322; LF Kenard Springer was 2-4 with 2 RS to improve to .226; and Cure was 3-4 with a double and RBI to move to .310. Springer added his 10th and 11th SBs of the season.

Burlington is 10-11 and 4 games back of first. Tonight's series finale pitching matchup: RH Justin Sherman (1-3, 2.27) v. Chiefs RH Grant Johnson (1-3, 4.71). In other Bees news, LHP Matt Campbell is back on the disabled list, retroactive to July 11th, with a posterior strain in his left shoulder. RHP Kraig Schambough joins the Bees from Idaho Falls, where he had no record and a 2.70 ERA in seven appearances. The Royals signed Schambough this June as a non-drafted free agent out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

Rookie: A 6-run 6th did the trick for Idaho Falls in a 10-7 win over Billings to give the Chukars the series. Billings took a 5-0 lead by the 4th inning but Idaho Falls scored 4 in the 4th on a solo homer by 1B Jase Turner (his 4th) and a 3-run homer by C Kiel Thibault (his 1st pro shot). The Chukars broke out in the 6th with a 2-out rally. Thibault had an RBI force out for the first run and a throwing error allowed the next run to score. 2B Josh Colafemina singled home a run, as did SS Chris McConnell before Turner brought 2 runners home with a single to make it a 10-5 score. Billings scored 2 in the 8th but didn't truly threaten. SP Michael Penn went 4 IP and allowed 5 ER on 6 hits with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 5.06. RP Bennett Cromer got the win with 4 IP of 2 ER on 3 hits and a BB with 8 Ks to move to 3-0 with a 4.86 ERA. RP Rusty Begnaud got his 1st save with a hitless IP to drop his ERA to 4.63. CF Ethien Santana was 1-3 with 2 BB and a double to move to .388; McConnell was 2-5 with an RBI to improve to .375; Turner was 3-5 with a HR and 3 RBI to move to .283; DH Blake Adkison was 0-4 to drop to .300; 3B Gary Perez was 2-3 with a BB, double and 2 RS to move to .271; RF Andrew Larsen was 2-3 with 2 RS to move to .289; LF Antonio Sabatini was 0-3 with a BB to drop to .318; and Thibault was 1-4 with a HR, 4 RBI and 2 RS to move to .351.

Idaho Falls is 11-12 and 3 games back of first. Great Falls (9-13) comes to town tonight for a 3-game set.

The ASL Royals kept a great season rolling with a 5-2 win over the A's Thursday. That makes it 4 in a row and 13 wins out of the last 15 games. The Royals took a 2-1 lead with 2 in the 3rd on a 2-run homer by SS Jeff Bianchi (his 5th). The A's tied it in the 5th but the Royals took the lead for good with 2 in the 7th on an RBI single by 3B Valentino Arce and an RBI ground out by 2B Joshua Johnson. The final run came in the 8th on an RBI ground out by RF Oscar Gonzalez. SP Rayner Oliveros had a good start to get the win. He went 6 IP and allowed 2 ER on 3 hits and 2 BB with 1 K to move to 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA. RP Matt Pena got his 3rd save with 3 hitless IP that included 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 1.72. Bianchi was 1-4 with a HR and 2 RBI to move to .471; CF Joseph Dickerson was 1-4 with a double to drop to .329; DH Felix Peralta was 2-4 with a triple to improve to .366; and Arce was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .406.

The ASL Royals are 14-5 and still a game back of the Giants. They play the Padres today before a day off Saturday.

Stairs hits, Greinke pitches, Royals win

The Royals got the second half started right tonight with a 12-9 win over Detroit. Greinke finally got his 2nd win with a decent start, 2 ER on 5 hits over 5+ innings, Burgos came off the DL and gave up a homer and 2 ER, Mike Wood came in and gave up 5 R, but only 2 were earned as Teahen erred. MacDougal came in and let the tying run get up to bat but got the save for 12 on the season. The bats did the job, too, as Stairs had 2 homers, including a slammer in the 8th, and 6 RBI. DeJesus and Berroa had 3 hit nights and Long pitched in with 2 hits. Only Buck and Sweeney had 0-fers. Hope the offense can keep this up.

Tomorrow night it's D.J. Carrasco vs. rookie Sean Douglass. Burgos took Ryan Jensen's place on the roster as Jensen was DFA'd, again. Kyle Snyder was also activated and sent to Omaha. The Royals have a good shot at keeping it rolling tomorrow night.

Royals on the Farm 7/13

AAA: The IL/PCL All-Star Game was played Wednesday night and the PCL won handily, 11-5, thanks to 7 runs in the first 2 innings that included a grand slam by Oklahoma C Gerald Laird, the first ever in the AAA All-Star Game. Omaha CF Adrian Brown came in as a defensive replacement in the middle innings and flew out to the warning track in the 7th, so he didn't contribute to the offensive charge, but he did catch the final out of the game. Omaha is 41-50 and 10 games out of first. They start a 4-game set at the Iowa Cubs' place tonight. Iowa is 41-47.

AA: Wichita made a go of it late but couldn't overcome a 6-run Midland lead in a 6-4 loss Wednesday. The Wranglers were down, 6-0, entering the bottom of the 7th after a 4-run Midland rally that inning. Wichita scored 1 in the 7th on a solo homer by DH Josh Pressley (his 11th) before pushing across 3 more in the 8th on an RBI single by rehabbing RF Matt Diaz and a 2-run homer by 2B Mike Aviles (his 10th). Pressley followed that up with a single but he was the last Wichita base runner as 3B Brennan King popped out to end the inning and the Wranglers went down quietly in the 9th. SP Ryan Baerlocher fell victim to poor run support to get the loss. He allowed 2 ER on 6 hits and 2 BB with a K over 6 IP to drop to 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA. RP Stephen Bray pitched 1/3 of an inning and allowed 2 ER on 2 hits with a K to move his ERA to 4.50. RP Nate Hoelscher went 2/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 2 hits to bump his ERA to 5.75. RP Colt Griffin pitched a hitless inning with 1 BB to drop his ERA to 3.64 and RP Jonah Bayliss also pitched a hitless inning as he struck out the side in the 9th to drop his ERA to 2.45. 1B Justin Huber was back in the lineup, so no shakeup there, and went 1-4 to drop to .338; Diaz was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .273; Pressley was 3-4 with a HR and RBI to bump his average to .292; SS Donnie Murphy was 1-5 to drop to .293; and C Mathew Tupman was 0-3 with a BB to drop to .300.

Wichita is 10-9 and in a 3-way tie for first. Tonight's pitching matchup: RHP Kyle Middleton (8-6, 3.97) v. Midland LHP Drew Dickinson (3-7, 5.96).

High-A: A 6-run 7th helped High Desert to a 12-7 win Wednesday over Rancho Cucamonga in the series finale. The Mavs started the scoring with 4 in the 2nd on a RC throwing error, a sac fly by 2B Pete Maestrales, an RBI single by SS Angel Sanchez and a bases loaded walk by LF Billy Butler. The Quakes tied it with 4 in the 3rd and 4th innings before High Desert regained the lead with 1 in the 4th on a solo homer by Maestrales (his 11th). Rancho Cucamonga scored 3 in the 6th to take a 7-5 lead but High Desert got 1 back later that inning on a Butler RBI double. The Mavs then rallied for 6 in the 7th on an RBI fielder's choice by 3B Brandon Powell, an RBI single by Sanchez, a 2-run single by DH Chris Lubanski, a sac fly by Butler and an RBI double by RF Bernard Stephens. The Quakes couldn't scrape together a rally and the Mavs won. SP Cesar Herrera went 3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 6 hits and 2 BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 6.03. RP Kahi Kaanoi went an inning and allowed 1 ER on 3 hits and a BB to move his ERA to 6.12. RP Stephen Chamberlain went 2 innings and allowed 3 ER on 5 hits to bump his ERA to 7.49. RP Greg Atencio got the win with 2 hitless IP of 1 BB and 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 3.83 with a 7-2 record. RP Chris Demaria pitched the 9th and allowed 1 hit and 1 BB with 1 K to drop his ERA to 2.49. Maestrales was 2-3 with a BB, HR, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .325; Sanchez was 2-4 with a BB and 2 RBI to up his BA to .286; Lubanski was 2-3 with 2 BB, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .277; Butler was 1-3 with a BB, double and 3 RBI to drop to .358; CF Alan Moye was 2-5 with a triple to improve to .267; Powell was 0-4 with a BB and 2 RS to drop to .301; and 1B Michael Gaffney was 1-5 to drop to .311.

High Desert is 11-9 and tied with Lake Elsinore atop the Cal League South division. A 4-game home set with 11-9 San Jose starts tonight. Pitching matchup: San Jose SP Jesse Floyd (7-4, 4.07 ERA) v. LHP John Gragg III (8-2, 3.84 ERA).

Low-A: Three Burlington errors led to 3 Peoria unearned runs by the 4th inning and Burlington couldn't get its offense going in a 6-2 series opening loss to the Chiefs. The Bees scored both their runs in the 3rd on an RBI single by 2B Geraldo Valentin and a sac fly by 1B Rusty Brown to tie the game at 2 at that point but Peoria took the lead for good the next inning and the Bees only had 4 more base runners in the game. SP Daniel Christensen got the loss with 3 2/3 IP of 4 R (1 ER) on 5 hits and 3 BB with 3 Ks to move to 1-4 with a 3.63 ERA. RP Gabe DeHoyos went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 1 hit and 1 BB with 5 Ks to drop his ERA to 1.46. RP Adam Rowe pitched a scoreless inning and allowed 1 hit to drop his ERA to 4.95. RP Chad Blackwell gave up 2 ER in the 9th on 3 hits and a BB to move his ERA to 2.61. The Bees only had 4 hits in the game, so no one really stood out. There was no word why batting leader Edward Lucas wasn't in the lineup. He's off the DL and his suspension should be over.

Burlington is 9-11 and 5 games back of first. Tonight's pitching matchup with Peoria: RH Patrick Green (4-7, 4.32) v. Chiefs RH Matt Weber (4-8, 3.38).

Rookie: Idaho Falls pitchers gave up 6 runs to Billings in the 5th as the Mustangs poured it on in a 12-7 win. Billings took an early 2-0 lead but Idaho Falls tied it in the bottom of the 2nd on a 2-run homer by C Brady Everett (his 2nd). Billings scored 3 in the 3rd to again take the lead but Idaho Falls, or, better said, Everett, tied it again in the 4th on a 3-run shot (his 3rd). Billings 5th inning surge chased the second Chukars pitcher and the Chukars could only muster 2 more runs in the game -- on a 5th-inning RBI single by 1B Jase Turner and an 8th-inning RBI double by RF Felix Peguero. SP Ryan Dipietro was tagged for 5 ER on 6 hits and a BB with 2 Ks over 3 IP to bump his ERA to 8.47. RP Eliszer Garcia went 1 1/3 IP and allowed 6 ER on 6 hits and 2 BB with a K to bump his ERA to 6.28. RP Matt Kniginyzky went 3 IP and allowed 2 hits with 4 Ks to keep his ERA at 0.00. RP Zane Carlson gave up his first ER of the season on 1 hit with 2 Ks over 1 2/3 IP to move his ERA to 1.35. SS Chris McConnell was 1-3 with 2 BB to drop to .373; Turner was 2-5 with an RBI to improve to .250; DH Kiel Thibault was 2-4 with a HBP and 2 RS to improve to .364; and Everett was 3-4 with 2 HR, 5 RBI and 3 RS to move to .406.

Idaho Falls is 10-12 and 3 games back of first. The series with Billings ends tonight.

The ASL Royals pulled off some 9th inning magic to take a 7-6 win over the Cubs Wednesday. The Cubs took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 4th when the Royals broke loose for 5 on an RBI double by SS Jeff Bianchi, a 2-run single by RF Oscar Gonzalez and a 2-run triple by LF Jose Duarte. The Cubs regained the lead with 2 in the 5th and held a 6-5 lead into the 9th having set down 14 Royals in a row. DH Felix Peralta led off the 9th with a single to snap that streak and, with one out, Duarte reached on a fielding error by Cubs SS Sammy Baez. PH Jonathan Saavedra walked to load the bases and PH Alvi Morel hit what was ruled an infield single to Baez, who made a throwing error that allowed the winning run to score. SP Juan Abreu went 4 1/3 IP and allowed 6 ER on 11 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 7.23. RP Henry Barrera went 2 1/3 IP and allowed only 3 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to drop his ERA to 10.61 and RP Nelson Trifolio got the win with 2 1/3 IP of 4 hits with 1 K to move to 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA. 3B Pedro Lopez was 1-4 with a double to drop to .380 and Bianchi was 1-4 with a double and RBI to drop to .484; CF Joseph Dickerson was 0-4 to drop to .333; Peralta was 2-3 with a BB and 2 RS to improve to .358; and Morel was 1-1 with an RBI to move to .405. Bianchi made his 4th error in the field and the Royals had 3 outfield assists in the game, including 2 at home.

The ASL Royals are 13-5 and a game back of the Giants. They take on the A's today and the Padres tomorrow.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Cue "The Ecstasy of Gold" as Eli Wallach runs around the graveyard looking for the right grave.

Before I get to the mid-season grades, I want to point out a couple things. First, is anyone else tired to extreme boredom with the old "What an outfield the Royals would have today in Dye, Damon and Beltran!!!" columns seen seemingly everywhere? Sure, that would be great but they don't. They have DeJesus, Long and Brown. I'm not even going to get into it. It's just a tired point to make about the Royals employed by many a sportswriter. Let's drop it.

Secondly, for those who may see my outlook on the Royals as cynical or negative, I wanted to give a little background on my fandom. I, within the last few years, rediscovered my love of baseball after about a 10-12 year hiatus caused in part by simple interests in other things and also by the 1994 strike. I kept up with the sport slightly more than a casual fan but not as an in-depth geek about it, know what I mean? I've predominantly been a Red Sox fan since the late '80s/early '90s as well as a Royals fan, although I admit being a Royals fan took a major backseat until last season, for some reason. I've also taken a liking to the Angels over the years since the early to mid 1990s. A couple things got me back focused on the Royals, although I still love the Sox and root for the Angels. #1, I was as sick as anyone this far away from Boston (meaning in NE Kansas) when Aaron Boone knocked them out in game 7 in 2003 and I was as happy as anyone this far away from Boston in games 4-7 against the Yankees and the World Series vs. the Cardinals, but it's hard to feel as connected as so many are to the Sox. I'm not a third-generation Sox fan, I don't have it in my blood. I feel the pain of those decimated by the BS Ruth "curse", Evil Empire, '67 Cardinals, Big Red Machine, Bucky Dent and Bill Buckner (especially Buckner -- that one hurt)/Calvin Schiraldi, but I don't associate much personally with that. The second thing that got me back on the Royals is that I DO associate personally with them. I grew up with the Royals. I remember the late '70s successes. I remember watching the Pine Tar Incident live and never seeing George Brett so pissed before or since. If he would have killed the umpire and Billy Martin with a weighted on-deck donut and pleaded temporary insanity, I couldn't have argued that point. I remember losing to the Tigers in '84, I remember Dane Iorg in game 6 and the rout in game 7 in '85 with Tudor and Andujar going nuts and Darryl Motley and Buddy Biancalana and Steve Balboni and Pat Sheridan and Jim Sundberg and Lynn Jones..... Over the years I've watched the spirit and attitude that made those Royals those Royals fade to the point the team is almost an exercise in futility each year. Wherefore art thou, Onix Concepcion? You're meager contributions were appreciated but your spirit is gone. Seeing the team do so well and then seeing them do so, so poorly is hard to watch. I don't want to take it and I'll complain about Baird, Pena, Bell, etc., as I see fit. I'll also dole out the praise as I see fit.

I first handed out grades to the 2005 Royals on May 30 and have included some of those #s along with the grades then and now:

Then:
C -- Buck .203/.250/.350, 38 games, 123 AB, 4 HR, 14 RBI, .995 FP, 26 SB on, 8 CS, 2 PB
Castillo .178/.224/.333, 16 games, 45 AB, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .991 FP, 2 SB on, 2 CS, 0 PB
Grade: D-plus.

Now:
Buck .228/.271/.358, 66 games, 215 AB, 6 HR, 25 RBI, .997 FP, 39 SB on, 18 CS, 3 PB
Castillo .207/.267/.329, 27 games, 82 AB, 1 HR, 12 RBI, .990 FP, 6 SB on, 5 CS, 0 PB
Grade: D offense /B defense

I split this grade up. The good is that an already great FP for Buck has gotten better, as have his offensive numbers as far as BA and OBP. He's only added 2 homers, tho, but nearly doubled his RBI. Castillo's slugging has dropped since he only has 7 XBH on the season but his BA and OBP have also risen, although barely above Mendoza numbers. I like Buck's D but the Royals need more out of the catcher's slot. Can't we fans get at least a .300 OBP? I don't ask for much. 2nd half prediction (any totals in these are year's end): Buck ends up around .240/.285/.350, Castillo keeps struggling at the plate.

Then:
1B -- Sweeney .315/.358/.545, 45 games, 178 AB, 9 HR, 35 RBI, .997 FP (only 1 error in 303 chances!!)Harvey .222/.271/.356, 12 games, 45 AB, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1.000 FP in 41 chances
Stairs .254/.384/.465, 38 games, 114 AB, 5 HR, 15 RBI, .963 FP in 27 chances at 1B, 1.000 in 17 at OF
Pickering .148/.226/.259, 7 games, 27 AB, 1 HR, 3 RBI, never took the field
Grade: A for Sweeney alone, all together a C.

Now:
Sweeney .318/.355/.547, 63 games, 245 AB, 11 HR, 44 RBI, .997 FP (1 error in 363 TC)
Stairs .252/.369/.421, 69 games, 214 AB, 8 HR, 27 RBI, .991 FP (2 E in 225 TC)
Huber .250/.250/.333, 5 games, 12 AB, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1.000 FP (in only 9 TC)
Grade: B for Sweeney, overall B

Sweeney has done well when healthy, which hasn't been extremely often since May 30. Stairs has done well at first and Huber was called up only to not play. Why bother? I would have liked more than 2 HR and 9 RBI for Sweeney over a month and a half. Also, more than 67 ABs over that span, too. I say trade him, although I do acknowledge he is one of the lone veterans of value on the team. He, Stairs, Graffanino, Long and Kauffman Stadium are the only things separating the Royals from a AAA team. Stairs improves the grade and Sweeney's continued decent D. 2nd half prediction: Stairs traded?, Sweeney hits .325/.350/.530 and has another injury in him at some point. He keeps producing, tho, when healthy.

Then:
2B -- Gotay .238/.292/.362, 38 games, 130 AB, 3 HR, 14 RBI, .985 FP in 198 chances
Graffanino .294/.364/.358, 32 games, 109 AB, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .979 FP in 47 chances at 2B, .897 in 39 at 3B
Grade: C-minus/D-plus

Now:
Gotay .244/.305/.376, 71 games, 234 AB, 5 HR, 29 RBI, .983 FP in 357 TC
Graffanino .309/.387/.409, 56 games, 181 AB, 3 HR, 18 RBI, .987 FP in 78 TC plus 1.000 in 124 TC at 1B
Grade: C-plus

These two have upped their grade. Graffanino has paid off both at the plate and in the field as a solid hitter. Gotay has also shown flashes of what he could become and needs to keep developing. 2nd half prediction: If Graffanino is still around, I can see him contributing similarly solid numbers for the remainder of the season as a low-order hitter. Gotay also should continue to improve, albeit slowly most likely. I can see .256/.320/.385 #s from him on the season.

Then:
3B -- Teahen .231/.278/.374, 28 games, 91 AB, 2 HR, 12 RBI, .957 FP in 69 chances
McEwing .268/.268/.286, 24 games, 56 AB, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .919 FP in 37 chances
Grade: Teahen pre-DL D, post DL C-plus, with McEwing factored in C.

Now:
Teahen .252/.303/.354, 60 games, 206 AB, 2 HR, 26 RBI, .938 FP in 178 TC
McEwing .268/.286/.293, 39 games, 82 AB, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .936 FP in 47 TC
Grade: C-minus

Teahen's BA and OBP have gone up while his SLG has dropped. Simply put, we need more power and RBI ability than that out of the third baseman. For an on-base machine as reported by Billy Beane .303 isn't that hot, altho it's better than .278. I'll reassert my May 30 point that there's no reason for McEwing being on the team when Truby could be brought up to do probably close to that well. 2nd half prediction: Teahen .265/.325/.345, McEwing -- what's the point?

Then:
SS -- Berroa .251/.291/.369, 50 games, 195 AB, 5 HR, 14 RBI, .965 FP in 202 chances
Grade: D-plus.

Now:
Berroa .265/.303/.366, 86 games, 344 AB, 5 HR, 23 RBI, .975 FP in 363 TC
Grade: D-plus

Berroa is another one with a dipping SLG, ever so slightly. 0 HR since May 30, 9 RBI and he has actually played. His defense has improved slightly and I can't recall him giving away a game lately with the D. His baserunning is an adventure and his performance of late inspires hope but he has continued to be a disappointment since early 2004. Thank God he's not leading off anymore. I like his production from the 6 or 7 slot. 2nd half prediction: Depends on how long this upswing lasts. I say .260/.310/.380 over the season but it could just as easily be .220/.275/.350.

Then:
Corner OF -- E. Brown .244/.331/.430, 42 games, 135 AB, 5 HR, 20 RBI, .949 FP in 78 chances
T. Long .227/.272/.305, 42 games, 128 AB, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1.000 FP in 66 chances
Marrero .159/.222/.341, 32 games, 88 AB, 4 HR, 9 RBI, .967 FP in 30 chances, .987 FP in 76 at 1B
M. Diaz .240/.269/360, 17 games, 50 AB, 4 HR, 18 RBI, .963 FP in 27 chances
Grade: C-minus.

Now:
E. Brown .287/.355/.445, 76 games, 265 AB, 8 HR, 38 RBI, .959 FP in 147 TC
T. Long .263/.302/.369, 75 games, 236 AB, 3 HR, 25 RBI, .981 FP in 107 TC
Marrero gone!!!!!
Costa .264/.321/.375, 24 games, 72 AB, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1.000 FP in 29 TC
Grade: B-minus

Emil Brown has been the most pleasant surprise for KC I can remember of late. He and Terrence have bumped their numbers nicely and I give Baird an A-plus for dumping Marrero. Costa has also filled in well for Diaz during his injury and shown he can handle a spot on the MLB team. One position that's looking up. 2nd half prediction: I can see Brown fading slightly to .280/.345/.420 and Long may be gone by October. Costa I say ends up .275/.330/.365 and set for 2006.

Then:
CF -- DeJesus .273/.337/.395, 45 games, 172 AB, 2 HR, 17 RBI, .983 FP in 121 chances
Grade: B-minus to B.

Now:
DeJesus .288/.357/.420, 82 games, 319 AB, 5 HR, 38 RBI, .991 FP in 223 TC
Grade: B

For a top of the order guy who isn't depended on for a lot of power he has done well. His numbers have improved nicely since May 30 as he has more than doubled his homers and RBI in less than double the ABs. His FP has also risen as he has made some nice defensive plays. 2nd half prediction: .297/.365/.410 to finish the year and solidifying his place on the team.

Pitchers::::

Then:
SP -- Runelvys 66 2/3 IP, 5.67 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 39 Ks, 32 BB, 5 HRA, .284 BAA -- grade at D-plus
Greinke 56 2/3 IP, 4.13 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 35 Ks, 13 BB, 5 HRA, .263 BAA -- grade at B-minus/C+
Lima 55 1/3 IP, 8.13 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 25 Ks, 25 BB, 15 HRA (already!), .297 BAA -- F-minus
Bautista 35 2/3 IP, 5.80 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 23 Ks, 17 BB, 2 HRA, .259 BAA -- C-minus
Anderson 30 2/3 IP, 6.75 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 17 Ks, 4 BB, 7 HRA, .305 BAA -- D-plus

Now:

Runelvys 6-9, 109 1/3 IP, 4.53 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 65 Ks, 51 BB, 8 HRA, .266 BAA -- grade at C, has looked better lately although he still walks too many, don't like the K/BB -- prediction: 10-17, 4.23 ERA, 1.45 WHIP

Greinke 1-11, 97 1/3 IP, 6.20 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 58 Ks, 26 BB, 11 HRA, .309 BAA -- grade at D, yikes. His numbers are mere shadows of what they were and he has shown only quick flashes that he may turn it around. His 1 win came against the Yankees. How does that work? K/BB ratio and BAA have suffered along with the WHIP -- prediction: 4-18, 5.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP

Lima 2-7, 93 1/3 IP, 7.33 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 46 Ks, 34 BB, 20 HRA, .311 BAA -- up to F-plus because of the LA and Minnesota starts, is still cannon fodder. What a waste of money. How does he have a better record than Greinke? -- prediction: what I'd like to see: Lima serving up taters in either McD's or the Northern League. I don't see his situation improving. Anderson and Bautista's setbacks may keep him on the team, God please no. That's why I dread games like the Twins start despite his performance. It just keeps him around.

Carrasco 4-3, 68 IP, 3.57 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 28 Ks, 23 BB, 3 HRA, .280 BAA -- B-minus, damn, he looks like the ace of the staff this year and his numbers are good but not great. A .280 BAA and 28/23 K/BB? I'd take that from the third or fourth starter. But I appreciate his work this year. He has stepped it up. -- prediction: 7-9, 3.85 ERA, 1.45 WHIP

Howell 1-3, 26 IP, 8.65 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, 16 K, 17 BB, 4 HRA, .330 BAA -- D, only that because of potential. Like Dante in "Clerks," he shouldn't even be here today. He should be in Omaha or Wichita. The promise he showed in his first start has fizzled quickly in the face of MLB batters. Hopefully he gets something positive out of getting his brains beaten in every 5th day.-- prediction: back to Omaha or Wichita, hopefully, with the return of Snyder and back in spring '06. If Snyder goes down again the "learning experience" continues. Yeesh.

As for the other 2 I named May 30 -- BA and Bautista -- both may be done for the year, Anderson for sure, as the Royals' Midas touch with pitchers adds two more names to the roll.

Then:
RP -- Sisco 28 2/3 IP, 2.83 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 35 Ks, 16 BB, 3 HRA, .194 BAA -- B
Wood 27 2/3 IP, 4.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 20 Ks, 11 BB, 3 HRA, .208 BAA -- C-plus
MacDougal 25 IP, 4.32 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 26 Ks, 12 BB, 2 HRA, .271 BAA -- C-minus/D-plus
Cerda 19 IP, 6.63 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 18 Ks, 11 BB, 3 HRA, .284 BAA -- D-minus
Carrasco 17 2/3 IP, 4.08 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 5 Ks, 5 BB, 1 HRA, .275 BAA -- C-plus thus far in short time
Burgos 14 2/3 IP, 6.75 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 15 Ks, 8 BB, 3 HRA, .267 BAA -- D-plus
Snyder 13 IP, 4.15 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 7 Ks, 4 BB, 0 HRA, .300 BAA -- C-minus/D-plus
Nunez 11 IP, 6.55 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 7 Ks, 3 BB, 2 HRA, .225 BAA -- C
others -- Jensen C-minus, Camp F-minus, Field F, Stemle Inc., Affeldt Inc.

Now:
Sisco 43 IP, 2.72 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 45 Ks, 26 BB, 3 HRA, .216 BAA -- B, he's been one of the more reliable bullpen guys for KC, which is a short list. WHIP and BAA has risen, ERA has dipped. For a Rule 5 guy just up to keep him on the roster, pretty much, he has been everything KC could ask for. I can't wait to see how he develops. Prediction -- 3.20 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, .225 BAA.

Wood 52 2/3 IP, 3.59 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 33 Ks, 25 BB, 6 HRA, .253 BAA -- C -- WHIP, K/BB and BAA have all suffered but has had his moments of lights-out (or close to that, anyway) pitching. He has been OK coming out of the pen but like a box of chocolates you don't always know what you're going to get. He's Russell Stover, not Whitman's. Prediction -- 3.80 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, .260 BAA

MacDougal 40 2/3 IP, 3.76 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 43 Ks, 19 BB, 4 HRA, .243 BAA -- B-minus, hey, a pitcher that's improved under Guy Hansen's tutelage with the magic cutter! You don't always wait for him to give up the backbreaking hit. He's striking people out dominatingly again. Time to trade him. For once, I don't agree. I think the Royals should hang on. Prediction: If he can keep his head right, 3.40 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, .220 BAA. But for the Royals or someone else, like the Cubs?

Nunez 29 2/3 IP, 6.98 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 17 Ks, 9 BB, 5 HRA, .320 BAA -- D -- another kid being shown he's a kid by MLB batters. WHIP and BAA are unrecognizable from May 30, ERA hasn't changed too much. It's time to return to the magical land of Omaha or Wichita. See you next spring. Prediction -- I'd like to see him sent back down and Tankersley brought up along with maybe Shawn Sonnier. He isn't getting it done although he seems to do OK for a couple batters and then get shelled.

Others -- Bayliss INC (looked promising in VERY small sample but, Jonah, we barely knew ye.), Stemle INC/C-minus (only got 10 innings in before he pulled a Sullivan with the back, early efforts were not as good as later ones at KC), Jensen D (25 1/3 IP, 7.11 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .298 BAA although a 2.5-1 K/BB ratio -- I like him better out of the pen than as a starter but he still gets worse the longer he's out there), Gobble INC (although it's not looking great for Jimmy so far -- 5.40 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, .282 BAA in 10 IP)

So there you go, my midseason grades as promised. Now lets beat the Tigers. It's Zack vs. Bonderman tomorrow and I'm leaning toward the L on this one. Bonderman has pitched well and Comerica is built for the pitcher. Zack left the game with Los Tigres in his first start when he was hit on the arm with a liner. Oh the days of his 0.00 ERA. Tomorrow starts anew, though, so maybe he can get a good one.

Royals on the Farm 7/12

AAA: Omaha is on the all-star break and gets back into action tomorrow. The O-Royals are 41-50.

AA: An 8-run 5th put the game away for Wichita Tuesday in a 12-3 rain-shortened win over Midland. Midland scored 2 in the 1st off SP Brian Bass thanks to errors by SS Mike Aviles and 1B Josh Pressley but Wichita got 1 back in the inning on an RBI ground out by Aviles. The game remained locked at 2-1 into the bottom of the 5th when Wichita began its monster rally with a leadoff walk by C John Draper. CF Mitch Maier hit an RBI single followed by a 3-run shot by 2B Donnie Murphy (his 7th), an RBI double by Pressley, an RBI single by 3B Brennan King and a 2-run shot by RF Brett Groves (his 1st). The Wranglers poured on 3 more in the 6th on an RBI double by Aviles and a 2-run shot by Pressley (his 10th). Midland had scored a run with 1 out in the 7th when the game was delayed and later called. Bass went 6 IP and allowed 2 UER on 5 hits and 3 BB with 1 K to improve to 8-4 with a 5.35 ERA. RP Trae McGill went 1/3 of an inning and had allowed the ER on 1 hit and a BB when thunder struck. He has a 4.84 ERA. Maier was 3-4 with an RBI and 3 RS to improve to .275; Murphy was 1-4 with the HR and 3 RBI to sag to .295; Aviles was 2-4 with a double, triple, 2 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .291; Pressley was 2-3 with a BB, double, HR, 3 RBI and 2 RS to improve to .285; and Groves was 2-3 with a HR and 2 RBI to improve to .229. Aviles made his 25th error in the field.

Wichita is 10-8 and held on to a 1-game edge in the division. Justin Huber didn't play again Tuesday. I figured because of the Futures game he'd miss Monday but would be back in the lineup Tuesday. That fact may have no meaning or may have more meaning for the organization -- he could be moving up or will simply be moving back into the lineup later this week. Tonight's pitching matchup: RH Ryan Baerlocher (2-1, 2.59) vs. Midland LHP Dallas Braden (7-3, 3.08).

High-A: When you note Rancho Cucamonga RF Aaron Peel and 2B Howie Kendrick went yard back-to-back to open the game off High Desert pitcher Devon Lowery, you may figure it wasn't High Desert's night....and it wasn't as the Mavs lost, 5-3. High Desert tied the game with runs in the 1st and 2nd on an RBI double by LF Billy Butler and a solo homer by DH Bernard Stephens (his 10th) but Rancho Cucamonga took the lead for good in the 6th. The Mavs' final run came in the 8th on a solo shot by CF Chris Lubanski (his 20th). Lowery went 5 IP and allowed 2 ER on 3 hits and 2 BB to move his ERA to 2.57. RP Chris Coughlin continued to be snakebit as he picked up the loss with 2 IP of 3 ER on 4 hits and a BB with a K to drop to 1-9 with a 7.33 ERA. RP Nate Moore went 2 innings and allowed only 1 hit to drop his ERA to 4.75. 2B Pete Maestrales was 1-4 with a BB to drop to .321; Butler was 1-4 with a double, RBI and 3 Ks to drop to .358; Stephens was 3-4 with 2 doubles, a homer and RBI to improve to .268; 3B Brandon Powell was 1-4 with a double to drop to .306; and 1B Michael Gaffney was 1-2 with a BB to move to .317.

High Desert is 10-9 and 1 game back of Lake Elsinore. Tonight's series finale pitching matchup: Quakes RHP Rafael Rodriguez (3-1, 6.26) v. RHP Cesar Herrera (4-4, 5.90).

Low-A: Burlington had Tuesday off and is set to take on Peoria (7-12) in a 3-game home set starting tonight. SP Daniel Christensen (1-3, 3.71) starts for the Bees.

Rookie: Three field goals by Idaho Falls in the 3rd quarter....er, inning, made the difference as the Chukars held off the Billings offensive attack for a 17-14 win Tuesday. Following the example of their organizational big brothers in Wichita, the Chukars committed 2 errors in the 1st and gave up a touchdown to Billings with 7 unearned runs giving the Mustangs a 7-0 lead. Idaho Falls came back with 2 in the 1st on RBI singles by 2B Gary Perez and RF Andrew Larsen and, after Billings scored 2 in the 3rd to take a 9-2 lead, the Chukars put up 9 that frame on a 2-run homer by 1B Blake Adkison, an RBI double by LF Antonio Sabatini, RBI singles by C Jeff Howell and 3B Jeremy Jirschele, a bases loaded walk by Perez, a wild pitch and a 2-run single by Larsen for an 11-9 lead. The Chukars scored in the 4th on a sac fly by SS Chris McConnell before scoring 3 in the 5th on RBI singles by Howell and McConnell and another wild pitch to make the score 15-10. The Chukars' final 2 runs came in the 7th on RBI singles by CF Ethien Santana and Perez. The Mustangs scored 3 in the 9th to make it closer but Idaho Falls got out of it with the win. SP Rusty Begnaud only lasted 2/3 of an inning as he gave up 7 UER on 6 hits and a BB to make his ERA 4.84. RP Mitch Goins went 2 1/3 IP and allowed 2 ER on 2 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 8.31. RP Adam Kalkhof got the win with 2 IP of 1 ER on 3 hits with 3 Ks to improve to 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA. RP David Henninger allowed 1 ER on 3 hits with 3 Ks over 3 IP to make his ERA 1.77 and RP Jacob Eckley went 1 inning and allowed 3 UER on 3 hits with 1 K to make his ERA 3.00. Santana was 3-4 with 2 BB, an RBI and 3 RS to improve to .391; McConnell was 2-5 with 2 RBI to move to .375; Perez was 2-3 with 2 BB, a HBP, 3 RBI and 3 RS to move to .254; Larsen was 4-6 with a double, 2 RS and 3 RBI to improve to .279; Howell was 3-6 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 RS to up his BA to .342; and DH Brady Everett was 2-5 with a BB, double and 4 RS (he was the only player without an RBI somehow) to improve to .357. The Chukars still left 12 on base.

Idaho Falls is 10-11 and 3 games back of first.

The ASL Royals kept to their winning ways with a 4-2 win over the Rangers Tuesday. The Royals scored in the 1st on a sac fly by SS Jeff Bianchi and again in the 4th on an RBI double by CF Joseph Dickerson. Their final 2 runs came in the 7th on a 2-run triple by 3B Pedro Lopez before the Rangers scored 2 that inning. That was the Rangers' only threat as the Royals went on to win. SP Phillip Davidson got the win with 5 2/3 IP of shutout ball on 3 hits and 3 BB with 6 Ks to improve to 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA. RP Gilbert De la vara got his 2nd save with 3 1/3 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits with 5 Ks to move his ERA to 5.54. Lopez was 2-5 with a triple and 2 RBI to improve to .391; Bianchi was 2-2 with a HBP and RBI to improve to .500 (30-for-60) in his fledgling career; Dickerson was 1-3 with a double, BB and RBI to move to .354; and DH Alvi Morel was 0-3 to drop to .389.

The ASL Royals are 12-5 and 1 game back of the Giants. They play the Cubs today and the A's tomorrow.

Royals on the Farm 7/11

AAA: Omaha is on the PCL All-Star break and will resume play against Iowa (41-47) Thursday. The O-Royals are 41-50 and in last, 1 1/2 games back of the Cubs and 10 behind division leader Nashville.

AA: Wichita used a big 1st inning to take an early lead and hung on for a 5-4 win Monday over Midland. The Rockhounds scored 2 in the top of the 1st but Wichita came back with 5 in the Wrangler half on a 3-run homer by LF Matt Diaz (his 1st), up from the ASL to continue his rehab in AA, and a 2-run shot by 1B Josh Pressley (his 9th). Midland scored in the 2nd and 8th to make it close but RP Jonah Bayliss put the Rockhounds down quietly in the 9th to secure the win. SP Kyle Snyder made a rehab start and went 5 IP, allowing 3 ER on 5 hits and a BB with 1 K to move to 1-0 at Wichita with a 5.40 ERA. RP Ambiorix Burgos got his 2nd hold with 2 hitless IP that included a K to drop his ERA to 4.97. RP Derrin Ebert got his 1st hold despite allowing 1 ER on 1 hit in 1 IP to move his ERA to 5.80. Bayliss got his 7th save with a hitless IP to move his ERA to 2.50. 2B Donnie Murphy was 1-3 to drop to .296; SS Mike Aviles was 2-4 with a double to improve to .289; and C Mathew Tupman was 0-3 to drop to .304. 3B Brennan King made his 12th error in the 9th.

Wichita is 9-8 and a game up on first. Today's pitching matchup was: RH Brian Bass (7-4, 5.67) vs. Midland RH Jason Windsor (2-2, 2.51).

High-A: High Desert made it close but couldn't get the game evened or take the lead against Rancho Cucamonga in a 5-4 series opening loss. The Quakes took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 5th, when High Desert scored on a solo homer by CF Chris Lubanski (his 19th) off RC SP Jered Weaver. The Mavs added another run off Weaver in the 6th on an RBI double by DH Billy Butler and, after Weaver was relieved, Lubanski doubled in another run to make it a 5-3 game as Rancho Cucamonga had scored 2 in the 6th. The Mavs pushed across a run in the 9th on an RBI single by RF Alan Moye before C Adam Donachie struck out to end the game. SP Billy Buckner got the loss as he went 6 IP and allowed 5 ER on 8 hits and 2 BB with 6 Ks to fall to 6-10 with a 4.26 ERA. RP Drew Endicott went 3 innings and allowed 3 hits with 3 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.95. LF Pete Maestrales was 1-3 with a BB to improve to .322; Butler was 1-4 with a double, RBI and 2 RS to drop to .359; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 0-2 with a BB to drop to .317 and left the game after being thrown out at home on a collision in the 6th; Lubanski was 2-4 with a double, HR and 2 RBI to improve to .274; and 3B Brandon Powell was 0-3 to drop to .307. Maestrales stole his 10th base and SS Angel Sanchez made his 19th error.

High Desert is 10-8 and tied with Lake Elsinore atop the division. Tonight's pitching matchup: RHP Devon Lowery (1-1, 2.00) vs. Quakes RHP James Holcomb (5-4, 5.14).

Low-A: Burlington scored 4 in the 1st to jump out to a healthy lead on Beloit Monday but then fizzled to lose, 8-4. The Bees scored on an RBI double by 1B Rusty Brown, a 2-run single by RF Brian McFall and an RBI single by 3B Eddie Solis but Beloit scored 3 in the 1st and 2nd off SP Kyle Crist and 5 in the 4th and 5th to move ahead. Crist went 3 2/3 IP and allowed 6 ER on 9 hits and a BB with 1 K to drop to 7-2 with a 4.70 ERA. RP Yovany Damico went 3 1/3 IP and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 2 hits with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 5.11. RP Justin Sherman K'd 1 in 1 hitless IP to drop his ERA to 2.27. The Bees' 7 hits were spread among 7 batters led by Brown, who was 1-4 with a double and RBI to drop to .285. Solis left the game in the first after his RBI single....no injury report on the site yet. Nor is there one on 3B Mario Lisson who was hurt recently.

Burlington is 9-10 and 4 games back. The Bees have tonight off before taking on Peoria (7-12) for a 4-game home set.

Rookie: Idaho Falls snapped a 4-game slide with a 5-2 win over Billings Monday. The Chukars scored 2 in the 1st on an RBI single by SS Chris McConnell and a sac fly by DH Blake Adkison and added a run in the 5th on an RBI double by 3B Shawn Hayes. The final 2 runs scored in the 6th on an RBI double by C Jeffery Howell and an RBI single by 2B Joshua Colafemina. SP Brandon Brantley went 4 innings and allowed 1 UER on 3 hits and a BB with 4 Ks to drop his ERA to 4.05. RP Bennett Cromer got the win with 3 IP of 2 hits and a BB with 3 Ks to move to 2-0 with a 4.97 ERA. RP Matt Kniginyzky went 2/3 of an inning and allowed 1 UER on 1 hit with 1 K before being ejected for hitting a batter. His ERA is still 0.00. RP Kraig Schambough got his 1st hold with 1/3 IP to drop his ERA to 2.70. RP Zane Carlson got his 4th save with 1 hit allowed in 1 IP to keep his ERA at 0.00. CF Ethien Santana was 3-3 with a triple and 2 RS to improve to .367; McConnell was 2-4 with an RBI to improve to .373; and LF Antonio Sabatini was 3-4 to improve to .345.

Idaho Falls is 9-11 and 4 games back of Ogden.

The ASL Royals had Monday off and play the Rangers today. They are 12-5.

Royals on the Farm 7/10

AAA: Two Omaha errors contributed to a 5-4 loss Sunday to Oklahoma as Omaha ended up winning the series but stumbled into the all-star break. Omaha scored in the 3rd on an RBI single by DH Denny Hocking to take a 1-0 lead but Oklahoma tied it in the 5th as Omaha made its first error that led to the UER. Omaha took the lead again with 2 in the 6th on RBI singles by C Scott Walter and DH Calvin Pickering only to see Oklahoma knot it up again on a 2-run homer off RP Shawn Sonnier in the 7th. Oklahoma scored 2 in the 9th when SS Luis Ugueto made a throwing error on a ball hit by RedHawks 2B Ian Kinsler that allowed both runs to come in. Omaha 1B Chad Santos homered (his 13th) to lead off the bottom of the 9th and make it a 5-4 game but, with 2 out, CF Adrian Brown walked and then was picked off at first to end the game. SP Danny Tamayo allowed 1 UER on 8 hits and 1 BB over 6 IP with 6 Ks to lower his ERA to 5.44. Sonnier blew his 2nd save with 2 IP of 2 ER on 1 hit and 2 BB with 2 Ks to bump his ERA to 5.59. RP Justin Huisman got the loss with 1 IP of 2 R (1 ER) on 1 hit and 1 BB to drop to 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA. Brown was 2-4 with a BB to improve to .280 (he's leading the active Omaha players in BA) and Santos was 2-4 with a HR and RBI to improve to .253. Ugueto's error was his 12th and Brown made an outfield assist at home.

Omaha is 41-50 and 10 games back of first at the break. The AAA All-Star Game is Wednesday in Sacramento and CF Adrian Brown is the only Omaha player taking part. It was certainly an all-star move he made in the 9th Sunday. The ASG will be on ESPN2.

AA: Wichita had the day off Sunday and gets back into action today against 9-7 Midland as a 4-game series begins. Wichita is 8-8 and tied with Springfield atop the division. The pitching matchup is currently unknown -- by me, anyway, and apparently neither team website guru.

High-A: High Desert cranked up the offense late to take a 7-6 win over Lancaster Sunday. Lancaster scored 2 in the 2nd to take an early lead and the Mavs cut it to 1 in the 3rd on a solo homer by C Adam Donachie (his 7th). Lancaster scored again in the 6th on an RBI by SS Stephen Drew but High Desert tied it at 3 in the 7th on a 2-run homer by Donachie (his 8th). The Mavs scored 4 in the 8th on a solo homer by LF Billy Butler (his 22nd) and a 3-run homer by RF Alan Moye (his 14th) to take a 7-3 lead but Lancaster scored 3 that inning to close the lead to 1. RP Chris Demaria gave up a double in the 9th but that was it as High Desert took the win. SP Dusty Hughes went 7 IP and allowed 3 R (2 ER) on 2 hits and 3 BB with 7 Ks and got the win to move to 5-7 with a 5.62 ERA. RP Stephen Chamberlain went 1/3 of an inning and allowed 3 R (1 ER) on 1 hit and 2 BB to move his ERA to 7.07. RP Greg Atencio got his 1st High Desert hold with 1/3 IP that included a K as his ERA dipped to 3.99. Demaria picked up his 12th save with 1 1/3 IP of 1 hit and 1 K to drop his ERA to 2.54. 2B Pete Maestrales was 2-4 with a BB to improve to .322; Butler was 2-5 with a HR and RBI to move to .361; 1B Kila Kaaihue was 2-5 to improve to .319; CF Chris Lubanski was 2-5 to improve to .271; 3B Brandon Powell was 1-3 with a BB and double to move to .311; and Donachie was the offensive standout in going 4-4 with 2 HR, a double, 3 RBI and 2 RS to up his BA to .289. Lubanski stole his 10th base and SS Angel Sanchez made his 18th error.

High Desert is 10-7 and a game up on Lake Elsinore. 8-8 Rancho Cucamonga comes to town today for a 3-game set. Tonight's pitching matchup is a good one. Quakes RHP Jered Weaver (1-1, 6.28) vs. RHP Billy Buckner (3-2, 4.37). Butler gets to see what Weaver's got, and vice versa.

Low-A: Burlington pitchers had their third great game in a row as the Bees held Beloit to 3 hits in a 1-0 shutout win Sunday. The Bees' only run came in the 4th on a solo homer by 1B Rusty Brown (his 10th) as Burlington only had 5 hits but made 1 count. SP Luis Cota got back on track after a stretch of rough outings with 7 IP of 3 hits and 1 BB with 6 Ks to improve to 3-4 with a 3.65 ERA. RP Adam Rowe got his 6th save with 2 IP of no-hit ball to drop his ERA to 5.06. Five hitters had the hits for Burlington led by Brown, who was 1-2 with 2 BB, a HR and RBI to improve to .286.

Burlington is 9-9 and 3 games back of first. The final game of the series with Beloit is tonight as Bees SP Kyle Crist (7-1, 3.96) tries to keep his good season going against Snappers SP Anthony Swarzak (8-5, 3.86).

Rookie: Idaho Falls had the day off Sunday and is trying to regroup from a 4-game losing streak. 11-7 Billings comes to town for a 4-game set starting today. Idaho Falls is 8-11 and 4 games out of first.

The ASL Royals rebounded from their recent 2-game losing skid to beat the Angels, 7-4. The Angels had one good inning but the Royals came back with 6 in the 6th and 7th to win. The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the 1st on a wild pitch that allowed 3B Pedro Lopez to score. The Angels got 4 runs in the 2nd on 3 hits and 2 BB off SP Paul Raglione before the Royals came back with 2 in the 6th on a 2-run single by CF Joseph Dickerson and 4 in the 7th on a 2-run single by Lopez, an RBI triple by SS Jeff Bianchi and an RBI double by RF Matt Diaz. Raglione went 4 IP and allowed 4 ER on 6 hits and 3 BB with 1 K to make his ERA 7.71. RP Brent Fisher got the win with 5 IP of 2 hits and a BB with 6 Ks to move to 3-1 with a 5.65 ERA. Lopez was 2-3 with 2 BB, 2 RBI and 3 RS to improve to .390; Bianchi was 2-4 with a BB, triple, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .483; Diaz was 1-4 with a double and RBI to drop to .462; and Dickerson was 1-4 with an RBI to drop to .355.

The ASL Royals are 11-5 and 1 game back of the Giants. They have today off before playing the Rangers tomorrow.

Royals split, Huber wins

Another bittersweet day for Royals fans -- the big league club drops a game in extra innings thanks to a 2-out error by Mark Teahen in the 12th, 3-2, to the Twins to split the 4-game series. Then in the annual MLB Futures Game in Detroit, AA 1B Justin Huber cracks a 2-run double coming off the bench and earns game MVP honors as the World team shuts down the U.S. on a 4-hitter, 4-0.

As for the Royals, both runs came courtesy of Mike Sweeney, who kept his white-hot streak going with 2 HRs in a 3-5 day. Those 3 hits were almost half of the team's total of 7 on the day. Sweeney ends up hitting .318 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs on the first half -- good numbers for a lackluster team. D.J. Carrasco gave up 2 runs in the 2nd and despite Sweeney's first homer in the 4th was on the hook for the loss until Sweeney tied it in the 9th with his second round-tripper off closer Joe Nathan in his 3rd blown save. The team generated no offense in extras as it was 9 up, 9 down off Nathan, J.C. Romero and Jesse Crain. Affeldt and MacDougal pitched good innings of relief for KC and Wood got the loss on the unearned run in the 12th. Berroa had yet another multi-hit game. You almost hate to see the all-star break come for his sake the way he's been raking lately. DeJesus and Brown had the team's other 2 hits. The 0-fers list was crowded today as 5 starters qualify. The game ends as so many have for KC this season -- a hard-fought loss.

So the Royals hit the break at 30-57 and over 25 games out of first. We'll see what adjustments and trades are made, if any, coming off the break and toward the end of July and August. Maybe the break will let some guys get their heads together and come back relaxed and ready to start anew. I'll do my first-half grades and predictions for the second half over the break this week.

Royals on the Farm 7/9

AAA: Omaha looks to end the first half on a good note today after defeating Oklahoma, 8-3, Saturday and getting in position for a sweep of the RedHawks. Omaha scored in the 1st on a double-play ball by C Paul Phillips and the teams alternated scoring rallies early. Oklahoma scored 2 in the 2nd off SP Brian Anderson in his second rehab start but Omaha came back with 3 in the 3rd on a solo homer by CF Adrian Brown (his 5th) and a 2-run single by DH Cal Pickering. Oklahoma scored to make it a 4-3 game in the 4th but after that RP Shawn Camp shut the RedHawks down on 4 hits. Omaha scored 1 in the 5th on an RBI single by 1B Chad Santos and 3 in the 6th on an RBI single by RF Aaron Guiel and a 2-run homer by Phillips (his 4th). Anderson went 4 1/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 3 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to make his ERA 6.23. Camp got the win with 4 2/3 IP of 4 hits and 2 Ks to improve to 3-6 with a 4.36 ERA. Brown was 3-4 with a BB, double, HR and RBI along with 2 RS to improve to .278. He's Omaha's lone all-star representative in the game Wednesday. Guiel was 2-4 with a BB, RBI and 2 RS to improve to .262; Phillips was 2-4 with a BB, HR and 2 RBI to improve to .273; and Pickering was 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI to improve to .233. SS Luis Ugueto made his 11th error and Brown had an outfield assist.

Omaha is 41-49 and 9 games back of Nashville. Today's series finale pitching matchup as the all-star break approaches this week: Oklahoma LH Derek Lee (0-1, 6.06) vs. RH Danny Tamayo (4-6, 5.79). In other O-Royals news, IF Alejandro Prieto reportedly suffered a torn ACL on the Royals recent trip to Memphis and will undergo season-ending surgery. Prieto was hitting .281 with 2 homers and 23 RBI in 46 games with Omaha since being reacquired by KC in a trade with the Phillies. Manager Mike Jirschele is also on George Brett's USA coaching squad in today's Futures Game. 1B Justin Huber of Wichita is on the World team. It's at 3 p.m. CST on ESPN2 and is usually a good watch since it has all the hot prospects in it.

AA: Wichita scored 4 runs in each end of a Saturday doubleheader with Arkansas. The problem? Arkansas scored 5 and 12 runs in the twinbill to sweep the set and walk away with a series win. In game 1, Wichita scored 1 in the 1st on a leadoff homer by SS Donnie Murphy (his 6th). Arkansas came back with all of its 5 runs in the 1st and 2nd to take a healthy lead that Wichita couldn't overcome in the 7-inning contest. The Wranglers got runners on with no results in the 2nd and 3rd and finally scored again in the 5th on an RBI ground out by 2B Mike Aviles. They pushed across 2 in the 6th on RBI singles by DH Rudy Gomez and Murphy but left the bases loaded and went down meekly in the 7th to end it. SP Mike Stodolka got the loss with 4 IP of 5 ER on 9 hits and 4 BB with 2 Ks to fall to 3-8 with a 5.90 ERA. RP Derrin Ebert pitched 2 hitless innings to drop his ERA to 5.76. Murphy was 3-4 with a HR and 2 RBI to improve to .295; C Mathew Tupman was 1-3 to improve to .307; and Gomez was 2-3 with an RBI to improve to .222. RF Brett Groves had an outfield assist and 3B Brennan King made his 11th error.

In game 2, Arkansas poured it on for a 12-4 win. Wichita scored all of its runs in the 2nd on a 2-run double by C John Draper and RBI singles from DH Gomez and CF Mitch Maier to take a 4-2 lead but Arkansas quickly turned that around with 10 in the 3rd and 4th and Wichita couldn't scrape out another run. SP Barry Armitage made a rare start and got the loss with 3 IP of 5 ER on 3 hits and 3 BB to drop to 2-3 with a 4.26 ERA. RP Stephen Bray had an outing to forget as a Murphy throwing error helped him give up 7 R (only 1 ER) over 2/3 IP on 5 hits and 2 BB with 1 K to make his ERA 1.59. RP Nate Hoelscher pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed only 2 hits to drop his ERA to 5.35. Murphy was 1-3 in game 2 to up his BA to .296 and King was 2-3 to improve to .262. Aviles made his 24th error in the loss, Murphy's was his 5th.

Wichita is 8-8 and in first by 1/2 a game. The Wranglers have today off before starting a 4-game home set with Midland (8-7) Monday.

High-A: High Desert handed Lancaster starter A.J. Shappi his 2nd loss of the season in a 6-3 win Saturday. High Desert scored in the 3rd on an RBI single by 1B Kila Kaaihue but Lancaster came back with 2 that inning. The Mavs tied it in the 4th on an RBI single by DH Pete Maestrales and surged ahead with 3 in the 6th on a 3-run shot by Maestrales (his 10th). They added a run in the 7th on a solo homer by Kaaihue (his 12th) and held off the JetHawks for the win. SP John Gragg III went 7 innings and allowed 2 ER on 6 hits with 3 Ks to improve to 8-2 with a 3.84 ERA. RP Nate Moore allowed 1 ER on 2 hits in 1 IP to up his ERA to 4.94. RP Chris Demaria got his 11th save with 1 IP of 2 hits with 1 K to drop his ERA to 2.62. Maestrales was 2-5 with a HR and 4 RBI to improve to .320; SS Angel Sanchez was 3-5 to improve to .292; LF Billy Butler was 2-5 to keep his BA at .360; Kaaihue was 4-5 with a HR and 2 RBI to move to .318; and 3B Brandon Powell was 2-4 with a BB to move to .310.

High Desert is 9-7 and a 1/2 game up on Rancho Cucamonga. Again, no named starters for today's finale with Lancaster.

Low-A: Burlington got its second consecutive good game from a starting pitcher named Patrick as Patrick Hicklen went 8 innings and the Bees got a 6-2 win. The Bees tied the game at 1 in the 4th on an RBI double by 3B Eddie Solis but Beloit went back ahead later that inning. The Bees took command with 3 in the 6th on a 2-run homer by RF Brian McFall (his 7th) and a solo shot by LF Kenard Springer (his 2nd). Burlington polished the Snappers off with 2 in the 7th on a 2-run homer by 2B Geraldo Valentin (his 3rd). Hicklen went a career-high 8 innings and allowed 2 ER on 8 hits and 2 BB with 1 K to move to 5-4 with a 4.07 ERA. RP Adam Rowe pitched 2/3 of an inning and walked 2 with 2 Ks to lower his ERA to 5.31 and RP Chad Blackwell came in for his 6th save with 1/3 IP that included a walk as his ERA dipped to 2.23. SS Irving Falu was 2-5 with a double to improve to .264; Valentin was 2-5 with a double, HR and 2 RBI to move to .259; 1B Rusty Brown was 2-4 with 2 RS to improve to .284; McFall was 2-4 with a HR and 2 RBI to move to .242; and CF Cody Cure was 2-4 with a double to move to .273. Springer also threw in an outfield assist.

Burlington is 8-9 and 3 games back of first. Today's pitching matchup: RH Luis Cota (2-4, 3.95) vs. Beloit RH Kyle Waldrop (5-5, 4.73).

Rookie: Idaho Falls gave up the 2-game sweep to Orem in a 7-3 loss Saturday. The Chukars were down, 6-0, before scoring 2 in the 5th on a fielding error on a ball hit by CF Ethien Santana and an RBI single by DH Chris McConnell. Their final run came in the 7th on an RBI single by Santana. SP Cody Harkcom had another start to forge as he gave up 4 R (3 ER) on 5 hits and a BB over 2 innings with 1 K to drop to 0-2 with a 10.12 ERA. RP David Henninger pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 ER on 5 hits with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 1.56. RP Eliszer Garcia pitched 3 hitless innings but gave up an ER on a walk with 3 Ks to make his ERA 2.77. RP Zane Carlson pitched a hitless inning with 1 K to keep his ERA at 0.00. Santana was 2-4 with 2 RBI to improve to .333; McConnell was 1-4 with an RBI to drop to .366; and C Kiel Thibault was 1-3 with a BB and double to drop to .345.

Idaho Falls is 8-11 and 4 games back of Ogden. The Chukars have today off before a 4-game home set with Billings (11-7) starts Monday.

The ASL Royals dropped their second straight as the Mariners scored 7 in the 7th and 8th to take an 8-7 win. The Royals scored 2 in the 2nd on a 2-run single by C Jefferson Infante and added 4 in the 3rd on an RBI single by DH Matt Diaz, a 2-run double by RF Oscar Gonzalez and an RBI triple by LF Alvi Morel. Their final run came in the 6th on an RBI single by SS Jeff Bianchi. SP Rayner Oliveros went 5 innings and allowed 1 ER on 7 hits and a BB with 4 Ks to move his ERA to 1.57. RP Matt Pena went 2 IP and allowed 3 ER on 6 hits and a BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 2.13. RP Nelson Trifolio got his 1st hold with 2/3 IP of 2 ER on 2 hits and a BB to move his ERA to 8.53. RP Mario Santiago made his first appearance of the season and got the loss and 0 outs as he gave up 2 ER on 2 hits to make his ERA infinite. RP Troy Garrett blew his 3rd save with 1 1/3 IP of 1 hit and 1 BB with 1 K to make his ERA 4.76. Bianchi was 2-2 with 3 BB and an RBI to improve to .481; Diaz was 3-5 with an RBI to move to .556; CF Joseph Dickerson was 1-5 to drop to .362; Morel was 3-5 with 2 triples and an RBI to move to .424; 3B Pedro Lopez was 1-3 with a BB to move to .368; and Infante was 2-3 with a BB, double and 2 RBI to move to .333. Bianchi is already to 20 RBI in 15 games.

The ASL Royals are 10-5 and a game back of the Giants. They play the Angels today before a day off Monday.

Tale of Two Innings

Yes, it was the best of times and the worst of times for the Royals tonight but the best of times won out in a 12-8 win over the Twins tonight. J.P. Howell proved once again he's due for more seasoning with a horrible outing as he didn't make it thru 2 innings. The Twins scored 4 without breaking much of a sweat but then a funny thing happened -- the Royals came back. David DeJesus cracked a 2-run homer and Sweeney kept the hit machine going and the Royals tied it up in the 2nd. Of course, as KC goes, the Twins pulled back ahead with 2 in the 4th off Ryan Jensen but then the 6th inning hit and so did the Royals. Despite some horrible umpiring including a missed call a child could have made at first base, the Royals pounded out 6 runs on 6 hits and an error to take a 10-6 lead. Minnesota had to make it interesting as Royal Killer Luis Rivas had his first three extra-base hits of the season, including a 2-run double in the 8th. Then another rare thing happened.....the Royals got some insurance with 2 in the 8th courtesy Mark Teahen and Angel Berroa. MacDougal came in and got into, and out of, a hairy situation in the 9th and it was over.

Sweeney went nuts for a 5-for-6 night and, if not for a ground out in the 8th, was on a major hit streak of 8 straight hits (although nothing bigger than a double, but I'm not dumping on his hitting). Teahen and DeJesus threw in 3-hit nights, DeJesus and Sweeney had 3-RBI nights, Berroa had another multi-hit game as his BA gradually curves up from its former Buck-esque slide. Brown, Long and Gotay had 2-hit games, too, and Buck threw in a double for his hit and 2 of the team's 6 walks -- another seemingly rare feat. Basically, everyone swung the bat well tonight. Nunez, Sisco and MacDougal had decent nights on the mound although the same can't be said for Howell, Jensen or Jimmy Gobble. Most of everything clicked for KC tonight. Wish that happened every game.

Tomorrow it's D.J. vs. Carlos Silva as the Royals go for the series win. It'd be nice to have over Minnesota.

Royals on the Farm 7/8

AAA: Omaha held off Oklahoma to take a 7-6 win Friday. The O-Royals scored the first 2 runs of the game in the 2nd on a 2-run homer by SS Luis Ugueto (his 6th). Oklahoma came back with 3 in the 3rd to take the lead but Omaha had a 4-run 4th on a 2-run homer by 3B Chris Truby (his 10th), a throwing error on a ball hit by Ugueto and a sac fly by RF Aaron Guiel. Omaha's final run in the 6th on a solo homer by Ugueto (his 7th) made it a 7-3 game and the bullpen held off the RedHawks. RP Santiago Ramirez came in to close in the 9th with the score 7-5 and gave up a leadoff homer but set the next three batters down in order to end it. SP Dennis Tankersley went 5 innings and allowed 3 ER on 5 hits and 3 BB with 6 Ks to get the W and move to 6-6 with a 4.84 ERA. RP Jaime Cerda got his 4th hold as he went 1 1/3 IP and allowed 1 ER on a BB with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 7.83. RP Wes Wilkerson pitched 2/3 of an inning and allowed 1 ER on 2 hits to move his ERA to 4.85. RP Matt Ford got his 4th hold with 1 IP of 1 hit to drop his ERA to 0.93. Ramirez got his 5th save with 1 ER on 1 hit and 1 K over 1 IP to move his ERA to 5.91. CF Adrian Brown was 2-5 to improve to .272 and Ugueto was 3-4 with 2 HRs and 3 RBI with 3 RS to improve to .231. His homers came from different sides of the plate and he was the first Omaha player to do so in 9 years.

Omaha is 40-49 and 10 games out of first. Tonight's pitching matchup: Oklahoma LH Ryan Snare (1-3, 5.80) vs. LH Brian Anderson (NR) in his second rehab start.

AA: Wichita got tagged for a 4-run first by Arkansas and the Travelers went on to a 7-3 win Friday. Arkansas took a 6-0 lead before Wichita scored in the 4th on an RBI double by DH Josh Pressley. The Wranglers' final 2 runs came in the 8th on a 2-run homer by CF Mitch Maier (his 3rd). SP Thad Markray only went 1/3 of an inning in the 1st and was marked for 4 ER on 4 hits and 3 BB to drop to 4-4 with a 4.84 ERA. RP Trae McGill went 2 2/3 IP and gave up 2 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB with 2 Ks to move his ERA to 4.67. RP Colt Griffin went 3 Ip and allowed 1 ER on 4 hits and 2 Ks to move his ERA to 3.72. RP Jonah Bayliss made his first appearance since his demotion from KC and went 2 hitless innings and K'd 1 to drop his ERA to 2.55. SS Donnie Murphy was 2-4 to improve to .285; Pressley was 2-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .281; C Mathew Tupman was 1-4 to drop to .307; and LF Mel Stocker was 2-4 to up his BA to .232. 1B Justin Huber was 0-4 to drop to .339. He also made his 10th error in the field.

Wichita is 8-6 and a game ahead of Springfield in the divisional race. The teams finish the series with a twinbill today. Pitching matchups: Game 1 -- Arkansas LHP Daniel Davidson (6-4, 4.53 ERA) v. LHP Mike Stodolka (3-7, 5.65 ERA). Game 2 -- Travs LHP Willie Collazo (0-1, 4.42 ERA) v. RHP Barry Armitage (2-2, 3.67 ERA).

High-A: High Desert had a big 7th to tie the game but Lancaster scraped together a run in the bottom of the inning to get an 8-7 win. The Mavs scored 2 in the 1st on a solo homer by LF Billy Butler (his 20th) and an RBI double by CF Chris Lubanski but Lancaster came right back with 3 on a 3-run bomb by SS Stephen Drew. High Desert tied the game in the 3rd on a solo homer by DH Pete Maestrales (his 9th) but it didn't last long as Lancaster scored 3 combined in the 3rd and 4th to take a 6-3 lead. The JetHawks scored again in the 6th to make it a 7-3 game before High Desert tallied 4 in the 7th on a 3-run shot by Butler (his 21st) and a solo blast by SS Adam Keim (his 18th). Lancaster got a run with 2 outs in the 7th to reclaim the lead and Maestrales reached base for HD in the 9th to lead off the inning only to get doubled off first on a line out by RF Alan Moye. Butler followed with a double that may have scored Maestrales but instead was just a double and Keim struck out to end the game. SP Cesar Herrera went 4 IP and allowed 6 R (3 ER) on 8 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to move his ERA to 5.90. RP Devon Lowery got the loss with 4 IP of 2 ER on 4 hits and 2 BB to fall to 1-1 with an ERA of 2.00. Maestrales was 1-3 with 2 BB, a HR, RBI and 2 RS to move his average to .318; Butler was 3-4 with a BB, double, 2 HR and 4 RBI along with 2 RS to improve to .360; Lubanski was 3-4 with a double and RBI to improve to .274; 1B Jared Price was 1-4 to drop to .304 and 3B Brandon Powell was 1-4 to drop to .307.

High Desert is 8-7 and a 1/2 game back of Rancho Cucamonga. No announced starters yet for tonight's game with Lancaster.

Low-A: Burlington SP Patrick Green held Beloit to 1 run on 6 hits over 8 innings as Burlington took a 5-1 win over Beloit Friday. The Bees scored once in the 1st on an RBI ground out by DH Damaso Espino and Beloit tied it that inning on a solo homer. After that Green held the Snappers in check and the Bees scored 1 in the 5th on a double play ball by 2B Geraldo Valentin, 1 in the 6th on a solo homer by 1B Rusty Brown (his 9th) and 2 in the 7th on a Brown fielder's choice and a bases loaded walk by C Robert Grana. Green walked 2 and K'd 5 in his longest career start to improve to 4-7 with a 4.32 ERA. RP Chad Blackwell closed out the win with 1 hitless IP that included a walk as his ERA sagged to 2.25. SS Irving Falu was 2-5 with a double to improve to .262; Espino was 2-5 with an RBI to up his BA to .265; Brown was 2-4 with a BB, HR and 2 RBI to improve to .281; and CF Cody Cure was 2-3 with a BB to improve to .250. Falu stole 2 bases to get to 12 on the season.

Burlington is 7-9 and 4 games out of first. Tonight's pitching matchup: RH Patrick Hicklen (4-4, 4.25) v. Beloit RH David Shinskie (1-6, 7.88).

Rookie: It was a pitchers' duel Friday in Orem as Idaho Falls dropped a game to the Owlz, 2-1. Orem scored 2 off Chukars starter Michael Penn in the 2nd and the Chukars could only get 3 hits off Orem pitchers before the 9th when 3B Shawn Hayes knocked in SS Christopher McConnell with a single. Idaho Falls had three chances to tie the game and failed. Penn went 4 innings and allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 3 hits and a BB with 4 Ks to get the loss and drop to 0-1 with a 3.63 ERA. RP Jacob Eckley allowed 3 hits and a BB with a K over 1 2/3 IP to drop his ERA to 3.38. RP Kraig Schambough walked 1 and K'd 2 over 1 1/3 IP to drop his ERA to 2.84 and RP Matthew Kniginyzky allowed 1 hit with 2 Ks in 1 IP to keep his ERA at 0.00. CF Ethien Santana was 0-4 to drop to .321; McConnell was 2-3 with a BB and triple to improve to .373; and C Kiel Thibault was 1-3 with a double to drop to .346.

Idaho Falls is 8-10 and 4 games back of Ogden. The final game of the 2-game set with Orem is tonight.

The Arizona League Royals had their 9-game winning streak snapped in an 8-4 loss to the Giants Friday. The Royals tied the game at 1 in the 4th on an RBI force out by CF Joseph Dickerson but the Giants scored 4 that inning to take a 5-1 lead. The Royals scored 2 in the 5th on a 2-run single by SS Jeff Bianchi but couldn't get all the way back. Their final run came in the 8th on an RBI single by Dickerson. SP Juan Abreu went 4 innings and allowed 5 ER on 7 hits and 2 BB with 1 K to drop to 1-1 with a 5.65 ERA. RP Henry Barrera went 1 1/3 IP and allowed 3 hits to drop his ERA to 14.14 and RP Drew Coffey went 2 2/3 IP and allowed 3 ER on 5 hits and 2 BB with 3 Ks to make his ERA 12.71. Bianchi was 1-5 with 2 RBI to drop to .462; LF Matt Diaz made a rehab appearance and went 2-4 with a double to set a .500 BA; Dickerson was 1-4 with 2 RBI to drop to .377; and 3B Pedro Lopez was 1-4 to drop to .371.

The ASL Royals are 10-4 and tied with the Giants atop the league. They take on the Mariners today and the Angels tomorrow.