Royals July 5th Minors Recap

Omaha won the pitcher’s duel over Iowa, 3-0. Ryan Verdugo picked up the win with six shutout innings. He allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six. Jeremy Jeffress followed with two scoreless innings of relief and Brandon Sisk picked up his eighth save of the season.

David Lough hit a solo homerun in the 2nd inning (one of his two hits). Johnny Giavotella drove in two runs in the 7th inning with a two out RBI single.

The NW Arkansas Naturals have now lost four in a row, as they lost their series opener at home against Corpus Christi, 10-2. The Naturals collected 11 hits, but went just 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and hit into three double plays.

Brian Fletcher went 2-for-4 for the second straight game. Alex McClure went 3-for-4 with an RBI (where is all this offense coming with McClure?).

Catcher Manny Pina began his rehab from knee surgery with an 0-for-3 day. He also threw a runner out trying to steal second base. He caught seven innings.

Wilmington lost the slugfest in Lynchburg, 10-9. The Hillcats gave Yordano Ventura his worst start of the season right before his appearance in Sunday’s Futures Game. Ventura, who supposedly was ON in the first inning, fell apart in the second inning. The Hillcats scored five runs and he lasted just 2.2 innings.

The Blue Rocks actually came back to take a 9-8 lead in the top of the 7th inning with a six-spot. Matt Fields hit a homerun and Brett Eibner followed two batters later with a two-run homerun in that inning (he fell a triple short of the cycle). The Hillcats came right back with two runs in the bottom of the 7th inning against loser Nick Graffeo.

Kane County used a six-run bottom of the 5th inning to beat Quad Cities, 9-2. This came after the River Bandits tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the inning. In that 5th inning, Michael Antonio hit a two-run homerun (one of his two hits).

All of that offense made a winner of Aaron Brooks, who allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out six.

Every Cougars starter (except Yowill Espinal) collected at least one hit.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-3 with his second error of the season in Burlington’s 8-7 walk-off win.