Royals April 4th Minors Recap

On Thursday, just one of the Kansas City Royals full season minor league affiliates completed a game. On Friday night, they completed six games.

After having their first attempt at Opening Night rained out, Triple-A Omaha lost to visiting Nashville on Friday night, 4-2. Clinging to a 1-0 lead, the Sounds received a two out, three-run home run from Hector Gomez in the top of the fourth.

Chris Dwyer took the loss, as he allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits, two walks, two wild pitches, and an error over five innings. PJ Walters was dominant over his three inning relief outing (one hit and just 26 pitches thrown). Ramon Troncoso made his Royals debut with two strikeouts in one inning of work.

The Storm Chasers collected eight hits in the loss, four for extra bases. Johnny Giavotella hit two doubles and Jimmy Paredes had two hits, including a triple. Jason Donald carried over his hot spring by going 2-for-4.

Double-A NW Arkansas split their doubleheader at Frisco. They took the first game by a 3-1 score. All four runs were scored in the seventh and final inning.

The Naturals scored their three runs via two singles and a wild pitch. A Frisco error also helped. Whit Merrifield drove in one of the runs with one of his three hits.

Frisco scored their lone run on Cheslor Cuthbert‘s second error of the game. Cuthbert did have two hits.

Andrew Triggs picked up the win in relief of starter Andy Ferguson (3.2IP, H, 0R, 2BB, K). Triggs allowed two hits and a walk over 2.1 innings. Scott Alexander allowed the unearned run in the seventh.

The Naturals lost the second game by a 4-2 score. The RoughRiders scored all four runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Noel Arguelles started the fifth and immediately had runners at second and third base thanks to two hits and an errant pickoff throw. An infield single scored one run and a bases loaded sac fly scored another. Angel Baez entered with two men on base and one out, but both scored on a fielding error by right fielder Jorge Bonifacio.

The Naturals led 2-0 thanks to RBIs from Mark Threlkeld and Juan Graterol. They had two of the Naturals four hits.

The loss negated the solid start from Tim Melville, who has been missing for just about two years. He allowed just two hits (and three walks) over four innings. He did however throw 73 pitches, but induced eight ground outs.

High-A Wilmington seems to be swinging a hot bat while in Winston-Salem, as they won 10-3. The Blue Rocks hit their first two home runs of the season, a three-run shot by Johermyn Chavez in their five-run seventh and a two out solo shot by Cody Stubbs in the ninth.

The Blue Rocks collected 14 hits, eight for extra bases. Chavez and Zane Evans collected three hits, with Evans hitting two doubles. Cameron Gallagher also hit two doubles and drove in two runs. Jack Lopez and Stubbs also had two hits each.

Jonathan Dziedzic picked up the win in his full season debut. He allowed two runs on five hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out eight and induced four ground outs. The two runs came via a Courtney Hawkins home run in the fourth. Dziedzic had not allowed a hit until Tim Anderson doubled to lead off the fourth right before Hawkins homered.

Low-A Lexington split their doubleheader at home against West Virginia. The Legends won the suspended game, 3-2. They walked off on a Alfredo Escalera one out single. It was just their second hit since restarting the game in the third.

Andrew Edwards took over when the game started on Friday and allowed one run on three hits and two walks over four innings. Cesar Ogando picked up the win, as he allowed just one hit over the final three innings. Counting the original starter Jake Junis (who pitched the first two innings on Thursday), the Legends pitchers induced 21 ground outs.

On the downside, third baseman Mauricio Ramos committed four errors and they went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

In the second game, the Power scored six runs over the first two innings and held on for the 6-4 win in seven innings.

The Legends only collected four hits, but Michael Antonio hit a two-run homer in the second.

After Luis Rico was lit up in the first three innings (3IP, 7H, 6R, 5ER, BB, 4K), the bullpen duo of Matt Alvarez and Alex Black were dominant and did not allow a hit. Alvarez did walk three over three innings.