Royals August 19th Minors Recap

Omaha lost their finale to Las Vegas, 10-4. The Storm Chasers won the four-game series and now have a two game lead in the division. They head out on the road for eight games beginning Wednesday night in Tacoma.

The 51s scored six runs in the top of the second and added four runs of insurance in the top of the ninth.

John Lamb took the loss, as he allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk over just 1.2 innings. He allowed a three-run home run. Casey Coleman and Blake Wood threw 6.1 scoreless innings of relief with seven strikeouts. Then Chris Dwyer allowed the four runs in the ninth on five hits and two walks.

Carlos Peguero was the offense, as he hit two home runs and drove in all four runs. He now has 27 homers on the season. Of the Storm Chasers seven hits, Peguero and Johnny Giavotella each had three hits.

NW Arkansas lost to Springfield, 9-8. The Naturals are 5.5 games back of first place.

The Cardinals scored seven runs in the first inning off Naturals starter Tim Melville and reliever Malcom Culver (who was just sent back from Triple-A). Melville allowed six runs on four hits and two walks over just 2/3 of an inning. Culver allowed two of his inherited runners to score.

Culver allowed one run over 2.1 innings. Aroni Nina pitched two hitless innings of relief.

From there, the Naturals fought back to tie the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth. All of the Naturals eight runs came via the long ball. Brian Fletcher got the comeback started with a two out, three-run home run in the third. He added a solo shot in the fifth as part of a back-to-back show with Mitch Maier. In the 4th inning, Juan Graterol hit a two-run homer. Parker Morin finished the scoring with a solo shot in the sixth.

However, Brandon Finnegan allowed two runs in the top of the 6th inning on three hits and a walk. Noel Arguelles followed that up with three scoreless innings.

Though Lane Adams did not hit a homer, he did go 3-for-5 in the loss.

*The Naturals finally put closer Andrew Triggs on the DL with a lower back injury (he has not pitched since August 12th).

Wilmington won their first game in Myrtle Beach, 5-3. The Blue Rocks are now tied with Lynchburg for a playoff spot.

Starter Sean Manaea was cruising until the sixth when he loaded the bases with nobody out. A sac fly gave the Pelicans their first run, followed by a run scoring single. That was all for Manaea, and in came Daniel Stumpf, who allowed another sac fly, but got out of the inning.

Manaea allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out nine in earning his sixth win of the season. Kyle Bartsch worked a perfect ninth in earning his fourth save.

In the Blue Rocks three-run 2nd inning, they hit three solo home runs. Zane Evans got it all started, before Cam Gallagher and Jared Schlehuber went back-to-back with two outs. Evans and Schlehuber each had two hits in the win, as did Frank Schwindel in his Blue Rocks debut (at first base).

Lexington beat Delmarva, 5-4 in ten innings.

With runners at the corners and one out, Humberto Arteaga was called out on strikes (and ejected). However, Dexter Kjerstad hit a grounder to shortstop that the Shorebirds threw away to drive in the winning run.

After Cody Reed allowed four runs on six hits and two walks over four innings, Jake Junis allowed just three hits over the next five scoreless innings. Tim Hill earned the win with a scoreless top of the tenth.

Kjerstad and Mauricio Ramos each had two hits in the win. Elier Hernandez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored.