KC Royals Mother's Day Minors Recap

Three KC Royals minor-league affiliates were in action, while Omaha was rained out on Sunday. They will play a doubleheader on Monday afternoon to finish their series with OKC.

NW Arkansas won both games of their doubleheader over Arkansas. The wins put the Naturals in first place. The Naturals took the first game by a 3-1 score.

Down 1-0 heading into the top of the sixth, the Naturals broke through with three runs. With two outs, Alex Liddi tripled in two runs and scored on Micah Gibbs‘ double. Liddi started at second base in both games.

That made a winner of Andy Ferguson, who allowed the one run on six hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out three. Daniel Stumpf picked up his third save, as he allowed a walk over 1.1 innings.

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The Naturals took the second game by a

8-2

. They broke through with a five-run sixth, that included three walks and an Arkansas error.

Angel Franco went 2-for-5 with three runs scored. He hit a solo home run in the fifth that gave the Naturals a 3-0 lead. Mike Bianucci went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Liddi and Ethan Chapman each went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

J.C. Sulbaran earned his third win, as he allowed two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out two. Sulbaran allowed a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. Benino Pruneda made his Double-A debut and allowed two hits in the seventh, but escaped without allowing a run.

Bubba Starling was pinch run for in the second after walking and going to second base on a single (Terrance Gore ran and stole two bases in the game).

Logan Davis made his season debut, entering the game on defense at second base in the bottom of the sixth. He went 0-for-1 (strikeout).

Wilmington won their second straight over Lynchburg, this time by a 4-2 score. The Blue Rocks scored two runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back.

Alec Mills earned his second win, as he allowed the two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out eight. Matt Alvarez allowed just one hit while striking out five over 2.1 innings before Estarlin Cordero earned his second save with two strikeouts.

Logan Moon went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Frank Schwindel went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

*In roster news, Cam Gallagher was activated from the DL (2-for-3 with a double and a run scored). Infielder Kenny Diekroeger was promoted to Triple-A.

Lexington beat Kannapolis, 11-7. After the Intimidators scored two runs in the top of the first, the Legends scored six runs in the bottom of the inning.

Carlos Garcia and Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado hit back-to-back home run to start the bottom of the first to tie the game at 2-2. Chase Vallot made his season debut as the Legends DH and drove in his first run with a first inning single. A walk to load the bases chased the Kannapolis starter and Kyle Pollock greeted the reliever with a three-run single.

Wander Franco hit a three-run home run with two outs in the fourth. Vallot went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and three runs scored. He also stole a base. Pollock went 2-for-4.

Matt Strahm earned the win in relief, though he allowed two of the three inherited runs to score in the 4th inning (he walked two in 2/3 of an inning). He came on in relief of Emilio Ogando (3.1 IP, 6H, 6R, 5BB, 3K). Nik Stephenson received his first hold, as he allowed one run on two hits and four walks over 4.1 innings of relief. He struck out four.

Though the Legends pitchers struck out 11, they also walked 11.

Next: Jeremy Guthrie: The Rasputin of the Royals Rotation

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KC Royals Mother’s Day Minors Recap

By Jen Nevius | May 11, 2015