Nate Adcock took the loss, as he allowed those six runs on seven hits in just the 2nd inning. After that, he only allowed two hits.

Jake Odorizzi was named the Pacific Coast League’s Player of the Week. Infielder Christian Colon, who fouled a ball off his face after a promotion to Triple-A, will miss the rest of the season.

NW Arkansas scored a run in the first inning, but went on to lose to Frisco, 6-1. Mike Montgomery was in trouble in every inning but the third, and lasted just five innings. The five walks and a three-run homerun did him in.

In the loss, Paulo Orlando went 3-for-4.

Blue Rocks first baseman Matt Fields

With big league GM Dayton Moore in attendance in Frederick, Wilmington lost both games of their doubleheader. Their lead in the Northern Division in the Carolina League dropped to just a 1/2 game. The games got started late, as rain pushed back the start time by about an hour.

Game 1 was picked up in the 3rd inning, as it was suspended from a July game in Wilmington (in which Dylan Bundy started). Anyway, it was a back-and-forth affair late and the Blue Rocks had a chance in the bottom of the 9th inning. With a run in, a runner on first base, and just one out, Angel Franco grounded into a game-ending double play.

Matt Fields went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Game 2 was so much worse. The long ball once again came back to haunt Blue Rocks starter Jason Adam. The Keys scored five runs in the first inning as Adam allowed back-to-back homeruns, one was a three-run shot. He was in-and-out of trouble throughout his five innings of work.

Shortstop Orlando Calixte was hit by a pitch in the 4th inning and immediately was replaced.

Brooks Pounders was named the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week.

Kane County was the only KC Royals affiliate to win on Monday night, as they defeated Burlington, 5-4. Down 3-1 heading into the top of the 8th inning, the Cougars scored four runs and held on. Chris Elder hit a grand slam, just his second homerun of the season (first with the Cougars).

Alex Llanos and Tim Ferguson each collected two hits in the win. Angel Baez made the start and allowed an unearned run over five innings of work. He gave up four hits and three walks, but struck out six.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-5 with a solo homerun in Burlington’s 5-4 win in 12 innings. The second game of their doubleheader was postponed. He reached on a fielding error in the 12th inning and scored the winning run.

The Royals’ Patrick Conroy was named the Appalachian League’s Pitcher of the Week.

Burlington

Mark Threlkheld has cracked the top ten in hitting in the Appy League (tenth) with a .294 batting average. He has 33 RBIs, which ranks him ninth (in a tie). He went 6-for-23 (.261) with five runs scored and four RBIs. Patrick Leonard is tied for second in the Appy League in RBIs with 42 and dropped to second place in homeruns with 13 (he hit just one last week). He did hit .333 (8-for-24) last week. Fred Ford is third with 12 homeruns (one of his three hits last week).

It was another tough week for prospect Bubba Starling. He went 4-for-23 (.174) with 12 strikeouts.

Daniel Hernandez is ninth in the Appy League in ERA (3.64) and he leads the Royals in innings pitched (59.1 innings). He’s been getting roughed up a bit as of late. Last week, he allowed six runs on 11 hits over two starts (12.2 innings). The strikeout to walk ratio still continues to be great (13 to 2 last week). Yender Caramo is right behind Hernandez in innings pitched (59). Last week, he made one start and allowed just one run over six innings. He did allow nine hits, but did not walk a batter while striking out four.

Reliever Daniel Stumpf has been dominant throughout the 2012 season for the Royals. It was no different in his two appearances last week. Over four innings, he allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out four.

Idaho Falls went 3-4 last week. The Chukars are tied for second place in the South Division of the Pioneer League at 11-10. They also return home for a nine-game homestand (around an off day). Of the Chukars losses last week, only one was by more than three runs.

The top offensive performers for the Chukars have cooled off a bit. Ethan Chapman dropped to .322, as he only played in three games (3-for-11 with four RBIs). Nick DelGuidice dropped his average to .298, as he 4-for-17 with three RBIs. Adalberto Mondesi‘s average dropped to .285 after going just 4-for-26 with 13 strikeouts.

The one positive on offense for the Chukars last week was third baseman Diego Goris. He went 7-for-20 (.350) with seven runs scored and six RBIs.

Check out MiLB’s feature on 2012 second round draft pick Sam Selman, who leads the Pioneer League in ERA (1.31) and strikeouts (73). In his one start last week (August 14th), he allowed one run on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out 11.

Cory Hall made two relief appearances last week and allowed three hits over 2.1 scoreless innings. He struck out three.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA pitcher Jake Odorizzi delivers a pitch during the first inning of the 2012 All Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

They also rode the arm of Jake Odorizzi, who improved to 10-2 in Triple-A. He allowed one run on four hits and two walks over seven innings.

If you’re interested in checking out the Storm Chasers celebration on Saturday night, check out Minda Haas’ site Royal Blues for photos.

NW Arkansas lost the first game of their doubleheader in Frisco, 3-0. The Naturals collected just two hits.

Noel Arguelles waited three days to make his next start (after two rainouts). He took the loss, as he allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out six.

The Naturals also lost the second game, 3-1. They actually out-hit Frisco 6-4, but went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They had a chance to win the game (or at least tie it) in the top of the 7th inning. They had the bases loaded and one run already in, but Carlo Testa grounded out to end the game.

Whit Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a triple. Justin Marks took the loss, as he allowed all three runs on four hits and a walk over four innings.

Wilmington couldn’t complete the sweep over Lynchburg, as they lost 3-2. The Blue Rocks scored both of their runs in the first inning. Three of their four hits came in that first inning.

With the game tied at 2-2 in the top of the 9th inning, Braeden Schlehuber reached on a fielding error in center field and moved all the way to third base. He came around to score when the Blue Rocks middle infielders tried to turn a double play (but couldn’t).

The Blue Rocks had the tying run on third base with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, but Murray Watts flied out to end the game (he ended up 2-for-4).

The Wilmington loss dropped them to just 2.5 games ahead of both the Hillcats and Frederick. The Blue Rocks now head to Frederick for five games and then to Lynchburg for three more games.

Kane County led 4-3 heading into the 8th inning, but lost 7-4 in Burlington. The Bees scored four runs in the bottom of the 8th inning aided by three singles, three walks, and a wild pitch.

Alex Llanos went 3-for-4 and Chris Elder went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the loss.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts in Burlington’s 8-4 loss in Greenville.

Blue Rocks shortstop Orlando Calixte

Saturday night’s Wilmington Blue Rocks game was considered boring for the first eight innings. Well, boring for those who do not like pitcher’s duels. It got exciting quick in the bottom of the 9th inning when Cheslor Cuthbert led off the inning with a single off Lynchburg reliever Juan Jamie. He moved to second base on a wild pitch and Nick Van Stratten moved him to third base on a ground out. Van Stratten had squared to bunt but pulled back and slapped it up the middle.

The Hillcats elected to intentionally walk the next two batters to load the bases with one out. Luis Piterson hit into a force out (the out came at the plate), which brought up shortstop Orlando Calixte with two outs and the bases loaded.

The 2-2 pitch was VERY close. So close that the entire Lynchburg infield began exiting the field. The catcher triple-clutched his throw because he couldn’t believe the home plate umpire did not call the pitch a strike.

Anyway, with new life and a 3-2 pitch, Calixte took the fastball into left field, just out of reach of the diving left fielder for the game winner. While the Blue Rocks were celebrating and chasing Calixte around the field, the Hillcats coaching staff was going nuts at the umpire. I don’t blame them and I’m pretty sure any other coaching staff in baseball would have been freaking out (the pitch looked that good).

After the game, Calixte talked (through interpreter Angel Franco, the Blue Rocks utility fielder) about the game winning hit, facing a pitcher who throws so hard, how many game winning hits he has had in his career, and how he took that 2-2 pitch. He, like Pounders, was also pied in the face during the interview, but kept on going. Pounders was kind enough to wipe some of the shaving cream out of his face.

Following all the shaving cream pies, Blue Rocks manager Vance Wilson wanted to make sure he was facing the hallway just in case a pie was coming his way. He talked about the throws by Brett Eibner, the start from Pounders, his bullpen duo of Chase Boruff and Robinson Yambati, the defensive abilities of Lynchburg shortstop Nick Ahmed, and how well his team is finally playing with the playoffs about two weeks away.

Jul 17, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ryan Verdugo (62) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Omaha returned home and beat Nashville, 5-3. The Storm Chasers also clinched the American Northern Division of the Pacific Coast League.

Ryan Verdugo was solid yet again, as he allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out seven.

Anthony Seratelli went 4-for-4 in the win. Rey Navarro made his Triple-A debut at second base and went 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base.

NW Arkansas was postponed for the second straight night. They will make up Saturday night’s game as part of a doubleheader on Sunday in Frisco.

The game of night in the KC Royals farm system was in Wilmington, as they walked off 1-0 winners over Lynchburg. They increased their lead to 3.5 games in the Northern Division of the Carolina League in the second half.

It was a well-pitched game between Brooks Pounders of Wilmington and Dimasther Delgado of Lynchburg. Pounders lasted seven innings for the second straight start and allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out seven. When he did get into trouble, he was bailed out by two GREAT throws from centerfielder Brett Eibner to end back-to-back innings. Delgado allowed just four hits and a walk over six innings.

It came down to the bottom of the 9th inning with hard-throwing Juan Jamie on the mound for the Hillcats. With the bases loaded and two outs, shortstop Orlando Calixte came to the plate. With a 3-2 count, he ripped the fastball just out of the reach of the diving Dan Brewer in left field and the Blue Rocks began celebrating and chasing Calixte all over the field.

Pounders talked after the game about his back-to-back great starts, the throws from Eibner, and his pickoff move. He was then pied in the face to end the interview by catcher Juan Graterol.

Kane County pounded out 14 hits and beat Burlington, 7-3. Five different Cougars had multi-hit games. Only one of those hits went for extra bases.

Kyle Smith picked up his fourth win, as he allowed an unearned run on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out nine. Cody Fassold followed with 2.2 perfect innings of relief. He struck out five.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Burlington’s 2-0 loss at Greenville.

Judy Johnson is a Hall of Famer and the namesake of the field at Frawley Stadium. His statue stands outside the ballpark. He was a key member to some of the best teams in Negro League history. You can find out more about Johnson HERE .

The thing that disappoints me is that they have dropped the ball over the years with honoring the Negro Leagues in Wilmington (just like they have in Kansas City). Back in the day, both teams used to wear Negro League uniforms (I am a sucker for old school uniforms). Then their game worn hats would be auctioned off to support the Negro Leagues. They do have auctions going on throughout the concourse of autographed memorabilia tonight (which are drawing some crowds).

This year is no different. It is also Star Wars Night, with Star Wars characters set to be in attendance. It seems as if the promotional team is more interested in pushing that than the history of the Negro Leagues and Judy Johnson.

Anyway, to the game (and enough of my rambling).

First half Northern Division champion Lynchburg (the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves) is in town and the Hillcats are 2.5 games back of the Blue Rocks in the second half standings. The Blue Rocks have taken the first two games of the four-game series, as the pitchers have allowed just two runs to the Hillcats. In Game 1, the Blue Rocks won 2-1 and walked off on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10^th inning. In Game 2, the Blue Rocks scored ten runs in the bottom of the 2^nd inning and rode the arm of Matt Ridings to another victory.

Taking the mound for the Blue Rocks tonight is Brooks Pounders, who the Royals acquired this past offseason from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Despite the fact that Pounders has been with Wilmington since June, this will be the first time I will be seeing him pitch. With the Blue Rocks, he is 5-4 with a 4.83 ERA in 13 games (12 starts). He has allowed more hits (74) than innings pitched (63.1). His last start at Potomac was a great one: 7IP, 4H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 5K.

The Hillcats will be sending Dimasther Delgado to the mound. Overall he is 6-6 with a 4.35 ERA in 20 starts. He, like Pounders, allows more hits than innings pitched (125 hits in 107.2 innings). Delgado faced the Blue Rocks in back-to-back-starts (June 29 and July 5) and allowed three runs in each game.

Lineups:

HILLCATS: Mycal Jones (CF), Nick Ahmed (SS), Dan Brewer (LF), Chris Garcia (1B), Edward Salcedo (3B), Adam Milligan (RF), David Rohm (DH), Emerson Landoni (2B), and Chad Comer (C).

BLUE ROCKS: Orlando Calixte (SS), Brett Eibner (CF), Lane Adams (RF), Matt Fields (1B), Cheslor Cuthbert (3B), Nick Van Stratten (DH), Geulin Beltre (LF), Juan Graterol (C), and Luis Piterson (2B).

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Jul 17, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ryan Verdugo (62) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Omaha completed their four-game sweep at Tuscon on Monday, 5-2. Their magic number to clinch the division is now just five.

One day after picking up 33 hits, the Storm Chasers collected 11 more. Wil Myers, Max Ramirez, and Derrick Robinson each collected two hits. Five different players drove in runs.

Ryan Verdugo picked up the win despite not being great. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks over six innings. He did strike out seven. Donnie Joseph pitched two perfect innings of relief to pick up the save (his best game as a Storm Chaser).

NW Arkansas overcame three errors to beat Frisco in a late comeback, 4-3. The Naturals also went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and hit into two double plays.

The Naturals stole six bases. Yem Prades led off and went 3-for-4. Carlo Testa and Michael Liberto each collected two hits.

Justin Marks returned to the rotation for the first time since June 21st (he was on the DL). He lasted just 3.1 innings and 58 pitches. Michael Mariot followed and picked up the win, as he allowed an unearned run (and one of Marks’ runs) on four hits and two walks while striking out four over 4.2 innings.

Wilmington has won four in a row since manager Vance Wilson‘s closed door meeting on Thursday night, as they beat Potomac 4-2 in the first game of the three-game series. Brooks Pounders picked up the victory, as he allowed just an unearned run (in the first inning) on four hits over seven innings. He struck out five.

Things got interesting in the bottom of the 9th inning. The P-Nats had two runs in and runners at second and third base with two outs, but reliever Robinson Yambati picked up a strikeout to end the game.

On offense, the Blue Rocks collected ten hits, but went just 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The newest Blue Rock, Nick Van Stratten, went 3-for-3.

Cedar Rapids scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to the 5-1 victory over Kane County. The Cougars collected just three hits.

Aaron Brooks dropped to 9-12  on the season. Kellen Moen followed with 2.1 perfect innings of relief while striking out three.

Burlington

Outfielder Alex Hudak joined the Royals from the AZL and has been on fire over his first six games. He went 7-for-16 with four doubles, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Bubba Starling has struggled a bit at the plate, as he went 6-for-25 (.240) with a double, a homerun, two runs scored, and four RBIs. He struck out 12 times and broke his strikeout streak on Sunday (six straight games).

Patrick Leonard still leads the Appy League in homeruns with 12 (though there is now a tie). Fred Ford is third with 11 and Kenny Diekroeger and Starling are tied for fourth with eight homeruns. Terrance Gore still leads the league in stolen bases with 27 and has only been caught twice. He also leads the league in runs scored with 41.

John Walter made three appearances this past week and picked up two saves (he now has eight). Two of those appearances (2.1 innings) were perfect. Over 4.1 innings, he allowed one run on two hits while striking out two.

Idaho Falls sits in second base in the second half (9-8), one game back in the South Division of the Pioneer League. The Chukars went 4-2 last week. They begin a seven-game road trip against Billings tonight.

Ethan Chapman continues to be the Chukars top hitter (.325), but struggled last week (5-for-27). Adalberto Mondesi has surged over .300 (.307 to be exact). He went 8-for-22 (.364) last week with five runs scored. Shortstop Nick DelGuidice has also surged over .300 (.308). He went 9-for-19 (.474) with four doubles, a triple, five runs scored, and six RBIs.

2012 draft pick Sam Selman leads the Pioneer League in strikeouts with 62 (compared to just 15 walks). He made one start last week and allowed just one hit and two walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out 11.

Joe Lopez made two appearances for the Chukars last week. He allowed three hits over four shutout innings of relief. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.

Down 4-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning, the NW Arkansas Naturals made yet another comeback against Midland. On Thursday night however, they could not pull out the victory, as they lost 4-3. One day after making a pretty good Double-A debut, Whit Merrifield came to the plate with two outs and the winning run on second base. He could not come through, as he lined out to left field.

Mike Montgomery took the loss, as he again struggled. He lasted just 4.1 innings, as he allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five. He threw 95 pitches.

Wilmington was once again battered by Winston-Salem, as they lost 9-2. For more on specifics of the game, check out my live blog. The pitching wasn’t great, the offense was pretty much non-existent, and the effort wasn’t there. That led to a closed door meeting following the game by manager Vance Wilson. He was not happy that when the team was down 5-2, the mood in the dugout was as if they were down 30-2.

Following that meeting, Wilson talked about his team’s play, the thought of making the playoffs, reliever Nick Rogers and his struggles, and Leondy Perez‘ third start since coming off the DL.

After my battery ran out, I asked Vance if he had any updates on some of the injured players. Reliever Cole White has been throwing bullpen sessions and is on his way back. Brett Eibner (who isn’t on the DL but hasn’t played lately) felt good today and should be back out on the field on Saturday. Outfielder Roman Hernandez, who has been out awhile, has no timetable for his return. He has been dealing with blurry vision that hasn’t improved. As Vance said, “it could be five days or five months.” They just have to wait and see.

After a scoring a run in the top of the 8th inning to tie the game, Kane County fell to Clinton 2-1 in ten innings. The loss negated the solid start by Jason Mitchell, who pitched five scoreless innings. He allowed four hits while striking out five.

It wasn’t a great game for the Cougars. They committed three errors and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling had the day off as Burlington beat Danville, 10-2.

Oh and Jason Adam finally won his second game (and third).

Wilmington Blue Rocks pitcher Leondy Perez

Leondy Perez has returned from the DL. He will be making his third start for the Blue Rocks tonight since returning from the DL on July 28^th. Overall, he is 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 14 games (seven starts). Since returning from the DL, Perez has struck out ten in nine innings (while allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks). He will be opposed by Winston-Salem’s Stephen McCray (5-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 20 games, 12 starts). The Dash right-hander has been a full-time starter since the June All-Star break.

Tonight’s game is the final game of their three-game series (and the last time the two teams will play barring a matchup in the Carolina League Championship). Heading into the game, the Blue Rocks are tied for first place in the Northern Division with Frederick (and just a ½ game up on the other two teams in the division). The Dash (who are the first half champs) are tied for first place in the Southern Division with Myrtle Beach (four games up on Carolina). When in Winston-Salem last week, the Blue Rocks lost two of three.

Let’s take a look at the first two games of the series.

Wilmington took Game 1 on Tuesday night in dramatic fashion. With two outs and a runner on second base and trailing 1-0, Watts lifted a fly ball to centerfield. Game over right? Wrong. Dash centerfielder Trayce Thompson dropped the ball, allowing the tying run to score. After Elder walked, Angel Franco delivered the game winner, a double to left.

Winston-Salem took Game 2, 8-0. They pounded out 13 hits, to just three for the Blue Rocks (Geulin Beltre had two of the hits). They were shut out for a league-worst 13th time this season.

Lineups:

DASH: Keenyn Walker (CF), Marcus Semien (SS), Trayce Thompson (RF), Dan Black (1B), Cyle Hankerd (DH), Michael Earley (LF), Mike Blanke (C), David Herbek (3B), and Daniel Wagner (2B).

BLUE ROCKS: Angel Franco (2B), Orlando Calixte (SS), Lane Adams (CF), Matt Fields (1B), Cheslor Cuthbert (3B), Geulin Beltre (RF), Murray Watts (DH), Juan Graterol (C), and Chris Elder (LF).

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Both teams collected 15 hits, as five Storm Chasers had multi-hit games. Mitch Maier hit a two-run homerun in the 2nd inning that gave Omaha the early lead.

Noel Arguelles in 2011 with Wilmington

NW Arkansas received a great starting performance from Noel Arguelles en route to their 4-0 win over Arkansas. Arguelles allowed just two hits and a walk over seven shutout innings. Ethan Hollingsworth, who was named the Texas League’s Pitcher of the Week, pitched two perfect innings of relief to pick up his second save.

Carlo Testa went 2-for-3 with a two-run homerun in the 7th inning.

Wilmington enjoyed their off day before beginning a homestand on Tuesday against Winston-Salem.

After Cedar Rapids took a 4-1 lead in the top of the 6th inning, Kane County came back with a four-spot to defeat the Kernels, 5-4. Catcher Kevin David drove in two runs in that 6th inning with a triple and scored on a wild pitch.

David and Justin Trapp each collected two hits in the win.

Edwin Carl picked up the win with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Kellen Moen picked up his first save with two scoreless innings of relief.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two strikeouts in Burlington’s 5-3 win. He also was caught stealing for the very first time in his professional career.

Burlington went 2-4 this past week. Despite the losing record over the week, the Royals still sit atop the East Division of the Appalachian League at 27-13 (good for a four game lead). They finish up their series with Pulaski today.

There is still no hitter hitting above .300, but uber-prospect Bubba Starling is the closest at .298. Over the last week, he went 8-for-25 (.320) with three homeruns and five RBIs. The strikeouts are still an issue (eight in 25 at-bats). He now has seven homeruns total.

Speaking of homeruns, Fred Ford hit another one this week to tie teammate Patrick Leonard atop the leaderboard in the Appalachian League with 11. Leonard now has 32 RBIs, which ranks him fifth. Ford has watched his average climb to .281, as he went 6-for-18 (.333) this past week. Kenny Diekroeger also hit another homerun, his eighth, to keep him fourth in the league.

Mark Threlkeld had a big game on August 2nd in the Royals 15-5 win. He went 4-for-6 with five RBIs.

Colin Rodgers now qualifies for the top pitching categories with his 34.1 innings pitched. He is second in the league with a 1.83 ERA in eight starts. The third round pick of the Royals this past June has allowed just 21 hits and one homerun so far in his professional debut.

Idaho Falls went 3-4 this past week. In the second half, the Chukars are 4-4, good for a tie for second place in the South Division of the Pioneer League. They finished the first half in third place at 17-21. They begin a three-game series tonight against Ogden.

Ethan Chapman has raised his average to .347, but dropped to ninth in the league in batting average. He continues to be the Chukars leading hitter. This past week, he went 10-for-27 (.370) with six runs scored.

Sam Selman lowered his ERA to 1.49, but struggled with his control in his last start. He allowed an unearned run on two hits over four innings with seven strikeouts. The problem was, he walked five. Fellow 2012 draft pick Alec Mills made two solid starts last week. Over 11 innings, he allowed four runs on six hits and no walks while striking out 13. Unfortunately, he picked up a loss on Sunday.

Two back end relievers have been pitching well: Joe Lopez and Cory Hall. They have combined for five saves. In two relief outings last week, Lopez allowed just three hits over four scoreless innings. He struck out five. Hall allowed just one hit over 2.2 innings while striking out four (three appearances).

The newest Storm Chaser, Donnie Joseph (who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds for Jonathan Broxton), was roughed up in his debut. In one inning (the top of the 9th), he allowed two runs on three hits and two walks.

Rey Navarro in 2011 with Wilmington

With the game tied at 3-3, NW Arkansas scored two runs in the top of the 9th inning to beat Arkansas, 5-3. Carlo Testa led off the inning by striking out, but reached on the catcher’s throwing error. He came around to score on Rey Navarro‘s RBI double. Alex McClure‘s sac fly gave the Naturals the two-run lead.

Mike Montgomery started for the Naturals and allowed three runs (all in the 3rd inning) on five hits over seven innings. Ethan Hollingsworth (who pitched into the 7th inning on Monday) picked up the victory with two hitless innings of relief.

Both teams scored three runs in the first inning, but Salem prevailed over Wilmington 7-5. Brett Eibner hit a two-run homerun in the first inning and Murray Watts hit his first homerun, which gave the Blue Rocks the lead.

Geulin Beltre had a nice game in the loss: he went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases.

Tyler Sample picked up the blown save and his ninth loss of the season, as he allowed four runs on five hits over two innings.

Kane County lost to Beloit, 8-1 as they collected just five hits. Jack Lopez and Jorge Bonifacio each had two hits.

Daniel Mateo, the Cougars second baseman, committed two errors to push his season total to 30.

Bubba Watch: No at-bats on Friday night for Bubba Starling, as Burlington was postponed in Elizabethton. In the Appalachian League, Princeton and Pulaski played 24 innings (it was one of their two games in the day).

Mar 22, 2012; Tempe, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals infielder Tony Abreu at bat during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at The Ballpark at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-US PRESSWIRE

With the score tied at 1-1, Tony Abreu hit a three-run homerun in the 5th inning to push Omaha to a 4-2 victory over Reno. That blast made a winner of Ryan Verdugo, who allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out six.

The Storm Chasers first three hitters, Irving Falu, Johnny Giavotella, and Abreu went a combined 6-for-12 with four runs scored and four RBIs.

A four-run top of the 3rd inning prevailed NW Arkansas over Tulsa, 6-3 (in 111 degree heat). Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a grand slam with two outs off Colorado Rockies rehabber Jhoulys Chacin.

That blast made a winner of Michael Mariot, who has been the Naturals best pitcher. Mariot allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk over seven innings.

The bottom of the Naturals order, Rey Navarro and Alex McClure, combined to go 4-for-6 with McClure scoring two runs.

Wilmington was the lone KC Royals full season affiliate to lose on Thursday. They were clinging to a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th inning, but saw Winston-Salem come back with a three-spot en route to their 6-4 loss.

Most of the Blue Rocks offense came from the top four in the order (Orlando Calixte, Brett Eibner, Matt Fields, and Lane Adams), who went a combined 10-for-18 with four runs scored and four doubles. Unfortunately, the team combined to go just 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Kane County held on for a 7-5 victory over Beloit. The Snappers scored four runs in the bottom of the 9th inning with just one out, but could not at least tie the game.

Edwin Carl, who was just sent back to the Cougars, made the start and allowed just three hits and one walk over four innings.

On offense for the Cougars, Tim Ferguson went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Alex Llanos and Dean Espy each collected two hits.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling hit a solo homerun in the top of the first inning, as Burlington cruised to a 15-5 victory over Elizabethton. Starling went 3-for-6 with two runs scored (the Royals collected 27 hits). On the downside, he committed his third error of the season.

Despite the successful week, the Royals do not have a .300 hitter. They do, however, hit homeruns. Patrick Leonard leads the league with 11. He also has 29 RBIs, which ranks him sixth in the league. Teammate Fred Ford is second with ten homeruns. Kenny Diekroeger is fourth with seven. Terrance Gore gives the team some speed, as he leads the league with 18 stolen bases (he has been caught twice). That speed has led to him leading the league in runs scored (31).

Daniel Hernandez and Patrick Conroy have anchored the starting rotation (they are a combined 5-0). Hernandez is 8th in the league in ERA (2.70 in seven starts). Conroy carries a 3.27 ERA in five starts (seven appearances). The two have combined for 59 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 69.2 innings.

In 12 relief appearances, John Walter is tied for second in the league in saves with six. He is also 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA. Walter has struck out 22 in 15.1 innings.

And for all of you out there who want to know how THE prospect is doing, Bubba Starling is hitting .292 with four doubles, two triples, four homeruns, 20 runs scored, and 18 RBIs. The strikeouts have been a bit of an issue (29 in 96 at-bats compared to 15 walks).

Idaho Falls wasn’t as successful as Burlington, but they ended up with a 6-6 record. The Chukars finished the first half with a 17-21 record (third place). The second half in the Pioneer League has just begun and the Chukars are 1-0, good for a tie of first place in the South Division.

Ethan Chapman is the Chukars top hitter, as he ranks eighth in the league in hitting (.342). The outfielder brings the speed: he has five triples, 30 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases. His strikeout to walk ratio is also good (17 walks to 21 strikeouts). He is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak.

Their catching combination of Parker Morin and Jin-Ho Shin have been putting up respectable numbers. Morin is hitting .280 in 28 games, while Shin is hitting .279 in 34 games. Shin leads the team in homeruns (four) and doubles (ten).

On the pitching side, 2012 second round pick Sam Selman has led the way. He leads the league with a 1.67 ERA in six starts (seven appearances). In 32.1 innings, he has struck out 44 compared to just eight walks. Selman has allowed just 24 hits. He made two starts in the last two weeks and allowed just one run on five hits and three walks over 12 innings. He struck out 19.

May 9, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals third basemen Irving Falu (19) hits the ball to right field against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

Omaha has now lost four in a row, all to OKC, with a 10-5 loss. The Storm Chasers led 5-4 until a five-run top of the 8th inning for OKC.

After Ethan Hollingsworth, who was promoted from Double-A to fill the roster spot vacated by Francisley Bueno‘s promotion to the big leagues, gave up three runs on eight hits over four innings in the start, Roman Colon gave Omaha a solid three innings (he allowed a solo homerun).

Tommy Hottovy was roughed up in the 8th inning, as he allowed five runs (three earned) in just 2/3 of an inning. OKC had five hits and a walk. Hottovy did pick off a base runner.

In the loss, Irving Falu went 2-for-4 and Clint Robinson went 2-for-2 with three walks.

NW Arkansas is on the verge of being swept for the second straight four game series, as they lost to Arkansas, 8-2. The Naturals have lost seven in a row and are struggling in all facets of the game. Pitching hasn’t been good, as Michael Mariot allowed five runs in the top of the 5th inning (outside of that he pitched well). The bullpen gave up three runs. The offense collected nine hits, but went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Wilmington lost to Myrtle Beach again, with a 3-2 loss. Whit Merrifield led off the game with a homerun and the Blue Rocks led until the Pelicans scored two runs in the bottom of the 5th inning. They went on to score the go ahead run in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Andy Ferguson was the hard luck loser, as he allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings. He struck out four.

The Blue Rocks struck out 13 times, something that dogged the team early in the season.

Kane County collected just two hits en route to their 5-0 loss at Bowling Green.

Alex Llanos and Michael Antonio picked up the hits.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-4 with a walk, a strikeout, a run scored, and an RBI. He also stole his second base of the season in Burlington’s 4-3 walk off win (in 11 innings). He singled to lead off the 11th inning and scored when Jose Rodriguez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Jeremy Jeffress courtesy of Minda Haas (Royal Blues)

Omaha put together a six-run bottom of the first inning, but saw Albuquerque score eight runs over the next four innings en route to their 11-7 victory. Those eight runs were scored against Storm Chasers starter Mike Montgomery.

Chris Getz continued his rehab and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Johnny Giavotella went 2-for-5 with a homerun and three RBIs.

Jeremy Jeffress was dominant in relief. He allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out five and threw 21 of his 29 pitches for strikes (if only he could pitch like that all the time).

NW Arkansas collected just two hits, as they lost to San Antonio, 2-0. Carlo Testa picked up the first hit in the 2nd inning and Brian Fletcher picked up the Naturals second and final hit in the 7th inning against a Missions reliever.

Ethan Hollingsworth was the hard luck loser, as he allowed one run on six hits over six innings. The Missions scored their first run in the bottom of the 6th inning.

One night after a crazy 13 inning victory for Wilmington, the Blue Rocks lost to Frederick, 12-8. The game started with an one hour and 19 minute delay. The Blue Rocks scored four runs in the top of the 2nd inning, but saw the Keys score in every inning after the second.

Jason Adam got the start, but did not pick up the loss, despite allowing five runs on six hits and three walks over just 4.1 innings. He also allowed another homerun. Edwin Carl took the loss, as he allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits over just 2.1 innings.

Jose Bonilla went 2-for-5 with a homerun and Matt Fields hit his 3rd homerun of the season (all in Frederick).

Kane County finished off the three-game sweep over Peoria, with a 4-1 win on Tuesday. Julio Aparicio gave the Cougars some insurance with a two-run homerun in the 9th inning.

Bryan Brickhouse had his best professional start, as he allowed just one hit over six innings while striking out six. The one run he allowed was unearned. That outing produced his first professional victory. Andrew Triggs followed with two scoreless innings of relief. He has still yet to allow an earned run with the Cougars (three appearances for the 2012 draft pick).

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 2-for-4 in Burlington’s 8-1 loss.

Hosmer bobblehead via KC Royals

It’s Eric Hosmer bobblehead night here in Wilmington (and no that photo is not a picture of the actual bobblehead). Hosmer spent the second half of 2009 as a Blue Rock (and struggled mightily to hit just .206 in 27 games) and the first half of 2012 in Wilmington (where he made adjustments and hit .354 in 87 games).

It’s also a beautiful night for baseball, though pop-up storms are expected to roll through (fingers crossed that they come after the game). Tonight, the Blue Rocks finish their seven-game homestand and four-game series with Carolina, the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. So far, the Blue Rocks have won two of the first three games of the series after losing three of four last week in Carolina.

The Mudcats are 27-31 and seven games out of first place in the Carolina League’s Southern Division. The Blue Rocks are 28-30 and just 1.5 games back of Lynchburg for the Northern Division title. Wilmington heads to Winston-Salem to face the Dash on Friday for a short three-game series before returning home to finish the first half against Salem and Winston-Salem (who are battling for the Southern Division title).

On the mound for the Blue Rocks will be hard-throwing right-hander Yordano Ventura. This will be the first time I will be seeing him pitch and I now have seen every Blue Rocks pitcher throw (except the new reliever Nick Graffeo). Ventura is 3-4 with a 2.82 ERA and will be making his 12^th start of the season. He has struck out 67 to just 19 walks in 54.1 innings. This will be Ventura’s first start against Carolina.

Getting the ball in the finale for the Mudcats is Michael Goodnight. He is 1-6 with a 4.88 ERA in 11 games (ten starts). Opponents are hitting .298 against him and he has walked 28 to just 38 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. His lone victory came in his first start of the season back on April 14^th. He faced the Blue Rocks last week in Carolina (May 28^th) and allowed four runs on ten hits over seven innings. He struck out nine in the loss.

Lineups:

Mudcats: Tyler Holt (CF), Tony Wolters (2B), Giovanny Urshela (3B), Carlos Moncrief (RF), Anthony Gallas (DH), Ronny Rodriguez  (SS), Justin Toole (1B), Tyler Cannon (C), and Delvi Cid (LF).

Blue Rocks: Angel Franco (2B), Geulin Beltre (DH), Whit Merrifield (CF), Brian Fletcher (LF), Cheslor Cuthbert (3B), Kevin David (C), Roman Hernandez (LF), Juan Graterol (1B), and Alex McClure (SS).

For those who follow the Blue Rocks, you will notice a few lineup changes. Merrifield is back in centerfield and batting in the three-spot. Fletcher is in left field with Hernandez moving to right field. There is no Brett Eibner tonight.

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Well this will be my last ‘Princes of Kauffman’ update as I am leaving to take over the Kansas Jayhawks blog for Fansided (if you get a chance please stop by at www.throughthephog.com).  There is one small victory here as the promotion I have been calling for for Jake Odorizzi has finally been given and he is on his way to Northwest Arkansas.  The Kane County Cougars are making many strides as they have won 6 of their last 7 and the infusion of solid talent down there is definitely encouraging.  Well I have enjoyed writing this post and I hope you have enjoyed reading it.  Wally Fish will continue the minor league updates after I am gone, so expect a new format but quality information nonetheless.  Here is where the affiliates stand:

Arizona Royals (Rookie): 2-7 (4th place)

Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie Advanced): 6-5 (3rd place)

Burlington Royals (Rookie): 1-9 (5th place)

Kane County (A-): 6-1 (1st place)

Wilmington Blue Rocks (A+): 3-5 (3rd place)

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (AA): 1-6 (4th place)

Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA): 44-37 (1st place)

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 Here is your weekly minor league update.  It was a decent week for the affiliates as we are starting to see the emergence of some younger players like Yordano Ventura and Cheslor Cuthebert and the re-emergence, if you will, of Will Myers.  Here is where they stand:

Kane County – 27-39 (7th place)

Wilmington Blue Rocks – 34-31 (2nd place)

Northwest Arkansas Naturals – 32-20 (2nd place)

Omaha Storm Chasers – 37-30 (1st place)

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Your week is complete now, the minor league update of the Royals farm system is here.  It was a mediocre week for the farm system as things have kind of normalized out and the teams are performing at the levels we would expect.  The Results are still predominantly good and even Kane County has started to turn things around with an infusion of talent.  Some injuries and underperformance have depleted the talent a bit from what it was before the season; however, some new talent has arisen and the Royals, if things continue as they are now, will still have a top 5 farm system next year.  The emergence of players like Jason Adam (see below), Yordano Ventura, Cheslor Cuthbert, David Lough and others make this farm system still one of the best in the majors.  Here are where the teams stand to this point:

Kane County Cougars (A-):  24-30 (7th place, but remember they were 15-25 at one point)

Wilmington Blue Rocks (A+): 29-23 (2nd place)

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (AA): 24-23 (2nd place)

Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA): 30-24 (1st place)

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