Personally, I’d have suggested Omaha Storm Troopers, but that may have been too obvious (or there may have been licensing issues). Maybe they just wanted to be the good guys.

Saturday the #StormChasers will become the @omahaforce. @autismactionaap @starwars #StarWars #MayTheFourthBeWithYou twitter.com/OMAStormChaser…

— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) May 1, 2013

Other Notes:

-Danny Duffy is working his way back from Tommy John surgery and is reportedly working around 94-97 mph with his fastball in workouts, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

Why are teams legit scared of 15-10 KC? Danny Duffy, almost a year removed from Tommy John, is sitting 94-97. Could join rotation late June.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 4, 2013

April 22, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Danny Duffy (23) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Duffy mentioned on Twitter that he’s throwing three innings on Monday so things seem to be on track. If he comes back in June, he presents the Royals with options. My guess is that he’ll start out in the minors beyond a rehab assignment just to be sure that he’s got everything back. If the Royals rotation is healthy and pitching well, I don’t think they’d change much up, but the door would be open for trades.

Right now Wade Davis is struggling and Luis Mendoza (when he can get a start) has been roughed up, so we can’t just assume everything will be going well. Duffy would make for a nice boost once he rejoins the rotation, though.

Duffy’s also reaching out on Twitter to an overseas fan. You may have heard of SungWoo Lee. He goes by the handle @KoreanFan_KC on Twitter, lives in South Korea, and often is up early in the morning to watch Royals games. He doesn’t have an American visa, has never been to the states but dozens of Twitter followers have started to root for him to make it to Kauffman Stadium. They’ve sent care packages so that he could have his first Royals jersey (among other things).

Good Morning! My happy Vallentine day gift from Kansas City, I’m smiling all day long! Thnx @thefakened @evulm0nkey twitter.com/Koreanfan_KC/s…

— SungWoo Lee(@Koreanfan_KC) February 14, 2013

Well now Duffy is getting in on the action, offering a deal. If SungWoo can get the time off of work (a difficult task in an always-working Korea), Duffy will cover his flight.

@koreanfan_kc just let me know when bro! DM the dates and we’ll get you out here, get some @oklahomajoesbbq in you and get you to The K.

— Danny Duffy (@DannyDuffy805) May 2, 2013

It’s too easy to be cynical sometimes, and I think it’d be easy to point to this and say it’s an athlete trying to look good or show goodwill for the team. But after talking with Duffy a few times for the Kansas City Baseball Vault there’s nothing but sincerity here. I think that’s cool – it makes it one of those sports stories that go beyond what happens on the field. The community of fans is strong and having a vocal player join in makes it easier to be a fan.

-The Cubs were reportedly scouting the Royals farm system. They’ve been working to rebuild their farm system and the Royals have prospects. There could be a match as the Royals try to add a player that might help them at the big league level. The idea has been tossed out about David DeJesus being acquired as a platoon or full-time option if Jeff Francoeur fizzles out.

Rany Jazayerli talked about the idea back in March, then again on Friday and it’s not a wild idea. The Royals may not have to give much up because, at this point, DeJesus is just a platoon option. Since leaving Kansas City, he’s been miserable against left-handed pitching.

Mandatory Credit: Minda Haas

Dayton Moore did a very good job this past offseason of improving the Royals’ starting pitching depth with the acquisitions of James Shields, Wade Davis, and Ervin Santana, along with the resigning of Jeremy Guthrie. For evidence, look no further than the battle for the 5th rotation spot, which up until last week was primarily between Kansas City’s opening day starters of the past two seasons.

However, when more pitchers are added to the top of the depth chart, the guys at the bottom of the list get pushed down. This can create some interesting roster decisions for the Royals and their minor league affiliates, chief among them, the Omaha Storm Chasers.

The Royals announced yesterday that they were optioning Everett Teaford, Nathan Adcock, and Will Smith to AAA Omaha. All three have started games in Kansas City, and all three could be a part of the Storm Chasers’ rotation this season. Other pitchers vying for a rotation spot in Omaha include Ryan Verdugo, Justin Marks, and Chris Dwyer. In case you lost count, that’s six players for a five-man rotation.

Despite Smith’s strong spring thus far (1.68 ERA, 10 K, 1 BB in 11 IP) he did have an option remaining, which allowed the Royals to send him to Omaha to start the season, where he will be at the front of the line if (when) a starter goes down in Kansas City, either due to injury or ineffectiveness. Teaford and Adcock have had the most major league experience, although most of their time has been spent out of the bullpen in a long reliever role.  Verdugo made one start in the big leagues last season, but the majority of his year was spent in the Omaha rotation. Marks had a great Arizona Fall League in 2012 (2.59 ERA, 22 K, 5 BB in 24.1 IP) and the Royals are hoping the 25 year old lefty has figured something out so he can eventually contribute to the major league club. After a solid 2010 season, Dwyer was ranked as the 83^rd overall prospect according to Baseball America, but since then, he’s put up consecutive disappointing seasons, due in part to back and thyroid issues.

If I had to guess, I think the Storm Chasers’ rotation will look something like: Smith, Marks, Adcock, Dwyer, Verdugo; which would relegate Teaford to the bullpen. Dwyer could eventually transition to a LOOGY role in the bullpen if his starting struggles continue, but I think the organization would like to give him another month or two before making the move. His curveball is still a very good pitch, and his stuff may play up enough out of the pen that he could contribute to the Royals, possibly as soon as this September.

So there you have it. While there are plenty of arms available to start at AAA, there isn’t a bevy of high-end talent, so making room isn’t a difficult problem to solve.

If only it were that simple.

At some point this season, several other arms should be pushing their way up the farm system, beginning with Yordano Ventura. As has been mentioned, Ventura is having a fantastic spring, and he was even mentioned as a candidate for the final major league rotation spot prior to being optioned to minor league camp yesterday. He will more than likely start out the year at AA Northwest Arkansas, since he’s only made 6 starts above A+ ball. But from everything I’ve read this offseason, the organization believes Ventura can be a boost to the big league club this year, preferably as a starter, so don’t be surprised to see him promoted to Omaha after the first month of the season.

Another prospect who appears to be on a fast track is Kyle Zimmer, the team’s first round draft pick in 2012. Zimmer, Baseball America’s 24^th overall prospect, only made 6 starts at Low A Kane County last season, but there are some indications he too could start the season at AA, with a possible goal of making a major league debut in September.

Prior to the 2011 season, John Lamb was considered one of the top pitching prospects in the game. Unfortunately, we are all too familiar with how the story has played out. After undergoing Tommy John surgery that put him out for most of 2011 and part of 2012, an ankle injury delayed Lamb’s comeback even longer, so he only pitched 13 innings at the end of last season. The organization is hoping he can return to his pre-injury self, although his velocity still seems to be lacking this spring. That will be something they keep an eye on as the season progresses, but if he does return to form, Lamb seems like another pitcher who could see time in the Omaha rotation this season.

Then there’s Noel Arguelles. Who could forget about Arguelles? If you did, you’re not alone.

After receiving a 5 year, $7M contract in 2010, the Cuban defector has been rather defective relative to the hype that surrounded him. A shoulder injury derailed his 2010 season, and eventually required surgery. An underwhelming 2011 season was followed by a disastrous 2012 campaign in which Arguelles walked more batters than he struck out. Much like with Lamb, the Royals will be watching for Arguelles’ velocity. Thus far, his average fastball is 91.7 MPH, and it’s been basically right at 92 MPH in his March appearances. Last season, his fastball averaged 90.7 MPH, so hopefully an increase in velocity will help his results in 2013 enough to send him to Omaha at some point.

There are others, like Jason Adam, who also have an opportunity to make their way to the Storm Chasers’ roster this season, but you get the picture: The rotation at AAA could be getting a major influx of talented arms in the next few months.

It’s going to be very crowded, and it’s going to be very interesting to see how the organization handles it. Obviously guys like Adcock, Verdugo, and Dwyer could be shifted to the bullpen, but then you have to remember how deep the pen already is with players like Louis Coleman, Donnie Joseph, Michael Mariot, and Blaine Hardy; among others waiting for their shot in the talented Kansas City bullpen. Somehow, the Royals’ front office is going to have to figure out a way to make all the pieces fit, which can be a difficult task. Whether players are demoted, traded, or released, room will need to be made for the impact prospects coming through the system. It’s a good problem to have, and something the Royals – and their fans – are not really used to.

If this is what having real starting pitching depth is like, then here’s to hoping for many more tough roster decisions in the future.

Mike Jirschele will be leading Triple-A Omaha for the 11th consecutive season (2003-present). But wait. He also managed Omaha from 1995-1997. That is a LONG time with one team.

Before managing, Jirschele played minor league baseball for 13 years, as he was drafted in the fifth round by the Texas Rangers in 1977. He reached the Triple-A level (where he played six seasons), but never reached the big leagues (his managing career is emulating his playing career). He got his first managerial gig in 1992 with the Gulf Coast Royals (remember when the Royals had spring training in Florida?). The GCL team won the league championship. In 1993, he managed Rockford in the Midwest League and then Wilmington in 1994, where he won another league championship. Side note: I didn’t start going to Blue Rocks game until 1995, so I missed seeing Jirschele in action.

Jirschele won his 1,000th game as a minor league manager on May 23, 2011 and was named the Mike Coulbaugh Award winner at the end of that season, given to the Minors top manager. He also guided the Storm Chasers to the Pacific Coast League Championship (with a record of 79-63). They reached the PCL finals again in 2012, but lost (with a better record of 83-61). Oh and he coached top prospect Wil Myers, who has since been traded.

Tommy Gregg returns to Omaha for his fifth season as hitting coach. As a big league infielder, he played from 1987-1997. He started with the Pittsburgh Pirates and ended his career with the Atlanta Braves.

In 2012, the Storm Chasers hit .290, which was fifth in the PCL. They were fourth in the league in walks (with 496 in 5032 plate appearances), but as a team only struck out 861 times (tops in the league). The only downside to the Storm Chasers was that they were not a powerful team, as they were near the bottom in doubles (253) and homeruns (122).

Jirschele welcomes long-time Royals minor league coach Larry Carter to his coaching staff as his pitching coach. LC has been with the Royals for 16 years, the past 11 seasons in Double-A. Before coaching, he pitched at the end of 1992 in the big leagues with the San Francisco Giants.

It is a shame that LC’s promotion came after his pitching staff was one of, if not the worst, staff in the Texas League. NW Arkansas was a league-worst 58-81 after narrowly missing out on the division’s first half title. Then they bombed in the second half.

The Naturals had an overall ERA of 4.78 and threw the least amount of innings (1210). They had zero complete games and just six shutouts. They had just 26 holds, ten less than the team in front of them. The pitchers struck out just 976, but walked a league-high 558. They also allowed a league-high 141 homeruns (close to twenty more than the team behind them). On the positive side, Naturals pitchers on the whole allowed less hits (1206) than innings pitched.

LC did however coach Justin Marks and Michael Mariot, who pitched well enough to earn surprising promotions to Triple-A.

Omaha will most likely contend again in 2013, though it will be much harder after Sunday night’s trade of three top level prospects (to go with letting the Robinson’s go). But somehow, Jirschele finds a way.

In the Game 4 loss, just like all the other losses in the series, the Storm Chasers didn’t get enough pitching and definitely not enough offense. They collected seven hits on Saturday night, but could only muster two runs. They didn’t score until the 7th inning and were down 5-0. Both runs scored on Adam Moore‘s two-run single. They could have scored more, as they had the bases loaded in that inning, but Anthony Seratelli grounded into an inning ending double play.

Player of the Year Wil Myers hit just .229 in the playoffs and his season culminated with an 0-for-4 showing (he struck out three times).

Storm Chasers starter Doug Davis needed 94 pitches to get through 4.1 innings. He left with the bases loaded in the fifth and Michael Mariot allowed one of those runs to score. Then it was just 3-0.

*Reno now moves on to face Pawtucket, who won the International League title, on Tuesday night for the Triple-A Championship.

Nate Adcock pitched well, as he lasted eight innings. He allowed all three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out eight. Unfortunately he gave up two homeruns with one out in the top of the 3rd inning. AJ Pollock hit a two-run homerun and Tyler Kuhn followed with a solo homerun on the very next pitch. Three of the four hits Adcock allowed came in that 3rd inning.

The Storm Chasers offense let Adcock down. They only picked up five hits and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Anthony Seratelli picked up two of those hits.

The two teams meet again on Saturday night for Game 4 in which the Storm Chasers try to even the series and send it to a decisive Game 5. Veteran Doug Davis will get the start for Omaha.

The winner of the PCL Championship will face Pawtucket on September 18th in the Triple-A Championship. The Red Sox, the wild card in the International League, swept Charlotte 3-0.

The Storm Chasers only led 2-1 heading into the top of the 5th inning, but scored five runs. In that inning, they hit three homeruns. With one out, Anthony Seratelli hit a two-run homerun. Three batters later, Max Ramirez hit a two-run homerun (he went 2-for-5). Five pitches later, Mitch Maier hit a solo shot. Maier also threw a runner out at the plate in the 3rd inning.

That inning was HUGE, as Storm Chasers starter Ryan Verdugo allowed four runs in the bottom of the inning. Three of those runs scored on Mike Jacobs‘ three-run homer (his second homerun of the finals).

Omaha added some insurance with two runs in the top of the 7th inning on Adam Moore‘s two-run single with two outs.

There isn’t a whole lot to write about the game. The Aces came out swinging and Omaha collected just three hits. They couldn’t capitalize on Reno starter Trevor Bauer‘s wildness (five walks). The Storm Chasers actually scored first, on an RBI ground out in the 2nd inning.

It all went downhill from there.

To say it was a bad night for Jake Odorizzi would be an understatement. He was thrashed for nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits over just 3.2 innings. He allowed four homeruns.

Only reliever Blaine Hardy was unscored upon, as he pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. He walked just one while striking out four.

The Storm Chasers will look to rebound Wednesday night, as they play Game 2 of the PCL Finals in Reno. Ryan Verdugo will get the start for Omaha against Daniel Cabrera, who used to pitch in the big leagues (and was once considered a key piece in Baltimore).

Every Omaha starter had at least one hit. Four of them collected multi-hit games. I was saying all along that for Omaha to have a chance in the Pacific Coast League playoffs, outfielder Wil Myers would have to step up (he had been ice cold). Myers broke out in Game 5, as he went 3-for-5 with a 2nd inning two out, two-run homerun. Mitch Maier hit the Storm Chasers other homerun, a two out, two-run shot in the fourth. He also went 5-for-5. Irving Falu only went 1-for-2 in the leadoff spot, but walked four times and scored three runs.

Omaha starter Justin Marks wasn’t great, but he gave them enough and it was much better than his first Triple-A start against the Isotopes. He allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out four.

The Storm Chasers advanced to the PCL Finals and continue to look for back-to-back titles. The best-of-five series will begin on Tuesday, September 11th in Reno. The Aces shocked Sacramento (who had the PCL’s best record) in five games. Jake Odorizzi will face Reno’s Trevor Bauer.

The Storm Chasers offense was clicking early and often, as they led 8-2 after the third inning. In the second, they scored four runs on four hits and an error. In the third, they scored three runs on an Adam Moore three-run homerun. He homered again in the 5th inning.

After Jason Bourgeois homered to lead off the top of the 7th inning to increase the Storm Chasers lead to 10-3, it looked as though they would be celebrating a return trip to the PCL finals. The Isotopes had other things in mind.

They scored NINE runs in the bottom of the 7th inning. They collected eight hits (five for extra bases). Tony Gwynn‘s three-run homerun with one out gave the Isotopes the lead.

Sunday afternoon’s win or go home Game 5 will be held in Albuquerque. Justin Marks will get the start for Omaha in just his second Triple-A game. His first start came at Albuquerque in the final series of the season and he didn’t make it out of the 2nd inning (1.2IP, 7H, 9R, 3BB, 0K). Hopefully Sunday will be different.

Anthony Seratelli (2-for-4) led off the 3rd inning with a solo homerun. Later in the inning, Max Ramirez (2-for-4) drove in two runs with a single. A two-run homerun by Mitch Maier gave the Storm Chasers some insurance in the top of the 7th inning.

The Isotopes made it interesting late, as they sent eight men to the plate in the bottom of the 8th inning and scored three runs to cut the deficit to two runs. Seratelli got one of those runs back in the top of the 9th inning with a two out RBI single.

Nate Adcock picked up the win, as he skated into and out of trouble all night. He was helped out by three double plays and two caught stealings. The Isotopes caught up to him in the 7th inning and he exited after allowing back-to-back doubles that put them on the scoreboard.

The two teams continue their divisional series on Saturday in Albuquerque. Omaha looks to take the series and head to their second straight Pacific Coast League championship.

The Storm Chasers led 3-0 early, capped by a Max Ramirez two-run homerun in the 2nd inning. In the 6th inning, the Isotopes got two of those runs back against Omaha starter Ryan Verdugo. Trent Oeltjen delivered a two out, two-run triple. After issuing a one out walk with a man on base, Verdugo was lifted for Juan Gutierrez. He immediately gave up back-to-back singles to score two runs and give the Isotopes the lead.

It was a rough game for Omaha second baseman Rey Navarro. Two throwing errors late in the game cost them a run and made things interesting.

Game 3 will move the series to Albuquerque on Friday night. Nate Adcock will get the start for the Storm Chasers.

One night after collecting just three hits, Wilmington‘s offense busted out in a big way (hopefully they have some runs left in them for tomorrow night). The Blue Rocks pounded Lynchburg, 12-3 to force a decisive Game 3 on Friday night for the Northern Division title in the Carolina League (and a spot in the championship). The Blue Rocks collected 18 hits.

All of that offense made a winner of Jason Adam, who allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks over seven-plus innings. He gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning (it was his errant pickoff throw). Big league rehabber Andrelton Simmons singled to lead off, went to second base on the error, moved to third base on a sac bunt, and scored on a ground out.

The Blue Rocks came back with a four-spot in the top of the 3rd inning, capped by a three-run homerun from Matt Fields. They never looked back. Six of the starters had multi-hit games, with Lane Adams, Cheslor Cuthbert, and Geulin Beltre having three-hit games.

Game 3 will be in Lynchburg on Friday night with Leondy Perez on the mound for Wilmington against the Hillcats’ Aaron Northcraft. The winner heads to either Winston-Salem or Myrtle Beach (The Dash also forced a Game 3) to begin the Carolina League championship on Saturday. The loser begins their offseason.

What last year's championship rings looked like.

Jake Odorizzi picked up the win, as he allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out seven. The three runs allowed came via the long ball.

Despite the outburst of runs for the Storm Chasers, they went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They scored in just three innings. Anthony Seratelli and Rey Navarro each collected two hits in the win.

Game 2 will be played on Thursday night in Omaha before the two teams take the best-of-five series to Albuquerque.

Wilmington lost Game 1 of their Carolina League divisional series to Lynchburg, 8-0. The game didn’t get out of hand until the final two innings when the Hillcats scored six runs off the Blue Rocks bullpen.

Brooks Pounders took the loss, despite pitching fairly well. He allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings. He wasn’t helped out by his offense, which collected just three hits off Hillcats starter Gus Schlosser. Schlosser was dominant over an aggressive Blue Rocks lineup. He walked just one while striking out six over eight scoreless innings.

The Hillcats were also an aggressive team, but they made the most of their aggressiveness by hitting the ball on the ground. Twelve times the Hillcats saw just one pitch in an at-bat. They had quite a few bloop singles and infield hits.

Both teams were heading out to Lynchburg following the game for Game 2 Thursday night. Jason Adam will get the start for the Blue Rocks against Dimasther Delgado.

Check out Blue Rocks manager Vance Wilson talking after the game:

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

Omaha ended the regular season by losing two in a row to Albuquerque, with a 4-3 loss on Monday. The two teams will meet again on Wednesday in the playoffs.

Nate Adcock started, but for the second straight game, the Omaha starter was on a short pitch count. He threw 40 pitches over two innings (two runs on four hits).

The Storm Chasers collected ten hits (just two for extra bases) but went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Wil Myers went 2-for-4, but fell one homerun shy of the minor league lead.

NW Arkansas was swept in their final home series of the season, as they lost to Tulsa, 7-4. The Drillers scored five runs in the 4th inning.

Sugar Ray Marimon was chased from the game after four innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits (two homeruns) and two walks. He struck out six.

Wilmington finished off the regular season by losing two in a row, with a 3-0 loss to Potomac. Kevin Keyes hit a two-run homerun in the 4th inning that was the difference in the game.

The game started in a rain delay and ended when the skies opened up in the bottom of the 6th inning.

Juan Graterol went 1-for-1 to raise his average to .301.

Matt Ridings finished his season with a solid start, as he allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk. He struck out a career-high nine. Ridings attributed all the strikeouts to the P-Nats aggressiveness in the game. Many were swinging at the first pitch or chasing fastballs out of the zone (the P-Nats were still in street clothes when the game was supposed to start, hoping for a rainout).

Following the game (and the half hour delay before it was called), Ridings talked about his performance not only today, but on the season. He also looked to the postseason, which begins on Wednesday for the Blue Rocks at home against Lynchburg (weather permitting).

Kane County had the chance to sneak in as a Midwest League wild card. Burlington was playing a doubleheader (and lost the first game), but the Cougars lost their game to Peoria, 6-2.

In the Chiefs’ four-run 5th inning, Cougars starter Michael Giovenco was tossed after hitting a batter following a three-run homerun. The Cougars bullpen followed with 4.2 solid innings (one run on four hits).

On offense, Daniel Mateo and Julio Aparicio collected two hits in the loss.

With the playoffs just three days away, Storm Chasers starter Ryan Verdugo reached his pitch limit after just 2.2 innings (46 pitches). He allowed three runs on five hits and a walk.

Wil Myers (2-for-5) stepped to the plate in the 9th inning with the tying run on third base, but flied out to end the game. Rey Navarro and Adam Moore both collected two hits and Moore hit a two-run homerun.

NW Arkansas lost to Tulsa, 3-1 despite out-hitting the Drillers 10-9. JC Sulbaran finally pitched well for the Naturals since coming over from Cincinnati in the Jonathan Broxton deal. He allowed one run on six hits over seven innings. He walked four and struck out four.

The Naturals scored a run in the 9th inning and had the tying run on base, but could not score. Yem Prades went 2-for-5 and drove in the only run. Brian Fletcher and Kevin Kouzmanoff each collected two hits in the loss.

Blue Rocks starter Andy Ferguson

With just two regular season games left before beginning a playoff series at home, Wilmington fittingly played an extra inning affair on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Rocks lost to visiting Potomac, 4-0 in 11 innings. The P-Nats won in Wilmington for the first time in 2012 (they were 0-8). It was a scoreless affair until that fateful 11th inning when Steven Souza hit a no-doubt grand slam out to left field off losing pitcher Nick Graffeo (who struck out the side in his first inning of work). It came with two outs.

It was a great pitcher’s duel between Blue Rocks starter Andy Ferguson and P-Nats starter Matt Grace. Ferguson allowed seven hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out six, as he put himself into the running for a rotation spot for the postseason. Grace, who has struggled all season, allowed six hits and a walk over eight scoreless innings.

The Blue Rocks only had multiple base runners in an inning three times, the final time being the bottom of the 11th inning. They loaded the bases with one out, but couldn’t come up with the clutch hit. Nick Van Stratten and Lane Adams both collected two hits in the loss with Van Stratten extending his hitting streak to nine games.

Ferguson threw 95 pitches, 65 for strikes (by my count). He had three innings where he threw less than ten pitches. Ferguson talked following the game about his outing, the defense being excellent behind him, the potential of him starting in the postseason, and his adjustments to the Carolina League:

With Burlington losing earlier on Sunday, Kane County had a chance to stave off elimination once again. And they did, with a 5-4 win over Peoria in ten innings. Their playoff season will come down to the final game of the regular season. A Cougars win and a Bees loss will send the Cougars to the Midwest League playoffs.

Down 3-0, the Cougars scored three runs in the bottom of the 5th inning with two triples, a double, an RBI ground out, and three wild pitches. Down 4-3 in the 8th inning after a Jorge Soler homerun, Dean Espy drove in the tying run with a single (he went 2-for-4). With two outs and the winning run on second base, Alex Llanos drove in the winning run with a single to set off the celebration (Llanos went 2-for-5).

Bubba Watch: Burlington was one win away from the Appalachian League title, but a long rain delay in Elizabethton delayed the start. They scored three runs early on two homeruns, one by Bubba Starling (a two-run shot that gave the Royals the lead). However in the bottom of the 11th inning, Elizabethton won the game on a wild pitch to force a deciding Game 3. Starling went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

Seven Storm Chasers had multi-hit games. Wil Myers (4-for-6) hit his 37th overall homerun and drove in four runs. Jason Bourgeois came off the bench to go 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Clint Robinson and Irving Falu each collected three hits in the win.

Pitcher Ethan Hollingsworth was promoted from Double-A to Omaha to help out in the postseason.

Four homeruns did in Mike Montgomery, as NW Arkansas lost to Tulsa, 6-2. He allowed all six runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings.

Brian Fletcher hit a two out, two-run homerun in the 8th inning that accounted for all of the Naturals’ runs. Mario Lisson and Carlo Testa both went 2-for-4 in the loss.

Wilmington kept up their winning ways, with a 5-1 victory over Potomac. They scored four runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. Brett Eibner led off the inning with a solo homerun and two batters later, Matt Fields hit a two-run shot.

That made a winner of Jason Adam, who allowed one run on two hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out four.

Kane County beat Peoria, 6-5 with a three-run bottom of the 6th inning. With the win, the Cougars staved off elimination. They are two games back of the wild card with two games to go (Burlington was postponed).

The Cougars bullpen duo of Rudy Brown and Cody Fassold allowed just two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings of relief.

Justin Trapp led off the bottom of the first inning with a homerun (he went 2-for-5). Tim Ferguson also picked up two hits in the win.

Bubba Watch: Burlington walked off against Elizabethton in the first game of the Appalachian League championship. The Royals won 3-2 in 12 innings on Bubba Starling‘s sac fly. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. The Royals pitched 5.1 scoreless innings of relief.

The month didn’t end so well for Omaha. They lost to Albuquerque (who is fighting for a playoff spot and may face Omaha in the first round), 11-3. The Storm Chasers were down 9-0 after the second inning. Justin Marks made his Triple-A debut and it was a rough one. He allowed nine runs (seven earned) on seven hits and three walks over just 1.2 innings.

It was so bad that infielder Kurt Mertins had to pitch an inning of relief.

Wil Myers was the only Storm Chaser with two hits (he went 2-for-4 with a triple). He was also named Omaha’s Player of the Year.

Yordano Ventura

NW Arkansas took Game 1 of their doubleheader in Arkansas, 5-1. Yordano Ventura was solid, as he allowed one run on four hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out three. Ventura was named High-A Wilmington’s Pitcher of the Year earlier in the day. For more on ALL of the Royals Minor League Players and Pitchers of the Year, click HERE.

The Naturals pounded out 13 hits, with four players picking up multi-hit games. Kevin Kouzmanoff (who was just activated from the DL) and Mario Lisson drove in four of the runs.

The Naturals also took Game 2, by a score of 9-2. They pounded out 14 hits, with five players collecting multi-hit games.

Noel Arguelles picked up the win, as he allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk over six innings (a complete game as it was completed early). He struck out five.

A day after clinching a playoff spot, Wilmington enjoyed Friday off before beginning a three-game series against Potomac.

Kane County‘s playoff hopes are quickly dwindling, as they lost again to Quad Cities, 8-2 (they were swept). The Cougars are still three games back (Burlington lost again), but there are just three games to go.

In the loss, Justin Trapp and Chris Elder each collected two hits (combining for three doubles) and scored the Cougars’ lone runs.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, but Burlington received a two-run homerun from Mark Threlkeld to beat Johnson City, 3-2 to take their first playoff series (Johnson City was the reigning Appalachian League champs). Starling was named Burlington’s Player of the Year. Next up for the Royals is Elizabethton for the Appy League title. The quest for the title begins on Saturday in Burlington.

Nate Adcock had a day to forget: 1IP, 8H, 7R (all earned), OBB, K.

For the Storm Chasers, Irving Falu went 3-for-4 and Jason Bourgeois collected two hits in the loss. Wil Myers hit his 36th homerun of the 2012 season (second to Reading’s Darin Ruf for the MiLB lead).

NW Arkansas was postponed in Arkansas as Tropical Storm Isaac moved in. The two teams will try to play a doubleheader on Friday night, as Yordano Ventura will start for the Naturals. Not sure why they’re even making up tonight’s game, as both teams have already been eliminated from postseason contention.

Blue Rocks centerfielder Brett Eibner

A six-run 4th inning pushed Wilmington over Myrtle Beach, 9-3, and into the Carolina League playoffs. Frederick lost to the last place Salem Red Sox after the Blue Rocks won, which set off the champagne celebration. It will be the Blue Rocks first appearance in the playoffs since 2009 and they haven’t won the Mills Cup since they shared it with Myrtle Beach back in 1999. So it’s been a LONG time.

That 4th inning all started with a Lane Adams walk (he walked twice in the inning). The Blue Rocks collected four hits and three walks and were helped out by an error and a wild pitch.

Watch out Carolina League if Brett Eibner can continue to hit the way he has two out of the last three games. He went 3-for-4 tonight with two runs scored and two RBIs. Angel Franco also went 3-for-4.

Leondy Perez was dominant in his start for the Blue Rocks, as he allowed just an unearned over 7.1 innings. He allowed five hits and a walk while striking out three.

Kane County lost in 12 innings to Quad Cities, 2-1 on a bases loaded sac fly. The Cougars sit three games back of the wild card with four games left in the regular season. The Cougars collected just two hits in the whole game and struck out 16 times.

The Cougars didn’t pick up their first hit until the 7th inning (a Justin Trapp double) off River Bandits starter Jonathan Cornelius, which chased him from the game. The very next inning, Julio Aparicio hit a solo homerun for the Cougars second hit, but it gave them the 1-0 lead. The River Bandits came right back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling helped Burlington stave off elimination by beating Johnson City, 4-2. Starling went 2-for-3 with a solo homerun in the 7th inning (he also had a sac fly). The Royals win forced a deciding Game 3 on Friday night in Burlington in the Appalachian League playoffs.

Jake Odorizzi picked up the win and allowed just one hit, but over just five innings. Why? Because he walked five and struck out six. He threw 91 pitches, just 47 for strikes.

Arkansas scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, as they beat NW Arkansas, 4-3. Yem Prades and Paulo Orlando each picked up two hits in the loss.

Whit Merrifield leading off on Opening Night for Wilmington

Despite going 0-for-3 in the Naturals loss, Whit Merrifield had a nice day off the field. He was one of seven KC Royals named to the Surprise team in the Arizona Fall League. He is listed on the roster as an outfielder, so I guess the second base experiment is over? He was also honored as the 2012 Matt Minker Community Service Award winner (each Carolina League team nominated one member off their roster). In his second season in Wilmington, Merrifield continued his work in the community that he was involved in in 2011. The Minker Award is named after the former Blue Rocks team president who passed in November of 2007 after losing a five-year fight with cancer. It is given to the Carolina League player who who does the best job of serving his club’s community during each season. In the inaugural season of the award (2008), current big leaguer Everett Teaford won the award. Last season, Tim Melville earned the honor.

A wild 7th inning pushed Wilmington past Myrtle Beach, 4-3. Blue Rocks starter Brooks Pounders carried a no-hitter into that 7th inning, but Tomas Telis doubled to lead off the inning. Three batters later, the Pelicans led 2-0. Six singles and three MB errors in the bottom of the inning gave the Blue Rocks the 4-2 lead.

With the win, the Blue Rocks are clinging to a 2.5 game lead over Lynchburg. The Hillcats won the first half title and would play all three divisional series games at home if they win both halves. Both Frederick (three games back) and Potomac (four games back) both lost. All three teams have five games left, while the Blue Rocks have just four. With a Blue Rocks win and a Frederick loss on Thursday, the Blue Rocks clinch a playoff spot.

After coming back to tie the game in the top of the 8th inning, Kane County lost to Quad Cities, 6-5. That was after the Cougars led 3-0 heading into the 6th inning. The Cougars had the tying run on second base with one out, but could not put a run across.

The Cougars are three games behind Burlington for the wild card spot in the Midwest League with five games to go.

The loss negated the solid start from Aaron Brooks. He allowed two runs on four hits over six innings. He struck out five. Jack Lopez and Dean Espy collected two hits, while Alex Llanos went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the loss.

Bubba Watch: Burlington got their playoff run in the Appalachian League started against Johnson City. The Royals lost 2-1. Bubba Starling went 0-for-2 with two walks and two strikeouts.

*Merrifield will be joined in the AFL by outfielder Brian Fletcher, shortstops Alex McClure and Orlando Calixte (though he is on the taxi squad and can only play on Wednesdays and Saturdays), and pitchers Edwin Carl, Justin Marks, and Jon Keck. Both Keck and Marks spent time this season on the DL. I’m guessing Calixte will be there working on his defense (he has 45 errors on the season).

In other Fletcher news, his sister and girlfriend will be in this season’s Amazing Race, with the premiere airing on September 30th on CBS.

**The instructional league roster was also announced with Starling, pitcher Sam Selman, catcher Cameron Gallagher, and outfielder Brett Eibner included. Will strikezone judgement be worked on with Starling and Eibner? Eibner added to his franchise record strikeout total in Wilmington Wednesday night with two Ks to bring his total to 162.

Workouts begins September 17th with a 23-game schedule running from September 24th through October 19th.

***The Royal extended their player development contracts with two of their rookie level teams, Idaho Falls and Burlington, through 2014.

Newly promoted Michael Mariot threw five shutout innings of relief for the Storm Chasers. He retired the final 11 batters he faced.

Lefty starter Chris Dwyer landed on the DL and Justin Marks was promoted from Double-A to take his place.

NW Arkansas was pounded by Arkansas, 12-2. That was after the Naturals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. It could have been more for the Naturals in that first inning, but poor base running squashed any threats.

After Alex McClure singled to put runners at the corners, he was thrown out trying to steal second base. Brian Fletcher followed with an RBI triple. Then Fletcher was thrown out trying to steal home (on a double steal).

Blue Rocks centerfielder Brett Eibner

Wilmington came back to defeat Myrtle Beach, 6-5. Brett Eibner (2-for-3 with no strikeouts) hit a two-run homerun in the 6th inning to give the Blue Rocks the lead. With the win and a Frederick loss, the Blue Rocks now hold a two game lead for the final spot in the Carolina League playoffs.

Edwin Carl threw three hitless innings of relief to pick up his second save. He struck out five.

Kane County lost to Burlington, 3-1. Justin Trapp went 3-for-5 and fell a triple shy of the cycle. The Cougars lone run came via Trapp’s solo homerun in the 9th inning.

Kyle Smith was the hard luck loser, as he allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out eight. Cole White, who had been on the DL in Wilmington for awhile, allowed a run on one hit and two walks while striking out two (it was his first appearance with the Cougars). The dominant relief outing came from Cody Fassold, who pitched two perfect innings of relief while striking out four.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for4 with a strikeout in Burlington’s 3-1 victory at Bristol.

*26th round pick Mark Donato was suspended 50 games for violating the Minor League Baseball Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. After signing, Donato was hitting .253 with 27 RBIs in 35 games for the AZL Royals.

Every Storm Chaser had at least one hit and six had multi-hit games. The top three in the order, Irving Falu, Mitch Maier, and Max Ramirez went a combined 9-for-15 with six runs scored and six RBIs. Ramirez hit a two-run homerun in the 6th inning.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

Wil Myers (outfield) and Ryan Verdugo (left-handed starter) were named to the Pacific Coast League’s Postseason All-Star Team.

A six-run 6th inning was NW Arkansas‘ downfall, as they lost at Tulsa, 7-3. That was after the Naturals had a 3-0 lead.

Mike Montgomery allowed all seven runs on eight hits over six innings. He struck out six and only walked one. However, he gave up two homeruns. One of those was to big league rehabber Troy Tulowitzki. Tulo and fellow rehabber Jason Giambi went a combined 4-for-7 for the Drillers.

The Naturals collected six hits, two each coming from Paulo Orlando and Manny Pina.

With everyone idle on Monday night, the Wilmington Blue Rocks took advantage and beat Myrtle Beach , 9-1. The Blue Rocks collected 18 hits, though only two went for extra bases. The victory gave them a full game lead in the Northern Division of the Carolina League.

Andy Ferguson started and struggled a bit (eight hits over 5.1 innings), but worked his way out of jams. He was helped out by some good defense in the outfield. He was also helped out by reliever Nick Graffeo, who entered with the bases loaded in the 6th inning and struck out the inning’s final two batters. Graffeo said after the game that he threw only fastballs in that inning. He has also moved up the Blue Rocks depth chart in the bullpen, manager Vance Wilson said after the game.

Shortstop Orlando Calixte celebrated being named the Carolina League’s Player of the Week by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Murray Watts was the only Blue Rock to not collect a hit (or get on base).

First baseman Matt Fields went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and also made a nice backhanded play in the field. After the game he talked about the long bus ride back from Lynchburg (they got back at 5am), what he was trying to do tonight at the plate, his playoff experience in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, how the Blue Rocks compare to that championship team, and that balk call.

When asked how his Sally League championship team compared with his current team, he admitted that there are alot of similarities. “…chemistry, the clubhouse…we’re like family…I think we could be trouble for anybody in the playoffs.”

“I’m not gonna lie, I definitely do,” Fields said about scoreboard watching.

Kane County beat Burlington, 4-0. The Cougars scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Michael Antonio delivered the big blow, a two out, two-run double.

Three Cougars combined to throw nine scoreless innings. Rudy Brown started and allowed four hits and a walk over three innings. He struck out six. Kellen Moen followed with four innings of relief. He allowed four hits and a walk while striking out three. Andrew Triggs picked up his fourth save, as he allowed just one walk over the final two innings (he struck out four).

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in Burlington’s 7-4 win in Bristol.

Donnie Joseph picked up his first win as a KC Royals minor leaguer, with two scoreless innings of relief.

Every Omaha starter picked up a hit and all but three walked at least once. In that first inning, Omaha collected two hits and four walks, and were aided by a two-run error.

NW Arkansas lost to Tulsa, 6-3. For awhile, the Naturals had just one hit. Then Carlo Testa homered in the 7th inning for their second hit.

The Naturals came back with two runs in the top of the 9th inning and had runners at the corners, but Yem Prades grounded out to end the game. That left Whit Merrifield (2-for-4) in the on deck circle.

Blue Rocks centerfielder Brett Eibner

Wilmington took the first game of their doubleheader in Lynchburg, 1-0. It was a game dominated by pitching, that Jason Adam got the best of. He allowed five hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out five.

The Blue Rocks took the lead in the top of the 6th inning on a Matt Fields‘ sac fly. Nick Van Stratten and Murray Watts each collected two hits in the win.

Brett Eibner‘s two strikeouts in Game 1 gave him a total of 160 on the season, which is a new Blue Rocks record. His average also dropped to .192.

Wilmington lost Game 2, 3-2 despite out-hitting the Hillcats, 7-4. The Hillcats scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning.

The Blue Rocks went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They also made three errors.

With the DH split and Frederick’s win at Potomac, the Keys are now just a 1/2 game back of the Blue Rocks with seven games to go.

Kane County lost to Burlington, 7-6. After the Cougars scored four runs in the bottom of the 6th inning, the Bees came back with four runs of their own in the top of the 7th inning. Four straight walks started the inning.

Two Cougars errors cost them three runs.

Justin Trapp, Dean Espy, and Tim Ferguson each picked up two hits in the loss.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling had the day off, but Burlington lost 5-2.

Nate Adcock throwing a bullpen session in Baltimore

Omaha beat New Orleans, 5-1. The Storm Chasers received a great start from Nate Adcock. He allowed just one run on six hits and two walks over seven innings. Roman Colon followed with two perfect innings of relief.

The top two in the Storm Chasers order (Irving Falu and Mitch Maier) went a combined 4-for-7 with three runs scored and an RBI. Derrick Robinson broke out of his 0-for-21 skid with a double in the 4th inning.

NW Arkansas lost to Tulsa, 2-1 in walk-off fashion. Both teams scored a run in the first inning and no one scored until the bottom of the 9th inning.

That negated the solid start from Justin Marks, who allowed an unearned run on five hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out six.

Jason Giambi continued his rehab assignment for the Drillers and went 0-for-1 with a walk and strikeout (Marks struck him out).

Wilmington was rained out in Lynchburg and the two teams will finish their series on Sunday night with a doubleheader. Even without playing, the Blue Rocks picked up a 1/2 game on Frederick, who lost a rain-shortened game in Potomac. However the red-hot P-Nats are now just two games back of first place (they have won five in a row).

Down 3-1, Kane County scored three runs in the bottom of the 5th inning to beat Burlington, 4-3. Justin Trapp and Jack Lopez (the Cougars 1-2 hitters) drove in all four runs and went a combined 5-for-8.

With well over 11,000 in attendance, reliever Michael Giovenco picked up the win. He allowed just one hit and three walks over 3.1 innings. He struck out three.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in Burlington’s loss. He also committed his fourth error of the season (it was fielding).

*2012 second round draft pick Sam Selman of Idaho Falls was named the Pioneer League’s Pitcher of the Year. He leads the league with a 2.08 ERA and 80 strikeouts.

Jake Odorizzi took the loss, as he allowed five runs on seven hits (two homeruns) over six innings. He did not walk a batter while striking out five.

Reliever Sam Runion

NW Arkansas walked off again against Springfield, 3-2 in 14 innings. This time Yem Prades drove in the game winner with two outs. Michael Liberto (3-for-6) scored the game winner yet again.

Yordano Ventura returned from the DL and allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over 4.2 innings. He struck out five. The story of the game for the Naturals was their bullpen duo of Ethan Hollingsworth and Sam Runion. Hollingsworth allowed four hits and three walks (two intentional) over 6.1 scoreless innings. Runion followed with three scoreless innings of relief. He picked up the win, as he allowed just one hit while striking out three.

Kevin Kouzmanoff headed to the DL to make room for Ventura.

Wilmington beat Lynchburg, 11-5 to retake the lead in the Northern Division of the Carolina League (Frederick lost to Potomac). The Blue Rocks pounded out 13 hits and scored in six of the nine innings.

Every Blue Rocks hitter had a hit except Lane Adams. Nick Van Stratten went 2-for-5 with a homerun, two runs scored, and three RBIs. He also stole a base. Cheslor Cuthbert went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored.

Leondy Perez picked up the win despite allowing four runs on eight hits. Edwin Carl pitched 2.2 perfect innings of relief. Santiago Garrido officially returned from the DL and pitched one inning for the first time for the Blue Rocks since June 4th.

Kane County stormed back with four runs in the top of the 9th inning to beat Quad Cities, 11-10. That was after the Cougars had a 6-0 lead after four innings.

The Cougars pounded out 19 hits, but collected just two extra-base hits (both were doubles). Every starter had at least two hits, except for Alex Llanos (0-for-5) and Chris Elder (1-for-5). The top four in the order (Justin Trapp, Jack Lopez, Daniel Mateo, and Dean Espy) went a combined 12-for-21 with seven runs scored and seven RBIs.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling had Friday off, as Burlington lost to Johnson City, 6-5.

*2012 first round pick Kyle Zimmer will undergo minor elbow surgery to clean out loose bodies. It is expected he will need 6-8 weeks to recover. Zimmer had been pitching for Kane County and did not allow an earned run over his last three starts (19.2 innings).

June 10, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Mitch Maier (12) bats against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

Omaha busted out in a big way on Thursday night, as they beat New Orleans, 11-1. The Storm Chasers offense picked up 11 hits and went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Mitch Maier went 3-for-4 and Wil Myers hit his 22nd homerun in Triple-A. Rey Navarro and Adam Moore went a combined 4-for-8 with six RBIs.

Ryan Verdugo was the beneficiary of all that offense, as he picked up his 12th win of the season. He allowed a run on five hits and two walks over six innings while striking out five.

NW Arkansas couldn’t close out a victory, as they lost to Springfield, 12-8. They led 8-2 through five innings. It got so bad that backup catcher Ryan Jenkins had to enter to finish the game for the Naturals.

Leadoff hitter Yem Prades continues to impress, as he went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBIs.

Wilmington fell into second place, as they lost their finale in Frederick, 6-5. The Blue Rocks lost 4-of-5 in Frederick, fell 1/2 game behind the Keys for first place, and are now just one game ahead of Lynchburg (who they play over the next three days).

The Keys walked off. With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th inning, Glynn Davis singled to shortstop, but the throw was bad and two runs scored to set off the celebration. That was the second error of the inning for the Blue Rocks.

Brett Eibner struck out two more times to increase his total to 158, one off the Blue Rocks single season record set back in 2001. His strikeouts lead the Carolina League. He is in an 0-for-21 drought with ten strikeouts. He has the fourth worst batting average in full season minor league baseball (.193).

Kane County lost to Quad Cities, 2-0. The Cougars collected just three hits, two from Justin Trapp. He also stole his 22nd base of the season.

Kyle Smith was the hard luck loser, as he allowed two runs on eight hits over six innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Bubba Watch: The Appalachian League named its All-Stars on Thursday and four Burlington representatives were on the list. Tommy Shields was named Manager of the Year. Three players were named All-Stars: Patrick Leonard (3B), Bubba Starling (UT OF), and Mark Threlkeld (DH).

Speaking of Starling, he went 0-for-1 with a run scored and three walks in the Royals 6-3 victory.

The Storm Chasers collected 14 hits, as six players had multi-hit games. The top three in the order, Irving Falu, Mitch Maier, and Anthony Seratelli, went a combined 7-for-14 with six runs scored and two RBIs.

Doug Davis had one of his worst starts of the season. He allowed six runs on 12 hits and four walks over six innings. He did strike out eight.

Whit Merrifield leading off on Opening Night for Wilmington

NW Arkansas needed a walk off win to beat Springfield, 9-8. That was after the Naturals scored seven runs in the 3rd inning. Whit Merrifield (2-for-5) drove in the winning run with no outs in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Manny Pina and Michael Liberto each collected three hits. Liberto scored three runs, including the game winner. Merrifield and Yem Prades each had two hits in the win.

Wilmington lost another game in Frederick, this time by a score of 6-3. The Blue Rocks are clinging to a just a 1/2 game lead over the Keys.

Murray Watts (2-for-3) hit a solo homerun in the top of the 8th inning to tie the game (Keys starter Tyler Wilson had retired 17 in a row up until that point). That was after 2.1 hitless innings of relief by Antonio Cruz. However, the Keys came right back with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Shortstop Orlando Calixte went 2-for-4 with his second straight leadoff homerun.

Ejections were aplenty and apparently there was also a fight (benches cleared in the 5th inning after the Keys scored a run). The Blue Rocks saw catcher Juan Graterol ejected in the 5th inning, along with Frederick catcher Joe Oliveira. Here is what happened according to the Blue Rocks press release:

A one-hopper came home from Brett Eibner.  The throw beat him slightly to the third base side of home plate.  Graterol could not corral the ball as (Garabez) Rosa brushed by him.  Rosa originally missed the plate and went back to touch it.  He was quickly met by Graterol who greeted him with a few punches to the head.  Benches cleared and both sides lingered on the field for several minutes.

In the 6th inning, Angel Franco and manager Vance Wilson were ejected for the Blue Rocks (this came after arguing a called third strike). These are the games I wish I was in attendance so I could witness what actually happened.

Kane County lost to Quad Cities, 6-2. The Cougars scored single runs in the first two innings.

The Cougars 3-4 hitters, Daniel Mateo and Julio Aparicio, went a combined 4-for-8 with two doubles. Neither scored a run.

One bright spot in the game was the relief outing of Cody Fassold. He pitched two scoreless innings of relief and struck out four.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Burlington’s 2-0 loss in Game 1 of their doubleheader. In their Game 2 win, Starling went 0-for-1. Royals pitcher Tyler Mack didn’t allow a hit until there were two outs in the 5th inning of Game 2. It was his first start (he signed on August 4th).

On offense, Wil Myers went 2-for-4 while playing third base. Unfortunately, he committed an error.

They faced former KC Royal Humberto Quintero, who went 2-for-5 for the Sounds and picked off Mitch Maier at first base.

NW Arkansas continued their losing ways with an 8-4 loss to Springfield. It was 5-0 after the 3rd inning.

JC Sulbaran continued his struggles since coming over from the Cincinnati Reds, as he lasted just 3.2 innings in his start. He allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits and four walks. He threw 88 pitches.

Ryan Dennick relieved him and, despite giving up a run, was dominant. He allowed five hits and a walk over 3.1 innings while striking out six.

In the loss, Kevin Kouzmanoff went 2-for-4 with a homerun.

Blue Rocks shortstop Orlando Calixte

Wilmington rebounded from losing both games on Monday by winning in Frederick, 5-4. It gave the Blue Rocks a 1.5 game lead over the Keys for the second half title in the Northern Division of the Carolina League.

One day after being hit by a pitch and exiting the game, shortstop Orlando Calixte returned with a vengeance. He went 3-for-5 and fell a triple short of the cycle. He led off the game with a homerun and later stole a base. Cheslor Cuthbert also picked up three hits, while Geulin Beltre went 2-for-4 with a solo homerun.

Andy Ferguson picked up the win, despite allowing four runs on six hits over 6.2 innings. He did strike out six while not walking a batter. Reliever Edwin Carl was DOMINANT following Ferguson. He struck out five over 2.1 perfect innings to pick up his first save.

Kane County lost to Burlington, 6-3. The Bees scored four runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

Top pick Kyle Zimmer took the loss for the Cougars, despite not allowing an earned run. He allowed five unearned runs on ten hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out three. The Cougars made three errors, with two coming in that 3rd inning.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-3 with a walk in Burlington’s Game 1 loss to Kingsport. In Game 2, he went 3-for-3 with an RBI in the Royals 4-3 win. He also stole his tenth base of the season.

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.

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.

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.

Veteran Doug Davis courtesy of Minda Haas (Royal Blues)

It was a matchup of Doug Davis against former Storm Chaser Sean O’Sullivan and O’Sullivan won the battle. Davis allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out eight, but allowed two solo homeruns. O’Sullivan allowed just one run on four hits and three walks over seven innings while striking out six.

The Storm Chasers lone run came via Mitch Maier‘s 4th inning solo homerun. Anthony Seratelli went 2-for-3 in the loss. In case you were wondering, Johnny Giavotella did not play.

NW Arkansas‘ game in Midland was postponed due to bad weather. However, the Naturals were eliminated from the postseason, as Springfield beat San Antonio.

Where did all of Wilmington‘s offense suddenly come from (and where has it been all season)? They scored ten runs in the 2nd inning and cruised to an 11-1 victory over Lynchburg. The Blue Rocks hold a 2.5 game lead over the Hillcats for the second half Northern Division title (the Hillcats won the first half).

The Blue Rocks collected 12 hits, but just three doubles, so they singled the Hillcats to death and capitalized on three Hillcats errors. Five Blue Rocks hitters had multi-hit games.

Matt Ridings was the beneficiary of all that offense, though he didn’t need a whole lot. He allowed an unearned run on three hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out seven.

Kane County and Clinton took their scoreless duel into the 10th inning when the LumberKings scored two runs. The Cougars got a run in the bottom of the 10th inning on Justin Trapp‘s solo homerun (he went 3-for-5). However they could not complete the comeback and lost 2-1.

Remember Tim Melville? He started for the Cougars in his return from the DL (where he has spent most of the season) and allowed just one hit and two walks over four innings. He struck out four. Andrew Triggs followed with four perfect innings of relief with four strikeouts.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Burlington’s 5-1 loss to Greenville. Playing shortstop for the Astros (in just his sixth game), the top pick in this past June’s draft, Carlos Correa, went 2-for-4 with a homerun.

The top of Omaha’s order, Falu and Anthony Seratelli, went a combined 5-for-12 with three RBIs. Derrick Robinson went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in the win.

NW Arkansas was battered in Midland, 13-3. The RockHounds led 11-0 after three innings. JC Sulbaran, who the KC Royals received from Cincinnati for Jonathan Broxton, continues to struggle with his new team (3IP, 9H, 11R, 5BB, 3K, 3HR). His ERA climbed to 10.64.

The bright spot for the Naturals was the relief outing from Ryan Dennick. He pitched four shutout innings and allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out five.

The Naturals scored three runs, but only picked up five hits, two from Paulo Orlando.

Blue Rocks reliever Nick Rogers

Wilmington and Lynchburg were locked in a pitcher’s duel and carried it into extra innings. The Blue Rocks came out victorious in ten innings, 2-1. They walked off on a bases loaded walk (the third walk of the inning).

Andy Ferguson started for the Blue Rocks and allowed just one run (on a 6th inning solo homerun) over six innings. He allowed four hits and two walks while striking out nine. Nick Rogers, who seems to have rebounded from his struggles over the last two months, pitched three scoreless innings of relief (just one hit and one walk while striking out five).

Kane County beat Clinton, 5-3. 2012 first round draft pick Kyle Zimmer pitched another gem for the Cougars. He allowed two unearned runs on seven hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out three. Zimmer also picked a runner off second base.

On offense, Jack Lopez went 2-for-3 and Michael Antonio scored two runs and drove in two runs in the win.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-4 with a run scored and two strikeouts in Burlington’s late inning loss to Princeton. He also threw a runner out at the plate.

Nate Adcock started for the Storm Chasers and left in the 8th inning with a runner on second base and one out. Vin Mazzaro entered and allowed the runner to score (and took the loss).

On offense, the Storm Chasers only had five hits, with Max Ramirez picking up two hits. He also drove in both runs.

Christian Colon was placed on the DL due to an eye injury. He spent a good chunk of his season in Double-A on the DL already. You can find out more HERE (the bottom of the article).

Clinging to a 4-2 lead, Midland scored five runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to defeat NW Arkansas, 7-5. The Naturals made it interesting in the top of the 9th inning, by scoring a run and putting runners on first and second base with just one out. However Whit Merrifield and Brian Fletcher struck out to end the game.

Yem Prades went 3-for-5 in the leadoff spot and Paulo Orlando went 2-for-4 in the loss.

Jason Adam

It was the Adam & Adams show for Wilmington on Wednesday night, as they beat Potomac, 9-1. Lets start with outfielder Lane Adams. He drove in the Blue Rocks’ first run in the top of the first inning and came around to score another in that seven-run inning. In the end, he went 3-for-5.

Jason Adam made another dominant start for the Blue Rocks, as he pitched six shutout innings. He allowed four hits and struck out five. He didn’t allow a hit until the 3rd inning and only had multiple base runners in one inning (the fourth, but with two outs).

Clinton scored all ten of their runs from the fourth to the sixth innings to beat Kane County, 10-4. This was after the Cougars had a 3-0 lead.

Every starter for the Cougars, except Justin Trapp had at least one hit. Alex Llanos went 2-for-4. Chris Elder, who has been on the move all season, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Burlington’s 2-0 win over Princeton. Each team collected just three hits.

Jake Odorizzi (Photo Credit: Minda Haas)

Omaha beat Las Vegas in the first game of their four-game series, 7-0. The Storm Chasers had two 3-run innings to go along with a no-hitter watch from Jake Odorizzi. He carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning before a walk and a Jack Cust single with two outs broke it up. Overall, Odorizzi allowed that one hit and two walks over seven innings. He struck out four. Brandon Sisk got into trouble in the 8th inning (two hits) before inducing an inning-ending double play. He cruised through the ninth 1-2-3.

Every starter for Omaha had at least one hit, except Wil Myers and Derrick Robinson. Irving Falu and Johnny Giavotella each collected two hits, while Max Ramirez went 3-for-4.

Wilmington‘s winning streak came to an end in Potomac with a 7-5 loss. The Blue Rocks held a 5-0 lead heading into the 5th inning when the P-Nats scored two runs off Leondy Perez, and another five more in the 6th inning.

The Blue Rocks couldn’t capitalize on ten hits and six P-Nats errors. It didn’t help that they went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and struck out 13 times.

*Both NW Arkansas and Kane County had off on Tuesday.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-4 with a solo homerun and three strikeouts in Burlington’s 8-2 win over Princeton.

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.

Omaha outfielder David Lough courtesy of Minda Haas (Royal Blues)

Omaha blew out one of the worst teams in the Pacific Coast League (Tuscon), 20-3.  The Storm Chasers pounded out 33 hits (that is not a typo) and every starter had at least two hits. The game was over after the third inning when Omaha scored eight runs in the 2nd and seven more in the 3rd. Mitch Maier hit a two-run homerun in the 2nd inning. Wil Myers hit a three-run homerun and David Lough hit a two-run homerun with two outs in the 3rd inning.

Myers (5-for-7 with four runs scored and three RBIs) and Lough (3-for-5 with five RBIs) fell a triple short of the cycle. Clint Robinson fell a homerun short of the cycle (5-for-7 with three runs scored and two RBIs).

The onslaught of offense made a winner of veteran Doug Davis, who allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings. The Storm Chasers bullpen trio allowed just two hits over the final three innings.

Leading 4-2 heading into the top of the 9th inning, NW Arkansas lost to Frisco, 6-4. The Rough Riders scored four runs on a Chris McGuiness one out grand slam. In the bottom of the 9th inning, the Naturals went down quietly, with three strikeouts.

That blast negated the solid start by Noel Arguelles, who allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and five walks while striking out five over seven innings.

The Naturals collected nine hits, with Paulo Orlando and Mario Lisson each picking up three (Lisson hit a homerun).

The Naturals welcomed Justin Marks back from a long DL stint, but placed Yordano Ventura on the DL (he has minor carpal tunnel).

Wilmington beat Salem 5-0, as they swept Salem over their final three-game set. The Blue Rocks rode the arm of Matt Ridings, who did not allow a hit until the 6th inning. He pitched a career-high seven innings and allowed just three hits while striking out three and hitting two batters. He also had good defense behind him, as he induced ten ground ball outs.

Murray Watts and Luis Piterson provided the bulk of the Blue Rocks offense, as both collected two hits, scored a run, and drove in a run (Watts hit a homerun).

For more on Ridings’ outing, check out this article on milb.com.

Kane County pounded out 15 hits, as they beat Cedar Rapids, 9-5. Five Cougars had multi-hit games. The bottom two in their order, Henry Moreno and Kevin David, went a combined 5-for-8 with four runs scored. Moreno hit his first homerun.

All of that offense made a winner of Kyle Smith, who allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out four.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 2-for-2 with two walks in Burlington’s 8-0 loss to Bluefield.

Nate Adcock picked up the victory after allowing three runs and scattering 11 hits over five innings. Four Omaha relievers closed out the victory.

Reliever Sam Runion

After the two teams combined for a total of five first inning runs, NW Arkansas held on for the 5-4 win over Midland. Brian Fletcher (2-for-4) gave the Naturals the lead in the first inning with a three-run homerun. He ended up driving in four of the Naturals’ five runs.

Ethan Hollingsworth picked up the win after throwing four innings of relief. He allowed one run on two hits while striking out two. Sam Runion picked up his second save by striking out the side on just 11 pitches (ten for strikes).

I guess Thursday night’s closed door meeting by manager Vance Wilson worked: Wilmington beat up on Salem, 9-1 in the first game of the three-game series. Salem led 1-0 after the first inning (without a hit), but Blue Rocks starter Jason Adam cruised from there. He allowed the unearned run on just two hits over seven innings. He walked one while striking out six. Both singles off Adam came in the 3rd inning. He finished his outing by retiring the final 13 batters he faced.

Matt Fields continued his tear on Carolina League pitching, as he went 5-for-5 with two more homeruns.

Kane County beat Clinton, 5-0 as they scored all their runs in the 7th and 8th innings. The KC Royals top pick in this June’s draft, Kyle Zimmer, was dominant over his 6.2 innings. He allowed just three hits while striking out ten. In his first win with the Cougars, Zimmer struck out at least one hitter in every inning but the third.

The Cougars 4-5 hitters, Dean Espy and Alex Llanos, delivered the bulk of the offense. The two combined to go 4-for-8 with three doubles, three runs scored, and three RBIs.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs in Burlington’s 12-5 win. The Royals were down 5-2 heading into the 7th inning before scoring six and then another four in the 8th inning.

Freddie Patek was a fixture in the middle of the infield during some of the most successful days in Royals history. The diminutive shortstop later earned election to the Royals Hall of Fame and was our first guest on the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Thursday. He talked about his heyday with the Royals, playing the game the right way, playing for Whitey Herzog and Ewing Kauffman and overcoming the stigma of being a small player.

Then we talked with Storm Chaser’s outfielder David Lough as he lounged poolside on Omaha’s day off. He noted that he’s working on using his speed more this season, excited to be in the hunt for another Pacific Coast League championship. He then handed the phone off to his roommate, second baseman Johnny Giavotella, who talked about working back from hip surgery early in the year, his hot streak in July and the things he’s working on defensively. He also seemed to put out a challenge to his other roommate Anthony Seratelli for the home run lead in the apartment (Giavotella has 10, Seratelli has 16 this year).

We’ll be back next week with more discussion of Kansas City baseball, past, present and future on ESPN 1510 Thursday at 6 p.m. CST.

You can catch up on old episodes of the Kansas City Baseball Vault here on Kings of Kauffman. Episodes of the Royalman Report are available on the site as well.

Follow the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Twitter and Facebook for future programming updates. Also follow Kings of Kauffman for article updates, discussion and other information.

Tonight we continue an exciting new venture for Kings of Kauffman and its podcast, the Royalman Report.

Jeff Logan of the Kansas City Baseball Historical Society joins forces with us to form the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Kansas City’s ESPN 1510 AM from 6-7 p.m. every Thursday night. Listeners can tune into traditional radio or streaming live on 1510.com.

This should be a fun show.

We’ll talk with Freddie Patek, a Royals Hall of Famer, three-time All-Star and key component to some of the best Royals teams in franchise history.

Sticking with the short middle infielder motif, we’ll also talk with Johnny Giavotella about his recovery from hip surgery in the offseason, his hot bat in July, and working his way back to the big leagues. Also, we’ll have Gio’s roommate, outfielder David Lough to talk about working through an organization that has such a crowded bunch of outfielders and a second run at the Pacific Coast League championship.

It all starts at 6 p.m. CST on ESPN 1510 AM in Kansas City or 1510.com if you’re out of the area.

Follow the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Twitter and Facebook for future programming updates. Also follow Kings of Kauffman for article updates, discussion and other information.

Jake Odorizzi pitched well for the Storm Chasers, but ended up with the no-decision. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out four.

Irving Falu and Adam Moore each collected two hits, while Wil Myers went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Whit Merrifield leading off on Opening Night for Wilmington

Down 4-2 heading into the bottom of the 8th inning, NW Arkansas scored two runs in that inning and walked off winners over Midland, 5-4. With one out, the newest Natural, Whit Merrifield doubled. After an intentional walk, Kevin Kouzmanoff flied out, moving the runners up a base. So with two outs, Manny Pina delivered the game winner, an RBI single to center.

Merrifield had an eventful first game in Double-A. He homered in the 5th inning with two outs off a former foe, Sonny Gray (who dominated in his time at Vanderbilt). Plus, he scored the game winning run.

The Naturals bullpen duo of Buddy Baumann and Ryan Dennick combined to throw five scoreless innings of relief. They allowed one hit and three walks while striking out six.

Wilmington was blasted by Winston-Salem, 8-0. The Blue Rocks were out-hit 13-3. Geulin Beltre collected two of the hits and also threw a runner out from right field at second base.

The Blue Rocks were sloppy, as they made two errors along with a passed ball. The Dash also stole five bases.

Kane County lost their first game in Clinton, 6-2. Both teams collected eight hits, but the Cougars’ hits were all singles. Jorge Bonifacio and Dean Espy each collected two hits.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Burlington’s 7-1 loss to Danville.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

This is my first post in nearly two months.  A lot of things have come up in the past two months that have taken my attention away from my articles, but now I’m back and ready to focus on my posts.  At this point in the season, not many things have gone right, however there are still a few interesting developments I’d like to see play out over the course of the next two months.

The first thing I’d like to see is Billy Butler give a nice run towards breaking Steve Balboni‘s single season record of 36 home runs.  With the juiced ball and steroid era, it was commonplace for teams to have multiple players with 30 and 40 home run seasons.  The Royals have remained quiet with the long ball and at 27 years and counting no one has surpassed Balboni’s 36 home runs in 1985.  I’m aware Butler only has 20 home runs through Sunday’s game but with a few hot streaks here and there it is possible for him to challenge the record.

The next thing I’d like to see is Greg Holland really stake a claim to the closer’s role as we head into next season.  Now I’ll admit I’ve been one of the biggest Holland advocates for the past two years.  I really like his makeup and his electric stuff, but I truly believe he could be a very dominate closer for the Royals for at least the next few years.

It’s been really nice to see Mike Moustakas carry over his hot September from last season into this year.  It’s been an even better surprise to see how well he has played defensively at third base.  On the other side of the diamond has been Eric Hosmer, who has been a little different story than Moose.  Hosmer still has time this season to get things in gear and put together a respectable season, although his time will be running out very soon.  It would certainly make me feel a bit more at ease going into the off season with Hosmer raking over the last several weeks of the season.

The last thing I’d like to see the rest of the way is the arrival of the most talked about prospect in all of baseball, Wil Myers.  Now it may be possible the Royals decide to keep Myers down until next year, but that will anger a lot, if not all, of the fan base.  I’d love to see what Wil can do the rest of the way if he gets the call.  It will, at least, add a little bit of suspense for the final two months to see if he gets promoted to Kansas City.  We will just have to wait and see what the front office decides to do, as he may end up waiting until next May to finally put on a Major League uniform.

I hope to see a few of these stories develop into realization.  These are some things that keep me watching even in the dog days of the season when the team is struggling to stay out of the basement in the AL Central.  What are some other interesting topics fans are looking forward to the rest of the season?  I’d love to hear what others are thinking about.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitterto be notified each time he posts a story.

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.

On offense, Irving Falu went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs and Anthony Seratelli went 2-for-3.

Tony Abreu was promoted to the big leagues with the DFA of Yuniesky Betancourt.

A three-run top of the first inning pushed NW Arkansas over Arkansas, 5-1. Christian Colon went 3-for-4 in the win (maybe he’ll be promoted to Triple-A?). Mario Lisson drove in two runs with a two out single in the first.

Sugar Ray Marimon picked up the win, as he allowed one run on four hits and three walks over six innings. Sam Runion picked up his first Double-A save with three scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and a walk while striking out three.

Blue Rocks infielder Luis Piterson

Wilmington won their finale in Salem, 5-4 in ten innings. One of Luis Piterson‘s three hits drove in the go ahead run in the top of the 10th inning. Nick Rogers, who allowed an inherited run to score in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the game, put away the Red Sox in the bottom of the 10th inning to pick up the win.

The middle of the Blue Rocks order, Lane Adams, Cheslor Cuthbert, and Geulin Beltre, went a combined 7-for-14 with two runs scored and three RBIs.

The comeback by the Red Sox late negated the solid start by Andy Ferguson, who allowed just one run on six hits and a walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out seven.

Down 4-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning, Kane County came back with four runs to beat Cedar Rapids, 5-4. The winning run scored on a throwing error by the centerfielder.

In that 9th inning, Jack Lopez drove in three with a bases-clearing triple to tie the game with one out.

Kyle Zimmer made his third start for the Cougars. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out six.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run scored, and an RBI in Burlington’s 6-3 win over Pulaski. All but two of the games in the Appalachian League were postponed on Sunday.

Nate Adcock throwing a bullpen session in Baltimore

Omaha lost to Reno, 4-2 as Nate Adcock was the hard luck loser. He allowed two unearned runs on seven hits and one walk over eight innings. He struck out eight.

On offense, Tony Abreu and Mitch Maier each had two hits for the Storm Chasers. Abreu however, had the error that cost them two runs (his 19th of the season).

NW Arkansas lost to Arkansas, 2-1. The newest Natural, JC Sulbaran (who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds), made his first start. He allowed one run on three hits and three walks over just four innings. He struck out two.

The Naturals collected six hits, with Paulo Orlando collecting half of them (3-for-4 with an RBI).

Wilmington lost to Salem, 6-5 in 11 innings. Blue Rocks reliever Antonio Cruz walked three in the 11th inning, as he walked in the winning run with two outs.

The Blue Rocks broke the 4-4 tie in the top of the 8th inning, only to see the Red Sox re-tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

The Blue Rocks 5-6 hitters, Orlando Calixte and Geulin Beltre, went a combined 4-for-9 with two doubles, a triple, a run scored, and an RBI. For Salem, Xander Bogaerts continues his hot streak against Wilmington, as he went 4-for-4 with two doubles, two walks, three runs scored, and an RBI. So far in the first two games of the series, Bogaerts is 7-for-8 with four doubles, five runs scored, and two RBIs.

Close to 10,000 fans were in attendance to watch Kane County lose to Cedar Rapids, 5-2. The Kernels scored all their runs over the first four innings. The Cougars bullpen duo of Jason Mitchell and Cody Fassold allowed just two hits and a walk over the final five innings. They combined to strike out four.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling hit his seventh homerun, a two-run shot in the 6th inning, as Burlington lost to Pulaski, 16-4. Starling went 1-for-3 and was replaced (like many of his starting teammates).

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.

June 04, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Johnny Giavotella (9) connects for a single in the fourth inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

After watching Reno score three runs in the top of the 3rd inning, Omaha came back with four runs of their own and another two runs in the 4th inning to win 6-3. Johnny Giavotella and Tony Abreu (the 2-3 hitters) went a combined 4-for-8 with five RBIs.

Doug Davis rebounded from the rough 3rd inning to complete six innings and earn the victory. He allowed those three runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out eight and picked off a base runner.

It was a cool 111 degrees in Tulsa, as NW Arkansas lost 6-4. Noel Arguelles struggled through four innings, as he allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and five walks, a hit batter, and two wild pitches. Sam Runion made his Double-A debut with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.

On offense, the Naturals out-hit the Drillers 11-9, but went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Their 3-4 hitters, Brian Fletcher and Kevin Kouzmanoff, went a combined 4-for-9 with three runs scored.

Wilmington beat Winston-Salem, 9-4. Matt Ridings was the beneficiary of alot of offense. He allowed three runs on five hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out four.

The Blue Rocks collected 11 hits, with Geulin Beltre hitting a two-run homerun (2-for-4). Murray Watts and Orlando Calixte also collected two hits in the win (Watts drove in three runs), while Whit Merrifield went 3-for-4.

Despite scoring five runs in the top of the 5th inning, Kane  County lost to Beloit, 8-6. The Cougars scored a run in the top of the 7th inning to tie the game, but Casey Fassold allowed a run in the bottom of the inning. That was the only run he allowed over three innings of relief while striking out five.

Tim Ferguson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while also throwing a runner out at second base.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-5 in Burlington’s 3-2 loss at Elizabethton in 11 innings.

Tony Abreu hit a grand slam in the Storm Chasers five-run 5th inning and Wil Myers hit a three-run homerun in their five-run 7th inning. Abreu and Myers (the Storm Chasers 3-4 hitters) went 5-for-9 with four runs scored and nine RBIs.

It was a cool 106 degrees at game time.

Sugar Ray Marimon

NW Arkansas ended July on a high note, with a 7-1 victory to open their three-game series in Tulsa. Sugar Ray Marimon improved to 2-3 in Double-A, with seven shutout innings. He allowed three hits and three walks.

The Naturals offense collected 14 hits, with every starter (but Carlo Testa) picking up a hit. Manny Pina hit a three-run homerun in the 5th inning (3-for-5).

Just like in OKC, it was a cool 108 degrees at game time.

NW Arkansas and Wilmington swapped relievers, as Sam Runion was promoted and Nick Rogers was sent back to Wilmington. At the time of Rogers’ promotion, I thought that Runion should have been the one receiving the promotion. If it had been a month earlier, I would have picked Rogers. Hopefully Rogers can get his command back (16 walks in 9.2 innings with the Naturals).

Wilmington started their road trip with a 2-0 loss in Winston-Salem. The Dash scored a single run in the first inning and never looked back. Andy Ferguson was the hard luck loser, as he allowed the two runs on six hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out eight.

Angel Franco returned from the DL to go 2-for-4 (the Blue Rocks only had four hits).

A six-run bottom of the 2nd inning did in Kane County, as they lost to Beloit, 9-4. The Cougars scored all their runs in the final two innings.

The Cougars collected 12 hits, but went just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Kevin David raised his average to .200 as he went 2-for-4. Their 3-4 hitters, Jorge Bonifacio and Julio Aparicio, went 5-for-10.

The KC Royals top pick in this June’s draft, Kyle Zimmer, allowed six runs on six hits and three walks over just two innings in his second start in Low-A.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Burlington’s 1-0 loss to Princeton.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

Down 6-0 after four innings, Omaha came back to defeat OKC, 7-6. A fielding error by the OKC pitcher cost them the winning run in the top of the 9th inning. Omaha broke their four game losing streak.

The Storm Chasers bullpen trio of Tommy Hottovy, Jeremy Jeffress, and Vin Mazzaro picked up starter Nathan Adcock. They threw four scoreless innings of relief.

Wil Myers went 3-for-4 with four RBIs as he hit two homeruns. Irving Falu and Tony Abreu each collected two hits. Mitch Maier played first base.

Despite coming back to tie the game in the bottom of the 8th inning, NW Arkansas lost to Springfield, 9-5. The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the 2nd inning, chasing Naturals starter Yordano Ventura from the game. Ethan Hollingsworth kept the Cardinals in check with 6.1 scoreless innings of relief.

The Naturals came back with three runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the game, as Yem Prades doubled in one run and Kevin Kouzmanoff doubled in two more. However the Naturals bullpen trio of Nick Rogers and Jon Keck gave up five runs in the top of the 9th inning to give the Cardinals back the lead. Rogers threw just seven of his 25 pitches for strikes (four walks).

Yem Prades continues his hot hitting, as he went 3-for-5 with two doubles.

Wilmington enjoyed Monday off and now head to Winston-Salem to begin a three-game series on Tuesday.

Kane County swept Quad Cities with a 5-3 win on Monday afternoon. Angel Baez got the start and allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over five innings. The Cougars bullpen trio of Rudy Brown, Andrew Triggs, and Malcom Culver pitched four scoreless innings of relief.

Alex Llanos went 3-for-4 and Dean Espy went 2-for-4 with two doubles.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo homerun in Burlington’s 8-2 loss.

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

Omaha only scored in three innings, but it was enough, as they beat OKC, 11-1. The Storm Chasers collected 15 hits, with eight of the nine starters collecting at least one hit. Six different hitters collected RBIs.

Jake Odorizzi was the beneficiary of all those runs, as he picked up his eighth win. He wasn’t great, but he gave the team enough. He allowed one run on seven hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. Their bullpen trio of Francisley Bueno, Blaine Hardy, and Roman Colon threw three scoreless inning of relief.

NW Arkansas has now won two in a row against Springfield, as they won on Sunday, 3-2. The two teams exchanged solo homeruns in the first inning. With the game tied at 2-2 heading into the 6th inning, Yem Prades singled in the go ahead run.

Mike Montgomery earned the win, with seven solid innings. He allowed the two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three. Jon Keck and Juan Gutierrez followed with a combined two scoreless innings of relief.

Wilmington lost 5-2 to Carolina to lose the series. Jason Adam dropped to 3-11 on the season, as he allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks over just 4.2 innings.

The Blue Rocks had their chance in the 9th inning after leading off the inning with two walks. However they only scored one run. On offense, they collected six hits and seven walks, but went just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

A four-run 2nd inning catapulted Kane County to a 5-1 victory over Quad Cities. Tim Ferguson fell a double short of the cycle, as he hit a solo homerun in the 5th inning to finish the Cougars scoring. He delivered a two-run triple in the 2nd inning and scored on a throwing error.

Aaron Brooks was dominant in the complete game victory. He allowed a run in the first inning on a hit, an error, and a sac fly. Brooks scattered seven more hits from there. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Burlington’s 5-4 win. He also stole a base and threw out a runner at second base.

Ryan Verdugo is back in the Omaha starting rotation and he allowed all six runs on six hits and two walks over five innings. The bullpen trio of Jeremy Jeffress, Brandon Sisk, and Vin Mazzaro allowed just one hit (and no walks) over the final three innings. They combined to strike out five.

Wil Myers hit a solo homerun, but struck out with two men on base to end the game. Myers and Tony Abreu collected two hits each.

Michael Mariot in 2011 with Wilmington

NW Arkansas broke their nine game losing streak to Springfield with a 12-4 win. The Naturals scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Mario Lisson hit a three-run homerun in the first (he fell a double short of the cycle).

The Naturals collected 16 hits, as six players had multi-hit games. Lisson, Manny Pina, and Christian Colon all collected three hits. CC, since his return from the DL, has moved to second base.

The burst of offense made a winner of Michael Mariot, who did not allow a hit until there was one out in the 5th inning. He then allowed three straight, but induced an inning-ending double play to escape. Mariot pitched six scoreless innings in his start and only allowed those three hits.

Wilmington and Carolina played a rain shortened game, as the Mudcats won 8-4 in seven innings. The Blue Rocks out-hit the Mudcats 10-8, but went just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The Blue Rocks led 4-1 heading into the 6th inning, but the Mudcats scored five runs and another two runs in the 7th inning.

Leondy Perez returned to the mound after spending close to two months on the DL. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk over four innings. The Blue Rocks defense (well just shortstop Orlando Calixte, who cost them four runs) and the bullpen blew the game.

Matt Fields continues his torrid pace, as he hit another homerun (his 13th) and went 2-for-4. Juan Graterol also hit a homerun, a two-run shot in the 2nd inning. Luis Piterson, who is playing alot with the injuries to Angel Franco and Roman Hernandez, went 3-for-3.

Down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning, Kane County came back with a 3-2 victory over Quad Cities in the first game of their three-game series. Henry Moreno started off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second base. He scored to tie the game on pinch-hitter Daniel Mateo‘s RBI triple. With two outs and runners at the corners, Jack Lopez delivered the game-winning single.

That late comeback made a winner of Jason Mitchell, who pitched two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed three hits and struck out three. Over 11,000 Cougars fans went home happy.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-5 with a run scored in Burlington’s 7-6 loss to Pulaski (in walk-off fashion).