Kyle Zimmer at USF, now having a yo-yo of a season in Wilmington. Mandatory Credit: US Presswire File Photo

Kyle Zimmer is a guy I haven’t thought about too much recently…but a couple of days ago checked on his stats after hearing some grumbling that he’s yet another struggling Royals prospect. Zimmer’s a guy I have been a big believer in (as have most fans) since the Royals drafted him, so I needed to dig into his numbers a bit and take a look for myself.

A college pitcher – he came from the University of San Francisco – Zimmer came in a little more seasoned than any of the available high school guys. He signed and hit Rookie ball at age 20, throwing just 10 innings, although I have to say they were 10 dominant innings. A small sample size, yes, but in that time he posted a 0.5 WHIP and 0.9 ERA, allowing 5 hits, 1 earned run, zero walks, and striking out 13. Needless to say…Zimmer wasn’t long for Rookie ball.

Making the leap to A ball didn’t slow him down much. Zimmer threw 29.2 innings and had a 2.43 ERA with 29 strikeouts. No problem, right? This year, he’s thrown 37 innings in High A and has a 4.86 ERA. He’s moved up one level and doubled his ERA? Yikes.

But, is it really that bad? I think not. Most look at that ERA and assume everything else adds up to a poor performance. Comparing his High A versus A performance, though, I think he’s obviously hit a bump…but a pretty small one.

Rather than freak out about a bloated ERA, I recommend looking at his WHIP and K rates. In 2012, Zimmer’s WHIP skyrocketed when he moved up from Rookie to A ball – going from 0.5 all the way up to 1.416 – so what happened there? In 29.2 innings he gave up 34 hits and 8 walks. At that pace, he was allowing 10.3 hits/9 and 2.4 BB/9. Not great.

High A ball has actually seen an improvement on that front. He’s thrown about 8 more innings against stiffer competition and actually allowed 2 less hits, although he’s walked 9 more. Still though, even with the walks, he’s got a 1.324 WHIP this season, which, although leaving plenty of room for improvement, is a significant drop. He’s allowing 7.8 hits/9 (down from 10.3), which is a much better number. He is walking 4.1/9, however, a number that needs to come down. What about the strikeouts though? He’s striking out almost 3 more batters per 9 innings…up to 11.7 from 8.8.  That’s the pace he mowed down batters at while in Rookie ball, which tells me the swing and miss stuff is intact.

The trouble this year for Zimmer has come in the form of walks and the long ball. He’s given up 5 so far this year, which puts him at 1.2 HR/9. In A ball that number was 0.3, and if you look at his total stats from 2012 it was at 0.2, which means he’s got to do a better job keeping the ball in the yard, obviously.

Looking through his first 8 starts, Zimmer’s had 3 that jump out at me as particularly stinky. On April 18, he lasted just 3 innings and allowed 5 hits and 4 ER. The next bad start (coming after a strong one) was on April 29. He allowed 6 hits and 5 ER in just 4 innings, also walking 2 and allowing one home run. After another good start and an okay start…he had another rocky outing on May 16 that was eerily similar to the April 29 drubbing – 6 hits, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 HR.

In these outings, Zimmer has lasted just 11 total innings, while allowing 2 homers, 17 hits, 6 walks, and 14 earned runs. Not good. The walks and homers don’t always mean a bad game though. In his first game of 2013, Zimmer went 5 innings and gave up 2 homers but finished with 8 K’s, and the only hits allowed were the 2 round trippers. Another game saw him walk 4, but thanks to 11 K’s he allowed only 1 run.

All this to say…it’s been a pretty mixed bag for Zimmer this year. To be even briefer, I can sum this up in one word: Inconsistent. Good game, bad game, mediocre game, good game, bad game, and so on…

Some splits (through 8 starts), courtesy of the Blue Rocks web site: Zimmer has performed against both right and left handed batters pretty similarly: 15 hits allowed versus LHB/17 versus RHB, 2 HR versus LHB/3 versus RHB, 9 BB versus LHB/8 versus RHB, and he’s struck them out evenly at 24 each.

He has given up more homers on the road (4 HR on the road, 1 at home), which makes sense as Wilmington probably has the Carolina League’s most pitcher friendly park in that regard.

The one thing I see in these splits that scares me…he’s got a 1.46 ERA with the bases empty, but an 11.68 ERA with runners on base and a whopping 14.73 with runners in scoring position. Reminds me a little of another Royals pitcher who can’t seem to pitch with runners on base…I hesitate to mention his name in this article for fear of cursing Zimmer. But his name rhymes with Marmaduke…um…Schmochaver.

I wouldn’t freak out just yet, though. Zimmer is all of 21 years old with all of 76.2 professional innings under his belt. Looking at his totals through those innings, Zimmer seems to have the makings of a pretty damn good pitcher (1.252 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 10.6 K/9).

When guys have that kind of stuff…you can overlook a bump or two in the road along the way. Let Zimmer work out some kinks (and maybe throw a couple hundred innings)…I have a feeling he’s a prospect who won’t disappoint.

NOTE (update 5/23): According to the Wilmington team site, Zimmer made another start on May 22. It appears to have been a solid outing. Zimmer went 6 innings and gave up 2 earned runs while allowing 6 hits (including a homer), 2 walks and striking out 7.  Nice rebound after a really bad start on May 16.

My number one Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

Glendon Rusch.

Glendon Rusch signing autographs in 1995 (Jen Nevius)

August 7, 1995 was a memorable one for two reasons: 1. it was my first Blue Rocks game and 2. Rusch struck out a franchise record 17 batters against Lynchburg.

Being my first game, Rusch quickly became my favorite player after his absolute dominance. It also did not hurt that he stayed around after the game to sign autographs (my first autograph).

However, Rusch wasn’t just dominant on the seventh of August. He had one of the best seasons ever by a Blue Rocks starter. He went 14-6 with a 1.74 ERA in 26 starts. That ERA is still tops in Blue Rocks history. Rusch struck out 147 batters in 165.2 innings and walked just 34. He only allowed five errors. On defense, he made zero errors.

Rusch did all that at the ripe old age of twenty.

Unfortunately, things did not go as well in the Majors for him, though he was a big part of the 2000 NY Mets that went to the World Series (which was exciting to watch).

If you follow the Royals’ minor league system at all, there is one theme.  Wilmington is a tough place to hit.  Being a position player in the system and getting a promotion to high A ball is the equivalent of the Royals Brass telling you that they would like to see how you handle failure.  It is a pitchers park of nearly epic proportions.  Cuthbert’s 2012 line of .240/.296/.322 is definitely scary, and maybe completely meaningless as well.  I went back and looked for Royals in Wilmington going back to 1994 to see who hit well there.  Plenty of players, including Johnny Damon, Mike Sweeney, and even Ken Harvey had nice seasons for the Blue Rocks, but there is a consistent similarity among them all, and that is that they were all in their early 20s.  Only one player under age 20 had a significant amount of playing time in Wilmington and had good hitting numbers.  Wil Myershad a nice half season in is age 19 season.

Cheslor Cuthbert via Jen Nevius

The best parallel for Cheslor is Carlos Beltran.  Beltran was actually a year older at each stop, but had a similar path of decent rookie ball year and a pretty good line between low A and A ball.  Then he arrived in Wilmington and struggled to a line of .229/.311/.363 as a 20 year old.  The following year he repeated his time at high A, and did much better, getting a promotion to AA where his numbers exploded.  That is the hope for someone like Cuthbert in 2013.  Getting a chance to age and repeat could lead to similar growth as a player.  Not only that, but the fact that he is following a similar path at a younger age means that the ceiling for him may be very high.

Digging into last season there were some good signs.  Away from his home park, Cuthbert’s average was similar, but his OBP was 20 points higher and his slugging was 60 points higher.  Also, after three really awful months, his OBP in the last two months (a little over 100 PAs) of the season were .343 and .364 with the usual small sample size caveats.  Everyone is loving up Adalberto Mondesi this spring, and for good reason, but don’t forget about Cheslor Cuthbert.  It would not at all be surprising to me if next year he was in AA and/or AAA and creating questions about how to handle the log jam at third base.

My number two Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

Utility man Jimmie Byington playing all nine positions.

Jimmie Byington on Judy Johnson Night back in 1998 (two years after playing all nine positions).

Byington was the first ever Blue Rock to play all nine positions in a game on June 15, 1996. It was one that I remember for a few reasons: 1. Byington was one of my favorite players, 2. It was a standing room only crowd, and 3. I had lost a pop up in the sun earlier in the day at my softball game and had a black and swollen eye. I’m just glad that I had been stubborn and still wanted to go to the game.

The Blue Rocks post their starting lineup for each night’s game right as you enter the ballpark. I was a bit confused seeing Byington’s name listed as the pitcher, but also intrigued.

The Blue Rocks had already won the first half Northern Division title, so it was a nice gesture by manager John Mizerock. In his one inning start against Prince William (then a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate), Byington induced two ground outs and struck out his final hitter (Jason Evans).

In the second, he moved to first base and then caught Phil Grundy in the third (which was two ground outs and a strikeout). In the fourth, Byington played third base, then shortstop in the fifth, and second base in the sixth. He went from left field to right field and finished the game in centerfield.

At the plate, Byington went 1-for-3 with a double and a stolen base. He was also hit by a pitch in his final at-bat.

Unfortunately, the Blue Rocks lost, 1-0. It was a crazy game to keep score, but I did my best (and I’m glad I kept it).

My number three top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…once again a player.

That player would be Mike Sweeney.

The catcher (turned first baseman and DH) may be the top Blue Rocks player ever. Prior to the 1995 playoffs in September, he went from High-A Wilmington to the big leagues. Many feel that with him, the Blue Rocks would have won the Carolina League championship in 1995. Instead, they lost to Kinston. That season, he hit .310 with 23 doubles and 18 homeruns in just 99 games (the most games he ever played in the minors). He walked 60 times compared to just 39 strikeouts.

Sweeney went on to have a pretty successful big league career, though it was derailed by injuries.

Besides being a force in the batter’s box, Sweeney was a presence off the field. He was a fan favorite (as many Royals fans know) and always signed autographs. In my early teen years, Sweeney became a big influence in my life, always taking time out for me, whether he was in Wilmington, writing a return letter from another minor league stop, or in the big leagues.

Sweeney became the second player to have his number retired by the Blue Rocks (along with Hall of Famer Robin Roberts). He is the only player to have his number retired (#33) in recent Blue Rocks history. When he returned for that ceremony and for the Royals exhibition game, it drew big crowds. If you attended a Blue Rocks game back in 1995, Sweeney probably touched your life in some way (be it his smile, his friendliness, or his play on the field).

My number four top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

Brian Sanches throwing the Blue Rocks only nine inning no-hitter in 2000.

The cover of the 2000 Blue Rocks second edition yearbook (via Jen Nevius).

It was May 2, 2000 and the Lynchburg Hillcats were in town. I was down the right field line working as an usher in the general admission section at Frawley Stadium (which is no longer there). Since I was working, I spent most of the night trying to stay out of fans’ sight lines, keeping fans from bothering the players in the bullpen (which was right in front of GA), and helping get the promotions and grounds crew on and off the field. To boot, it was a fireworks night, meaning GA was packed with tons of kids.

It wasn’t until my parents stopped by around the 7th inning that I realized what was going on. The first thing out of my dad’s mouth when he saw me was “So I see there’s a no-hitter going.” I’m pretty sure I said something like “What?” But I turned to look at the scoreboard and saw zeroes across the board. It just proved how crazy my night had been (and how unattentive the fans in my section were).

Apparently, Sanches did not realize what was going on until then too, when teammates would not sit near him or talk to him. So I was not the only person late to the party.

From that point on, I definitely watched the game. I had never been present at a no-hitter and I didn’t want to completely miss it.

Sanches had two outs in the 9th innings and walked a batter, his first of the game (which ended his perfect game). Fans throughout the ballpark were on their feet, cheering him on and I had chills.

When Sanches recorded that final out, his teammates mobbed him and the fans cheered. He stayed around afterwards to sign autographs.

I didn’t personally know Sanches at the time, but I became friends with him by the end of the season (and have gotten to see him over the years since). It was a great moment that many do not get to experience or be a part of. It was the top moment of an otherwise lackluster season and I’m sure he remembers the moment too.

My number five top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

The three championships: 1996, 1998, and 1999.

Matt Smith on deck in Wilmington in 1996 (via Jen Nevius).

Blue Rocks fans were spoiled in the 1990′s, as the team was always in the postseason (except for 1997). They had already won a Carolina League championship before I started attending games in 1994.

1996 was obviously my first championship. It was a team with some carry overs from 1995, along with some new blood. Because of Hurricane Fran and the damage she caused to Grainger Stadium in Kinston, North Carolina, the entire best-of-five championship was played in Wilmington.

Game Three, which was a Kinston “home” game, went to the Indians, as David Miller hit a walk-off homerun in the 9th inning. The following night, Matt Smith hit a two-run homerun in the top of the 11th inning for the Blue Rocks. They held on for the victory.

The cool thing about the series finishing in Wilmington was getting to watch the players celebrate on the field, with champagne and beer flying everywhere.

1998′s championship was special because there were quite a few carry overs from the previous season that statistically was awful. It was another great series, which I enjoyed because I had the chance to see Winston-Salem alot as I was visiting colleges in the Carolinas.

The Warthogs had some thump in their lineup, led by Joe Crede, but the Blue Rocks pitching was up to the challenge. Outside of the first game of the series, the final three were decided by one run and the winning team did not score more than three runs. The lone loss was a tough one, as starter Todd Thorn allowed the game’s lone run in the 8th inning. The final two games were decided in the Blue Rocks final at-bats.

The Blue Rocks won the series in four games with catcher Paul Phillips earning MVP honors (he only played in Wilmington over the season’s final week).

Rafael Furcal during spring training with the Atlanta Braves (via Jen Nevius).

1999′s championship was a shared one. The Blue Rocks were down two games to one heading into Game Four in Myrtle Beach. Starter Corey Thurman came up with one of his best starts of the season and Joe Caruso hit a three-run homer in the 7th inning to lead the Blue Rocks to victory. That tied the series at 2-2, with the decisive Game Five scheduled for the next night.

However, Mother Nature had other plans. After returning to the hotel after the game, the Blue Rocks were told to evacuate and head out on the road. Hurricane Floyd was heading for Myrtle Beach. Since the Blue Rocks had at least two players leaving for their wedding and no one knew how much damage the hurricane would cause, the Carolina League named the Blue Rocks and Pelicans co-champions.

In the Pelicans two victories, their double-play combination of shortstop Rafael Furcal and second baseman Marcus Giles were the key on offense. In Game Two, Furcal had three hits and a stolen base against hard luck loser Thorn (2-1 loss). In Game Three, Giles went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

That 1999 championship is the last won by the Blue Rocks.

My number six top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…actually a player.

Carlos Beltran and I back in 1997. He got made fun of for wearing the overalls the entire season (via Jen Nevius).

Carlos Beltran.

After spending at least a year and a half in Wilmington and being a Carolina League All-Star in 1998, I am surprised that Beltran’s number 15 has yet to be retired at Frawley Stadium

His first season in 1997, was a bust, much like the entire team’s season. There was not anything special about him then, as he was a bit lazy and rumored to not be a great teammate. He also determined whether or not he played hard by who was on the mound for the Blue Rocks. As a fan, I never had an issue for Beltran off the field. However, after seeing him play in 1997, many would never have expected him to still be productive in the big leagues in 2013. That season, he hit just .229 in 126 games and struck out 96 times. He did however hit 11 homeruns. Beltran also made eight errors in centerfield.

When he returned to Wilmington to start the 1998 season, Beltran was a completely different player. He played hard all the time and his talent finally shined through. That was when I began to think that he could be something special. In 52 games prior to his promotion to Double-A (and after participating in the CL All-Star Game), he hit .276 with 14 doubles, five homeruns, and 32 RBIs. He also walked 25 times compared to 39 strikeouts. He only made two errors in centerfield and had four outfield assists.

Beltran did turn into something special (if only he could have spent more time as a Kansas City Royal).

Carlos Beltran during spring training with the Royals (via Jen Nevius).

My number seven top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

Donovan Delaney’s throw.

The Johnny Mac remembrance is all the way to the right of the picture, almost directly behind the centerfielder (and to the left of the #33). Via Jen Nevius

You are probably wondering why a throw made my top moments and I wish you could have seen it (but video coverage from back then is not exactly easy to find). It made my local news the night it happened and probably would have made Sportscenter’s Top Ten if it was around back then.

In 1995, Donovan Delaney was playing left field for the Blue Rocks. The opposing batter hit a fly ball to deep left field with a runner on first base. Delaney caught the ball at the wall and the base runner began retreating back to first base. Delaney turned and fired to first base (with the runner jogging with his back turned). He hit the first baseman on the fly to complete the double play and end the inning.

Fans, including myself, weren’t sure what to do. My mouth was wide open in a combination of shock and awe. That only lasted a few seconds, as Delaney then received a standing ovation as he returned to the dugout.

That arm was a big reason why he was converted to a pitcher.

My number eight top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

The 1998 All-Star Game

Current big leaguer and former Frederick Key Jerry Hairston Jr at the 1998 Carolina League All-Star Game.

Normally, the All-Star Game is played between the Carolina League and the California League. However in 1998, the Blue Rocks hosted the Carolina League ASG, pitting the Northern Division against the Southern Division (I think something logistical changed the format). The great part about the game was that fans had seen all of the players selected play at Frawley Stadium at least once prior to the event.

Prior to the game, the All-Stars were at the now-defunct Kahunaville (which was across the street from the stadium). It was a unique setting (think a smaller version of Dave and Buster’s), as players were scattered throughout the “game area” and pool tables for an autograph session. There were not a ton of people there (mainly because it was a Tuesday afternoon), which meant there was plenty of time to get every players’ autograph, take pictures, and even have conversations.

After that, the players were herded back to the ballpark for batting practice, which was followed by the homerun derby. The Carolina League had a few homerun hitters that season that mainly played in the Southern Division, like Joe Crede and Mike Hessman, but hitting long balls out of Frawley Stadium proved tough.

Prior to the game, Robin Roberts became the first inductee into the Blue Rocks Wall of Fame (he played back in 1948 with the original club). He also became the first Blue Rock to have his number retired (#36).

The North beat the South, 5-2, as Blue Rocks second baseman Emiliano Escandon delivered an 8th inning bases clearing double to break the 2-2 tie.

My number nine top Blue Rocks moment is…

The 21 inning game versus Danville in 1998.

The old Blue Rocks logo

It was another hot summer July, Sunday afternoon game in Wilmington back in 1998. I did not stay for the entire game because I was working and told to clock out because of the lack of fans in attendance. I did however listen to the game on the half hour ride home.

The fact that the game lasted 21 innings was impressive enough. It took six hours and 23 minutes to finish the 3-2 Blue Rocks victory over the Danville 97′s. Geoffrey Tomlinson walked with the bases loaded for the walk off win. At that time, it was the longest game in both Blue Rocks and the Carolina League’s history.

Thirteen total pitchers allowed 32 hits and 13 walks, but they combined to strike out 39 and strand 19 baserunners. Danville tied the game in the top of the ninth and the two teams then played 11 scoreless innings.

The 19th inning was what made the game memorable. Five Blue Rocks were ejected in that inning: shortstop Brett Taft, pitcher Ethan Stein, catcher Dave Ullery, pitching coach Steve Crawford, and manager Darrell Evans. It was shocking considering the three players tossed were very mild-mannered on a normal occasion. After being tossed, they quickly showered and sat in the stands behind home plate, heckling the umpires (which could be heard on the radio broadcast).

Thankfully, reliever Justin Lamber made it through three scoreless innings, as he was the final available Blue Rocks pitcher.

Two weeks later, Evans was fired.

My number ten top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

Legendary PA announcer John McAdams.

The Johnny Mac remembrance is all the way to the right of the picture, almost directly behind the centerfielder (and to the left of the #33). Jen Nevius

Or Johnny Mac as those around the ballpark knew him. If you lived in the Philadelphia area and enjoyed sports, then you most likely knew his voice.

Johnny Mac was a legend at Frawley Stadium, as he served as the public address announcer for the Blue Rocks since the inaugural Opening Day in 1993. Before and after every game, he always had people wanting to talk to him at his pressbox window.

He loved kids as much as he loved sports and started the Johnny Mac School Supply Drive in 1999, which partnered with the Blue Rocks. The school supplies went to kids from first through fifth grade in New Castle County elementary schools. During the announcement of the 2004 school supply drive, Johnny Mac stated:

“We want to make sure that the playing field is level.”

Johnny Mac was the PA announcer for many Delaware Stadium Corporation events and was the voice of Big Five basketball at the Palestra (at the University of Pennsylvania). He served as the basketball PA announcer for the University of Penn, St. Joseph’s University, La Salle University, and Drexel University. He was recognized as the best PA announcer in college basketball by Sporting News in 2001. He also served as the official scorer for the Philadelphia Phillies and their Double-A farm team in Reading. He was also the press box announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sadly, on Thursday, June 16, 2005, Johnny Mac died at the age of 64. To honor him, the Blue Rocks did not have a PA announcer during Friday night’s game. It was a very sad and quiet night. Prior to Saturday night’s game, the organization held a ceremony honoring Johnny Mac, with Phillies PA announcer Dan Baker and former LaSalle head coach Speedy Morris addressing the crowd.

Johnny Mac has a billboard-type remembrance above the centerfield wall at Frawley Stadium (similar to how retired numbers are placed). He is just the third member inducted into the Blue Rocks Wall of Fame (along with Mike Sweeney and Robin Roberts). A bobblehead depicting Johnny Mac was given out by the Blue Rocks on the one-year anniversary of his death (June 16, 2006), affectionately called “Johnny Mac Day”.

My number 11 top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

Aug 12, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Matt Treanor (18) during a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

The 1997 trade of Matt Treanor.

On July 29th, I was sitting next to the Blue Rocks dugout in Potomac (and next to one of the player’s girlfriends). That player came out pregame to tell us all the news: starting catcher Matt Treanor had been traded to the Florida Marlins. He and all of his teammates were shocked, as were we. I had seen Matt in the hotel earlier in the afternoon and apparently he did not find out about the trade until he was already at the field and in uniform for batting practice.

This trade was memorable because 1. I was there when it happened and 2. Matt was the first Blue Rocks player ever to be traded.

Treanor went on to be a pretty good backup catcher at the Major League level (known more for his defense than his bat) and is an all-around good guy. He is still looking for a job this spring though. Oh and he married US volleyball great Mistie May.

My number 12 Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

Norris Hopper‘s first professional homerun in 2001.

Norris Hopper on Judy Johnson Night in Wilmington (Jen Nevius).

The outfielder wasn’t exactly a power hitter, but the fact that he had not hit a homerun heading into the middle of his fourth professional season was a bit of a surprise.

I had made another road trip to Potomac and it was the final game of the series. It was a warm, summer Sunday afternoon and there weren’t a ton of fans in attendance at Pfitzner Stadium. I was seated in the bleacher seats behind the Blue Rocks bullpen.

I cannot remember what inning it happened or what the score was (or if anyone was on base). Hop came up and popped the ball up to shallow right field. Cannons’ right fielder Dee Haynes and second baseman Travis Bailey both were calling for the ball, but neither backed off.

As the two collided, Hop had already reached second base. He turned to see where the ball was and hesitated a bit when he saw the two lying on the ground. Third base coach (and manager) Jeff Garber kept waving him and Hop kept running.

Haynes staggered to his feet and picked up the ball. He tried to throw it in, but it didn’t go far and he collapsed back to the ground. By the time a Cannons’ teammate got to the ball to throw it home, Hop had already scored.

It was a scary moment in terms of the Cannons players, but both Haynes and Bailey were fine and accompanied their team on that night’s road trip. Hop had his only homerun of his professional career to that point and his only homerun of the 2001 season. I am sure it is one he still has not forgot.

My number 13 top Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

The 1997 team.

This may be my all-time favorite team, despite the fact that statistically it was one of the worst teams. Whether I was at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington or on the road, the players always were kind enough to say hi to my parents and I. And it was usually more than just a hello; it was always a conversation.

Tim Byrdak in 1997 thinking of a prank to pull (Jen Nevius).

The bullpen was a great group of guys who were always doing something, from getting the bat boy to sneak them food (or asking the fans to get them food) and eating it in the tarp, to burying gloves in the dirt or setting fire to those gloves. They were fun to watch and the best seat in the house if you could score tickets behind them. I can say that Tim Byrdak may have been the ring leader, so I am not surprised at some of the things he has done in the big leagues (like dressing up like Hulk Hogan during spring training batting practice last season with the NY Mets).

Unfortunately, all the fun the players were having did not translate to wins on the field. The 1997 team was the only losing Blue Rocks team of the 90s (and the first team to not qualify for the playoffs). They won just 28 games in both halves and lost 42 games in the second half. The only three players from this team still playing in the big leagues are Carlos Beltran, Byrdak, and Matt Treanor (but Treanor did not play a full season in Wilmington). Beltran was terrible in 1997 (both on the field and reportedly as a teammate, but that changed in his return trip to Wilmington in 1998).

The offense hit a franchise-worst .242. Gary Coffee held the strikeout record until 2001 (Donnie Ross) and this past season (Brett Eibner). They did however hit a franchise-record 101 homeruns and walked a franchise-high of 549 times.

Their pitching staff was just as bad, as they carried a team-worst 4.36 ERA and allowed a club-worst 1317 hits and 701 runs during the season. The staff allowed five grand slams during the season. A few starters from the 1997 season are in the top five in Blue Rocks history in earned runs allowed (Carlos Paredes) and hits allowed during a season (Jake Chapman and Todd Thorn). However, the pitching staff started out well, with a record 33 inning scoreless streak from April 17-20.

The positives were Mark Quinn, who was their lone All-Star, and second baseman Carlos Febles. Febles held the franchise record in stolen bases (49) until Derrick Robinson played two seasons in Wilmington (2008, 2009).

I made the road trip down to Frederick at the end of the season as the two teams battled for last place. I was not the only one who visited Harry Grove Stadium. The August 30th game drew 11,006 fans. That is the largest away crowd in Blue Rocks history. The Blue Rocks lost the battle and finished with the worst record in the Carolina League (but it was a battle they had fun playing).

The 2000 season full of prospects that turned into one of the worst teams in the club’s history.

I went to the “Meet the Blue Rocks” dinner that was held prior to the start of the season, with a chance to meet some of the new players (and see some returning faces). It was an event filled with excitement, as the club was coming off back-to-back league Carolina League championships (and had finally won during an odd year). It was also a roster filled with high draft picks and prospects.

Instead, it turned into one of the worst teams statistically in the club’s 20 year history. They had the worst first half ever, with a 29-41 record, as they ended the first half losing both games of a doubleheader. On June 4th, their ten game losing streak finally came to an end (which tied a franchise record). In May, the pitching staff walked 12 batters in a nine inning game (which is most all-time).

Mike MacDougal back in 2000 (Jen Nevius)

Their starting rotation began with Corey Thurman, who came up huge for the Blue Rocks in the 1999 championship series. He was surrounded by hugh draft picks and prospects like Mike MacDougal, Jeremy Affeldt, and Brian Sanches (who all went on to pitch in the big leagues). Unfortunately, those three weren’t exactly impressive in their one season in Wilmington.

MacDougal is still first all-time in walks with 76 and Sanches is second with 69. MacDougal also threw a franchise-record 21 wild pitches. Affeldt set the single-season record for losses with 15 (he was 5-15) and Sanches finished right behind him with 12 (which is in the club’s top five all-time). Sanches’ 15 hit batters led the league.

The positives to the season were a no-hitter (more on that later in the list) and a homerun record. Outfielder Brandon Berger, who spent a lot of time in Wilmington (three seasons), broke the all-time homerun record on August 10th with his 36th. He went on to hit three more homers in the season and still stands as the all-time homerun leader with 39. Those three seasons put Berger at the top (or near the top) of every Blue Rocks offensive category. His 17 hit by pitches in 2000 led the league.

Thurman also had a great season, as his 2.26 ERA for the season ranks fifth all-time (but he was promoted to Double-A after 19 starts) and led the CL. Shortstop Mark Ellis had a solid season in his final season in the Kansas City Royals organization, as his 83 runs scored is third in franchise history. He also had 146 hits (which led the league) and joined Thurman on the Carolina League All-Star team. Ellis also led the league in on-base percentage at .404.

Despite the down season, this group of guys was a fun one to be around and the Blue Rocks led the league in attendance with an average of 4,909. Plus, many on this team went on to play in the big leagues (15 in total). They just proved that just because a team has a talented group of prospects (and looks good on paper), does not mean that they will win games.

My Wilmington Blue Rocks moment coming in at number 15 is…

The 1995 Championship Series versus the Kinston Indians.

I started attending Blue Rocks games late in the 1995 season, so that season’s playoff series was my first ever playoff games (though it was the Blue Rocks third in a row). The championship series pitted Wilmington against Southern Division champion Kinston. Sure, the Blue Rocks were swept in the series, but it was a good series and it was exciting for me.

Every time I have seen the Indians, they always seem to have a first base/left field/ DH prospect. 1995 was no different. Richie Sexson single-handedly led Kinston to the Carolina League Championship against one of the best rotations (at least the top three starters) I have seen assembled in the minors.

Jose Rosado during spring training in 2001 (Jen Nevius).

In Game 1 in Wilmington, Sexson hit a two-run homerun in the 4th inning in Kinston’s 2-1 win. Phil Grundy struck out ten in eight innings, but suffered the loss. During the regular season, the right-hander went 6-6 with a 3.31 ERA in 106 innings.

In Game 2, Sexson drove in three runs and hit a double in Kinston’s 6-1 win in Wilmington. Jose Rosado took the loss. During the regular season, the lefty went 10-7 with a 3.13 ERA in 25 starts. He struck out 117 compared to 30 walks.

In the decisive Game 3 in Kinston, it was the Indians pitching that led them to victory. The Blue Rocks collected just one hit. Meanwhile, Glendon Rusch, the CL’s top pitcher, took the 4-0 loss. During the regular season, the lefty went 14-6 with a 1.74 ERA in 26 starts. He struck out 147 compared to 34 walks.

My #16 Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

The Kansas City Royals exhibition game in 2001.

The lineups for the Royals exhibition game in 2001 (Jen Nevius).

The first and only time the parent Royals visited Wilmington was in an exhibition game on April 1, 2001. It did not matter what the score ended up or who won (it was a 3-3 tie). It was a great way to start the season and see some former Blue Rocks in the big league uniform. It also did not matter that it was freezing cold because fans had a chance to see the newly renovated Frawley Stadium before the season actually started.

Coming off a very disappointing 2000 season with a team full of prospects, it was a great way to get the fans excited for the new season. The attendance for this game is in the top ten in Blue Rocks history (7,269).

Mike Sweeney and Dave Ullery prior to the 2001 exhibition game (Jen Nevius).

For me, it was a chance to see some former Blue Rocks who made an impact on me growing up. Mike Sweeney and Dave Ullery (pictured to the right) received big cheers from me (and everyone in attendance), as they were two fan favorites. Other former Blue Rocks who suited up for the Royals included Carlos Beltran, Carlos Febles, Dee Brown, and Joe Caruso.

My #17 Wilmington Blue Rocks moment is…

When ESPN’s Sportscenter visited Frawley Stadium.

The Sportscenter “50 States in 50 Days” banner above the anchor desk (via Jen Nevius).

Back in 2005, ESPN sent Sportscenter across the country for 50 States in 50 Days. Delaware is a small state, but ESPN chose Frawley Stadium instead of the University of Delaware to air its show. At the time, Sportscenter was one of my favorite shows to watch (before MLB Network came about). Many people came out to get a chance to be seen on national television in the audience or to maybe even be featured on the show.

On August 19th, Matt Winer anchored the show from the third base line concourse prior to the game. The only one featured was William Mitchell, the little boy who handed the players bubble gum when they headed out onto the field from his seats by the opposing team’s clubhouse tunnel. He also would be high-fiving the players. I believe he even handed Winer a few pieces of gum. Winer then poorly threw out the first pitch.

That night’s attendance of 7,535 is still tops in the club’s history. However, many left following the first pitch.

Fortunately, the Blue Rocks (who were affiliated with the Boston Red Sox at the time) rallied with a five-run 6th inning after Lynchburg’s starter Landon Jacobsen stifled them for 4.2 innings. Dusty Brown delivered the big blow: a three-run double.

Current Kansas City Royal Luis Mendoza was the beneficiary of the big inning, as he picked up his fourth win of the season. He allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over seven innings.

That’s current KC Royals Luis Mendoza back in 2005 via the Wilmington Blue Rocks scorecard.

My #18 top Blue Rocks moment is…

Seeing all of the prospects and future big leaguers on the opposing teams.

My first experience in Wilmington came late in 1995 and I had the chance to attend the Carolina League playoffs. The Blue Rocks met Kinston, which was a well-pitched series (as expected). The Indians had Bartolo Colon in their rotation and Richie Sexson manning first base.

In 1996, I had the chance to see Jaret Wright start for the Indians. He lost in May to Matt Saier. Wright allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out two. He actually settled down after the first inning, when he allowed a two out walk and four straight hits to push across the four runs. The big hit came from Carlos Mendez, a two-run triple for the big man. After that, Wright allowed base runners, but escaped jams. Prior to that game, Wright had a 0.93 ERA in seven CL starts (four earned runs allowed).

First baseman Sean Casey batted third for the Indians and went 2-for-4. He drove in their lone run in the sixth inning. At that point in the season, Casey was third in the CL in hitting at .327.

1997 was the transition period for the Atlanta Braves, as they were in their final season in Durham. Jason Marquis was in that rotation. He was frustrating to watch, as he would pitch well, but always have one bad inning.

Rick Ankiel in 1998 (Jen Nevius)

With the Carolina League All-Star Game in Wilmington in 1998, I had a chance to see all of the best players in the league, though not all of them made the team. One of them was Rick Ankiel, who completely dominated the league while with Prince William and was named the Pitcher of the Year. 1998 was also a summer of traveling for me and my family and we had a chance to see Ankiel a few times. He was just as nice of a person as he was good at pitching.

Joe Crede was an All-Star and was one of the best third baseman I had seen. He also had one of the best offensive season in the CL. He was second in the league in batting average (.315), third in homeruns (20), and first in RBIs (88). Jerry Hairston was another All-Star, at second base for Frederick.

1999 was my first year as an usher in Wilmington, along with Myrtle Beach’s first year in the league. I had the chance to see the best double play combination I had ever seen in shortstop Rafael Furcal and second baseman Marcus Giles. They helped carry the Pelicans to a shared CL Championship.

In 2000, I saw a glimpse of the greatest player I have ever seen, Albert Pujols. He didn’t spend much time in Potomac, but you knew he was way better than everyone else. The ball just sounded different coming off his bat. Salem also had a talent laden group of players that went on to play important roles in Colorado, like Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, and Aaron Cook. Chone Figgins went on to fame with the Angels and then Seattle and Juan Uribe went on to help the SF Giants win a World Series in 2010. I also had a chance to see and meet Steve Bechler in Frederick. I was heart-broken when he died in 2003.

I cannot remember if it was in 1999 or 2000 when he was pitching for Kinston, but I do remember the moment. It was a hot, summer Sunday afternoon game in Wilmington. If you have ever been out East, Sunday afternoon games in the summer are brutal. I was excited to see the starter for Kinston, CC Sabathia. It didn’t turn out as I had hoped: he left after just one inning due to heat exhaustion. If I wasn’t working, I probably would have left. I did finally get to see him pitch in person in 2001 during spring training.

Adam Wainwright in 2002 (Jen Nevius)

2002 was stacked with future big leaguers. Myrtle Beach had Adam Wainwright, Kelly Johnson, Roman Colon, and Adam LaRoche. Wainwright became one of my all-time favorite pitchers that season. Ryan Church pounded homeruns off the Frawley Stadium scoreboard before being promoted and then traded to Montreal. Lynchburg had one of the best rotations I had seen, with Sean Burnett leading the way (along with Jason Sharber, Landon Jacobsen, Jeff Bennett, Mike Connolly, and DJ Carrasco). They also had future big leaguers all over their roster with Chris Duffy, Nate McLouth, Jose Castillo, and Ronny Paulino.

Before Gregor Blanco, TJ Pena, and Brayan Pena put on the Royals uniform, they were teammates back in 2003 with Myrtle Beach.

More recently, I saw Matt Wieters in his short stay with Frederick in 2008. In 2011, my first season in the press box, Myrtle Beach (which is now affiliated with Texas) had Mike Olt and Robbie Ross. Lynchburg (now with Atlanta) had shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Frederick had Manny Machado at shortstop.

Baseball in Wilmington has been good to me over the years. You never know who you might see that could be the next big leaguer and you can say “I remember when…”

The two year affiliation with the Boston Red Sox.

In surprising news following the 2004 season, the Blue Rocks did not renew their player development contract with the Kansas City Royals. Instead, they signed on with the Boston Red Sox.

That relationship lasted just two seasons (2005, 2006) and produced THE worst team in the club’s history (2005). They were just 60-80 and finished in last place in the eight-team Carolina League for just the second time in the twenty seasons. The Blue Rocks tied a franchise-worst with 37 home losses and won a franchise-low of 26 games on the road. They also lost 12 extra inning games and a franchise-worst 33 one run games. The pitching staff was bad, as they allowed a franchise-worst 131 homeruns and had a 4.36 ERA. They were a team with little speed, as they stole a franchise-low of 69 bases, but their catchers only threw out 24% of base stealers.

There were some positives in 2005. The Blue Rocks set a franchise record by coming back from nine runs down to beat Winston-Salem 11-10 on August 18th. They also won their 1000th game on August 24th.

Even with the losing, some big names came through Wilmington (though mostly in 2006 as prospects were jumped to Double-A in 2005). Anibal Sanchez pitched in 2005 on the terrible team and was a Carolina League All-Star. Jacoby Ellsbury anchored the first half division champs in 2006 (though they made the playoffs with a losing record). Justin Masterson, Jed Lowrie, Michael Bowden, and Clay Buchholz  all were in Wilmington by the end of 2006 for the playoffs. Current Royal Luis Mendoza was the Blue Rocks Opening Day starter in 2006.

The only game of the divisional series that the Blue Rocks won in 2006 was Game 1 when Buchholz struck out a then-career high ten batters in a then-career high six innings. Mike James became one of the most decorated Blue Rocks relievers. He tied a franchise record with 25 saves and 43 games finished. Outfielder Jeff Corsaletti set a franchise record (and led the league) with 97 walks and walked four times in a game on July 4th (the only Blue Rock to accomplish that feat). He also had 32 doubles (which is in the top five in Blue Rock history).

It was a rough two seasons in Wilmington for the Red Sox, as fans never really took to liking them and begged then-owner Matt Minker to bring the Royals back (though they once again led the league in attendance).

And that he did (and the Red Sox bought the Salem franchise and moved the team there).

So let the countdown begin:

Via Brad Glazier, the Blue Rocks official photographer

#20: The advent of Mr. Celery.

Prior to the 2000 season, the Blue Rocks found an old celery costume at the ballpark and decided to put it to good use. Then one night during the 2000 season, out came Mr. Celery from the home team clubhouse tunnel to celebrate a run scoring. Mr. Celery did a little celebratory dance behind home plate and ran back inside the tunnel.

I was an usher at the time and people could not believe when I told them this was the actual story. No big thing behind the beginning of Mr. Celery. Just dusting off an old costume.

As word spread about the new mascot, so did its popularity. A group of college students from the University of Delaware took over the first few rows of section C (the closest section to Mr. Celery’s entrance that wasn’t field level) and deemed themselves the “Celery Squad”. They were always looking for new recruits to chant “We Want Celery” when the Blue Rocks had base runners and to wave their stalks of celery. When the Blue Rocks scored a run, they would run down near the tunnel just to get a high-five.

Every year, there is always a story about an opposing team hiding the costume. The former Kinston Indians team even took the costume out to their bullpen and wore it during a game.

Now, Mr. Celery is still popular, but not as popular, with the Celery Squad moving on and nobody taking their place. After each Blue Rocks run that scores, Mr. Celery does a dance and runs along the netting behind home plate to high-five excited fans. He comes running out to Blur’s “Song 2″, but more specifically “Woo Hoo!”

I’m not sure who is more excited, the kids or the adults.

Some even forget that Rocky Bluewinkle is the Blue Rocks actual mascot, not Mr. Celery. But it makes him a big money-maker and a must-see for fans visiting Wilmington. And scoring runs is always a good thing, right?

The Blue Rocks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 3rd inning on Geulin Beltre‘s solo homerun. That was the only run they would score. The Hillcats tied the game up in the bottom of the 4th inning on Andrelton Simmons‘ solo homerun (he went 1-for-4 while playing shortstop in his second game of rehabbing with the Hillcats).

The game would stay tied until the bottom of the 8th inning when Hillcats catcher Braeden Schlehuber took reliever Robinson Yambati‘s 3-2 pitch with one out over the wall in left field to give the Hillcats a 2-1 lead. Hillcats closer Juan Jamie took care of business in the top of the 9th inning with two strikeouts.

The Blue Rocks lost how they lost many games all season long: with great pitching and very little offense. Starter Leondy Perez allowed just the one run on four hits and a walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out four. The offense collected just five hits, while striking out nine times and hitting into two double plays.

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:

August was the Blue Rocks only winning month of the season, which propelled them into first place in the second half. The Blue Rocks had 66 victories on the season and 33 of them were come from behind wins.

The Blue Rocks play host for the first game before heading to Lynchburg for the final two. At Frawley Stadium, the Blue Rocks are 38-32 and have won 11 of their last 14 home games. They won the season series over the Hillcats (11-9) and were 6-4 at home.

Despite the fact that the Hillcats have an All-Star shortstop in Nick Ahmed, he will have to settle for being the third baseman. Starting in Game 2 at short will be Andrelton Simmons, who will be rehabbing from Atlanta. Simmons was last year’s CL batting champ and was an MLB Rookie of the Year candidate this season before a broken hand shut him down.

The Hillcats will be throwing the Carolina League Pitcher of the year, Gus Schlosser, in Game 1. Matching up against him will be Brooks Pounders. All three of the Hillcats starters are ranked in the top ten in the CL in ERA (all are under four).

Schlosser was 13-7 with a 3.38 ERA during the regular season. The 13 wins was first in the league and his ERA was ranked third. He was second to teammate (and Game 3 starter) Aaron Northcraft in strikeouts with 139. He also led the league in innings pitched (165.1). Schlosser made two of his last three starts on the regular season against Wilmington (home and away). He lasted just five innings in both. In Wilmington, he allowed two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out seven.

Pounders last faced the Hillcats back on August 18^th at Frawley and pitched seven shutout innings. He allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out seven. It was the first time I had seen him pitch and I came away impressed.

Blue Rocks manager Vance Wilson talked following his team’s regular season finale about the use of his bullpen (which has been great). When asked who he would go to, he said “[Robinson] Yambati and [Edwin] Carl. Carl’s been outstanding as has Yambati. So with that, that leaves us some flexibility to use [Nick] Rogers a little earlier in tight situations. I do anticipate tight games against Lynchburg because we’ve played them all year with their pitching staff.”

How good has Edwin Carl been? He has had five straight scoreless appearances, totaling 11 innings. In those outings, he did not allow a hit, walked two, and struck out 12. Carl has also impressed Wilson the most during this 2012 season. “Because he started down in Kane County and did a nice job. My biggest thing is he came here and scuffled a bit and again we challenged him to do some things and he’s done them. And he’s hot.”

Strikeouts could reign supreme in this series. Not only does Blue Rocks centerfielder Brett Eibner lead the world in strikeouts (165), but the entire team leads the league. The Hillcats have two players in the top five in strikeouts: outfielder Adam Milligan (134) and third baseman/DH Edward Salcedo (130).

Who’s HOT: Second baseman Tommy La Stella (LYN) 16-for-27 (.593) with five RBIs in his last eight games. Ahmed (LYN) 13-for-33 (.394) in his last nine games. Outfielder Nick Van Stratten (WIL) 16-for-40 (.400) in his last ten games. Outfielder Geulin Beltre (WIL) 11-for-35 (.314) in his last ten games.

Who’s NOT: First baseman Chris Garcia (LYN) 4-for-33 (.121) in his last ten games. Catcher Braeden Schlehuber (LYN) 5-for-32 (.156) in his last ten games. Eibner (WIL) 6-for-36 (.167) with 14 Ks in his last ten games. First baseman Matt Fields (WIL) just one homerun in his last ten games with 15 Ks.

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Wilmington Blue Rocks Matt Fields

However his first love lured him back (thus losing his fiancée). He started the 2012 season back with Southern Illinois and the KC Royals signed him and assigned him to Wilmington in mid-May. “This is probably one of the best years playing pro ball I’ve had, EVER.”

Fields was kind enough to take time after Sunday’s game to talk about baseball, the playoffs, and the Humpty Dance.

What did you miss most about baseball that lured you back in?

Matt Fields: “Basically just the fun. Everything that comes with baseball, is childhood-like dreams. Got a little taste of the real world and didn’t really like it too much. I’m still young. I have a lot of time left, considering it’s baseball. So I was, ‘I need to give it another shot’.”

Being the elder statesman on the team (he’s 27), have you shared some knowledge with your younger teammates?

MF: “I have. I’m definitely still learning. I might be the oldest guy on the team, or one of the oldest guys on the team, but at the same time, this game’s frustrating. You get caught in the moment sometimes. Just basically relax, have fun. Just make it easy: see the ball, hit the ball. Don’t get too down on yourself because that’s why we play every day. It’s not like one day we play and then we’re off for a week or anything like that. We play every day, so we have to have a different mentality every time we go out.”

Coming from independent ball, how would you compare it with Wilmington?

MF: “Ahh, man. I’m not going to say it’s two different worlds because it’s the same game, but it’s definitely two different worlds. There’s some guys there that know they have no shot of coming to affiliated ball, so they’re just playing, having fun. Their attitude is just like ‘whatever’, ‘I’m gonna throw whatever I want, do whatever I want’. And here, it’s more controlled and people have a mindset of ‘I’m trying to make it to the big leagues’. So everybody works a little harder. The competition, it makes you want to compete even more. And you get stuck in independent ball, sometimes you kind of get complacent and you end up saying ‘this is the only shot for me so I can’t really go anywhere so I’m gonna play at the level that got me here’. So it’s definitely two different worlds.”

After playing in the Rays organization, are there similarities or difference you see with the Royals?

MF: “The rules. Pants up and clean shaven. Just the rules, but at the same time, it gets us prepared for the next level to where we can wear our pants down and be professional and stuff like that. I think it’s definitely the same, I’m not gonna lie.”

So you wouldn’t be wearing your pants up?

MF: “Heck no. If I had my own idea of what I would wear, my pants would be rocked to the floor, would be Manny Ramirez pajamas. I’d be wearing baggy clothes all over the place. But you can’t do that [here]. You have to be professional. I’m definitely all about being professional.”

Being a power hitter (he has 17 homeruns in 253 High-A at-bats), what types of adjustments have you had to make playing here and in this league (the Carolina League) with the bigger ballparks?

MF: “Basically, not trying to swing as hard as possible, every single time. One of my biggest focuses this year was to be a better hitter because I already knew I had the power, so I was trying to nice easy swings. Hit the balls where they’re pitched. That’s basically what I came into this year thinking. Some days, you have your days where you go back to what you originally used to do and you just have to make the adjustment the next day or the next at-bat.”

You talked before about pitchers pitching backwards to you now. Can you talk about the mental aspect of hitting?

MF: “It’s tough. It’s definitely tough. That’s why they always tell us we need to have a plan when we go to the plate. Because if you don’t have a plan, it’s easy to start thinking and trying to think along with the pitchers and that’s exactly what they want you to do. And they got you. So I definitely need to relax and just calm down and go back to the simple crutch of see the ball, hit the ball, and have fun.”

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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.

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.

Blue Rocks shortstop Orlando Calixte

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lineups:

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

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

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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.