Royals Minor League Recap: Opening Night

Well, Opening Night for the Kansas City Royals minor league affiliates did not go as planned. Only one team (Wilmington) saw their game finish.

Triple-A Omaha was postponed at Werner Park against visiting Nashville. They will try it again on Friday night. Chris Dwyer will take the hill on Friday against the Sounds Johnny Hellweg. Thursday night’s game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

Double-A NW Arkansas actually started their game at Frisco, but a tornado rolling through abruptly ended it. The game was tied at 2-2 in the third when heavy rains arrived. They will play a doubleheader on Friday and Thursday’s action will not count.

High-A Wilmington actually finished their game! And won! The Blue Rocks won 3-1 in Winston-Salem. They won behind the stellar pitching of Miguel Almonte (and the bullpen). Almonte did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the fifth. He left the game with two outs in the sixth (5.1IP, H, 0R, 2BB, 3K), after inducing eight ground outs.

Matthew Murray followed and allowed a run in the seventh on a double play ground out. Mark Peterson picked up his first save, as he worked around a two out walk.

The Blue Rocks only collected six hits, two by Hunter Dozier. He drove in a run with a double in the fifth. Zane Evans followed with an RBI double in the fifth. Both runs were driven in with two outs.

Low-A Lexington had their opener suspended against West Virginia after two innings. It was tied at 2-2, as Fred Ford hit a two out, two-run home run in the second. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday, with the first game being a nine inning affair, starting up where tonight’s game left off.