Royals April 17th Minor League Recap

It was a great day to be associated with the Kansas City Royals, as all levels were victorious.

Omaha became the second team in the Pacific Coast League to score at least 12 runs in more than one game already this season, as they beat Round Rock, 14-1. The Storm Chasers had three 4-run innings and pounded out 16 hits.

Every hitter but Paulo Orlando collected a hit. Brett Eibner led off and went 3-for-4 with a double and two walks. Jesus Flores also had three hits, including a double and his first home run of the season (a two out, two-run shot in the third).

Christian Colon, Brian Fletcher, Matt Fields, and Pedro Ciriaco each had two hits. Fletcher hit a triple, while Ciriaco stole a base. Fields has now hit safely in all 14 games he has played (tied for longest in the minors).

Sugar Ray Marimon was solid over the first four innings (one run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts). From there, the Omaha bullpen did not allow a hit. Ramon Troncoso earned the win in relief with 2.2 scoreless innings. Donnie Joseph worked around three walks (though he struck out three) and Spencer Patton did not allow a base runner over 1.1 innings.

Outfielder Melky Mesa made his 2014 season debut and went 1-for-5 with an RBI.

Whatever NW Arkansas did today, they should continue to do because THEY WON! The Naturals broke their ten game losing streak with a 10-6 win in Tulsa. Seven of their 11 hits went for extra bases.

Whit Merrifield got the scoring going for the Naturals with a three-run home run in the 2nd inning (his first of the season). He also doubled later. Jared Schlehuber hit a solo homer in the ninth (he also doubled in the game). Edinson Rincon also collected two hits in the win.

In the 8th inning, Jorge Bonifacio drove in two runs with a two out triple. That came after the Drillers cut the lead to 7-6.

Brian Bocock made his Naturals debut (he was sent down from Omaha to replace Justin Trapp, who was placed on the DL). He led off, but went 0-for-3.

Andy Ferguson pitched well in his second start of the 2014 season. He allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out five.

Blue Rocks shortstop Raul Mondesi at the plate on April 13, 2014 against W-S (Jen Nevius).

Wilmington won their series in Lynchburg with a 4-2 victory on Thursday night. They now head to Myrtle Beach for four games.

The Blue Rocks collected just five hits, but three of them went for extra bases. They took the lead in the third with a three-run inning, capped by Raul Mondesi‘s two-run triple. Zane Evans returned from the DL to hit a double and steal a base.

Jonathan Dziedzic improved to 3-0 on the season, as he allowed one run on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four. Zeb Sneed followed with two scoreless innings before Kyle Bartsch earned his first save of the season (though he allowed a run in the eighth).

On the downside, the Hillcats stole seven bases off Cameron Gallagher (five when Dziedzic was on the mound).

After Augusta tied the game with three runs in the top of the ninth, Lexington walked off in the bottom of the ninth with a 5-4 win. With one out, Ramon Torres delivered the game winning single (one of his four singles).

The Legends collected ten hits, all singles. Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado had two hits.

Luis Santos got the start and allowed one run on four hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out five. Jose Miguel Rodriguez blew the save, but got the win (4IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, BB, 5K).