Royals July 3rd Minors Recap

Omaha ended their five-game losing streak with a 4-3 comeback victory in Iowa. The Storm Chasers now return home to play Colorado Springs and Iowa over the next seven days.

Whit Merrifield during 2014 spring training against the SD Padres (Jen Nevius).

Down by two runs and with one out, just named Pacific Coast League All-Star catcher Francisco Pena singled to tie the game at 3-3. With two outs and after a pitching change, Whit Merrifield doubled in the go ahead run.

That made a winner of reliever Wilking Rodriguez, who allowed a single and a stolen base in the 8th inning. Louis Coleman picked up the save with a scoreless ninth.

Merrifield had two hits, along with the bottom three in the Storm Chasers order: Carlos Peguero, Pena, and Logan Davis. Peguero hit his 12th home run of the season in the fourth off newly demoted Cubs starter Dallas Beeler.

After Omaha starter Aaron Brooks allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk over five innings (with six strikeouts), Buddy Baumann pitched two perfect innings of relief and only threw 18 pitches.

NW Arkansas lost to Midland, 3-1. The series finale is on the Fourth of July.

The RockHounds scored a run in the first and never looked back. JC Sulbaran took the loss, as he allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits and three walks over 6.2 innings. He left with two men on base in favor of Noel Arguelles, who allowed one run to score on Cheslor Cuthbert‘s 20th error of the season.

The Naturals collected seven hits, two each by Angel Franco and Edinson Rincon. Franco scored the lone run on a Lane Adams‘ 7th inning sac fly. Catcher Juan Graterol was pinch-run for in the eighth after being hit by a pitch for the second time.

Wilmington was rained out at home against Potomac. The game will be made up when the P-Nats return to Frawley Stadium at the end of August in the Blue Rocks final homestand of the season. The Blue Rocks are now out on the road for seven-games beginning in Winston-Salem tomorrow night.

Lexington was swept at home by Greensboro, as they lost the series finale by a 3-2 score. The Grasshoppers scored single runs in the final three innings.

The late scoring by Greensboro negated the solid start by Luis Rico, who allowed one run on four hits and three walks over 6.1 innings. The run scored after he was pulled from the game. Kevin Perez took the loss.

Mauricio Ramos hit a solo homer in the sixth that gave the Legends the 2-0 lead. Ramos, along with Elier Hernandez and Alexis Rivera each had two hits in the loss. Kenny Diekroeger played shortstop in his first game with the Legends and went 1-for-4.

The Legends now head out on the road for six games, starting in Asheville tomorrow night.

Robinson Yambati took his second loss with Burlington, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk over 1.1 innings. The Royals were winning 2-0 when he entered.