Royals July 28th Minors Recap

Omaha came back to beat New Orleans, 7-6. The two teams split the four-game series.

Down 6-3 heading into the sixth, the Storm Chasers scored four runs to take the lead. Matt Fields got the scoring started with a one out solo home run (his 21st of the season). After two straight singles and a pitching change, Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer to take the lead. It was just his second in Triple-A.

Merrifield, along with Johnny Giavotella, Carlos Peguero, and Pedro Ciriaco each had two hits. Paul Janish went 3-for-4 in the win with two runs scored.

Despite a subpar outing, veteran Joe Saunders picked up his first win with the Storm Chasers. He allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits and a walk over five innings. He allowed two 2-run home runs. Jason Adam worked around a hit and a walk over two scoreless innings and Tim Collins walked one over two hitless innings for his second save.

NW Arkansas lost to first place Arkansas, 9-3.

The Naturals faced CJ Wilson, who was making a rehab start. Wilson allowed two runs on four hits and two walks over 5.1 innings to earn the win. He struck out seven. Justin Trapp had two of the four hits against Wilson, a single to lead off the game and a leadoff home run in the 3rd inning.

Meanwhile, Matt Murray allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks over three innings. He struck out three. Angel Baez allowed a run over his two innings of relief. Ali Williams worked a scoreless sixth, though he allowed two hits.

Blake Wood was roughed up for four runs on five hits and two walks over just 1.2 innings. He did strike out five. Noel Arguelles cleaned up Wood’s mess in the bottom of the eighth by striking out the only batter he faced on five pitches.

Cheslor Cuthbert and Jorge Bonifacio also had two hits in the loss. Cuthbert also committed his second error at second base (which cost them a run). As a team, the Naturals hit into three double plays and struck out ten times.

Wilmington headed out to Lynchburg tonight for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday night. The two teams are tied for second place (1.5 games back of first place Potomac, who won the first half).

Lexington split their doubleheader against Savannah. They finish the series on Tuesday.

The Legends won the first game by a 7-0 score.

Dexter Kjerstad went 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, and a two-run home run in the fifth. Fred Ford followed with his own solo homer. The two drove in five runs.

The offensive outburst made a winner of Alec Mills, who won his first game this season as a Legend. He allowed one hit (a double with one out in the first) and walked two over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven and induced six ground outs. In the two innings that he walked a batter, he induced double plays to face the minimum.

Robinson Yambati made his 2014 debut with the Legends with a scoreless seventh. He induced two ground outs, allowed a single, and struck out the final batter of the game.

The Legends lost the second game, a makeup from last week, by a 7-2 score.

Ford accounted for all of the offense, a two-run home run in the fifth. It was their first hit of the game (with one out). The Legends only collected three hits, the other two being singles also hit in the 5th inning.

Matt Alvarez took the loss, as he allowed two runs on two hits and five walks over 4.1 innings. Two of those runs scored after he was pulled from the game. Kevin Perez allowed those two runs to score in the fifth along with two of his own. Perez then allowed three runs in the seventh (one scored after he was pulled from the game).

Legends pitchers allowed eight hits and walked nine. Meanwhile, Sand Gnats pitchers allowed just three hits, walked two, and struck out 13.