Royals August 30th Minors Recap

Omaha walked off in a wild game against Colorado Springs, 10-9. With the win and an OKC loss, the Storm Chasers are now a 1/2 game up with two games remaining.

Big league rehabber Eric Hosmer provided the heroics in the bottom of the ninth, a two out RBI single that scored Whit Merrifield (who started the rally with a two out single).

The SkySox had tied the game in the top of the ninth against Scott Alexander on a solo home run.

The Storm Chasers scored in every inning, but the second and the eighth. Of their 17 hits, five left the ballpark. All but one of their homers was a solo shot. Brett Hayes hit a two out, two-run home run in the fifth.

Hayes, Matt Fields, and Cheslor Cuthbert each had three hits. Hayes fell a triple short of the cycle, while Fields hit two solo homers. Merrifield, Hosmer, and Paulo Orlando each had two hits in the win.

Starter Clayton Mortsensen did not make it out of the 3rd inning, as he allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks. He left with two men on base in favor of Christian Binford, and both scored. Binford would allow a run of his own on three hits and two walks over four innings.

Lefty Tim Collins followed and allowed a run on two hits and two walks over 1.2 innings. The run he allowed in the seventh tied the game at 8-8.

NW Arkansas lost to Arkansas, 3-1.

The Naturals lone run came via Brian Fletcher‘s solo home run in the seventh. He had two of the team’s five hits.

Tripp Davis took the loss in his second straight start, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk over 4.1 innings. He left with two men on base and one scored. Noel Arguelles allowed that one run to score on two hits and two walks over 1.2 innings. Andrew Triggs returned from the DL and threw a scoreless inning (just eight pitches), before Mark Peterson threw two scoreless innings of relief.

*In roster news, starters Tim Melville and Sugar Ray Marimon were placed on the temporarily inactive list. Triggs was activated from the DL and infielder Christian Colon was sent down from the big leagues. CC started at shortstop, batted second, and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

Wilmington saw their postseason chances dashed as they were swept in their doubleheader at home to Salem. The Red Sox clinched a postseason berth in the Southern Division with the sweep.

The Blue Rocks lost the first game, 5-1 with Carolina League Pitcher of the Year Glenn Sparkman on the mound. The Red Sox scored three runs in the first and never looked back (though the first batter of the game reached on an error). Sparkman would allow five runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks over just five innings.

The Blue Rocks collected just three hits, including the first home run from Brett Eibner in the seventh. Yender Caramo allowed just one hit over the game’s final two innings.

The Blue Rocks also only had three hits in the second game, as they lost 3-0. All three hits were singles.

The game was scoreless until the top of the seventh. After reliever Zeb Sneed got out of a jam in the sixth in relief of starter Luis Santos (5.1IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 4K), he could not get out of his own jam in the seventh. Sneed allowed three runs on three hits and three walks before being pulled with the bases loaded and two outs. Andrew Edwards induced a ground out to end it.

The Blue Rocks had a few chances early on: two on and nobody out in the second, second and third with two outs in the fourth, and runner on third and two outs in the fifth. In those innings, the Blue Rocks struck out four times. However, they went down in order in the final two innings.

Bubba Starling had a hit in each game.

The Blue Rocks are currently two games back of both Lynchburg and Frederick. The only way the Blue Rocks can force a one-game playoff on Tuesday is if they win their two remaining games and the Hillcats lose and the Keys would have to lose their three remaining games. August has been a tough month for the Blue Rocks, with most of their games at home (where they are just 12-21 in the second half).

Lexington lost to Greenville, 4-2.

The Legends out-hit the Drive, 9-6 and stole three bases. Kenny Diekroeger hit a solo home run in the seventh. Carlos Garcia had three hits, while Dominique Taylor chipped in two hits.

Pedro Fernandez took the loss, as he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out six and induced seven ground outs. Matt Tenuta allowed one of two inherited runners to score and then one of his own over 3.2 innings of relief. He induced five ground outs.