Royals Labor Day Minors Recap

With the flurry of September callups for the Kansas City Royals, there was a lot of movement on the final day of the regular season.

Omaha swept the five game series over Colorado Springs, winning the finale, 6-4. Despite clinching the American Northern Division title in the wee hours of the morning, the Storm Chasers waited to celebrate until this afternoon.

Andy Ferguson earned his first Triple-A victory, as he allowed all four runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings. All four SkySox runs scored in the fifth.

Lefty Collins allowed three hits in his one-plus inning, before fellow lefty Sam Selman left two runners stranded in the seventh. Selman struck out three in 1.1 innings. Newly promoted closer Andrew Triggs entered in the ninth with one out and a runner on base and earned his first Triple-A save. All it took was one pitch to induce a game-ending double play.

The Storm Chasers collected ten hits, including Matt Fields‘ two out, two-run home run (his 28th of the season). Brian Bocock hit three doubles, while Brett Hayes and Cheslor Cuthbert each had two hits in the win.

Catcher Parker Morin made his Triple-A debut (though he was the DH) and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

*In roster news, the Storm Chasers received relievers Malcom Culver and Triggs from NWA.

NW Arkansas lost to Arkansas, 6-3. The Naturals lost four in a row and 15 of their final 17 games.

Luke Farrell was solid in his second Double-A start. He allowed two runs on three hits over six innings. He struck out six. JC Sulbaran returned from the DL and allowed a two-run homer in the 7th inning to give the Travelers the lead. Noel Arguelles would also allow a two-run homer (in the ninth).

The Naturals collected 11 hits, two each by the top two in their order: Justin Trapp and Ethan Chapman. Edinson Rincon also returned from the DL and had two hits and two RBIs.

Despite being eliminated from the postseason on Sunday and the players all packed up and ready to go home, Wilmington fought back to beat Salem, 7-6 in ten innings. The loss for the Red Sox kept them from winning the Southern Division’s second half crown.

The Red Sox jumped on Blue Rocks starter Brooks Pounders in the very first on three straight hits. Before the Blue Rocks came to bat, they were losing 3-0.

The Blue Rocks had base runners in every inning but the first and eighth. They fought back to tie the game at 4-4 in the sixth on Jared Schlehuber‘s two-run double. However, the Red Sox came right back to take a two-run lead in the top of the seventh against reliever Yender Caramo. A throwing error in right field did not help.

The Blue Rocks were not done. Ramon Torres led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. With two outs, Bubba Starling walked and came around to tie the game on Zane Evans‘ double.

In the bottom of the tenth and one out, Cody Stubbs singled (one of his two hits) but was erased on Fred Ford‘s fielder’s choice. That brought up Logan Davis, who has pretty much played everywhere this season. With two strikes, he ripped a triple to right for the walk off winner (one of his two hits).

Kyle Bartsch worked two perfect innings of relief to keep the Blue Rocks in the game. Johnny Walter earned the win with a perfect top of the tenth (just five pitches).

The Blue Rocks welcomed back manager Darryl Kennedy, who had left the team following Tuesday night’s game to be with his family. His five year old son was in the ICU (but is better) and he wanted to get back with his players, who had been texting him throughout the ordeal.

“It was a flip of the whole year, this one game. Our defense has been solid; we make five errors. Our offense hasn’t done anything all year and today we get 14 hits.”

*In roster news, outfielder Brett Eibner was promoted to Omaha, as Davis returned from Idaho Falls (though he never left). Eibner pinch-hit in the fifth for the Storm Chasers and went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.

Lexington beat Greenville, 6-4. The Legends scored at least one run over the game’s final four innings.

After Legends starter Niklas Stephenson allowed four runs on eight hits over the first four innings, the Legends bullpen clamped down. Though Ashton Goudeau allowed an inherited runner to score, he did not allow a run of his own. Crawford Simmons pitched a scoreless sixth, before Robinson Yambati threw two scoreless innings to earn the win (just 18 pitches). Andrew Brockett worked around two walks in the ninth for his first save.

The Legends collected 13 hits, four by Mauricio Ramos, who fell a home run short of the cycle. Chad Johnson, Elier Hernandez, and Alexis Rivera each had two hits in the win. Hernandez drove in the game winner in the top of the eighth with a double.