KC Royals Minor League Recap: Jake Junis Dominates

Omaha was rained out in Round Rock and will play a doubleheader on Thursday. Jonathan Dziedzic will make his Triple-A debut for the Storm Chasers, as he and Andy Ferguson were both promoted from Double-A.

NW Arkansas begins a lengthy home stand on Thursday, playing 17 of 18 in Springdale. The Naturals will have quite a few new players, with starter Christian Binford joining the rotation, along with catcher Zane Evans and veteran infielder Rafael Furcal coming up from High-A.

Wilmington once again won in walk off fashion, as they beat visiting Potomac, 3-2 in ten innings. It seems like every time I am at Frawley Stadium, the Blue Rocks are winning late (even their manager said so).

Dominique Taylor led off the bottom of the tenth with a single and moved to second base on Dexter Kjerstad‘s bloop to left field (one of his two hits). That brought up Ramon Torres, who singled up the middle for the game winner.

“That’s my job as a starter, to throw as deep into the game as possible,” Blue Rocks starter Jake Junis

It was a pitcher’s duel, as

retired 17 in a row after allowing a leadoff single that came around to score in the first. P-Nats leadoff hitter

had the two P-Nats hits at that point.

Junis allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings. He struck out eight.

“[Junis] did a great job,” Blue Rocks manager Brian Buchanan said after the game. “He threw some good changeups, some good curveballs, and he was putting his fastball where he wanted it tonight. That’s what you want your starting pitching to do, keep us in the game. I think he deserves better than a no-decision, but that’s the way it goes.”

Junis has pitched at least six innings in four of his last five starts. He finished seven innings for the first time this season and gave the Blue Rocks their second straight seven inning start.

“[Pitching six or seven innings] takes a load off the bullpen, that’s for sure,” Junis said after the game. “That’s my job as a starter, to throw as deep into the game as possible.”

Lexington also had off on Wednesday and are set to begin a seven-game road trip beginning in Savannah on Thursday night.

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