KC Royals Minors Recap: Zane Evans Blasts Two Home Runs

By Jen Nevius |

Omaha won their second game in New Orleans, this time by a 3-1 score. The game was scoreless heading into the seventh.

Casey Kotchman put the Storm Chasers on the board in the top of the seventh with a two out, solo home run. Whit Merrifield singled to lead off the eighth (one of his three hits), stole second base, moved to third base on a ground out, and scored the go ahead run on a sac fly. Matt Fields added some insurance in the top of the ninth with a sac fly.

Clayton Mortensen earned the win in relief, though he also took the blown save (2IP, 2H, R, BB, K). Brian Broderick earned his second save with a perfect ninth.

John Lamb got the start, but only lasted four innings, as he threw 80 pitches. Though his four innings were scoreless, he walked three and hit two batters. Chris Dwyer followed with two hitless innings of relief.

*Catcher J.C. Boscan was activated from the DL.

NW Arkansas split their doubleheader in Tulsa and will face second-place Arkansas over the next four games in Springdale.

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The Naturals won the first game,

6-4

. That came after Tulsa starter

Rudy Owens

was perfect through the first five innings.

Zane Evans broke up the perfect game with a solo home run with one out in the sixth. Two batters later, Lane Adams hit a two-run homer. Evans added a three-run home run in the seventh for the game winner.

Jonathan Dziedzic earned the complete game victory, as he allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk. He struck out one.

The Naturals lost the second game, 4-3. The Naturals scored three runs in the top of the first, but could not make it hold up.

It was a bullpen game, as Mark Peterson got the start for NWA. He allowed three runs on six hits and a walk over two innings. Sam Selman took the loss, as he allowed a run on four hits over two innings. Those two combined to throw 96 pitches. Malcom Culver threw two perfect innings of relief.

On offense, they collected eight hits. Raul Mondesi had three hits, including a double. Balbino Fuenmayor had two hits (including a double), a run scored, and an RBI.

Wilmington lost the series opener in Salem, 4-2. It was the first time the two teams had met this season. With Lynchburg’s victory, the Blue Rocks now lead the Northern Division of the Carolina League by four games with eight to go.

The Blue Rocks took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, but the Red Sox scored three runs in the bottom of the inning en route to the victory.

That made a loser of Cody Reed, who allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out five, but allowed a two out, three-run home run to fellow Carolina League All-Star Sam Travis.

The Red Sox winning pitcher was former big leaguer (and Royal) Denny Bautista. The Blue Rocks collected just five hits, two by Santiago Nessy, who hit a solo homer in the fifth.

Lexington scored nine runs in the fifth en route to their 18-7 victory over Greensboro.

Every Legends hitter had at least one hit and one RBI except Logan Davis (who did walk twice). Corey Toups, Chad Johnson, Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado, Wander Franco, and Brandon Downes each had two hits. Johnson hit two doubles, scored two runs, and drove in three. Escalera-Maldonado tripled, scored three runs, and drove in three.

Elier Hernandez went 3-for-6 with a double, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Samir Duenez went 4-for-5 with a double, three runs scored, and three RBIs. He also stole his sixth base of the season.

Yunior Marte was credited with the win in relief, as he allowed one run on two hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out six.

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