Down on the Farm, KC style

[RoyalShock]

Odirizzi hasn't pitched since the 12th, isn't pitching tonight and tomorrow's Omaha starter is TBD. Are they skipping his turn in the rotation to give him a little rest?

[SubGod22]

Odirizzi hasn't pitched since the 12th, isn't pitching tonight and tomorrow's Omaha starter is TBD. Are they skipping his turn in the rotation to give him a little rest?

Good question. You would think he'd start today for Omaha. If he doesn't start tomorrow.... He's been pitching very well, but it's not like KC is in need of a starter tonight or tomorrow in which I could see them skip his start so he could be ready to go. But I haven't heard any rumblings either... I may head to twitter and ask a few questions.

[SubGod22]

I did a Google search and some things popped up saying he's starting for Omaha today. But the Omaha site still lists Davis. It wouldn't be the first time that the official site listed the wrong pitcher. I think I ended up dealing with that last week with Mariot at NWA.

[SubGod22]

I'm told they're maintaining innings. I suppose they only want him to throw so many and will skip a start from time to time.

[SubGod22]

Chasers outlast Redbirds, 3-2, on Tuesday

Veteran left-hander Doug Davis (2-1) picked up his second win of the season after allowing a lone run in his 6.0 innings on the mound. Francisley Bueno pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Davis while Jeremy Jeffress allowed a run in the ninth but was still able to pick up his second save of 2012.

Verdugo starts tonight

Prades powers Naturals to win

The Naturals' offense got a rally going in the bottom half of the eighth. Julio Rodriguez ripped a double down the line for a lead off double. Rey Navarro delivered a two-run home run to cut the deficit to 4-3. The home run was the third of the season, and his first at Arvest Ballpark. The runs all came against Drillers' starter Dan Houston. Houston went seven and a third innings allowing nine hits and three runs.

Paulino gets a rehab start today

Marimon and Ventura each pitched an inning for the Carolina All-Stars in their victory over the California All-Stars. Marimon picked up the win and struck out two. Ventura picked up a hold while walking one and striking out one.

In the Midwest All-Star game Daniel Mateo of KC went 0-2. Bonifacio went 0-3. Adams went 0-2. Ridings pitched 1/3 of an inning getting a K. The West got routed 18-2 and were out hit 20-7.

Smith Shuts Down Owlz in Chukars Win

A day after a slugfest Opening Night contest, the Chukars bats kept rolling and Orems' fell silent as Idaho Falls pitcher Kyle Smith struck out 11 Owlz in the Chukars 11-4 win at Melaleuca Field.

Smith dominated making his pro debut, only allowing one run on three hits over five innings. He shut down an Orem lineup that scored 14 runs on 14 hits the night before.

Pitcher TBD. This may end up being my favorite team to keep up on. Lots of young prospects.

Starling sits out Burlington's season opener

HOUSTON -- Outfielder Bubba Starling, the Royals' first-round pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, did not play for the Burlington Royals in their season opener on Tuesday in the Appalachian League.

Starling, the Royals' top-ranked prospect by MLB.com, injured his hamstring in the first inning an exhibition game on Sunday and was questionable to play on Tuesday. Terrance Gore started in center field for Burlington, which beat the Pulaski Mariners, 8-1 in 10 innings.

After giving up a scholarship to play football at the University of Nebraska, Starling signed a $7.5 million bonus with Kansas City last August. He has still not made his professional debut after signing late last season and starting this season at extended spring camp.

Ford's double leads Royals past Mariners in 10th

Burlington's 10th inning rally started right away. After Humberto Arteaga and Chris Elder led off with back-to-back hit-by-pitches, Fred Ford delivered an RBI double to center field. Ford, the Royals' seventh round pick this year, gave Burlington the lead and started an offensive onslaught.

The Mariners made a pitching change, bringing in Ricardo Pereira to halt the damage. But Cameron Gallagher kept the rally going with a bases loaded double. Gallagher's two-bagger scored two and the Royals added four more to put the game out of reach.

Third round pick Colin Rodgers starts today

AZL starts tonight against the Rangers. No word on a starter there. Not sure we ever get that info for this league.

DSL lost 5-10

Diamonds in the Rough 6.19
POD - Tony Abreu
HOD - Kyle Smith

[Ricardo del Rio]

nm

[SubGod22]

Perez collects four hits in latest rehab start

HOUSTON -- Catcher Salvador Perez, on a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Omaha, had four singles in four at-bats on Wednesday, boosting his average to .340 in 11 rehab games.

The Storm Chasers lost to Memphis, 13-9.

Perez, 22, who had left knee surgery in March and has missed all of the regular season, also caught for the Storm Chasers on Tuesday night. Catching in a day game after a night game is a good sign that Perez will soon be back with the Royals.

Chasers Outslugged by the Redbirds, 13-9, on Wednesday

Southpaw Ryan Verdugo (5-2) was hit with the loss after getting roughed up for five runs over six hits in 4.2 innings. Reliever Sean O'Sullivan did not fare much better against the free-swinging Redbirds as he worked 1.2 innings and was touched for six runs. Blaine Hardy worked the game's final 2.2 innings and gave up two runs over four hits.

Starter TBD

Comeback kids do it again

SPRINGDALE, AR- The Northwest Arkansas Naturals used a four-run seventh inning to overcome a five-run deficit and defeat the Tulsa Drillers 7-6 on Wednesday night at Arvest ballpark. The win was the third straight one-run victory by the Naturals over the Drillers.

Marks starts today

Pounders will start today for Wilmington as they begin the 2nd half of the season.

KC begins play tonight against Clinton

Chukars Sweep Owlz with 7-1 Win

The Chukars bullpen entered in the fifth and picked up right where Ferguson left off, tossing a combined five shutout innings to end the game. Andrew Triggs gave up only one hit in his inning pitched, followed by Royals 2nd round pick Sam Selman who went 2.2 shutout allowing one hit and striking out three. Lefty John Killen retired his only batter with a strikeout while Cory Hall closed out the ninth with two Ks. Selman (1-0) was awarded the win for his impressive debut, while Lowery (0-1) earned the loss for Orem. Offensively, Aparicio finished the game 1-3 with 2 RBI while Lopez went 2-4 with a RBI of his own.

TBD

Threlkeld's homer gives Royals second win

On the mound, Royals' manager Tommy Shields used a pitch-by-committee philosophy in the team's second win. Burlington used six different pitchers, none of them throwing more than two innings. In the end, Daniel Stumpf got his first win of the year. Stumpf, a lefty from Humble, TX, came in for the sixth and threw two hitless innings. Jossiel Martinez got the save for Burlington in 1.1 innings of work.

Daniel Hernandez will start for the B-Royals tonight

AZL lost 1-8, DSL lost 9-19.

What has Bubba Starling been up to? - An interesting read about time in Extended ST.

Diamonds in the Rough 6.20
POD - Sam Selman
HOD - Max Ramirez

[SubGod22]

Royals to be well represented at Futures Game

KANSAS CITY -- For three players, playing in this year's Sirius XM Futures Game means getting a sneak preview of playing at their future big league ballpark.

The rosters for the Futures Game were announced Thursday, and a trio of Royals will be taking the field at Kauffman Stadium as a part of All-Star Weekend.

Triple-A standouts Jake Odorizzi and Wil Myers will be suiting up for the U.S. squad, and young pitcher Yordano Ventura will be a member of the World Team's pitching staff.

"It's definitely going to be cool playing in front of the home crowd in Kansas City, and I'm definitely looking forward to it," Myers said.
Odorizzi and Myers have been making Royals headlines for months. They were both promoted from Double-A Northwest Arkansas to Triple-A Omaha on the same day in mid-May, and the duo have been putting up impressive numbers as members of the Storm Chasers.

[SubGod22]

SOS traded to Jays for cash - I think we got the better end of this deal.

Omaha Falls to Memphis, 6-4, in 11 innings

Left-hander Everett Teaford started the contest for Omaha and pitched well, allowing two hits and punching out five in 6.0 innings on the mound. Nate Adcock pitched an inning in relief of Teaford and gave up four runs. Brandon Sisk threw a scoreless eighth and ninth innings for the Chasers before giving way to Coleman.

Odorizzi starts tonight

Drillers hang on, avoid sweep

The Naturals (38-34) offense jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first inning. Brian Fletcher reached on a fielder's choice, and later scored on a blast over the right field bullpen by Johnny Whittleman to make it 2-0. The home run was the thirteenth of the season for Whittleman, tying him with Wil Myers for the team lead.

Dwyer gets the call.

MUDCATS OVERWHELM BLUE ROCKS

In his Carolina League debut, shortstop prospect Orlando Calixte's first hit as a Blue Rock began the frame. Roman Hernandez followed with a hit of his own off a sliding Bo Greenwell's glove in left to snap an 0-for-22 funk. One out later, with the runners then at the corners, Cooper tossed to first to pick off Hernandez. Not only did the toss result in a nab of Hernandez, but also Calixte trying to take home as a 1-3-4-2 double play ended the inning.

Adam gets the start

KC is at Clinton tonight to begin the 2nd half of their season.

Chukars Rally Falls Short in 4-3 Loss

Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi started things off with a one-out double and, after a passed ball, was driven in on a Carlos Garcia RBI groundout. The inning continued when right fielder Elier Hernandez doubled to right and was brought in one batter later on an RBI single from third baseman Nicholas Cuckovich to make the score 4-3. The rally would end there however, as first baseman Rainier Bello grounded out hard to second to end the game.

TBD

Four-run Pulaski fourth deals Royals first loss

Right-hander Daniel Hernandez had a terrific start in his first appearance since 2010. Hernandez pitched for Burlington in 2010 before missing all of 2011 with elbow surgery. Against Pulaski, the Royals' starter threw five perfect innings, but was taken out for the start of the sixth

B-Royals' Hernandez strong after layoff

Hernandez pitched just 12 1/3 innings in his 2010 debut before being sidelined by the injury. Thursday's appearance was just the second start of his career, and he came into it with a pitch count of 60. Despite that, he managed to go the five innings, equaling the amount of frames he lasted in his only other start on July 1, 2010.

Hernandez said it was difficult to spend that much time away from baseball and he had been itching to get back on the mound in a meaningful game while he spent time at the Royals' extended spring training.

Caramo starts today

AZL lost 1-8. DSL won 5-1.

Diamonds in the Rough 6.21
POD - Everett Teaford AND Daniel Hernandez
HOD - Kevin David

[SubGod22]

Better late than never....

Storm Chasers Best the Redbirds, 11-3

Jake Odorizzi (5-0) worked 6.0 innings and allowed 10 hits with four strikeouts and three earned runs en-route to his fifth Triple-A win of the season. Blaine Hardy pitched the final three innings in relief of Odorizzi and allowed just two hits with one strikeout to capture his first save of 2012.

Chasers dip to 17-19 away from home

Montgomery lasted six innings and suffered the loss after he was charged with four runs, three earned, on six hits, while walking only one and matching a season-high with seven strikeouts. Jeremy Jeffress turned in a scoreless seventh inning and Tommy Hottovy set down all three hitters he encountered in the eighth.

Doug Davis shines in return to old stomping grounds

Davis pitched in Oklahoma City in parts of each season from 1999-2003 as a member of the Texas Rangers organization and won 24 games. The veteran southpaw earned his third win this season after he allowed four hits, walked two and struck out a season-high six before giving way to Louis Coleman, who yielded a two-out, two-run home run to Brandon Barnes that cut the Omaha lead to 4-2. Brandon Sisk assumed the hill in the eighth and retired all six hitters he faced, three by strikeout, in a dominant performance to earn his sixth save of the season.

Adcock starts today

Dwyer dominant again

Chris Dwyer (5-6) went seven shutout innings allowing just two hits and striking out seven. The seven strikeouts for Dwyer tied for a season high, that he last set on May 26 against the Frisco RoughRiders. This was the second straight start the left-hander turned in a seven inning performance.

Pena puzzles Naturals

Arguelles worked six innings allowing four hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out two

Travelers blank Naturals

Michael Mariot turned in his second straight quality start for the Naturals. The right-hander went six shutout innings allowing eight hits and striking out five.

MUDCATS SWEEP ROCKS IN TWINBILL & SERIES

Lane Adams' first at-bat as a Blue Rock saw him launch a two-out, two-run homer during a five-run opening inning in game one. Starter Jason Adam, who entered the game receiving just 2.5 runs of support per start, gladly welcomed the crooked number. However, while his offense helped him out, his defense let him down. Two crucial errors, one by Orlando Calixte at shortstop and the other by Cheslor Cuthbert at third base, both came in a five-run fourth that tied the game. None of the runs were earned.

KARNS CARVES UP BLUE CREW

In his second career start, Wilmington's Chase Boruff (1-4) saw two runs cross in the very first inning. Rehabbing big leaguer Mark DeRosa drove in the game's first score with a groundout while prospect catcher David Freitas doubled home the second. An inning later, Wilmington assembled a rally, loading the bases with one out for Roman Hernandez. While the designated hitter sent Lane Adams home with a groundout to make it a 2-1 game, Geulin Beltre then bounced to short to end the threat. The Blue Rocks were not in the game from that point on.

Ventura starts tonight

KC lost 1-6, won 6-5 and 4-3 Smith untouchable in Class A debut

It's been a hectic few days for frequent traveler Kyle Smith. At this time last week, he was in Arizona. Then he made his way 900 miles north to spend all of 48 hours in Idaho. Now he's some 1,300 miles east in Iowa.

He's apparently no worse for wear.

The Royals prospect pitched six hitless innings in his Midwest League debut Sunday afternoon as the Class A Kane County Cougars edged the Clinton LumberKings, 4-3.

Smith faced one batter over the minimum in his second outing since the Royals selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. He retired his final 16 batters before turning over a 3-0 lead -- and a no-hitter -- to his bullpen.

Chukars Fall Apart in 13-4 Loss

As much as the Idaho Falls pitching struggled the defense may have been worse, as the Chukars committed a season high seven errors resulting in five unearned runs for the Rockies. Ysmelin Alcantara, Parker Morin, Rainier Bello, and Ethan Chapman all committed one error a piece, while Adalberto Mondesi had two miscues.

Chukars Drop Third Straight to Rockies

In front of a huge crowd for the Rockies first ever home game, the Chukars once again looked good early as they took a 3-2 lead into the fifth inning. Like the night before however, the Idaho Falls pitching staff could not hold on to the lead as they allowed the Rockies to score eight runs over the next four innings en route to the loss.

Late Homers Push Chukars to 6-4 Win

The inning started with back-to-back walks to second baseman Carlos Garcia and DelGuidice, before Grand Junction third baseman Kyle Newton threw Ethan Chapman's sacrifice bunt into right field allowing Garcia to score and DelGuidice to move to second. DelGuidice would score on batter latter when Adalberto Mondesi hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

Andrew Ferguson will start for IDF

Maggi, Royals walk off with third win

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Burlington had the tying run on second and the winning run on first in a 5-4 game. First baseman Mark Threlkeld looped single to right, scoring Fred Ford from second to tie the game. At the same time, Royals catcher Beau Maggi tried to go first-to-third and Twins right fielder Adam Walker came up throwing. His throw went wide of the bag, bringing Maggi home with the game-winning run.

Twins down Royals in second game of series

The Elizabethton Twins handed Burlington its first home loss of the season, scoring ten runs in the first three innings and winning 18-2

Moreno double leads Burlington to series win

The Royals tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Terrance Gore opened the scoring with an RBI single. Then, after a throwing error kept the inning alive, Chris Elder hit a high chopper off of home plate. Twins pitcher Hudson Boyd bounced off the mound to make the play, but first baseman Rory Rhodes went to make the play as well. Rhodes' attempt to field the ball left first base vacated. Elder dove in safe at first and Gore came home from third to tie the game.

Rodgers to start

AZL won 19-12, lost 2-13 and 7-8

DSL won 6-4 and lost 0-1

Diamonds in the Rough 6.22
POD - Chris Dwyer
HOD - Clint Robinson
Diamonds in the Rough 6.23
POD - NONE
HOD - Jack Lopez
Diamonds in the Rough 6.24
POD - Kyle Smith
HOD - Julio Aparicio

[SubGod22]

I missed yesterday. Crazy day at work.

Water Cooler Talk: Trading Wil Myers

Calm down, calm down. I’m not advocating trading Wil Myers, but it is a possibility given the immense need for pitching in the organization, so I figured we ought to take a look at what’s out there in the way of young pitchers. Wil Myers looks to me (and many, many others) like an elite level talent who has the tools to do pretty much whatever he wants on the baseball field. The Royals moved him to the outfield for a few reasons, but one was that his bat was way ahead of his glove behind the plate. Now they’ve got him playing mostly center field where he isn’t going to wow anyone with his range, but is definitely good enough to play there for at least two or three years before moving to a corner spot. He’s also seen a little time at third base this season.

In my opinion, here are a few guys who trading Myers for could make some sense:

Not going to happen and the names he listed don't really excite me. Especially if it meant losing someone like Myers.

Is Jake Odorizzi Ready?

To put it lightly, the starting pitching for the Kansas City Royals is not very good. There have been injuries, notably Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino. There has been disappointments, specifically from Jonathan Sanchez and perennial underachiever Luke Hochevar. Then there has been the pitchers that just are not very good, like Luis Mendoza and Vin Mazzaro. All of this leads to a well below average pitching staff, and it’s a problem that leaves fans scrambling for answers.

So where do we as fans turn to? The Minor Leagues. Prospects in the Minor Leagues can do no wrong — they are like the backup quarterback in the NFL. At the forefront of the the Royals farm system is Jake Odorizzi, who was considered by some to be the key piece in the Zack Greinke deal. Through two levels in 2012, Odorizzi has compiled a 9-2 record, a 3.01 ERA, and 85 strikeouts to 22 walks. These numbers are undoubtedly very good, and combined with the almost universal scouting reports that indicate he is a potential #2 starter, it is no wonder fans want him up.

But is Odorizzi ready? Nobody is really answering this question — it’s almost just assumed that he is. His numbers on the surface in Omaha are good, not extraordinary, but good. They aren’t to the Stephen Strasburg/Matt More point where there’s simply no choice but to call him up. One argument to promote up is simply that he’s better than the current options we have. That may be true, but I can’t agree with the rationale when we’re talking about an upper-echelon prospect. This is fine when we’re talking about a guy like Doug Davis, or a lesser prospect like Everett Teaford or Will Smith, because there are little or no expectations. With a pitcher of Odorizzi’s caliber, it is necessary to make sure they are prepared for immediate success. Let’s highlight a few reasons as to why Odorizzi might not be quite ready for the big show.

Three Homers Key to Omaha Victory

Oklahoma City, OK - Anthony Seratelli slugged two home runs and Clint Robinson added another as Omaha downed Oklahoma City, 7-4, Monday night in the third of a four-game set matching the two American Conference division front-runners. The Storm Chasers won their second straight in the series to improve to 48-30 and beat the RedHawks for a sixth time in seven tries.

Omaha improves to 20-19 away from home

Smith kept the RedHawks blanked on four hits and did not allow a runner to advance past second base through the first seven innings. The hosts finally got on the board with two outs in the eighth when Wil Myers and Lough collided in pursuit of a fly ball, allowing it to land and Carlos Corporan to score from second base. The 22-year-old southpaw was then removed from the mound and replaced by Brandon Sisk, who recorded the last four outs to sew up the Chasers seventh victory in eight meetings with OKC. Smith earned his second win of the season, and first since May 11, after permitting five hits, striking out seven and not issuing a walk in matching his longest outing of the season

Odorizzi starts tonight

Naturals begin the 2nd half with Dwyer taking the hill on Friday.

LATEST ADDITIONS SNAP LONG SLIDE

Woodbridge, VA - The three newest Wilmington Blue Rocks (30-45, 1-4) played the hero role as Lane Adams, Matt Fields and Orlando Calixte drove in a combined six runs over the final two innings in a 7-3 win over the Potomac Nationals (34-41, 3-2) on Monday night. The Rocks did not have a hit entering the eighth, but rallied for their first road win since May 28. The win snapped a seven-game slide overall and a 10-game road skid, one short of the franchise record.

BLUE ROCKS POUND POTOMAC, 11-2

Wilmington never trailed thanks to a solid effort by starter Brooks Pounders (1-2). The former Pirates farmhand struck out seven over 5.1 innings, allowing just two runs en route to his first Advanced-A win. His counterpart, Robbie Ray (3-4), was not as successful. He issued six walks over 4.2 innings, allowing five runs in the process. Ryan Demmin did not fare much better. He allowed Cuthbert's fifth home run of the season and gave up six runs (three earned) over 2.1 innings of work.

Pimentel will start today.

KC lost 2-4 and 0-8 the last two days.

Chukars Survive Late Rally in 8-6 Win

Ferguson (1-0) earned his first win of the season for Idaho Falls, pitching 6 innings and allowing just one run on one hit with one walk and six strikeouts. Frias (0-1) was the hard luck loser for Ogden, finishing with six innings pitched and four runs allowed, but with just one of them earned on six hits.

Chukars Misplay Chance at First Place

Idaho Falls pitcher Sam Selman made his first start of the season in the loss, with the 2nd Round pick out of Vanderbilt lasting just 2.2 innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits and three strikeouts in a pitch-count abbreviated start. Reliever Chase Hentges (0-1) took the loss for Idaho Falls after allowing three runs, one earned, on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts over one inning pitched. Ogden reliever Craig Stem (1-0) earned the win while Sawil Gonzalez (2) got the save after a perfect ninth.

Ali Williams starts tonight

Charles' two homers give Jays 10-5 win

Shortly thereafter, the Royals came back. Fred Ford broke the scoreless drought with an RBI single. Immediately after Ford's single, Mark Threlkeld hit a three-run home run to right center. Threlkeld's drive cut the deficit to one and gave Burlington a chance.

Royals' bats held in check in 3-0 loss

Jossiel Martinez pitched well for the Royals, despite the loss. He relieved Stueve with a runner on third and one out in the sixth. He pitched around Art Charles for a walk, then got a ground ball double play to end the inning. Burlington shortstop Humberto Arteaga started the 6-4-3 double play with a nifty glove flip to Kenny Diekroeger, leaving the runner stranded at third.

Appears Caramo is scheduled to start

AZL lost 5-9 Monday and had yesterday off.

DSL won 2-1 and 8-2

Diamonds in the Rough 6.25
POD - Sugar Ray Marimon
HOD - Anthony Seratelli
Diamonds in the Rough 6.26
POD - Will Smith
HOD - Cheslor Cuthbert

Royals Halfway Point Prospects Of Note: Wilmington Blue Rocks

[SubGod22]

Chasers Defeat the Zephyrs, 8-5, in Comeback Fashion

Jake Odorizzi was victimized by poor defense in his three innings on the hill, giving up five runs but only two were earned. Odorizzi walked two and struck out one while giving up two solo shots. Reliever Blaine Hardy (2-1) was credited with the win after hurling three scoreless innings while Jeremy Jeffress and Brandon Sisk combined to blank the Zephyrs over the final three innings to round out the game. Sisk's scoreless inning of relief netted him his seventh save of the season and extended his scoreless innings streak to 12 consecutive innings.

TBD

Dwyer tomorrow

POTOMAC CLAIMS FINALE, SPLITS SERIES

Matt Ridings fired 1.2 scoreless innings of middle relief. Not only did he strand an inherited runner from Pimentel, but he also struck out four of the six men he faced.

Adam starts tonight

Cougars beat Snappers in series finale

Baez (2-2) cruised through 52⁄3 innings as he held the Snappers (43-33, 4-2 second half) to just three hits without surrendering a run. Jonathan Dooley recorded the final five outs to notch his third save of the season.

Great Pitching Leads Chukars in 4-2 Win

Williams (1-0) earned the win for the Chukars after pitching six innings, giving up just two runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Mills (2) earned the save for his three dominant, scoreless innings out of the bullpen, which included four strikeouts of his own.

TBD

Three late unanswered runs give Royals victory

The home team evened the score in the seventh on back-to-back homers by Patrick Leonard and Kenny Diekroeger against Jeremy Gabryszwski, who was otherwise outstanding in four innings of relief.

Caramo now set for today...

AZL lost 1-4

DSL won 7-0

Diamonds in the Rough 6.27
POD - Blaine Hardy
HOD - Nicholas Cuckovich

[SubGod22]

Chasers Zapped by the Zephyrs, Lose 12-1

Southpaw Mike Montgomery (3-5) was handed the loss after giving up 11 runs, however, only four of them were earned. 2012 Pacific Coast League All-Star Clint Robinson provided the Chasers only run of the game with an RBI double in the fourth inning.

Chasers Put Away Zephyrs, 8-3 on Friday Night

Wil Myers went 2-for-4 at the plate with a three-run blast in the seventh inning.

Chasers Hang on to Defeat the 'Topes, 8-7
Omaha Blanks Albuquerque, 6-0

Will Smith (3-4) was rock solid in his 6.0 scoreless innings on the hill, picking up the win after punching out nine batters while allowing just three hits. Brandon Sisk, Jeremy Jeffress and Ryan Verdugo all worked an inning out of the bullpen to hold Albuquerque in check.

TBD

Naturals fall in pitchers duel

Dwyer went five and two-thirds innings allowing five hits and two runs, while walking and striking out three. Over his last three outings the left-hander has allowed just four runs in 19.2 innings of work.

Hooks hammer Naturals
Marimon marvelous for Naturals

Sugar Ray Marimon (1-0) was brilliant on the mound in just his second start in Double-A. The right-hander went five and two-thirds shutout innings allowing two hits, while walking and striking out four.

Mariot to start

WILD EIGHTH FOR ROCKS RESULTS IN WIN
BORUFF AND CARL SHUT DOWN HILLCATS

Edwin Carl came on in relief in the fifth inning and dominated. He struck out eight men in five innings of work, allowing just one hit as he picked up his first victory as a Blue Rock.

HILLCATS RETURN FAVOR IN SHUTOUT OF WILMINGTON

Ventura was brilliant for Wilmington, chalking up 10 strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. The strikeout total tied a season and career-high for the prized prospect. He faced one man over the minimum through his first three innings. He escaped a man on third base, two-out jam in the fourth inning. In the sixth inning, he allowed two men to reach in his first four batters faced. Logging a lot of pitches over those four sequences, manager Vance Wilson replaced him with reliever Nick Graffeo. With two on and two out, Graffeo induced a pop-up of Salcedo to retire the side.

ROCKS WIN SLUGFEST SERIES OPENER - Pimentel starts today

KC won 5-2, lost 0-2 and 3-15 then won 7-2

Owlz Bullpen Stifles Chukars in 5-3 Loss
Chukars Squander Late Rally in 6-5 Loss
Raptors Run to 10-5 Win Over Chukars
IDF won Sunday 9-4. Selman starts today

Royals score eight in third, beat Cardinals 14-2

The Royals struck first in a big way. Second baseman Kenny Diekroeger hit a grand slam to left, prompting an eight-run third inning. Burlington cruised to a 14-2 victory against the Cardinals in Johnson City. Burlington used the long ball liberally, going deep a season-high five times. Diekroeger hit a solo home run in the ninth, his second of the game and third in two games. Third baseman Patrick Leonard also hit a solo homer for his Appalachian League leading sixth of the season. Henry Moreno and Fred Ford hit the other two home runs, both delivering their first of the 2012 campaign.

Bubba made his debut going 0-5
Conroy shuts down Cards in Royals' second straight win
Cards come back to avoid sweep

Burlington had jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning. Center fielder Bubba Starling singled up the middle in his first at-bat, plating a pair of runs to open the scoring. The runs, scored by Humberto Arteaga and Kenny Diekroeger, were Starling's first RBI's as a pro. He made it to third on the play after a fielding error, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Gallagher.

Braves top Royals 7-3 in matinee

AZL lost 1-10, won 13-4 and lost 8-12

DSL lost 1-9, won 3-2 and 5-2

Diamonds in the Rough 6.28
POD - Yender Caramo
HOD - Kenny Diekroeger
Diamonds in the Rough 6.29
POD - Edwin Carl
HOD - Wil Myers
Diamonds in the Rough 6.30
POD - Yordano Ventura
HOD - Brian Fletcher
Diamonds in the Rough 7.1
POD - Will Smith
HOD - Wil Myers

The Starting 9

[SubGod22]

Stats thru July 1 (Probably fewer names than usual because I'm busy and don't have the time. But the link is available to check for anyone I missed of importance)

Omaha Storm Chasers
Irving Falu - .333, 27 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 10 SB
Wil Myers - .317, 36 R, 8 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 41 RBI
C. Robinson - .317, 43 R, 24 2B, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 43 BB, 35 SO
Tony Abreu - .313, 40 R, 21 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 47 RBI
Max Ramirez - .310, 35 R, 10 2B, 10 HR, 49 RBI
Giavotella - .305, 36 R, 9 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 28 RBI
D. Robinson - .300, 53 R, 8 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 13 SB, 8 CS
David Lough - .288, 44 R, 12 2B, 9 3B, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 17 SB
Seratelli - .285, 39 R, 6 2B, 2 3B, 14 HR, 46 RBI, 10 SB

Verdugo - 5-2, 3.89, 16/14, 81.0, 64/41
Monty - 3-5, 5.13, 15/15, 1 CG, 80.2, 54/38
Smith - 3-4, 3.81, 13/13, 75.2, 61/18
Odorizzi - 5-0, 2.95, 8/7, 42.2, 39/14
Sisk - 2-1, 2.97, 30/0, 7 SV, 39.1, 44/16
Doug Davis - 4-1, 2.51, 8/4, 32.1, 24/9

Northwest Arkansas (Thunder Chickens) Naturals

Colon - .290, 28 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 11 SB
Yem Prades - .262, 36 R, 12 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 10 SB
Whittleman - .244, 42 R, 17 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 37 RBI

Dwyer - 5-7, 5.09, 15/14, 74.1, 62/40
Marks - 3-4, 3.86, 14/14, 72.1, 60/33
Arguelles - 2-8, 6.62, 15/15, 69.1, 28/35
Mariot - 3-2, 3.83, 20/5, 51.2, 48/13
Baumann - 3-1, 3.38, 22/0, 42.2, 37/21
Keating - 2-1, 3.74, 25/0, 33.2, 31/16
Volz - 3-1, 2.19, 16/0, 6 SV, 24.2, 16/11
Melville - 2-1, 7.71, 6/5, 23.1, 19/15
Marimon - 1-0, 0.77, 2/2, 11.2, 8/4

Wilmington Blue Rocks

Angel Franco - .288, 23 R, 12 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 24 RBI
Whit Merrifield - .270, 42 R, 13 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 18 SB
Orlando Calixte - .268, 8 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI (10 games)
Kevin David - .256, 21 R, 8 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI
Cheslor Cuthbert - .228, 25 R, 10 2B, 5 HR, 34 RBI
Brett Eibner - .192, 29 R, 15 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 33 RBI
Lane Adams - .158, 5 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI (10 games)

Jason Adam - 1-9, 3.95, 15/15, 86.2, 68/18
Tyler Sample - 1-8, 5.96, 17/15, 74.0, 66/39
Yordano Ventura - 3-5, 2.81, 15/15, 73.2, 95/27
Sugar Ray Marimon - 4-2, 2.12, 14/9, 68.0, 60/18
Greg Billo - 5-4, 4.35, 12/10, 60.0, 56/20
Leondy Perez - 3-3, 3.82, 12/5, 37.2, 25/9
Sam Runion - 1-1, 2.70, 21/0, 36.2, 29/10
Cole White - 3-1, 4.46, 17/0, 34.1, 27/24
Edwin Carl - 1-0, 4.05, 9/0, 26.2, 29/9
Matt Ridings - 2-0, 1.29, 3/0, 7.0, 5/3

Kane County Cougars

Jorge Bonifacio - .305, 45 R, 14 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 45 RBI
Daniel Mateo - .304, 46 R, 15 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 34 RBI
Lane Adams - .298, 40 R, 13 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 44 RBI (Recently promoted)
Orlando Calixte - .241, 31 R, 13 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 34 RBI (Recently promoted)

Aaron Brooks - 4-9, 5.86, 16/16, 86.0, 64/16
Kellen Moen - 3-4, 5.58, 15/15, 80.2, 73/21
Brooks Pounders - 3-2, 3.38, 12/8, 50.2, 57/19 (Recently promoted)
Robinson Yambati - 2-1, 3.63, 12/4, 39.2, 26/17


Since Idaho Falls and Burlington just started, I'm not putting them on here for now. Next month.

[SubGod22]

Chasers Walk-Off on the 'Topes in 12 Innings

OMAHA, Neb. - Max Ramirez' three-run home run in the bottom of the 12th gave the Omaha Storm Chasers an exciting, come-from-behind, extra-innings victory on Monday night. Omaha, who was held to just two hits for the game's first eight innings, pushed their overall record to 54-31 with Monday's win.

TBD

Missions edge Naturals

Mariot turned in another great outing on the mound for the Naturals. The right-hander went seven innings allowing just four hits and two runs, while tying a season high with six strikeouts.

Hollingsworth will take the mound

THIRTEEN PROVES LUCKY FOR BLUE CREW

Frederick, MD - How do you score six runs on one hit? Ask the Wilmington Blue Rocks (35-47, 6-6) who did just that in the decisive 13th inning to beat the Frederick Keys (32-50, 5-7) on Monday night, 12-6. The Blue Rocks have won six of their last eight.

Adam to start

Cougars shut out Chiefs

Baez (3-2) matched a season-high with eight strikeouts as he threw six innings, stifling the Chiefs (38-42, 3-8) on just two hits. Zeke DeVoss doubled off Baez with one out in the sixth and was the only Peoria player to get into scoring position against Baez, who also didn’t walk a batter. Cody Fassold kept the shutout rolling by pitching the seventh and eighth innings while striking out four. Robinson Yambati threw a perfect ninth.

Brickhouse will get the start for KC

IDF won 5-2 but there's no article up yet. We ran into this issue last year but they'd been doing well the past couple of weeks. Guess it was too good to be true.

Burlington won 13-5. No game article there either. But there is this: Starling blasts first two career homers

The 19-year-old center fielder wasn't even sure that he'd connected on his first roundtripper.

With Burlington leadoff hitter Terrance Gore on second base after a single and a pickoff gone awry, Starling stepped in against Danville starter Rafael Briceno for his first at-bat. On a 2-1 count, the right-hander tossed a low two-seam fastball that the right-handed batter said he "put a good swing on." He just didn't know how good. "I wasn't sure that it was going to get out of there," Starling said. "I sprinted down the first-base line because I wanted to make sure I got a double or a triple if it hit the wall. But then, I saw it go over the left-field wall and got to take it easier. It was a special moment."

Sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulders.

AZL won 9-5

DSL won 6-1

Diamonds in the Rough 7.2
POD - Angel Baez
HOD - Matt Fields
RLPOD - Bubba Starling