Wednesday night’s game looked so promising for the KC Royals, but closer Jonathan Broxton struggled with his command and a blew a save. Then the game went into extra innings and they lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3.

Adam Jones hit a bomb into the left field seats with one out in the top of the 15th inning to give the O’s the win. Nate Adcock took the loss, as he allowed that one run over five innings of relief.

So why did the game look promising for the Royals?

They received another stellar start. Felipe Paulino left the game with the win, as he pitched seven shutout innings. He allowed just five hits and two walks while striking out nine.

But then Kelvin Herrera allowed a run in the 8th inning. That led to Broxton’s implosion in the 9th inning. Wilson Betemit hit a solo homerun with one out. Chris Davis followed with a single. Broxton did get Robert Andino to fly out for the second out. Then rookie Xavier Avery singled. Then JJ Hardy drove in pinch-runner Ryan Flaherty to tie the game at 3-3.

The Royals had their chance in the bottom of the 9th inning. Alcides Escobar singled to lead off the inning and Irving Falu sacrificed him to second base. O’s reliever Darren O’Day struck out both Humberto Quintero and Jarrod Dyson to send the game into extras.

The Royals collected 12 hits, but scored just three runs. They went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and hit into two double plays.

The worst part about the loss was that Billy Butler wasn’t around. He was pinch-run for in the 8th inning. Mitch Maier ran for Butler in the 8th inning and was pinch-hit for in the 10th inning by Johnny Giavotella (who picked up three at-bats).

*Chris Getz left the game with a rib injury, after Orioles first baseman Chris Davis collided with him. Hopefully the Royals don’t lose another player to the DL.

**For more on the O’s, check out Charm City Yakyuu.

The Omaha Storm Chasers had off on Wednessday, as they traveled back to Omaha to begin an eight-game homestand, beginning with four games against Tacoma.

NW Arkansas collected ten hits en route to their 6-2 win over Tulsa. Eric Duncan had the big day, as he went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including a two-run homerun.

Ryan Dennick got the start and won his first Double-A game. He pitched five shutout innings and allowed just three hits. He struck out four. He also picked a guy off first base.

The Naturals have now won four in a row.

Jake Odorizzi will join Wil Myers in the promotion to Omaha.

Wilmington starter Greg Billo was cruising along until the 7th inning when he allowed four runs that gave Lynchburg the lead. However the Blue Rocks offense came back and they won 7-5.

In the 8th inning, the Blue Rocks tied the game on a ground out. In the top of the 9th inning, they scored two runs on a Brett Eibner triple.

The Blue Rocks bullpen (Jon Keck and Nick Rogers) only allowed two baserunners (via two walks) over 2.1 innings.

Both manager Vance Wilson and pitching coach Steve Luebber were ejected in the 8th inning (on separate calls).

A four-run 6th inning gave Kane County the 5-3 victory over Cedar Rapids. In that inning, Jorge Bonifacio hit a two-run homerun (3-for-4 with two runs scored).

Aaron Brooks picked up the win, as he allowed three runs on five hits and a walk over seven innings. He allowed two solo homeruns. Malcom Culver picked up his first save with two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed one hit while striking out three.

The Cougars have now won four in a row.

Wil Myers in his first at-bat at the 2011 Future's Game

On Wednesday, outfielder Wil Myers (though he has been playing some third base of late) was promoted to Triple-A Omaha.

At the time of his promotion from NW Arkansas, he led the Texas League in hitting at .343. He also led in extra bases hits (25) and runs scored (32). Myers had clubbed 13 homeruns (second in the league) and drove in 30 runs (third in the TL).

Should the current KC Royals outfielders be worried?

Well, Jarrod Dyson is hitting over .300 and has shown good speed at the top of the order. He appears safe, though Myers has been playing a good amount of centerfield. But Dyson is seen as a stopgap until Lorenzo Cain comes off the DL anyway.

Both Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur are signed for a few more years, but neither is putting up numbers similar to 2011.

Either way, Myers is knocking on the door to the big leagues and has proven that his struggles in 2011 were just a fluke. I expect to see him at least by the time rosters expand in September.

The KC Royals swept the Texas Rangers in Arlington. Though it was just a two game series, it is a nice momentum push. The Rangers’ offense was red hot coming into the series, but the Royals pitching staff surprisingly shut them down.

Tonight it was Vin Mazzaro who shut down the Rangers, starting in place of the injured Jonathan Sanchez. He didn’t get into trouble until the 4th inning, when he allowed two runs on four hits. He allowed another run in the 5th inning. All-in-all, Mazzaro allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk over five innings.

The Royals bullpen was once again stellar. Just ask injured starter Danny Duffy about lefty Tim Collins‘ curveball (he was tweeting from his couch throughout the game). Or maybe ask the Rangers offense, who struck out five times against Collins over two innings. Aaron Crow followed that up with a scoreless inning of relief.

» Continue reading “Royals Sweep Rangers”

Omaha out-hit Fresno 12-11, but lost the game, 6-4. The Storm Chasers tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the 8th inning, only to see the Grizzlies score two runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead.

Omaha was just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and hit into two double plays. The Robinson‘s (Derrick and Clint) went 5-for-9 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Tony Abreu, Anthony Seratelli, and Kevin Kouzmanoff each had two hits.

NW Arkansas led 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning, but Kendal Volz loaded the bases with two outs. However Volz induced a double play line out to end the game.

The Naturals hit three solo homeruns to account for their runs, including Rey Navarro‘s first of the season (he went 2-for-3).

Chris Dwyer followed up his combined no-hitter with another solid outing. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out six. Bryan Paukovits entered in relief and allowed the lone run. He allowed one hit over 2.2 innings.

It seems every time Wilmington receives a strong starting pitching performance, they lose a pitcher’s duel by one run (5-11 in one-run games). That is exactly what happened Tuesday night in Lynchburg when they lost 1-0.

Santiago Garrido made his first start for the Blue Rocks and made just one mistake over six innings: a solo homerun to Robby Hefflinger in the 5th inning. Garrido allowed six hits and walked one while striking out four, but picked up the hard luck loss.

The Blue Rocks collected just four hits, three off Hillcats starter Gus Schlosser in seven innings. It was the Blue Rocks fifth shutout loss of the season (which is worst in the Carolina League). They have now lost 9-of-13, seven of those losses came by one run each. (Former Royals minor leaguer Tim Smith, who played for the Hillcats, was promoted to Double-A following the game).

Kane County used a seven run 3rd inning en route to their 11-5 victory over Wisconsin. In that inning, Justin Trapp hit a grand slam (he had two hits).

The offense busted out for 15 hits. Dean Espy and Tim Ferguson picked up two hits each. Jorge Bonifacio went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Michael Antonio went 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Brooks Pounders pitched five innings in relief to pick up the win. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Omaha led 2-0 early, but saw their lead evaporate, as Fresno took a 5-2 lead. However a 9th inning comeback of five runs for the Storm Chasers gave them the 8-5 victory.

It all started with a bases loaded hit batter. Then a fielding error scored a run. Derrick Robinson‘s sac fly gave Omaha the lead with one out. After a pitching change (and a strikeout), Clint Robinson delivered a two-run single to cap the scoring.

The Robinson’s each had two hits, with Clint driving in four runs.

Elisaul Pimentel started his first game of the 2012 season, as NW Arkansas beat Tulsa, 10-6. He allowed a solo homerun (the only hit he allowed) over five innings of work while striking out three.

Wil Myers again started at third base and moved out to the outfield later in the game. He hit two homeruns, to give him 13 on the season. John Whittleman also hit a homerun (2-for-5 with two runs scored).

In another meeting between Wilmington’s Jason Adam and Lynchburg’s Cody Martin, Martin got the best of Adam in his second consecutive start. This time, Martin didn’t flirt with a no-hitter, but still won 5-4.

The Blue Rocks out-hit the Hillcats, 15-9, but were just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They hit back-to-back homeruns in the 4th inning (Brian Fletcher and Brett Eibner), but they were solo shots. Fletcher, Eibner, Whit Merrifield, and Cheslor Cuthbert each had two hits. Kevin David went 3-for-4.

Kane County scored runs from the 2nd through the 4th innings en route to their 9-2 victory over Wisconsin. In the 2nd inning, Murray Watts hit a two-run homerun. In the 3rd inning, Michael Antonio hit a grand slam (3-for-4 and it was his first homerun of the season).

Kellen Moen was the beneficiary of all the offense, as he allowed two runs on four hits over six innings.

The way the Texas Rangers have been hitting, many wondered how to get them out. Especially Josh Hamilton, who is leading baseball in all three major offensive categories. Well, teams may be calling up the KC Royals (or at least watching video) to find out their secret.

Crafty lefty Bruce Chen was on the mound for the Royals and he made one mistake all night, a solo homerun to Nelson Cruz leading off the 4th inning. That gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead. However, the Royals offense came right back to give Chen the lead they would never relinquish in the top of the 5th inning on an Alcides Escobar two-run single.

Over 6.2 innings, Chen allowed just five hits and two walks while striking out seven.

The Royals bullpen followed with solid relief (Kelvin Herrera, Jose Mijares, and Aaron Crow). It got a little interesting in the 9th inning with Jonathan Broxton. With two outs, David Murphy collected a pinch-hit single. That brought up yet another pinch-hitter (the fourth of the inning), Mike Napoli. Broxton struck him out to end the game.

Royals pitching collected 11 strikeouts, as only Elvis Andrus and Hamilton did not strike out (among the starters). Hamilton went just 1-for-3 with zero RBIs. That hit came in the 3rd inning against Chen.

The two teams complete their short two game series in Arlington on Tuesday night before the Royals return home to face Baltimore for just two games. Colby Lewis will make the start for the Rangers against Vin Mazzaro, who will be making his first start of the 2012 season in place of the injured Jonathan Sanchez.

*Jeff Francoeur went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the win.

**I honestly had a feeling that tonight was the night that someone would shut down the Rangers. And that was because Chen was on the mound. If he could hit his spots and keep the Rangers hitters off balance, he would pitch well. He did just that. The Rangers are a fastball hitting team and Chen doesn’t exactly throw really hard.

***For more on the Rangers, check out Big Game Claws.

An MRI today showed that KC Royals starter Danny Duffy has a torn UCL in his elbow and most likely needs Tommy John surgery.

He would be the second Royals pitcher to succumb to the surgery this year (closer Joakim Soria has already had the surgery).

Apparently, Duffy has had a tear since 2010, but pitched with it. If Duffy has the surgery, he will miss a year.

Nate Adcock has been recalled to take his place.

The KC Royals are coming off a series win in Chicago this weekend. Last week, they went 4-2, with a home series win over Boston. Overall, the Royals are 13-20 and sitting in fourth place in the American League Central.

Omaha continues their struggles on the road, as they lost four games last week (9-13 on the road overall). Last week, the Storm Chasers went 3-4, but are still in first place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division (24-14).

NW Arkansas went 4-2 last week, including taking a four-game series at home against Springfield. The Naturals are 19-17 and in second place in the Texas League’s North Division. They begin a four game series at first place Tulsa tonight.

Wilmington went 3-4 last week. The Blue Rocks are 15-20 overall and sit in second place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division. They begin a four game series at first place Lynchburg tonight (they just lost 2 of 3 at home to the Hillcats).

Kane County went 5-2 last week. The Cougars are 19-18 overall and are in a third place tie with Quad Cities in the Midwest League’s Western Division.

Who will be taking home this week’s awards?

Hitter of the Week:

Majors: After more than nine seasons and 900 minor league at-bats, Irving Falu finally made his Major League debut on May 6th (I know the date coincides with last week’s awards). He delivered a triple in his first at-bat. However, he played a few times this week with Mike Moustakas dealing with a hamstring problem. Falu went 5-for-13 (.385) in three games with a double and an RBI.

Minors: Whit Merrifield, Blue Rocks. Merrifield has been hot as of late, making some wonder how much longer he will stay in Wilmington. Supposedly, he was sent back to play second base everyday, but has been seeing alot of time in the outfield lately. Over the past week, he went 9-for-23 (.391) with two homeruns, four RBIs, and seven runs scored from the leadoff spot.

Honorable Mention: Christian Colon of the Naturals and Orlando Calixte of the Cougars (both shortstops). CC went 10-for-23 (.435) with five runs scored. Calixte went 7-for-25 (.280) with six RBIs and five runs scored. It’s also been a few days since he committed an error.

» Continue reading “Royals Blue Aid Weekly Awards”

Omaha collected just four hits in their 7-1 loss at Fresno. Two of those hits were picked up by Derrick Robinson (who also stole a base).

Louis Coleman got the start for the Storm Chasers and allowed two runs on five hits over two innings. Sean O’Sullivan relieved him and allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks over the next five innings.

NW Arkansas beat Springfield after Sharlon Schoop hit a solo homerun in the 8th inning to give the Naturals the 6-5 win. The Cardinals had just tied the game in the top of the 8th inning off Kendal Volz. Volz escaped a 9th inning jam by getting a line drive double play.

An hour plus rain delay in the bottom of the 2nd inning sent both teams’ starting pitchers (Justin Marks and Scott Gorgen) to the showers early. Andrew Dobies was the first Naturals reliever to enter and he threw three hitless innings.

The Naturals had 12 hits. Christian Colon went 2-for-4. Wil Myers, who started at third base, went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Julio Rodriguez went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two walks.

Wilmington couldn’t pull off their first series sweep of the 2012 season, as they lost at Frederick, 6-5. The Blue Rocks hit three homeruns that accounted for all five of their runs.

Brian Fletcher hit a two-run homerun in the first inning, which gave them a quick 2-0 lead. Geulin Beltre hit a solo shot in the 8th inning and Travis Jones hit a two-run homer in the 9th inning that got the blue Rocks back into the game. They were Jones’ first two RBIs of the season.

Edwin Carl threw another gem for Kane County, as they beat Wisconsin, 5-4. Carl allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings. Nick Graffeo picked up his 8th save of the season after throwing 1.1 innings of shutout baseball.

The Cougars were out-hit 13-9 and made three errors, yet still came out victorious. Justin Trapp went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Jorge Bonifacio went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Lane Adams hit a two-run homerun.