The Arizona Fall League came to an end on Saturday afternoon, as Peoria beat Salt River, 4-3 in a protested game.

The Surprise Saguaros, and the KC Royals contingent, came in second place in the West Division at 17-14.

Let’s recap the four games in the AFL’s final week.

The Saguaros won their first two games of the week, starting with Monday. Malcom Culver picked up his first hold of the AFL season with two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed one hit and induced five ground outs. He threw 11 of his 17 pitches for strikes.

In that game, Brian Fletcher played left field and batted fifth. He went 1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI. He also walked, but was picked off first base.

On Tuesday, Surprise picked up their second win in a row. Whit Merrifield played second base and batted second. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He also walked and stole a base.

Justin Marks picked up his first and only loss of the AFL season on Wednesday. He pitched well, but the Surprise offense collected just two hits. Marks allowed two runs on five hits over four innings. He struck out six while throwing 53 of his 78 pitches for strikes. Nick Ahmed of Atlanta picked up two triples off him.

Edwin Carl was roughed up in his final AFL outing. He allowed three runs on four hits over just 1.2 innings. He struck out one and threw 19 of his 26 pitches for strikes. Jon Keck entered in relief of Carl and needed just three pitches to escape the jam.

On offense, Fletcher was back in left field but moved down to the sixth spot in the order. He went 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout. Orlando Calixte played shortstop and batted ninth. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

The Saguaros lost their final game of their AFL season on Thursday. Merrifield played left field and surprisingly batted third. He went 3-for-5 with a two-run homerun. He also walked twice. His two-run homer cut the deficit to 5-3 in the 7th inning. Calixte pinch-ran in the 8th inning for the DH.

Here are the Royals final AFL stats:

Calixte: .275 (11-for-40), HR, five runs scored, 2RBIs, 2BB, 14K, SB

Carl: 0-1, 2.77 ERA, 13IP, 9H, 6R, 4ER, 2HR, 3BB, 8K

Culver: 0-1, 6.35 ERA, 5.2IP, 6H, 4R, 2HR, 0BB, 3K

Fletcher: .203 (14-for-69), four doubles, one triple, HR, nine runs scored, 9 RBIs, 17BB, 24K

Keck: 0-0, 5.59 ERA, 9.2IP, 15H, 9R, 6ER, 5BB, 7K

Marks: 5-1, 2.59 ERA, 24.1IP, 24H, 10R, 7ER, OHR, 5BB, 22K

McClure (did not play this past week): .216 (8-for-37), two doubles, 7 runs scored, 4RBIs, 2BB, 11K, 2SB, CS

Merrifield: .250 (17-for-68), one double, HR, 15 runs scored, 8RBIs, 10BB, 8K, 9SB, CS

The Surprise Saguaros went 3-3 last week, but fell to 1.5 games back of first place in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. Unfortunately, they do not play first place Peoria in their final four games. The AFL Championship Game is Saturday afternoon (live on MLB Network).

The KC Royals contingent of players had a fairly good week.

In Monday’s loss, Brian Fletcher played left field and batted sixth. He went 1-for-2 with two walks (and no strikeouts). Whit Merrifield was the DH and batted 7th. He went 0-for-4 and grounded into a double play.

In Tuesday’s win, the Saguaros received solid pitching from a Royals duo. Jon Keck pitched two scoreless innings of relief. He did allow two hits but did not walk a batter. Edwin Carl followed and pitched a perfect inning of relief.

On offense, Fletcher was the DH and batted fifth. He went 1-for-5. Alex McClure played shortstop and batted ninth. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

In Wednesday’s loss, Merrifield played left field and batted second. He went 0-for-3 with two walks and a strikeout. He was caught stealing for the first time in the AFL. Calixte played shortstop and batted ninth. He went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a stolen base. He struck out once.

Malcom Culver had a tough outing. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in one inning of work. He had a strikeout. He threw just 19 of his 31 pitches for strikes.

On Thursday, Justin Marks improved to 5-0 (tops in the AFL). He allowed one run on four hits over four innings of work. He struck out three. Marks threw 35 of his 55 pitches for strikes.

On offense, Fletcher played left field and batted fourth. He went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Both RBIs came with two outs. Merrifield entered late in the game as an injury replacement for St.Louis’ Kolten Wong. He went 0-for-1 with a strikeout.

In Surprise’s win on Friday night, Fletcher went 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI as the DH. McClure went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the nine hole.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 5 Update”

The Surprise Saguaros lost to Scottsdale, 4-3 in the Arizona Fall League’s Military Appreciation Game live on MLB Network. They were down 4-1 heading into the 8th inning before making the comeback.

The KC Royals minor leaguers had their chance to make an impact in the game, but couldn’t come up with the clutch hit.

Whit Merrifield started in left field and batted second. He reached on an error in the first inning (though I would have given it an infield single). He then stole second base and scored the Saguaros’ lone run until the eighth.

Merrifield came to the plate in the 8th inning with a runner on first base and nobody out. He got a good swing against NYY reliever Mark Montgomery on the first pitch fastball, but fouled it down the left field line. However he struck out on the nasty slider he could not lay off of.

With two outs, the score 4-3, and runners at second and third base, Orlando Calixte pinch-hit. He flied out to right field to end the inning with a chance to at least tie the game.

Overall, Merrifield went 0-for-4. He only had one chance in left field.

Edwin Carl

Reliever Edwin Carl impressed MLB Network analyst Tom Verducci in his two inning outing. He struck out two in his scoreless outing (the fifth and sixth innings). He threw 36 of his 23 pitches for strikes. Carl was the only Surprise pitcher to get NYY prospect Slade Heathcott out (he went 2-for-2 with two walks and two stolen bases). He got him to ground out to end his outing.

He was followed by fellow Royal Jon Keck, who threw a scoreless inning. He allowed a hit while also striking out two. Keck threw ten of his 19 pitches for strikes.

If you were with me in the Wilmington Blue Rocks press box this season, then you know that every game that I attended, Keck pitched (before his promotion). After Keck was promoted, it seemed like Carl pitched all the time. The two wore the same number. So when there was a pitching change, I usually called out “It’s number 30″. I was right most of the time.

Surprise has Sunday off (as does all the other teams in the AFL), before getting back into action on Monday against Scottsdale again.

It was a shorter week in the Arizona Fall League, with the Rising Stars Game taking place on Saturday night. Surprise went 3-2 during the week and are a 1/2 game back of first place in the West Division.

It was a fairly good week for the KC Royals players with the Saguaros.

Jon Keck with the Wilmington Blue Rocks during the 2012 season.

The Saguaros won their third game in a row on Monday, as Jon Keck picked up a hold. He struck out one over one inning of work and threw eight of his 12 pitches for strikes. Brian Fletcher played left field and batted fifth, but went 0-for-3. He did walk and drive in a run, but also struck out.

On Tuesday, the Saguaros winning streak came to an end, as Malcom Culver took the loss (he also got the blown save). In 2/3 of an inning, he allowed two runs on three hits. The runs scored on Kent Matthes two-run homerun in the 8th inning. In terms of pitches, he threw nine of his 13 pitches for strikes. Prior to that inning, Edwin Carl allowed one hit in an inning of work while striking out one. He threw ten of his 15 pitches for strikes.

Whit Merrifield batted seventh and played left field, but went 0-for-4. Alex McClure batted ninth and played shortstop. He went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

On Wednesday, Surprise got back into the win column. Orlando Calixte batted ninth and played shortstop. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Unfortunately, he committed two errors. Fletcher was back in left field and batted fourth, but he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

On Thursday, the Saguaros won their second game in a row behind the now 4-0 Justin Marks. He allowed one run on four hits over four innings. He struck out three and threw 29 of his 45 pitches for strikes. Keck picked up his second hold of the week with two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out two. He threw 26 of his 36 pitches for strikes.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 4 Update”

The KC Royals contingent in the Arizona Fall League helped the Surprise Saguaros go 3-3 last week. Overall, the Saguaros are 9-7, 1.5 games back of first place in the West Division.

In Monday’s loss, Jon Keck pitched an inning of relief. Surprisingly, it was a good inning. He allowed one hit while striking out one during the scoreless inning. Keck threw 15 pitches, nine for strikes.

On offense, Brian Fletcher batted seventh and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout. He played left field. Whit Merrifield was a late inning replacement in centerfield and went 0-for-1.

In Tuesday’s ten-inning victory, Fletcher went 1-for-3 with a two walks, a run scored, and an RBI. He did strike out again. Alex McClure was back at shortstop and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and two stolen bases. Unfortunately, he also struck out twice.

Edwin Carl was the reason the game went into extra innings, as he picked up the blown save. He allowed a homerun to Washington Nationals prospect Matt Skole in the 7th inning. In one inning, he allowed two runs (none earned) on one hit while striking out one.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 3 Update”

The Surprise Saguaros went 4-1-1 (yes, a tie) during Week 2 of the Arizona Fall League. The KC Royals contingent were a big reason for their winning ways.

It all started on Monday, as Justin Marks picked up his first AFL victory. He allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out three and threw 28 of his 48 pitches for strikes.

In the first inning, Whit Merrifield singled, stole second base, and then scored on a single. He went 2-for-3 as the DH and batted leadoff. Brian Fletcher batted third and played left field, but went 0-for-3. He walked, struck out, and scored a run.

Edwin Carl pitched in relief and threw 16 of his 25 pitches for strikes. He allowed one hit and a walk over two scoreless innings. He struck out one.

In Tuesday’s win, Merrifield didn’t start, but went in to play second base. He went 1-for-2. Fletcher batted third again, but was the DH. The results were the same, as he went 0-for-4. He walked twice and scored two runs, but struck out three times.

Alex McClure played in his first game of the week and batted ninth. The shortstop went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, two RBIs, and two strikeouts.

In Surprise’s fourth win in a row, Orlando Calixte played shortstop and batted eighth. He went 2-for-4, but struck out twice. Merrifield was back in left field and batted second. He went 0-for-3 with two walks, a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Jon Keck made his first and only relief appearance of the week and it wasn’t a good one. He record the first out of the inning on a ground out, but he then proceeded to walk the next four batters. Keck allowed two runs and only threw eight of his 24 pitches for strikes.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 2 Update”

The first week of the Arizona Fall League is complete and the KC Royals contingent with the Surprise Saguaros have started off alright. The Saguaros went just 2-3.

The premium player of the eight Royals is outfielder Brian Fletcher, which guarantees him prime playing time. He played in three of the Saguaros’ five games during the first week.

On Opening Day, he started in left field and went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a walk, and a strikeout. In the third game, Fletcher was the DH and went 1-for-5. The alarming stat was his four strikeouts. The following day, he was back in left field and went 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and a walk.

In three games, Fletcher is 3-for-10 with five strikeouts.

In the second game for Surprise, three Royals made up their infield. Whit Merrifield led off and played second base. He went 1-for-3 with with two walks and two runs scored. Alex McClure started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout. Orlando Calixte started at third base (more on him later).

Unfortunately, both Merrifield and McClure committed errors. Merrifield‘s cost the Saguaros three runs. Those three runs were charged to Jon Keck, who allowed four hits and those runs over just 2/3 of an inning. It all happened with two outs and nobody on base.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 1 Update”

The 20th Anniversary season of the Arizona Fall League begins today. The KC Royals have a contingent of eight players on the Surprise Saguaros team made up of prospects from the Boston Red Sox, NY Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers.

Problem is, only two of the eight Royals are actually considered “prospects”. Maybe someone will impress enough to emerge as a prospect?

The first games of the 2012 AFL season begins soon (12:35pm MST), as Scottsdale visits Phoenix and Surprise visits Peoria. Surprise plays Peoria again on Wednesday for their first home game.

Let’s take a look at the Royals‘ participants:

Left-hander Justin Marks will be getting the start for Surprise on Opening Day. He had a very good 2012 season, in which he earned a late season promotion to Triple-A Omaha to help in their playoff chase. He was a Texas League All-Star, but an injury kept him from participating.

Marks made one regular season start for the Storm Chaasers (which lasted just 1.2 innings) and one playoff start in the divisional series. He pitched 4.1 innings in which he allowed three earned runs on five hits in the clincher.

» Continue reading “The AFL Begins Today”

On Wednesday, the Arizona Fall League rosters were announced for the league’s 20th anniversary season. Each Major League organization sends seven players to the fall league. There are six fall league teams with five big league teams represented on each.

The Surprise Saguaros are once again home to the KC Royals contingent. Joining Royals players in Surprise will be members of the Boston Red Sox, NY Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers. Of note from those teams: Bryce Brentz (Red Sox), Kolten Wong (Cardinals), and Jimmy Reyes (Rangers).

Now on to the Royals contingent. None of the seven are big name prospects and six of the seven played college baseball.

Let’s start with the pitchers. 

Edwin Carl is currently a member of the Wilmington bullpen, though he was excelling in the starter’s role in Low-A Kane County before his promotion. A non-drafted free agent in 2010, he has been a valuable long man for the Blue Rocks. He doesn’t walk many (just 27 overall in 2012 in 114 innings). As of today, Carl had not allowed a hit or run in his last four outings (totaling ten innings).

Jon Keck was dominant to start the season in Wilmington and earned a promotion to Double-A after just 11 relief outings. The lefty has struggled a bit with NW Arkansas. His walks are a little high (39 in 62.1 innings).

» Continue reading “Seven Royals Named to Surprise AFL Squad”

After a great week two weeks ago, the KC Royals fell back to earth this past week. They went just 2-4, but kept hold of third place in the American League Central. However, they fell 15 games back. The Royals finish up their series in Boston this afternoon before returning home to face Detroit, Minnesota, and Texas.

Omaha went 3-4 (just 4-4 since clinching the American Northern Division) last week. The Storm Chasers are 80-56 in the Pacific Coast League, which is the second best record. They begin a regular-season ending eight-game road trip tonight in Memphis.

NW Arkansas went just 2-5 last week. The Naturals are just 19-42 in the second half of the Texas League. Overall, they are 56-75. They finish up their series in Tulsa tonight before moving on to Arkansas for four games. The Naturals end the season at home against Tulsa.

Wilmington won just two games last week, but still hold a 1/2 game lead for the second half Northern Division title in the Carolina League (32-21). The Blue Rocks finish the regular season at home, beginning with a four-game series tonight against Myrtle Beach, who is fighting for the Southern Division title.

Kane County went 3-4 last week and dropped to 8.5 games back in the Western Division of the Midwest League. They are 31-31. The Cougars continue their series against Burlington tonight (who are three games ahead of them).

Hitters of the Week

Majors: Eric Hosmer seems to be FINALLY finding a groove at the plate (though his defense has been less than stellar of late). Last week, he went 7-for-21 (.333) with a double and a homerun. He scored three runs and drove in three runs. Hosmer has raised his average to .241.

Honorable Mention: Alex Gordon started the season as poorly as Hosmer, but found his groove and is putting up similar numbers to last season (he is up to .293). This past week, he went 9-for-24 (.375) with two doubles, two runs scored, and seven RBIs. He has moved down into the 3-spot in the order.

Minors: Justin Trapp, Kane County. He went 11-for-24 (.458) this past week from the leadoff spot. He scored six runs and drove in five. His strikeout totals are a little high on the season (seven last week), but he does draw his walks (four last week).

Honorable Mention: Michael Liberto, NW Arkansas. Despite the struggles of the Naturals, Liberto has been a bright spot since his promotion. This past week, he went 8-for-19 (.420) with six runs scored. After playing in just six games over the season’s first half in Wilmington, he has played in 33 games in Double-A.

» Continue reading “Royals Blue Aid Weekly Awards”