It was a tough week to be affiliated with the KC Royals.

They went 2-5 this past week and have lost three in a row heading into the All-Star break. That stretch has pushed the Royals further back in the American League Central (37-47). They fell to 9.5 games back and just 1.5 games ahead of Minnesota for last place. The Royals start their second half push against first place Chicago on Friday.

Omaha has also lost three straight heading into their All-Star break. They went 3-4 this past week, but are still 16 games up in the American Northern Division of the Pacific Coast League (56-35). The Storm Chasers hold the best record in the PCL and return to action at home against Iowa on Thursday (I think they play the Cubs too much in a small amount of time).

NW Arkansas went 0-7 last week and fell into last place in the Texas League’s North Division. The Naturals are just 4-12 in the second half and continue play tonight at home against San Antonio looking to break their losing streak.

Wilmington went 2-5 this past week and are in last place in the Northern Division of the Carolina League at 7-11 (three games back). The Blue Rocks finish up their three-game home series tonight against Myrtle Beach (they have lost the first two games).

Kane County was the only affiliate with a winning record last week. They were 4-3 and are sitting in a four-way tie for first place in the Western Division of the Midwest league (10-7). The Cougars finish up their series in Wisconsin this afternoon.

Even with the tough week record-wise, some players had great individual performances.

Hitters of the Week

Majors: Salvador Perez has been nothing short of impressive since returning from knee surgery. He is hitting way better than many expected and this past week was no exception. In six games, he went 9-for-22 (.409) with two homeruns and three RBIs. He also scored six runs. His 11-game hitting streak game to an end on Saturday (when he went 0-for-4 in Detroit), but he has a hit in 12-of-13 games since returning from the DL.

Minors: Brian Fletcher, NW Arkansas. He struggled right out of the gate when he was promoted to Double-A and I was hoping for a big break out because he is too good of a hitter. This past week, he has done just that. Fletcher is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, where he is 9-for-25 (.360).

Honorable Mention: Jose Bonilla, Wilmington. The catcher is getting a chance to catch more often in the second half and has taken full advantage. This past week, he went 8-for-21 (.381).

Power hitter of the week: Matt Fields, Wilmington. Fields came over from independent ball, leading his league in homeruns. I figured he would struggle at Frawley Stadium hitting the ball out (like every other hitter). He has taken advantage of his opportunities on the road though. This past week, Fields hit five homeruns, four of which came on the road. Overall, he has six homeruns, five coming on the road.

» Continue reading “Royals Blue Aid Weekly Awards”

Jake Odorizzi won his first Triple-A game, as Omaha beat Salt Lake, 5-2. He allowed just one run on six hits over six innings. He struck out seven.

The Storm Chasers hit three homeruns: Clint Robinson, Tony Abreu, and Wil Myers. Myers went 2-for-4 and Derrick Robsinon went 2-for-3 in the win.

Down 8-0 after the top of the second inning was a deficit NW Arkansas could never completely dig out of, as the Naturals lost to Midland, 9-8. Noel Arguelles lasted just 1.1 innings in the loss.

The Naturals out-hit the RockHounds, 12-8. Christian Colon, Sharlon Schoop, Eric Duncan, and Nick Van Stratten each had two hits. CC scored three runs and Schoop hit a three-run homerun.

The Wilmington Blue Rocks complete their first series sweep of the season, with a 3-0 victory over visiting Potomac with a day game. They held just a 1-0 lead until the 8th inning when Brett Eibner and Cheslor Cuthbert drove in runs (Cuthbert had two hits).

Tyler Sample and the Blue Rocks bullpen outdueled the P-Nats. Sample allowed just two hits (though he walked four) over five innings. He struck out six. Jon Keck followed Sample with three scoreless innings of relief. Sam Runion picked up his first save of the season with a perfect 9th inning.

Jose Bonilla, who was just added to the roster from extended spring training on Tuesday, went 3-for-4 in his first start of the season behind the plate.

Kane County scored two runs in the bottom of the 8th inning en route to their 4-3 victory at home over Burlington. Michael Antonio hit a two-run double in the 8th inning for the win.

Lane Adams and Antonio went 6-for-8, as Adams scored two runs in the win.

Jason Mitchell earned the win in relief of Edwin Carl (5IP, 6H, 3R, BB, 4K), as he pitched two shutout innings and allowed just one hit.

To talk about the Omaha Storm Chasers 1-0 victory, you have to talk about the pitching. Lefty Danny Duffy started and allowed five hits (and two walks) over 4.1 innings. I’m guessing he’s on a strict pitch count because he only threw 86 pitches. Greg Holland and Luis Mendoza combined for 4.2 shutout innings while only allowing three hits. Plus they only combined to throw 73 pitches. Not bad for a team that saw their closer (Louis Coleman) promoted to the big leagues. The Storm Chasers scored the game’s lone run in the 1st inning on a Mike Moustakas RBI single, and their stellar pitching made it stand up. Memphis Redbirds starter Lance Lynn (and St. Louis Cardinals prospect) pitched 7.1 four-hit innings while striking out five.

The NW Arkansas Naturals were set to open up their homestand against the in-state rival Arkansas Travelers, but the opening game was postponed due to inclement weather and standing water on the field. Is everyone having terrible weather? They will play a doubleheader tonight. What to look for in this matchup? LA Angels top prospect (and Baseball America’s top prospect), outfielder Mike Trout, who may be the fastest guy in the minors (and maybe the Majors). Trout is from Millville, NJ (which isn’t too far where I’m from) and has been the only amateur to attend the MLB draft at the MLB Network studios.

*On Saturday, Naturals players will serve as buddies during Miracle League games. Here is an excerpt from the Naturals press release:

“The Miracle League Baseball program is a specially designed program for children with disabilities which allows children four years of age and up to play America’s most beloved pastime. The field includes special features such as a synthetic turf to prevent injuries, wheelchairs-accessible dugouts and a completely flat surface to eliminate barriers to walkers, wheelchair bound and/or visually impaired players.  Any child with a diagnosis may play, and the mission of the Miracle League is to include every child in games no matter his or her special needs….Several Major Leaguers with Arkansas ties have supported their events, including Philadelphia Phillies’ pitcher Cliff Lee, San Diego Padres’ pitcher Dustin Moseley, New York Yankees’ pitcher A.J. Burnett, and others.

Find out more about the Miracle League and what you can do to help by visiting www.MiracleLeagueAr.com”

The Wilmington Blue Rocks continue their winning ways and this time some of the struggling offensive players stepped up. Tim Ferguson and Carlo Testa, who were just 7-for-53 (.153), combined for three extra-base hits (two of which were homeruns), four RBIs, and three runs scored. After being down 3-0 after one inning, the Blue Rocks erupted for three runs in both the second and third innings. The host Winston-Salem Dash would make it interesting by scoring three total runs in the 7th and 8th innings to cut the Blue Rocks lead to 7-6, but the game’s final out came when Blue Rocks catcher Jose Bonilla caught Dash player Kyle Colligan trying to steal second base.

Down 4-1 after four innings, the Kane County Cougars came back to score seven runs between the 5th and 7th innings to win 8-4. The Cougars collected 13 hits, with the top three in the order, Alex Llanos, Yowill Espinal, and Brian Fletcher going 6-for-12 with four RBIs. Gerard Hall went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the nine-hole for the Cougars. Dusty Odenbach earned the win in relief, as he pitched two one-hit innings with four strikeouts. Chase Boruff followed with two no-hit innings and also struck out four.