Royals affiliates showed plenty of offense on the day, and went 4-3. The Dominican Summer League team had the day off.
HR Roll Call: David Edwards (5), Nathan Esposito (1), Mike Hill (6), Ben Johnson (5), Travis Maezes (11), Meibrys Viloria (6)
BPKC Hitter of the Day – Meibrys Viloria, 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
BPKC Pitcher of the Day – Christian Binford, 6 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Nashville Sounds 6, Omaha Storm Chasers 5
Omaha’s bullpen had a bad night, allowing four runs over the last two innings to cost the team a win. Miguel Almonte gave up two runs on four hits in the seventh, and after the Storm Chasers scored three runs in the eighth to take the lead, Malcom Culver surrendered two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Both of Culver’s runs were unearned after Orlando Calixte committed a fielding error. Billy Burns’ two-out single gave the Sounds the lead. Omaha starter Christian Binford allowed two runs in six innings. The Storm Chasers took a 2-0 lead in the first, as Reymond Fuentes singled, Hunter Dozier had an RBI double, and Jorge Bonifacio had an RBI single. But Omaha would not score again until a three-run rally in the eighth. Calixte began the inning with a single and took second on an error, then scored on Raul Mondesi’s single. Fuentes singled, and Mondesi and Fuentes pulled off a double steal. Dozier walked, with ball four being a wild pitch that let Mondesi score. Bonifacio hit a sacrifice fly to give Omaha a 5-4 lead, but it would not last long.
Reymond Fuentes: 3-4, 2B, 2 R
Jorge Bonifacio: 1-3, 2 RBI
Raul Mondesi: 1-4, R, RBI
Northwest Arkansas Naturals 2, Springfield Cardinals 0
The Naturals took a four-game series from one of their rivals, three games to one, with three pitchers combining for the shutout. Jake Junis started and pitched four innings, scattering six hits and a walk and striking out two. The first three Springfield hitters of the game reached base, but Junis retired the next three to keep the Cardinals off the board. Eric Stout picked up the win by working three scoreless innings, and Evan Beal recorded his first save at the AA level with two perfect innings. On offense, the Naturals picked up eight hits but only one of them brought home runs. That came in the fifth, when Carlos Garcia singled with two outs and two on, driving in both runners. The Naturals also hit into a triple play in the fourth inning, but survived that to maintain their first-place perch in the second half standings. Northwest Arkansas is now 17-13 in the second half.
Ryan O’Hearn: 2-3, BB
Cam Gallagher: 1-3, R
Carlos Garcia: 1-3, BB, 2 RBI
Myrtle Beach Pelicans 6, Wilmington Blue Rocks 4
Wilmington couldn’t overcome a six-run third inning by Myrtle Beach, dropping their third straight game and the four-game series against the Pelicans. The Blue Rocks started out hot, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Brandon Downes had the key hit, a two-run single. Wilmington added one run in the third, as Samir Duenez led off with a triple and scored on another Downes single. But Myrtle Beach exploded against Foster Griffin, who had been sharp the first two innings, in the third. Griffin walked three and allowed four singles and a double in the inning. Relievers Todd Eaton and Jake Newberry combined for five scoreless innings, but Wilmington could only manage four hits and a walk the rest of the way.
Brandon Downes: 2-4, 3 RBI, SB
Samir Duenez: 1-3, 2 BB, 3B, 2 R
Foster Griffin: 3 IP, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 H, 5 BB, 3 K
Lexington Legends 12, Columbia Fireflies 11
The Legends exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning, and still needed a walkoff home run to capture a wild 12-11 win. Travis Maezes hit his 11th homer of the season with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth for the win. Glenn Sparkman, making his first start for Lexington, gave up four runs in the first inning. The Legends got one run back in the the third but Sparkman surrendered two more in the fourth. Yunior Marte saved the Legends, allowing one run in 4 2/3 relief innings before weakening in the ninth. Lexington scored three runs in the fifth on a Ben Johnson home run, but entered the bottom of the eighth still trailing 7-4. But the first four Legends batters reached safely, and after a hit batter and then a wild pitch tied the score, Mike Hill untied it with a two-out grand slam for an 11-7 lead. The Fireflies responded with four runs in the top of the ninth, two coming against Marte and the other two against Gabe Cramer. But Maezes made sure the game didn’t go into extra innings.
Glenn Sparkman 3 1/3 IP, 6 R, 6 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Brandon Dulin: 3-5, 2 R
Ben Johnson: 2-4, BB, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
Idaho Falls Chukars 7, Helena Brewers 6
The Chukars scored in the top of the ninth for a 7-6 win in a back and forth tilt. Singles by Yeison Melo, Meibrys Viloria, and Jordan Ebert made up the winning rally. Idaho Falls scored single runs in the first and second innings, but Helena took the lead with a four-run fourth inning. The Chukars came right back with four runs in the top of the fifth, with Viloria belting a three-run home run, followed by a David Edwards home run. Helena scored single runs in the fifth and eighth to tie the score before the Chukars scored the winner in the ninth. Brian Bayliss, who had allowed the run in the eighth, gave up a single, double, and intentional walk with two outs in the ninth before getting the third out to end the game. Idaho Falls stays in first place in the Pioneer League South Division with a 21-14 record.
Meibrys Viloria: 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Yeison Melo: 2-5, R, RBI
Jordan Ebert: 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Bluefield Blue Jays 6, Burlington Royals 5
Bluefield scored three runs in the eighth for a 6-5 comeback win over Burlington. Jose Veras took the loss after allowing a three-run home run in the eighth. Royals starter Garrett Davila allowed two runs in the first, but Burlington answered with three runs in the second. All three runs scored on Nathan Esposito’s first home run of the season. Davila allowed another run in the fourth, thanks in part to two wild pitches. Burlington again answered immediately, scoring two runs in the fifth, although both were unearned. Burlington held that lead until the eighth.
Nathan Esposito: 1-4, HR, 3 RBI
Kort Peterson: 2-4, RBI
Garrett Davila: 5 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K
AZL Royals 7, AZL Dodgers 5
Robbie Rinn collected three hits to push his season average above .300, while Dusty Coleman and Dalton Griffin each drove in a pair to lead the Royals to victory.
Anthony Bender: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
Oliver Nunez: 3-5, 2 R, 2B, 3B
Robbie Rinn: 3-5, R, RBI, 2B