BPKC Hitter of the Day: Meibrys Viloria 4-5, 2R, HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Nolan Watson 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 3-7 GO-FO, 77p/48k

Lexington Legends 7, Asheville Tourists 5

The Legends put six runs up in the first frame and then held on for the win. The first four hitters all reached with Kyle Isbel’s leadoff double starting the game off, scoring on a Nick Pratto single before an Asheville error scored a pair and helped the Legends toward the big inning. A pair of errors dented Charlie Neuweiler’s line, with the right-hander yielding two unearned runs on his four-run line after giving up three hits and three walks while striking out four. With a 7-4 lead, Asheville loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, but Danny Hrbek finagled a way out of the jam with a pop out and a double play. Again in the eighth, the Tourists put a couple in scoring position with no outs before reliever Tad Ratliff struck out two before ending the inning by inducing a groundout before giving up a run in the ninth and securing the win.

Kyle Isbel: 1-5, R, 2b
Seuly Matias: 0-3, R, HBP
Charlie Neuweiler: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 5-6 GO-FO, 94p/55k

Gm 1 – Wilmington Blue Rocks 8, Frederick Keys 0 – F/7
Gm 2 – Wilmington Blue Rocks 7, Frederick Keys 6 – F/7

Wilmington finished off a 6-1 roadtrip with a doubleheader sweep of the Orioles High-A squad Monday afternoon. The first game featured big days at the plate by Gabriel Cancel and catcher Meibrys Viloria with the duo each hitting a home run and driving in three runs apiece. That was more than enough for Nolan Watson who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before finishing off the shortened game with his third consecutive seven-inning start. In game two, Dan Tillo lost his way in the third inning, giving up four runs on four singles and three walks, forcing the bullpen to take over. The four runs allowed evened the game after Wilmington had built a 4-0 lead after four singles scored runs in the second. Three more singles in the sixth inning scored a pair before D.J. Burt scored on an errant throw after he stole second base. Reliever Julio Pinto gave up a run in the final inning before securing the win.

Gabriel Cancel: 2-7, HR, 3 RBI, 2K
Brewer Hicklen: 3-8, 3R, K
Emmanuel Rivera: 1-3, 2R, RBI, BB

NW Arkansas Naturals 4, Arkansas Travelers 2

Royals lefty Eric Skoglund made his Double-A rehab appearance with NW Arkansas, going four innings with just an unearned run allowed. Working on a limited pitch count, Skoglund tossed 29 strikes on 42 pitches while giving up three hits and striking out two. The offense got on the board in the third inning with a Jecksson Flores RBI double and an RBI groundout by Erick Mejia that scored Khalil Lee. In relief, Scott Blewett gave up a run over three innings to even the game up at 2-2. In the late innings, a pair of doubles helped towards two more runs for NW Arkansas,: Nick Dini’s leadoff double put him in position to score on a Lee single in the seventh, and Kelvin Gutierrez’s double in the eighth brought home Samir Duenez to push the advantage to two runs. Reliever Franco Terrero earned his fourth save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning.

Khalil Lee: 3-4, R, RBI
Kelvin Gutierrez: 2-4, 2-2b, RBI
Eric Skoglund: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 4-6 GO-FO, 42p/29k

Greeneville Reds 5, Burlington Royals 3

The Royals right-hander Elvis Luciano yielded two runs in five innings during the team’s loss. The young starter acquired in the Jon Jay trade gave up five hits including three for extra bases while striking out six against one walk. Strikes weren’t a problem on this night as Luciano tossed 51 strikes on 73 pitches. With the game tied 2-2 after five, the Royals scored just one run in the seventh while the Reds squad scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth off relievers Ismael Maldonado and Kyle Hinton.

Jackson Lueck: 2-4, 2b
Eric Cole: 1-4, RBI
Elvis Luciano: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 5-1 GO-FO, 73p/51k

Idaho Falls Chukars 8, Missoula Osprey 3

Another quality start for J.C. Cloney as the lefty worked 6.2 frames with three runs allowed. In typical fashion for the Chukars top starter, he pounded the zone with 67 strikes on 96 pitches while allowing three runs on nine hits. The offense scored eight runs on 14 hits and five walks, with Jose Caraballo hitting a two-run home run and driving in a third run to lead the way for the Idaho Falls offense. Reliever Robert Garcia tossed the final 2.1 innings scoreless to secure the save.

J.C. Cloney: 6.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 4-3 GO-FO, 96p/67k
Jose Caraballo: 3-4, HR, 3 RBI
Nate Eaton: 2-4, R, 2b, BB

Monday Boxscores

Tuesday Probables

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Seuly Matias 2-3 HR, K

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jon Heasley 5 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3K 7-4 GO-FO 52p/38k

Future’s Game – In a highly offensive game that featured eight home runs between the two teams, the minor league home run leader, Seuly Matias connected on the first one of the day. The Royals uber-prospect lined a 94 mph fastball from Yankees prospect Justus Sheffield 360 feet over the right-field fence to tie the game up 1-1. That was the first home run in a highly offensive game that Team USA won 10-6 with Torii Hunter’s squad piling on four runs between the seventh and eighth innings to separate after the World team tied things up 6-6. In addition to the home run, Matias struck out versus Hunter Greene on a fastball better than 100 mph and singled on a groundball up the middle versus Detroit prospect Matt Manning.

Greenville Drive 3 Lexington Legends 1

The Legends offense struggled for the second night in a row while one of their hot pitchers didn’t have his best stuff on Sunday. Starter Carlos Hernandez entered the game with a 21 inning streak without allowing an earned run but struggled to avoid hits on this day, giving up nine hits in five and one-third innings including six doubles in that time. The right-hander gave up a run in the second on back to back doubles down the leftfield line to end his streak at 22 innings and was forced to navigate plenty of runners during the start. He also gave up a run in the fifth inning and left with two runners for Andrew Beckwith to clean up in the sixth. Infielder Ricky Aracena drove in the Legends only run in the eighth with a sac fly as Lexington pieced just four hits together during the game.

Carlos Hernandez: 5.1 IP 9 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K 4-6 GO-FO 95p/63k
MJ Melendez: 0-3 BB
Nick Pratto: 0-4 K

Salem Red Sox 7 Wilmington Blue Rocks 4

Infielder Gabe Cancel’s hot bat kept going on Sunday as the Rocks got a good start form Gerson Garabito but the bullpen struggled in a loss against Salem. Since June 1, Cancel has hit .315/.363/.469 thanks in part to a 3 for 5 day on Sunday that featured two doubles and a home run while playing part in three of the Rocks four runs. Starter Gerson Garabito worked seven innings giving up single runs in the fifth and seventh innings while allowing three hits and three  walks against five strikeouts. Reliever Julio Pinto struggled mightily in relief, giving up five runs in the eighth inning to take a 2-2 game and put it firmly in the grasp of the Red Sox farm club.

Gabe Cancel: 3-5 R, 2-2b, HR, 3 RBI
Blake Perkins: 2-4 2R, BB
Gerson Garabito: 7 IP 3 H 2R 2 ER 3 BB 5 K 3-7 GO-FO 86p/54k

Springfield Cardinals 7 NW Arkansas Naturals 1

Starter Dallas Beeler was knocked around again, giving up five runs on five hits in just 2/3 of an inning on Sunday. While he was getting tattooed, the Cardinals starter shut out the Naturals offense for seven innings, limiting the Naturals to just three hits versus five strikeouts and a pair of walks. The NW Arkansas bullpens continued their struggles with Andres Machado and Pedro Fernandez each giving up a run in the loss.

Khalil Lee: 0-4 2K
Kelvin Gutierrez: 1-3 R, 2b
Jecksson Flores: 2-4 2b, RBI

Memphis Redbirds 8 Omaha Storm Chasers 0

A day after Chasers pitchers shut out Memphis, the offense returned the favor, getting shutout by Daniel Poncedeleon. The 26-year-old righthander allowed just a second-inning double by Ramon Torres while tossing a nine-inning complete game on 110 pitches, 77  of which were strikes while striking out five. Lefty Jon Dziedzic gave up a pair of home runs in his six and one-third innings, allowing four runs in the loss.

Nicky Lopez: 0-3 BB, K
Ramon Torres: 1-3 2b
Jon Dziedzic: 6.1 IP 5 H 4 R 3 ER 2 BB 2 K 2 HR 7-5 GO-FO 106p/62k

Johnson City Cardinals 7 Burlington Royals 6

Starter Elvis Luciano tossed three scoreless innings before giving up a pair of home runs and five total runs in the next inning and two-thirds. The big blow came via a three-run shot by Benito Santiago, the son of the former Royals catcher. Trailing 5-2 the Royals countered with three runs over the fifth and sixth innings getting a pair of rbi hits by Colby Schultz and Montae Bradshaw in the sixth to tie the game. Unfortunately, the Cardinals countered with a two-run double in the eighth to take a lead that the Royals couldn’t comeback against, falling a run short in the loss.

Chris Hudgins 2-5 2R, HR, 2b, 2 RBI
Jackson Lueck 2-4 R
Elvis Luciano 4.2 IP 5 H 5 R 5 ER 2 BB 6 K 2 HR 4-4 GO-FO 82p/53k

Missoula Osprey 3 Idaho Falls Chukars 1

The Chukars offense was shut down by the Missoula pitching staff for the second game in a row as the D-Backs squad limited the top hitting team in the league to just one run. Idaho Falls went just 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position while starter Jon Heasley tossed five shutout innings himself just 52 pitches. A 1-0 lead was overcome by a run in the seventh off Domingo Pena and two more in the ninth when he surrendered an RBI double and a sac fly. The offense couldn’t counter in the loss despite loading the bases.

Tyler James: 1-3 R, BB, SB (21)
Kyle Isbel: 0-4 2K
Reed Rohlman: 2-4 RBI, 2K

Featured Photo via @Royals Twitter

Sunday Boxscores

Monday Probables
Omaha – TBD
NW Arkansas – Jace Vines 2-8 5.04 ERA 1.58 WHIP
Wilmington – Nolan Watson 6-7 5.62 ERA 1.80 WHIP
Lexington – Charlie Neuweiler 0-1 3.81 ERA 1.31 WHIP
Burlington – Randy Acevedo 0-2 6.95 ERA 1.82 WHIP
Idaho Falls – JC Cloney 5-0 2.35 ERA 1.01 WHIP

The Dominican Royals have a player off to an outstanding start to his career in Venezuelan born 17-year-old Diego Maican. The 6’3 180 lbs right-handed hitter has a hit in all 10 games this season for the Royals1 squad with 17 hits in 33 at-bats. A Royals official told me that the reason Maican was signed was due to the scout’s belief in his bat with a simple compact swing with gap power. Currently at DH due to a leg problem, Maican will be a corner outfielder in the future and could be one I watch for during fall instructs when he turns 18 in October.

Friday Charleston River Dogs 10 Lexington Legends 4 – HR MJ Melendez (11)
Saturday Charleston River Dogs 8 Lexington Legends 5 – HR Dennicher Carrasco (9), Brewer Hicklen (8)
Sunday Columbia Fireflies 5 Lexington Legends 3 – HR Seuly Matias (24)

The theme for all three Legends games was the same this weekend with their starting pitcher struggling to prevent hits, runs and keeping balls in the field of play while the Legends hit plenty of home runs of their own but not doing enough around it. The worst of the bunch was Friday’s starter Yefri Del Rosario who the Yankees farm club roughed up for eight hits, eight runs (7 ER) and three walks in just two and one-third innings. The right-hander has struggled to a 10.45 ERA in three starts while allowing five home runs in just 10.1 innings. Starter Carlos Hernandez continued his recent struggles after a good start to his season, allowing nine hits and five runs in just four innings while Garrett Davila gave up three solo home runs in just four innings on Sunday. The Lexington bats hit grand slams on Friday and Saturday while Seuly Matias connected on his 24th home run on versus the Mets Low-A team on Sunday but it wasn’t enough in any of the games.

Seuly Matias: 1-8 HR, 4K didn’t play on Saturday
MJ Melendez: 3-11 HR, 5 RBI, 2 K, CS
Nick Pratto: 3-12 R, 2b, 3K

Friday Potomac Nationals 10 Wilmington Blue Rocks 0 
Saturday PPD
Sunday Wilmington Blue Rocks 11 Potomac Nationals 5 – HR Gabe Cancel (4), Meibrys Viloria (3)

Friday’s game got away from Wilmington in the eighth inning when reliever Josh Mitchell failed to get an out, allowing seven runs in the process to turn a 3-0 deficit into double digits. The offense didn’t threaten much, getting just four hits during the game and going 0-5 with runners in scoring position. The Sunday game was a seven-inning affair as the first game of what was supposed to be a doubleheader that didn’t happen with rain postponing the second game. Starter Nolan Watson gave up four runs in the first and five in total in just four innings but the Wilmington offense did plenty to make up for it, scoring 11 runs on 11 hits and four walks. All the runs came off major league pitcher Jeremy Hellickson including a pair of home runs via Gabe Cancel and Meibrys Viloria. It was Viloria’s grand slam that gave Wilmington the lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way while Cancel paced the rest of the offense with three hits and three runs driven in while Cristian Castillo worked the final three innings scoreless to earn the win.

Khalil Lee: 3-7 2R, 2b, 3 RBI, SB
Gabe Cancel: 4-7 2R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB
D.J. Burt: 2-7 R, 2b, RBI, BB

Friday Tulsa Drillers 9 NW Arkansas Naturals 3 – HR Kelvin Gutierrez (6)
Saturday Tulsa Drillers 4 NW Arkansas Naturals 3
Sunday PPD

Starter Foster Griffin’s difficult season continued on Friday when the lefty gave up 10 hits and seven runs including three home runs. Newcomer Kelvin Gutierrez hit his first home run with the organization in the lopsided loss. The Naturals led Saturday’s game from the third inning until newly promoted reliever Bryan Brickhouse was rudely introduced to Double-A when Will Smith connected on a three-run home run to give Tulsa the lead in the eighth and eventually the win after a scoreless ninth.

Kelvin Gutierrez: 1-7 HR, BB, SB

Nicky Lopez: 2-7 R, BB
Anderson Miller: 2-6 R, RBI, 2 BB

Friday Omaha Storm Chasers 6 Oklahoma City Dodgers 3 – HR Lucas Duda (2)
Saturday Oklahoma City Dodgers 7 Omaha Storm Chasers 5 – HR Frank Schwindel (13), Billy Burns (2)
Sunday Omaha Storm Chasers 8 Oklahoma City Dodgers 0 - HR Ryan O’Hearn (8), Donnie Dewees (3) Humberto Arteaga (3)

The Chasers offense led the way for two weekend wins with six home runs over the three-game set including a big Sunday afternoon. In all the club knocked out 30 hits over the three games with newcomer Donnie Dewees finishing a double short of the cycle on Sunday. Starter Glenn Sparkman gave the Chasers a quality start on Friday and Richard Lovelady’s two scoreless innings allowed the offense’s four runs seventh take home the win thanks in part to Jorge Bonifacio two-run double. Three different hitters went deep on Sunday with Arteaga clearing the bases with a grand slam that put the game well out of reach with Trevor Oaks spinning the fourth scoreless start of his young Omaha career. The right-hander worked six scoreless innings with just four hits and a walk allowed while striking out seven, the highest mark since joining the organization.

Donnie Dewees: 4-12 4R, 2b, 3b, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Jorge Bonifacio: 4-8 2R, 2-2b, 3 RBI, BB didn’t play Sunday
Trevor Oaks: 6 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 1 Bb 7 K 2-4 GO-FO 85p/62k

Friday Idaho Falls Chukars 9 Grand Junction Rockies 8 
Saturday Orem Owlz 10 Idaho Falls Chukars 6 – HR Rudy Martin (2, 3), Jose Carabello (1)
Sunday Idaho Falls Chukars 11 Orem Owlz 8 - HR Nick Hutchins (2)

The Chukars built big early leads on Friday and Sunday to win two of three games over the weekend. Sunday’s game saw Idaho Falls build a nine run leads in the third and again in the fourth inning only to need reliever Jackson Klein strikeout the potential lead run at the plate with the bases loaded.

Rudy Martin: 4-14 3R, 2b, 2-HR, 3 RBI, 4 K
Kyle Isbel: 2-7 3R, 3 BB, CS
Tyler James: 5-14 3R, RBI, BB, 4 SB, CS

Friday Bluefield Blue Jays 9 Burlington Royals 6
Saturday Bluefield Blue Jays 7 Burlington Royals 5
Sunday Bluefield Blue Jays 5 Burlington Royals 1 – HR Jose Marquez (1)

The Royals haven’t pitched or played defense well in dropping their first six games of the season. On Friday, 1st round pick Daniel Lynch tossed a couple zeroes up before the defense made a couple of errors to help put three runs  (2 ER) on his line in his abbreviated (2.2 IP) start. Three more unearned runs came across with three home runs coming off Bryar Johnson while the Royals had just one extra-base hit in the first game. During the second game of the series starter, Malcolm Van Buren could get just two hitters out while allowing four runs on five hits and a walk in the 1st inning. Relievers Austin Lambright and Yerelmy Garcia k’d 13 hitters in seven and one-third innings following Van Buren but the Jays early lead and three additional runs were enough to overcome the Royals 3 for 15 effort with runners in scoring position. Fifth-round pick Austin Cox pitched well in his three innings on Sunday with just an unearned run against two hits and five strikeouts prior to left-hander Marlin Willis yielding three runs in his first inning of relief before getting through four innings with four allowed. The Royals were no-hit until the last out in the ninth when Jose Marquez connected on a home run.

Juan Carlos Negret: 2-8 3R, 3b, RBI, K, BB
Austin Cox: 3 IP 2 H 1 R 0 ER 1 BB 5 K 3-1 GO-FO 41p/30k
Daniel Lynch: 2.2 IP 4 H 3 R 2 ER 1 BB 3 K 5-1 GO-FO 31p/26k

Friday Boxscores
Saturday Boxscores
Sunday Boxscores

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Jecksson Flores 1-3 R, 2b, RBI, BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Yunior Marte 2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 2 K 2-1 GO-FO 32p/19k

Notes from J.J. Picollo 

On the Jon Jay Trade – Elvis Luciano has a big arm; our scouts like him as an amateur. We have noticed his improvements in velocity, command, and quality of pitches. We have great reports on his makeup and feel even better about it once we got to be with him for a couple of days. We feel really good about his chances to be a quality starter.  Gabe Speier – Been traded a few times but they were legitimate trades. Has a three-pitch mix with command. His reports read like a starter but he’s a reliever likely in the middle relief mold to 7th inning type. Arizona pursued Jon Jay which is the reason this deal came together now, they had a need and they were willing to give up something that we value.

On promoting Khalil Lee – There are people who think we need to be looking at it. He’s trending the way we want him to trend, appears to be making some adjustments to the league which gives you a good reason to talk about it. I don’t think we’re there quite yet if he continues to go the way he’s going then we can look at it towards the end of the year. You don’t want to go on such a small sample from High-A to Double-A because in a lot of people’s opinion that is one of the largest jumps a player can make. Obviously, it’s going to come at some point either this year or next. We just want to be sure it’s the right time.

On Lee in centerfield – To be candid, I was one of the ones who questioned it early but the more I watch him play, the more you see him move, the more you believe he is going to play there. Before I was one that said he was going to be a gold glove rightfielder but the more I’ve watched him play the more I think he’s an everyday centerfielder. He’s won me over.

Lexington Legends 2 Columbia Fireflies 1

The Legends won last night when the rain washed away the game in the eighth but on this night it wouldn’t even get that far, getting a rain washed win after five. Outfielder Seuly Matias led off the second with a double and scored in the second inning to take a early 1-0 lead. After Columbia scored on an infield single in the third the Legends countered with a Cal Jones walk and a run on an error to take the lead that would eventually prove to be the deciding factor in the game. Shortstop Cristian Perez extended his hitting streak to 13 games in the win.

Cristian Perez: 1-2
Seuly Matias: 1-2 R, 2b, K
Nick Pratto: 0-2 SB (8)

Game 1 Down East Wood Ducks 6 Wilmington Blue Rocks 5 F/7
Game 2 Down East Wood Ducks 8 Wilmington Blue Rocks 5 F/7

In both games of the doubleheader, Wilmington fell behind by significant margins only to claw back in the game before falling. In game one starter Dan Tillo struggled with the zone, walking four in five innings while allowing five runs due in part to a pair of home runs allowed. The lefty was off the hook for the loss after Gabe Cancel answered the 5-1 deficit with a grand slam to tie the game but an error on his part in the sixth helped yield the eventual winning run, In game two starter Jace Vines was knocked around for eleven hits in just three and two-thirds innings, giving up six runs in the process to put his club behind. Four defensive errors behind the pitching helped in the pitching struggles including a pair of unearned runs against Justin Camp. The offense did their part with five runs on the board with eight hits and four walks but may have left too much on the bases with a 3 for 11 effor with runners in scoring position.

Khalil Lee: 2-7 3R, BB, 2K
Meibrys Viloria: 3-7 2 RBI, BB, 3 K
Gabe Cancel: 2-8 HR, 5 RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 7 Arkansas Travelers 4

Three errors by the Mariners Double-A squad opened the door for a series victory that gave the Naturals a share of first place with a little more than a week to play. Starter Zach Lovvorn struggled in his third inning, giving up five hits and four runs that put NW Arkansas behind. The offense countered with their typical pressure, scoring a pair in the fifth on a Donnie Dewees hit and a passed ball that scored him. An inning later the Naturals tied the game with a double by Jecksson Flores and a bases-loaded walk by Alex Liddi that brought Flores home as five consecutive hitters reached. With two down a pair of fielding errors helped lead to three more runs to give the Naturals a 7-4 lead. Three relievers would follow Lovvorn with shutout work to finish off the game and earn that tie for first place.

Elier Hernandez: 1-5 R
Nick Dini: 2-3 R, 2b, BB
Donnie Dewees: 1-5 R, RBI

Tuesday Boxscores
Wednesday Probables
Omaha – TBD
NW Arkansas – Scott Blewett 3-4 5.21 ERA 1.62 WHIP
Wilmington – Anthony Bender 3-2 5.17 ERA 1.57 WHIP
Lexington – Andres Sotillet 5-2 2.82 ERA 1.32 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day Gabriel Cancel 3-5 2R, 2b, 3 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Jake Kalish 5 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 5 K 1-0 GO-FO 64p/48k

Game 1 Asheville Tourists 7 Lexington Legends 1
Game 2 Asheville Tourists 5 Lexington Legends 3

The Legends were swept in the doubleheader in Asheville on Saturday as the pitching staff struggled to limit Asheville’s offense in both games. In game one starter Nolan Watson yielded nine hits in just four innings of work, five of which that went four doubles as six runs (5 ER) came across against him. On the flip side, the Legends offense went 0-4 with runners in scoring position while getting their only run on a triple by Brewer Hicklen.

In game two the Rockies Low-A squad bashed their way to a victory, hitting three home runs to account for four of their five runs. A two-run home run in the first off Collin Snider was apart of a three-run inning that put the Legends down 3-1. Lexington tied it up with Seuly Matias’s 20th home run in the second and a rbi single by Sebastian Rivero in the fourth. Those runs would be Lexington’s last while Asheville connected on a solo home run in the fourth off Snider and another solo dinger off reliever Andrew Beckwith in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Seuly Matias 1-5 HR, BB, K
Cristian Perez 3-6
Nick Pratto 2-6 R

Wilmington Blue Rocks 10 Frederick Keys 6

The Rocks offense did more with their opportunities Saturday to take home a win over Frederick. The Rocks middle of the order did much of the heavy lifting with their 3, 4, 5 hitters combining for seven rbi on the ten runs driven in. Wilmington put a four-spot on the board in the first with a Khalil Lee two-run triple, rbi double by Gabriel Cancel, and a sacrifice fly to bring him in. An inning later Cancel was back at it, driving in a pair on a single to up the Rocks advantage to 6-1. After starter Gerson Garabito struggled to finish with a big lead, giving up four runs in the fifth and needing relief help to keep the advantage at just 6-5. The Rocks offense regained the advantage in the bottom half of that inning, getting a two-run home run from Kort Peterson and two more runs with a rbi groundout from Nick Heath and a rbi single by D.J. Burt. Reliever Carter Hope gave up just one run over the final four and one-third innings to secure the win.

Khalil Lee 2-5 R, 3b, 2 RBI
D.J. Burt 2-5 R, RBI
Kort Peterson 1-5 HR, 2 RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 6 Arkansas Travelers 2

It was like death by a thousand cuts in this one as the Naturals added up fourteen singles and one double while using three relievers to limit the Arkansas offense for a win. All eighteen hitters who came to the plate in this one collected at least one hit while the Naturals used multiple run innings in the fourth and sixth to build their advantage. Starter Emilio Ogando struggled with the strike zone, walking six in just five innings while also navigating seven hits with just a run in the second and sixth to earn his fourth win of the season. In the fourth inning, the Naturals used four singles to score two runs, getting a two-run single by Donnie Dewees to plate Anderson Miller and Nick Dini to go up 3-1. Two innings later Nicky Lopez singled in Dewees before Elier Hernandez hit that one double to drive in Erick Mejia and Lopez to raise the advantage to 6-1. Relievers Pedro Fernandez, Yunior Marte, and Gabe Speier tossed the final four innings with just three hits allowed to secure the win.

Nicky Lopez 1-3 R, RBI, 2 BB
Elier Hernandez 2-5 2b, 3 RBI
Donnie Dewees 3-6 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB (8)

Omaha Runzas 2 Albuquerque Green Chili Cheeseburgers 0

The Runzas weren’t giving any freebies on this night as three bullpen members limited the Green Chili Cheeseburgers to just five singles on this night. Left-hander Jake Kalish started the night limiting Albuquerque to just two hits in his five innings while striking out five hitters before turning things over to the bullpen. A Corey Toups double drove in Ryan O’Hearn in the second inning before Adalberto Mondesi unloaded on a home run to center in the third inning to go up 2-0. From there Kalish and Wily Peralta combined for eight and one-third scoreless innings before Kevin Lenik finished off the final two outs for the win.

Adalberto Mondesi 1-3 HR, BB, SB (10)
Ryan O’Hearn 2-3 R, SB (1)
Wily Peralta 3.1 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 4 K

Saturday Boxscores

Florida Gators 8 Auburn Tigers 2

Royals 1st round draft pick Brady Singer outdueled #1 overall pick Casey Mize to help Florida take the first game of their Super Regional matchup. The Royals pick gave up two runs in six and two-thirds innings, finding a groove after the third inning to get into the seventh with nine strikeouts while matching a season high for pitches thrown in the win.

Brady Singer 6.2 IP 4 H 2 R 2ER 2 BB 9 K 2 HBP 5-5 GO-FO 119p/74k

Sunday Probables
Omaha – TBD
NW Arkansas – Andres Machado 0-6 7.48 ERA 2.09 WHIP
Wilmington – Arnaldo Hernandez 6-3 3.95 ERA 1.49 WHIP
Lexington – Carlos Hernandez 3-2 4.03 ERA 1.17 WHIP

Starting Pitcher – Foster Griffin

The Royals 2017 representative in the Future’s Game got off to an outstanding start in Wilmington and at NW Arkansas before slowing down toward the end of the season. Finishing the season with 28 starts and 161.1 innings, Griffin has set career-best in those categories as well as strikeouts while going 15-7 on the season.

Honorable Mention – Jace Vines with a 12-8 record and 3.45 ERA across three levels.

Cam Gallagher (Minda Haas Kuhlmann Photo)

Catcher – Cam Gallagher

As most of you saw when Gallagher arrived in Kansas City, the 24-year-old catcher brings a high defensive IQ to the field, controlling the running game (35% caught stealing) and calling a good game as well. The difference in his development this season is he has started to help some on the offensive side, hitting .292 this season for Omaha. Over his last 43 games, which includes time in Kansas City, Gallagher has hit .321/.351/.463 with five home runs.

With a player like Salvador Perez ahead of him, the impact that Gallagher can provide will always be limited. However, he’s shown himself that he’s able to take over the #2 catcher role whenever the front office should deem that necessary.

Honorable Mention – Nick Dini compiled a .381 OBP at Double-A NW Arkansas

First Base – Frank Schwindel

The right-handed power hitter has had a breakout season, combining to put up a .329/.349/.541 line between NW Arkansas and Omaha. The 2013 18th round pick slammed his way to a promotion to Omaha after just 34 games, hitting .350 in that time. Once in Triple-A Schwindel took a little time to adjust, hitting just .221/.236/.346 through his first 35 games in Omaha, then he caught fire. All he’s done since is hit .375 over his last 63 games for the Chasers with 15 home runs and 56 RBI. The 66 extra base hits from Schwindel led all Royals minor leaguers by a country mile and makes this selection as easy as any on this list.

Honorable Mention – Chris DeVito used a hot start in Lexington to connect on 21 home runs in his first full season.

Second Base – Gabriel Cancel

A seventh round selection in the same ’15 draft that brought the third baseman on this list, Cancel has shown off the results at the dish with the flash in the field that could make an impact in the middle of the diamond. Other than Schwindel, there aren’t many players who have been as strong in the second half of the season as Cancel, hitting .309/.367/.548 with nine home runs among his 26 extra base hits. He’s been a catalyst to the Legends second ranked offense in the league.

“Cancel has been a complete player showing the ability to drive the ball; make consistent contact. He turns a great double play and he continues to get better each year. We think he’s developing at a good rate given the age and the performance at the level he’s been at. He’ll continue to get better as he works on the fundamentals of the game as he continues to gain playing experience.” – Ronnie Richardson Royals Director of Minor League Operations

Honorable Mention – John Brontsema hit .323 in 52 games for Lexington before a promotion.

Shortstop – Raul Mondesi

We’ve been writing about Mondesi and his exciting tools for quite a few years, but this is the first season in which we’ve seen him employ those tools for an extended amount of time. True, these numbers – .305/.340/.539 and 41 extra base hits in 85 games – came after significant struggles in Kansas City, but they’re still positive nonetheless. Making a significant impact on offense and defense, Mondesi showed consistent play throughout Omaha’s season with his lowest OPS in a month being his .836 in June.

The numbers in Triple-A hopefully show that the Royals should be ready to pull the training wheels off and let Mondesi compete at the plate at the major league level, instead of asking him to bunt every fourth at bat.

Honorable Mention – Nicky Lopez was impactful at High-A before a promotion to Double-A.

Third Base – Emmanuel Rivera 

The lack of Top 100 players in the Royals system suggests to some that there isn’t talent here. That’s just not the case. Some may not know who Emmanuel Rivera is now, but if he keeps adding to his trophy case they will soon enough. It started the last offseason when Rivera went to winter ball and won the Puerto Rican Winter League Rookie of the Year, hitting well against much older players. Building on that winter, Rivera arrived in Lexington and became the team’s most consistent performer being named to the South Atlantic League’s Post Season All-Star squad as the league’s best third baseman while leading the league in hits and winning the league’s batting title on the finald day of the season.

Along with the impact at the dish, Rivera shows good range and a strong arm at third. The Royals believe he could be an above average defender at the position in the future.

“We’re excited to see the steps that he continues to take. He profiles at the position, showing the ability to make consistent hard contact.”  – Richardson

Honorable Mention – Oliver Nunez continued showing off his on base ability by reaching base at a .382 clip for Burlington.

Lee after a walk-off home run (Instagram @jetskigirl55)

Right Field – Khalil Lee

The power and speed that Lee has flashed in his first full season have been an exciting addition to the Royals farm system, making an impact in numerous categories. Starting Thursday’s game, Lee has 17 home runs, 20 steals, and a 12% walk rate while being one of the youngest players in the league at just 18 to start the season. On top of the impact on offense, Lee’s cannon for an arm has provided 14 outfield assists on defense leading all Royals players in the system in that statistic.

Are there things Khalil needs to improve? Yes. He’s not afraid to get into long counts and his swing-big-at-all-times approach has him leading the South Atlantic League in strikeouts by a good distance. He’s also been caught on the bases 18 times. Still, in a system that is lacking in impact talent, Lee’s name is definitely one on scouts and writers minds and an appearance in a Top 100 isn’t as far off as one might think.

Center Field – Michael Gigliotti 

Last season Nicky Lopez jumped on this team despite being having less time to establish himself as a draft pick that same year. This year Gigliotti followed the same path, getting on base at a high clip, playing superior defense at a premium position, and making an impact with speed on the bases while showing enough pop to keep pitchers honest. The .320/.420/.456 line in 64 games dwarfs all other possible center fielders that could’ve been chosen for this list.

Left Field – Jorge Soler 

Fans would’ve preferred seeing Soler’s numbers and playing time in Kansas City this season as opposed to Omaha, but it is what it is, and what Soler was for Omaha was an excellent power hitter. He led the Chasers with 24 home runs despite playing just 74 games. It wasn’t just all power for Soler either, as the outfielder reached base at a .388 clip which led all Royals minor leaguers this season thanks to 50 walks earned by the slugger.

Honorable Mention Outfield – Travis Jones has had an excellent introduction to pro ball with a .947 OPS between Arizona, Burlington and Idaho Falls.

Designated Hitter – Chase Vallot

Playing most of his season at 20 years of age, Vallot proved that he wasn’t above his head in the difficult hitting environment that is Frawley field. Continuing to exhibit his power potential, Vallot put up a solid .206 ISO in 89 games in the Carolina League. That number may not stand out as truly special, but no player that has made it to the majors in the GMDM era has put up a higher number in 200+ plate appearances for Wilmington.

The young catcher continued to show that he can get on base at a high clip (.380 OBP), while improving as a receiver and game caller, helping Wilmington to the third best team ERA in the league.

“Chase is still only 21 and every league he’s been in he’s been one of the younger players in those leagues. His overall development is something we are excited with moving forward.” – Richardson

Relief Pitcher Richard Lovelady 

Under the new draft rules, picks in the back half of the first 10 rounds typically go to players that teams feel they can sign at less cost in order to save money to provide to their earlier round selections. Teams don’t punt on those picks, but they don’t expect to see major impact early. That’s not the case for last year’s 10th round selection however, as Lovelady has zoomed through the system to make it to Double-A in his first full season. With a plus fastball that ranges from 93 to 98 mph, next to the makings of a plus slider with good control and command, Lovelady has blitzed High-A and Double-A hitters to the tune of 77 strikeouts in 66.2 innings while allowing just a 0.95 WHIP and 1.62 ERA this season.

“Our scouts did a tremendous job at evaluating him and identifying him as a player that could compete at a high level and move through the system quickly, and he’s done just that. We’re very excited about Richard and the strides he’s made in his first full season.” – Richardson

Featured Photo – Gabriel Cancel Lexington Legends (Photo via Clinton Riddle Minorleagueball.com)

HR Roll Call: None

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Elier Hernandez 3-4, 2-2b, 3 RBI 

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Scott Blewett 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 9-6 GO-FO

NW Arkansas Naturals 6, Arkansas Travelers 2

After encountering a finger injury in his last start on May 7th, Miguel Almonte was back out there for the Naturals to continue building on his strong start to the season.

The righty worked 3.2 innings, allowing one run when a passed ball allowed one of his runners he left for reliever Ashton Goudeau to score. Overall, it was a decent outing for Almonte, tossing a few extra pitches due to three infield singles extending innings, getting his pitch count to 63 in that time on the hill.

Newly promoted outfielder Elier Hernandez had a big day at the plate, doubling and driving in a pair in the first inning, then doubling in the third to drive in another as part of the six run night for the NW Arkansas offense.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 2-3, 3R, 2b, 2BB
Frank Schwindel 2-4, R, RBI
Sam Selman 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO, 16p/10k

Wilmington Blue Rocks 2, Potomac Nationals 0

A week after getting knocked around by the P-Nats, starter Scott Blewett put together one of his better pitching performances of the season.

Working a season-high seven innings, Blewett navigated around a pair of doubles and a single to toss scoreless baseball while on the hill. The righty navigated around catcher Taylor Gushue with a pair of walks after he homered off him twice in his last start. The six strikeouts also tied a season high.

The Rocks got the game’s only runs with a Cody Jones triple and RBI groundout by Nate Esposito in the fifth, and a throwing error that allowed Roman Collins to score in the sixth.

Outfielder Anderson Miller extended his on-base streak to 30 games while shortstop Nicky Lopez pushed his to 16 games.

Boxscore Link

Franco Terrero 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-2 GO-FO
Cody Jones 2-4, R, 3b
Nicky Lopez 1-4, BB

Augusta GreenJackets 2, Lexington Legends 1

It wasn’t the perfect game that he tossed last time out versus the Legends, but it was still a quality outing for Giants Domenic Mazza.

The lefty spun seven innings of one-run ball and combined with his bullpen to limit Lexington to just 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. He earned the win after his offense got a pair of runs off Lexington reliever Ofreidy Gomez in the seventh.

The runs came despite just one single allowed when Gomez gave up a walk, a balk, and a wild pitch before committing an error to give up the lead run.

The runs off Gomez ruined Garrett Davila’s best outing of the year, with the lefty spinning six scoreless innings with a season-high six strikeouts.

Boxscore Link

Garrett Davila 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 5-4 GO-FO, 76p/45k
Gabriel Cancel 2-4, R
Nick Dini 2-4, 2b, RBI

HR Roll Call Joe Dudek (3), Gabriel Cancel (5), Kort Peterson (4)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Frank Schwindel 2-4 3R, 2-2b, BB

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Matt Portland 6 IP 4 H 2 R 1 ER 2 BB 5 K 6-5 GO-FO 89p/53k

NW Arkansas Naturals 10 Springfield Cardinals 4 

The Naturals punched out 15 hits with 10 runs to stay in first place by 1.5 games with 12 games to play. A five run fifth inning that featured a Ryan O’Hearn rbi double and a double from Zane Evans that drove two pushed the Naturals ahead 6-2. Newcomer Samir Duenez hit his third double in two games to drive in another prior to scoring in the ninth to push the final tally to 10-4. The Naturals starter was Glenn Sparkman in his second start back after Tommy John surgery last year, going 3.2 innings with two runs allowed (1 ER) and six strikeouts.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 2-4 2R, 2b, 3 RBI, BB
Corey Toups 2-5 R, 2b
Glenn Sparkman 3.2 IP 4 H 2 R 1 ER 2 BB 6 K 2-2 GO-FO 75p/46k

Lynchburg Hillcats 8 Wilmington Blue Rocks 3

Wilmington’s Zach Lovvorn gave up five runs in just three and two-third innings to drop his fifteenth decision of the year. Both teams punched out 10 hits, but the Hillcats did more with their offense with a pair of home runs included.

Boxscore Link

Anderson Miller 2-5 RBI
Brandon Downes 2-4 R, 2b
Zach Lovvorn 3.2 IP 5 H 5 R 5 ER 4 BB 1 K 2 HR

West Virginia Power 6 Lexington Legends 4

The Legends dropped Wednesday’s game when the bullpen gave up a pair of runs in the eighth. Starter Scott Blewett put away 10 hitters via strikeout in his six innings, but also gave up three runs in the second and another in the third inning as part of the seven hits the righty allowed. The Legends trailing 4-0 put up a four run sixth inning, getting a pair of two run singles from Amalani Fukofuka and D.J. Burt to tie the game. The score remained 4-4 until the eighth when Brian Bayliss gave up a two runs to drop the game.

Boxscore Link

D.J. Burt 2-5 2 RBI
Brandon Dulin 3-5 R, 2-2b
Scott Blewett 6 IP 7 H 4 R, 3 ER 0 BB 10 K 4-0 GO-FO 81p/55k

Idaho Falls Chukars 3 Orem Owlz 2

Lefty Matt Portland tossed up a quality start while Meibrys Viloria and Joe Dudek packed enough punch for the win. Six innings of work highlighted Portland’s four hit and two walk performance in which he earned five strikeouts while earning his fourth win of the year. The Chukars middle of the order catcher Viloria doubled in a run in the first and then scored on Dudek’s home run in the sixth inning. Reliever Jason Freeman tossed the final three innings scoreless to earn the save for the Chukars.

Boxscore Link

Meibrys Viloria 3-4 R, 2b, RBI
Joe Dudek 1-3 HR, 2 RBI
Matt Portland 6 IP 4 H 2 R 1 ER 2 BB 5 K 6-5 GO-FO 89p/53k

Burlington Royals 8 Elizabethton Twins 3

The Royals blasted a pair of home runs while the Appy league pitcher of the year earned his fifth win of the season. All Star Kort Peterson hit his fourth home run of the season while also driving in another run in the game. A four run sixth inning padded a one run lead on the way to a win.

Boxscore Link

Gabriel Cancel 1-5 HR
Kort Peterson 1-3 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Cristian Castillo 5 IP 6 H 3 R 3 ER 2 BB 8 K 1-5 GO-FO

AZL Indians 4 AZL Royals 2

The Royals lost dropped another one on Wednesday, but luckily didn’t lose a game in the standings. Reliever Wade Davis tossed one scoreless inning with a strikeout and one hit allowed. The Royals have a 2.5 game lead in the division with four games to play in the second half.

Boxscore Link

Khalil Lee 1-4 RBI, CS (4)
Seuly Matias 2-4 R
Anthony Bender 2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K

DSL Royals 4 DSL Red Sox1 1

The Royals came up with a must have game over the Red Sox1 to lower their deficit in the division to 2.5 games with three to play. A pair of Freddy Fermin hits in the second and the fourth innings gave the Royals 2-0 lead prior to a sac fly that score Esteury Ruiz in the sixth pushed them up 3-0. The two teams face off again on Thursday with the Royals trying to cut the lead to 1.5 with two to play.

Boxscore Link

Esteury Ruiz 2-4 2R
Freddy Fermin 3-3 2b, 2 RBI
Andres Sotillet 5 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 K

HR Roll Call – Chris DeVito (8), Gabriel Cancel (4)
BP Kansas City Hitter of the Day – Chris DeVito: 2-3, HR, BB, 3 R, 2 RBI
BP Kansas City Pitcher of the Day – Randy Acevedo: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Nashville Sounds 12 Omaha Storm Chasers 3

Jason Vargas moved up to Triple-A to continue his rehab assignment, and the Sounds welcomed him to the park by racking up five hits and three runs off of him in three innings of work. Andrew Edwards entered the game after Vargas, but didn’t fare any better, giving up five runs in less than one inning. Dillon Overton stymied Chasers’ bats for six innings, and Whit Merrifield was the only man to get an extra-base hit all night. Merrifield also was caught stealing for just the second time this season. The loss eliminated the Storm Chasers from postseason contention.

Boxscore Link

Orlando Calixte: 3-5, RBI
Dusty Coleman: 2-3, BB, R
Andrew Edwards: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

   Hagerstown Suns 3 Lexington Legends 1

Gerson Garabito matched Suns starter Taylor Guilbeau in allowing just one run over six innings, but unlike the Suns, the Legends bullpen could not keep the opponent off the board. Mark McCoy allowed eight baserunners in his 2.2 innings, with two of them scoring. The Legends offense simply could not muster anything after their one-run first inning, collecting just four hits while striking out 15 times. Chase Vallot did hit his 17th double, and a pair of walks bumped his on-base percentage up to .351 on the year.

Boxscore Link

Gerson Garabito: 6 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Roman Collins: 1-4, R
Chase Vallot: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB

Idaho Falls Chukars 4 Grand Junction Rockies 5

A four-run seventh inning made it appear the Chukars would be able to pull out a victory, but a two-run home run in the eighth from Hunter Melton gave the Rockies the lead for good. Meibrys Viloria picked up his 22nd double of the year, driving in two. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get quite enough help from the rest of the lineup, as they went 2-10 with men in scoring position. Andres Machado delivered five innings, allowing three runs (one earned), and Alex Luna struck out three in two innings of work.

Boxscore Link

Nick Dini: 2-4, R
Meibrys Viloria: 1-2, 2B, BB, 2RBI
Andres Machado: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Greeneville Astros 3 Burlington Royals 7

Three Royals pitchers combined to strike out 16 Astros on the night, and a big night from 2016 draftee Chris DeVito was enough to power the offense to another victory. DeVito hit a two-run dinger, his eighth of the summer, while also scoring three runs. Nathan Esposito chipped in a pair of singles and two RBIs, while Nicky Lopez stole his 23rd base of the year as well. That’s 23 stolen bases in 53 games for the Creighton product. Alex Close picked up six strikeouts in 2.1 innings en route to picking up the win.

Boxscore Link

Gabriel Cancel: 1-4, HR, R, RBI
Alex Close: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Nathan Esposito: 2-4, R, 2 RBI (batting .344)

AZL Brewers 11 AZL Royals 10

The Royals were running wild on Brewers pitchers, swiping eight bags in this crazy affair. Most of the Royals runs were produced by the 9-1-2 portion of the batting order, with Jose Marquez, Jeison Guzman, and Cal Jones combining to go 10-15 with seven runs and sixRBIs. And they needed every bit of that offense, because Grant Gavin only went three innings, giving up seven hits and digging his team into a five-run hole. The Royals broke through in the middle innings to move ahead but, it wasn’t enough. Staked to a three-run eighth inning lead, Nathan Webb and Gustavo Tejada couldn’t hold the Brewers as they coughed up five runs in the frame.

Boxscore Link

Cal Jones: 4-4, 3 runs, 1 RBI, 3 SB
Jose Marquez: 4-5, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B, 2 SB
Jeison Guzman: 2-6, 1 run, 3 RBI

DSL Dodgers 3 DSL Royals 2 (11)

A strong performance from Randy Acevedo was not enough to extend the Royals win streak to six games, and a strange play allowed the Dodgers to take the game in the eleventh. It’s not often you see a strikeout, a wild pitch, and an errant throw by the first baseman, all on the same play, but that’s what it took to put the Dodgers in front. Four Royals had two hits on the day, however a 1-11 line with runners in scoring position kept them from doing more damage.

Boxscore Link

Juan Peguero: 2-3, 2B, RBI
Randy Acevedo: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (1.15 ERA this season)
Ismaldo Rodriguez: 2-3