OMAHA STORM CHASERS

The Chasers had a down and up season, starting off 8-17 in April as the team’s offense struggled early in the season. From that point, the Chasers played one game above .500 the rest of the way. They did this despite an offense that finished second to last in OPS and a pitching staff that finished in the same spot with strikeouts. Why did the team succeed? Defense is likely the biggest reason. On any given night, the Chasers often fielded major league caliber shortstop defenders in at least three if not four spots around the infield and sometimes a spot in the outfield. All around, their defense was high quality and the pitching staff saw a benefit most nights, while the promotion of Nicky Lopez and the steady bat of Frank Schwindel carried the offense on most nights in the second half.

Position Player
Frank Schwindel – One year after being named the BPKC Minor League Player of the Year, Schwindel was nearly as good with a full season in Omaha. The 1B/DH led the Chasers in nearly every offensive statistic, setting a franchise record with 38 doubles while also leading the squad with 24 home runs and 93 RBI. All told, Schwindel led the team in hits, runs, home runs, doubles, and RBI while also leading in many advanced hitting categories among qualified hitters on the team. The average for Schwindel took a dip this year to no one’s surprise after an expected dip in BABIP, but he did a decent job countering with an increase in walk rate (2.9%-6.1%). Defensively, Schwindel remains somewhat rough at the position but he has shown improvement and completed the season without making an error in the field this year.

Pitcher of the Year
Richard Lovelady – For the second year in a row, a left-handed relief pitcher took the pitcher of the year award for the Chasers. This season it was reliever Richard Lovelady who, much like the team, got off to a slow start before hitting his stride and dominating much of the season. The reliever at the end of May had a 4.21 ERA with under a K per inning but from June 1st on, the lefty limited the PCL to a 0.82 WHIP, a 1.51 ERA and 9.5 K/9. The sidearmer dominated lefties as one would expect with a .157 average against, but more than held his own against right-handed hitters a .587 OPS against him for the season. These numbers helped Lovelady become the most consistent member of the bullpen for the Chasers, giving them 73 innings  while leading the team in saves.

NW ARKANSAS NATURALS

During both the first and second halves of the season, the Naturals put themselves in big holes with a bad month of baseball before turning it on only to fall just short of the postseason. The first half saw NW Arkansas tie Arkansas for first place only to lose in the difference-making game. To start the second half, the Naturals got off to a brutal 4-22 start which put them 15 games back of first place Tulsa. The pitching would get hot from that point leading the Naturals back to within three games before a few late season losses left them five games back and at .500 for the year.

Position Player
Jecksson Flores – This one was difficult as shortstop Nicky Lopez fit the criteria for playing with the Naturals for 73 games while leading the squad in OBP and dominating during May and June with a .363 average prior to his promotion to Triple-A. Even with those numbers, Flores is the player who stirred the drink more than any other on the Naturals roster. He became the first Naturals hitter to lead the Texas League in hitting since Clint Robinson in 2010. The most consistent member of the lineup, Flores led the team in hits, average and doubles while finishing second on the club in runs scored, stolen bases and OPS. In addition to offensive stats, Flores played all over the field defensively for the squad playing 44 at second base, 40 games at third, 22 at shortstop and 14 more in the outfield to prove the ultimate weapon all over the field.

Pitcher of the Year
Yunior Marte – The Naturals couldn’t find consistent starting pitching for much of the year and were led by relievers for much of the season. No reliever was put to use more often than Marte who finished second on the team in appearances while leading the bullpen with 80.1 innings thrown. Marte also led the bullpen in strikeouts (8.96 SO/9) and WHIP (1.22) while putting up a 2.91 ERA. The righty was able to do this by dominating opposite-side hitters, limiting lefties to a .186/.286/.291 slash line against him while holding his own against same-siders with a .241 BAA. The Dominican born Marte has proven to have a rubber arm in his career with the Royals and may get a look by another team in the Rule 5 draft this offseason.

WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS

The Rocks season was a bit uneven with the team finishing eight under .500 during the first half of the season due to a poor May that saw them go 9-20. The second half saw the club jump out to a lead in the division the with the addition of Blake Perkins before the offense went missing during the middle of August, leading to a 12 game losing streak that cost the club the second half title, finishing five games behind Lynchburg.

Position Player of the Year
Khalil Lee – This one was a difficult call with the usual lack of offense in Wilmington. At different times it seemed like D.J. Burt might get the call, but a rough August drove his numbers down, while an injury may have prevented Emmanuel Rivera from taking the award despite a late charge (.913 OPS in August). Both of those players finished just short of Lee however, as the outfielder played 71 games and led Rocks in qualified OPS by that standard. In his games with the Rocks he did a number of impressive things, but reaching base was the tops as he carried a .402 OBP despite turning 20 just this past June. Lee did this with a .270 average while also earning 41 free passes in his 71 games played. The numbers were relatively balanced for Lee with his .811 OPS balancing with a .804 road OPS, something that can be difficult to do for hitters in the spacious home park. In addition to the OBP, Lee was efficient on the bases, stealing 14 bases in 17 tries while scoring 42 runs and driving in 41. All of this was done while playing primarily in centerfield for Wilmington before his promotion to Double-A.

Pitcher of the Year
Gerson Garabito – Wilmington’s pitcher of the year Garabito led the Carolina League in ERA among starting pitchers while finishing third in innings and fifth in total strikeouts. That 142.1 innings was significantly higher than his previous career high (80.2 in ’16). The right-hander struggled with his walk rate (4.6 BB/9) but he was able to mitigate the damage with just 117 hits given up and finishing well with a 7.3 K/9 rate. These numbers would lead the team’s starters in starts, strikeouts, WHIP, wins, and innings pitched. Most of these numbers were compiled on a strong finish for Garabito which saw him go 6-1 with a 2.24 ERA over his final 14 starts, setting him up for a promotion to Double-A next season.

LEXINGTON LEGENDS

Easily the best team in the Royals farm system this past season was the Low-A Lexington Legends, with the club finishing 16 games over .500. The Legends finished tied for second in the first half of the season before winning the second half, despite starting that half with a six-game losing streak. They did this on the back of the league’s second-best offense while the pitching staff finished in the middle as a whole but looked quite dominant at times with many members of a talented starting staff.

Position Player
Brewer Hicklen – Another difficult call on this one with Seuly Matias hitting 31 home runs in just 94 games alongside MJ Melendez and his 54 extra base hits. Despite those numbers, the most well-balanced player on the offense was outfielder Brewer Hicklen. The former UAB football recruit led the Legends in OPS with his .930 while also leading the team with his 29 stolen bases. He did this despite playing in just 82 games and not getting regular playing time with the team until the start of May. What Hicklen did best this past season was dominate southpaws, hitting .315/.389/.649 with 18 of his 43 extra base hits coming off of them. In all, it was an impressive season showcasing the power and speed tools that Hicklen possesses in his 6’2, 208 lbs frame.

Pitcher of the Year
Carlos Hernandez – The Legends had a number of pitchers who had quality seasons for the club whether it was Andres Sotillet, who earned a promotion to Wilmington, or Yefri Del Rosario and his strong finish to lead their qualified starters in ERA. Just missing the cut was Daniel Lynch who made nine starts while also being limited in innings after his college season. Even with those quality candidates, Hernandez was a step above the qualified group with his team-best WHIP and K/9 while his 3.29 ERA trailed only Del Rosario’s. The powerful right-hander finished with an outstanding flurry in his final six starts, tossing four starts of seven innings with an ERA of 1.41 against a WHIP below 1.00. A family issue slowed Hernandez out of the gate, not getting his first start until early May before an injury stopped his season short in August. In between though, he showed his powerful fastball, improving breaking ball and feel for a change can dominate hitters at times.

Follow more minor league content via Twitter @ClintScoles

Richard Lovelady photo by Minda Haas Kuhlmann.

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Cal Jones 2-4 2R, HR, 2 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Yefri Del Rosario 7 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 9 K 4-6 GO-FO 86p/65k

Lexington Legends 7 August GreenJackets 0

The Legends, on the cusp of their first playoff appearance since 2006, used a full team effort got them one step closer on Thursday night. Starter Yefri Del Rosario continued his run of excellent pitching putting together perhaps his best start yet. Twirling seven scoreless innings, Del Rosario set a new career high with nine strikeouts while pounding the zone with 65 strikes on just 86 pitches while working around four hits and a walk. After a pair of scoreless innings, the Lexington offense broke the tie with a Cal Jones home run in the third inning before breaking it open with a six-run fourth frame. Outfielder Kyle Isbel’s two-run double in that fourth inning capped the scoring in the inning and the game. The win combined with a Greenville loss lowered the Legends magic number to just one game.

MJ Melendez: 1-3 R, BB
Nick Pratto: 1-4 R
Kyle Isbel: 1-4 2b, 2 RBI

Wilmington Blue Rocks 5 Lynchburg Hillcats 0

Wilmington’s best starting pitcher, Gerson Garabito, was just that in a must have spot for his club in the finale versus Lynchburg. Going six and one-third innings, the righty worked around four hits and a walk while striking out seven, lowering his ERA to 3.16 while adding on to his career high in innings (142.1). The offense got a pair of runs in the second inning with last night’s hero Vance Vizcaino driving in Emmanuel Rivera and Meibrys Viloria with a single. That score held up until the eighth inning when Rudy Martin plated three with a double to centerfield.

Gerson Garabito: 6.1 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 7 K 5-4 GO-FO 91p/60k
Meibrys Viloria: 2-3 2R, BB
Rudy Martin: 1-5 2b, 3 RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 8 Tulsa Drillers 4

The Naturals offense employed a patient approach to keep their season alive against first-place Tulsa, walking seven times as part of their good night on offense. After giving up three runs in the first three innings, starter Jace Vines settled in to give his club a quality start by working into the seventh inning. Three different Naturals walked twice in the game while they broke open the 3-3 game by scoring five runs between the fourth and fifth innings. Back to back singles by Alex Liddi and Anderson Miller plated three in the fourth before a Mejia groundout and a Duenez single in the fifth pushed the advantage to 8-3. Those eight runs were plenty as the Naturals bullpen of Gabe Speier and Walker Sheller tossed the final two and two-thirds with just a run allowed to secure the win.

Samir Duenez: 2-4 R, RBI, BB
Kelvin Gutierrez: 1-3 R, RBI, 2BB
Jecksson Flores: 0-2 2R, 2BB, SB

Omaha Storm Chasers 11 Colorado Sky Sox 5

After starting pitcher Aaron Brooks got the call to the big league’s prior to the game for Milwaukee, the Sky Sox turned to struggling reliever Tim Dillard to make the spot start. The Chasers took advantage, tagging the sidearm reliever for a run in the first inning and nine more in the second inning to blow open the game 10-0. Chasers starter Jon Dziedzic took advantage tossing four no-hit innings before surrendering his first hit and runs in the fifth. The game was pretty meaningless to the Sky Sox who lead the division going into the night and will decide their season’s fate with a five games series against Tulsa starting tomorrow night.

Jon Dziedzic: 5 IP 2 H 3 R 3 ER 4 BB 3 K 3-8 94p/53k
Frank Schwindel: 1-3 R, 2b, 2 RBI, BB
Nicky Lopez: 3-5 2R

Idaho Falls Chukars 8 Ogden Raptors 6

The Royals 6th round draft selection Zach Haake made his Idaho Falls debut on Thursday, tossing two and two-thirds innings with a hit, a walk and a run allowed while on the hill. Idaho Falls had already given their pitching staff a lead with three runs in the first inning as Nathan Eaton hit his second home run in as many days to plate two runs before a Jose Caraballo double scored Bubba Starling to make it 3-0. The Chukars tacked on single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings after Ogden had pulled with a run to take a 6-3 lead. Reliever Jose Rodriguez struggled in the eighth inning though, giving up two hits, three walks, and two runs before Andrew Edwards, back on a rehab stint, tossed a wild pitch to even the game. The Chukars despite giving up the lead had the answer the very next inning as a pair of doubles from Nathan Eaton and Brady Cox broke the tie before Hunter Strong’s single tacked on an insurance run. Edwards would close out the game with a perfect ninth to keep the Chukars playoff hopes alive.

Zach Haake: 2.2 IP 1 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 1 K 3-1 GO-FO 46p/27k
Nathan Eaton: 2-5 2R, HR, 2b, 2 RBI
Hunter Strong: 2-4 2R, BB, RBI

Thursday Boxscores

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Samir Duenez 3-4 2R, 2b, HR, 4 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Yefri Del Rosario 6 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 2K 6-3 GO-FO 86p/58k

Transactions – Eric Skoglund assigned to Omaha for rehab.

Lexington Legends 4 Lakewood BlueClaws 0

After earning his first win of the season last time out, starter Yefri Del Rosario turned out a quality start for the Legends. Working six innings scoreless, Del Rosario was able to scatter four hits and a walk despite just two strikeouts. Outfielder Kyle Isbel paced the Legends offense in backing the starter, scoring a run in the fourth after a single before singling in a run in the fifth and doubling in a run in the seventh to account for three of the four Legends runs. Right-hander Janser Lara was dominant in relief with three strikeouts in two innings before Garrett Suchey tossed a scoreless ninth.

Kyle Isbel: 4-5, R, 2-2b, 2 RBI
Jeison Guzman: 2-4 K
Janser Lara: 2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 K 2-2 GO-FO 31p/22k

Buies Creek Astros 4 Wilmington Blue Rocks 3

The Rocks received another quality start from Gerson Garabito on Thursday night to place his squad in good position to earn a win. For the Dominican born Garabito it was his seventh start in a row of two or fewer runs and his tenth quality start this season. After working five scoreless innings to start his night the righty ran into some troubles in the sixth, walking a pair and giving up two singles to score the run against him. The Rocks offense scored single runs in the second, fourth and eighth innings to build what looked like a big enough lead into the ninth. Unfortunately, in that ninth inning, reliever Tyler Zuber couldn’t keep the opponent off the board, loading the bases and giving up a walk-off bases-clearing double to hand the Rocks a defeat.

Gerson Garabito: 6 IP 5 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 6 K 4-4 96p/53k
Emmanuel Rivera: 3-3 2b, RBI, BB
Gabriel Cancel: 2-5 2R, 2b, 2K

NW Arkansas Naturals 9 Springfield Cardinals 1

Six scoreless innings from Emilio Ogando and plenty of hits from the middle of the order built a large lead for the Naturals. Six hits by the 2-3-4 hitters of Samir Duenez, Kelvin Gutierrez and Kort Peterson led to the threesome scoring six of the clubs nine runs. It was Peterson’s fourth consecutive multihit game as the right fielder connected on a double and a triple to give him seven extra-base hits in those games. The Naturals starter worked around four hits and three walks while managing to keep Springfield off the scoreboard. After a three-hit night last night Duenez put three more on the board in this one, including a smash to right for his second home run since coming off the DL.

Kort Peterson: 2-4 2R, 2b, 3b, RBI, 2K
Kelvin Gutierrez: 2-3 2R, BB, SB (7)
Jecksson Flores: 2-4 2R, SB (17)

Las Vegas 51s 6 Omaha Storm Chasers 3

Things didn’t go too great in Eric Skoglund’s rehab appearance in Omaha as the left-hander gave up a pair of home runs early before being carted off late. Former Royals infielder Christian Colon hit the first home run in the second inning before Bryce Brentz followed with a two-run shot that same inning. After a scoreless third, the left-hander tried to retrieve a bunt single, twisting his ankle in the process to the point where he needed to be carted off. After Skoglund was forced out, Josh Staumont had to replace him, giving up a double and a sac fly to allow two runs in. The Chasers offense scored three runs but couldn’t come all the way back with six hits on the night.

Frank Schwindel: 1-4 R, 2b, 3K
Cam Gallagher: 0-2 2BB, K
Elier Hernandez: 1-4 K

Pulaski Yankees 13 Burlington Royals 7

A difficult pitching night for the Royals as three different pitchers gave up multiple runs. Starter Yerelmy Garcia coming off an outstanding start last time out was knocked around for a pair of home runs and five runs total in five innings. The offense tried to keep pace, connecting on 13 hits including three from Freddy Fermin and Rafael Romero but the squad went just 4 for 18 with runners in scoring position to be limited to the seven runs in the loss.

Eric Cole: 1-3 R, 3 BB
Juan Carlos Negret: 0-3 RBI, BB, 2K
Jose Marquez: 2-5 R, RBI, 2K

Grand Junction Rockies 8 Idaho Falls Chukars 6

The Chukars grabbed an early lead in this one with a pair of first inning runs on Jose Caraballo’s double. From there the club attempted to hang onto the lead, getting five innings of four run ball by Connor Mayes. The Chukars held a 6-4 lead after an insurance run in the seventh as the team collected 13 hits including four doubles but that would not be enough as the defense and reliever Jaret Hellinger struggled in the ninth. The left-handed reliever gave up three hits, a walk and the defense and shortstop Offerman Collado committed a fielding error as part of a four run inning that would put the Chukars behind by two runs and ultimately hand them the loss.

Nathan Eaton: 2-5 R, 2b, 2 RBI
Jose Caraballo: 2-4 R, 2b, 2 RBI, BB
Daniel Duarte: 3 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 K 5-1 GO-FO 24p/13k

Thursday Boxscores

Players who were signed when they were 19 or older and have played in professional baseball for four years are eligible, as are players who were signed at 18 and have played for five years. – Via MLB.com

One of the reasons teams don’t play willy-nilly with the roster is that some players who may not be ready for a call-up need to be protected or a team can risk losing them. As we know (Whit Merrifield, Mike Aviles) certain players develop with different timetables, meaning if a player is added to the 40 prior to their eligibility then there is a possibility of losing another player via the Rule 5 draft.

Players on a 40-man roster are given three Minor League “options.” An option allows that player to be sent to the Minor Leagues (“optioned”) without first being subjected to waivers. When a player is optioned to the Minors for a span of more than 20 days, he loses an option. – Via MLB.com 

The problem with starting a players clock early is obvious, if they struggle in the major leagues (Adalberto Mondesi) then there is no stopping the clock or their options when you send them down.

Players up for Rule 5 Protection (14)
Donnie Dewees, Nick Dini, Josh Staumont, Anderson Miller, Foster Griffin, Scott Blewett, Jake Kalish, Franco Terrero, D.J. Burt, Oliver Nunez, Rudy Martin, Cristian Castillo, Freddy Fermin and Chase Vallot

Others (9)
Ryan O’Hearn, Frank Schwindel, Arnaldo Hernandez, Elier Hernandez, Gerson Garabito, Jecksson Flores, Jake Newberry, Yunior Marte, and Erick Mejia

Possible 40 man Roster Openings (8)
Blaine Boyer, Andres Machado, Brandon Maurer, Drew Butera, Alcides Escobar, Lucas Duda, Bubba Starling, and Paulo Orlando

Josh Staumont Wilmington Blue Rocks – Photo Jake Rose

Best Bet(s) – Josh Staumont – Even with his control issues the fireballing right-hander is a good bet to get his first challenge at the major league level in September. Most any team would like a chance to see if they can fix Staumont’s control problems, considering he shows an above-average fastball and curveball. In addition to Staumont, the Royals will likely leave an Open spot on the 40-man roster. With the worst record in baseball comes the reward of a top selection in the June draft as we all know but it also comes with a top selection in the Rule 5 draft. The Royals have enjoyed decent success from the Rule 5 draft, adding Joakim Soria, Brad Keller this last season and even getting a few serviceable innings from Nate Adcock in the past. For a team lacking in talent that isn’t going to compete, this is generally a good use of a roster spot.

Minda Haas Kuhlmann Photo

Early Birds – Nicky Lopez – The most intriguing case for call-up that isn’t ready to be protected yet is that of the current Omaha Storm Chasers shortstop and former Creighton Blue Jay. Drafted in 2016 with a fifth round pick, Lopez doesn’t need to be protected on the 40-man roster until after the 2019 season. Still, the shortstop is playing excellent defense, getting on base at a near .400 clip while hitting well over .300 at Triple-A. The likely departure of Alcides Escobar from next year’s roster, the possible Whit Merrifield trade and Lopez’s ability to play both second and short at an above-average defensive clip means this is a real discussion the front office brass needs to have. The additions of Brian Goodwin and Brett Phillips in centerfield have lessened the need for Lopez since Whit can be allowed to stick at second instead of playing in the outfield on a regular basis. Should Dayton like what he heard in July from teams in terms of a return for Whit then they could feel confident enough to move Nicky up in September to get his feet wet and see how he adjust to the major league game, leaving the option open to make a deal during the winter.

Richard Lovelady – Most know of Lovelady already for the name and the quick rise through the system last year. Like Lopez, he is a selection from the 2016 draft (10th Round) who doesn’t need to be protected until next year but is forcing the issue. GMDM has been outstanding at finding bullpen pieces since his arrival but this year’s team has struggled out there. During spring and the early part of the year, Lovelady didn’t look like a pitcher that was going to force his way onto the major league club but he’s found his footing since the start of June and has been dominant and aggressive in the zone with his mid-90’s fastball and tighter slider. In that stretch, the lefty has given up runs in just two of his fifteen appearances (1.19 ERA) while operating with a 0.82 WHIP and just under a K per inning.

It’s been standard practice for GMDM not to make players wait if they have earned their call-up with good Triple-A performance. While Lopez has performed, his is a small sample without a real spot open as opposed to Lovelady who has been in Omaha the entire season without a real player blocking him.

The Risers – Arnaldo Hernandez – In Hernandez, the Royals have a right-hander who has exhibited good control throughout his career (2.1 BB/9) and a pair of average secondary offerings, but prior to 2018 just an average fastball that worked in the low 90’s. That changed this season as the right-hander has started to work regularly in the mid 90’s during spring training and has been seen as high as 98 mph. Standing 6-0, the stuff can flatten out on plane and lessen the deeper he gets in games due to fatigue, which may force him into a bullpen role but even with that his increase in velocity, secondary offerings and control have deemed him worthy of a 40-man roster spot. Reliever Jake Newberry has been consistent the past two seasons and can be very difficult on right-handers with his fastball/slider combination. With the lack of bullpen options he’s a definite one to give a look to protect.

The Surprise – Gerson Garabito – A talented right-hander who has found his form as of late for Wilmington, I wouldn’t be shocked if he was added to protect him from being selected in the minor league Rule 5 segment. It will come down to whether or not they would want to protect him over Scott Blewett if they are debating protecting one of the two pitchers.

Minda Haas Photo

Time to Find Out – Frank Schwindel – No two players hit as well in Arizona as Ryan O’Hearn and Frank Schwindel did as both first basemen made a push to earn a spot on the roster. Of course, the Royals signed Lucas Duda and there wasn’t a spot left for Schwindel or O’Hearn while Hunter Dozier has found himself playing more first than third at the major league level. Though Dozier is in Kansas City, the Royals should give Schwindel a look after Duda is traded just to make sure they don’t have another Jose Martinez on their hands. Most fans and prospect hounds have long liked O’Hearn more, but Schwindel has outperformed him in almost every significant stat for the last two seasons and the 2017 Royals Minor League Hitter of the year is just a home run shy of finishing the fourth season of his career with 20 or more home runs. The contact ability is there, the power is there and he has walked slightly more this season even if it’s not quite where one would like it. He’s done enough to at least earn a look when comparing him with the other current Royals first baseman in-house options.

If the Royals had the candidates then they could move plenty of parts on the current roster to make room for players on the 40-man roster but I don’t see them making a bunch of additions. Clearly, Josh Staumont will be protected and I wouldn’t be shocked to see Scott Blewett (offseason) added as a big body who can hit higher velo and may be hidden in a bad teams bullpen. Alongside those two pitchers, Arnaldo Hernandez should be added by September to be given a look, as should Schwindel with his bat the past two seasons. With those moves, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Royals lose two to three players in the Triple-A segment of the Rule 5 draft. It’s not cut and dry and decisions aren’t made in a vacuum, as you can see. When a player is added then you’re risking losing another, the Royals have historically been very good at knowing who they can afford not to protect and who they should but it takes just one mistake to miss out on a player of value that can make some question the process.

Friday BPKC Hitter of the Day: Nicky Lopez 5-6 3R, 2b, RBI, BB
Saturday BPKC Hitter of the Day: Seuly Matias 3-4 HR, 2 RBI
Sunday Jose Caraballo: 3-6 3R, 2b, HR, 6 RBI, K, SB

Friday BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Richard Lovelady 2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 K 1-1 GO-FO 18p/15k
Saturday BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Gerson Garabito 6 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 3 K 5-3 GO-FO 103p/59k
Sunday BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Charlie Neuweiler 5.2 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 3 BB 6 K 2-3 GO-FO 96p/60k

Friday Rome Braves 7 Lexington Legends 3
Saturday Lexington Legends 4 Rome Braves 2
Sunday Lexington Legends 6 Rome Braves 5

The Legends kept their winning ways going with a weekend series win over the Braves Low-A squad. During Friday’s game, Carlos Hernandez made his return to the mound after missing a couple of starts and, despite striking out seven in five innings, wasn’t quite as sharp as he had been, giving up a home run and four runs. The bullpen struggled behind him while the offense couldn’t convert enough scoring opportunities in the loss. The next two games featured quality starting pitching and enough offense to get things done as Yefri Del Rosario earned his first win in the Royals organization on Saturday and Charlie Neuweiler followed him with a strong Sunday performance. Outfield Seuly Matias helped power the offense with this 30th home run during a weekend that saw him show a shorter swing and better contact. Catcher MJ Melendez finished the Sunday game by picking off the possible tying run at first base.

Seuly Matias: 6-11 3R, HR, 2 RBI, K, BB, SB
Kyle Isbel: 6-13 3R, 2b, 3b, 2 RBI, 2 SB
Charlie Neuweiler: 5.2 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 3 BB 6 K 2-3 GO-FO 96p/60k

Saturday Gm 1 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1 Buies Creek Astros 0 F/7
Saturday Gm 2 Buies Creek Astros 3 Wilmington Blue Rocks 0 F/7
Sunday Wilmington Blue Rocks 7 Buies Creek Astros 2

The Carolina League’s hottest team kept it going over the weekend with a pair of wins that positions themselves for a fourth consecutive series win with a victory on Monday. Starter Gerson Garabito gave the Rocks another quality start with the right-hander spinning six shutout innings while navigating four hits and three walks. The Rocks had just two hits in the game, but one of them was all it took with Rudy Martin’s third home run of the season making the difference. During the second game of the doubleheader, Dan Tillo struggled with his control once again, walking six in just two innings in which he gave up all three runs in the game. The offense had just one hit in the game. After a pair of games in which the offense struggled, things got going again on Sunday with 10 hits and five walks. Leadoff man Blake Perkins walked three times and scored two runs while Emmanuel Rivera and Meibrys Viloria each scored once and drove in another. Shortstop Angelo Castellanos struck the big blow with a three run double in the sixth that broke a 4-2 game open. Starter Nolan Watson improved his record to 5-1 with five innings of one-run ball in the game.

Nolan Watson: 5 IP 5 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K 4-3 GO-FO 92p/58k
Blake Perkins: 1-5 2R, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 CS
Emmanuel Rivera: 2-9 R, RBI, 2K

Friday NW Arkansas Naturals 10 Springfield Cardinals 0
Saturday Springfield Cardinals 7 NW Arkansas Naturals 6
Sunday Springfield Cardinals 5 NW Arkansas Naturals 4

The Naturals looked as if they were going to continue their winning ways on Saturday after a big Friday win only to watch the bullpen give the lead away. Starter Eric Skoglund struggled in the fifth inning himself with the rehabbing lefty allowing three runs in that frame to cut a 6-1 lead to 6-4. That lead stood up until the eighth when reliever Yunior Marte gave up a solo home run before Bryan Brickhouse was knocked around once again, giving up two runs (1 ER) on a solo home run and a double that scored on a Naturals error in the loss. The Friday game featured 14 hits including a pair of home runs by Xavier Fernandez and Kort Peterson that accounted for five of the ten runs. The Sunday game was more of the same with the Naturals taking a lead in the top of the ninth with a sac fly that scored Peterson. It didn’t last though when lefty Cristian Castillo gave up a pair of solo home runs including the two-out walk-off blast by Randy Arozarena that gave the Cardinals the win.

Samir Duenez: 7-11 3R, 4-2b, 4 RBI, 2 Bb, K
Kelvin Gutierrez: 5-13 R, 2b, 6 RBI, 2 SB
Scott Blewett: 5 IP 7 H 3 R 3 ER 1 BB 6 K 2-4 GO-FO 92p/58k

Friday Omaha Storm Chasers 15 Fresno Grizzlies 4
Saturday Fresno Grizzlies 3 Omaha Storm Chasers 2
Sunday Omaha Storm Chasers 5 Fresno Grizzlies 4 F/11

Omaha’s offense exploded for 23 hits on Friday during a lopsided win. In addition to the 23 hits, the Chasers walked eight times with Nicky Lopez leading the way with five hits and a walk while scoring three runs and driving in another. Sunday’s game featured considerably less offense with just four hits and a pair of runs early but starter Zach Lovvorn gave up single tallies in three different innings before the offense went silent in the loss. The Sunday game was a back and forth affair in which lefty Jake Kalish gave the Chasers another quality start, working six innings with three runs allowed on seven hits while striking out eight. It was Kalish’s sixth quality start in eight chances for the club. After Donnie Dewees’s fifth inning two run home run tied the game up earlier the Chasers were down again in the seventh when the club manufactured a run with a Elier Hernandez double moving Cam Gallagher to third where he would score from on Humberto Arteaga’s forceout. The club would take the lead in the tenth on a  Nicky Lopez rbi triple before Fresno struck back with a run off Jake Newberry but a sac fly in the eleventh scored Terrance Gore and Newberry was able to strikeout the final two hitters of the night to secure the win. The Chasers have won five of six on their seven game roadtrip and will send Trevor Oaks out Monday in an attempt to secure the series with Fresno.

Nicky Lopez 7-11 3R, 2-2b, 3b, 2 RBI, BB
Elier Hernandez 5-9 2R, 2b, 2 RBI, 2BB
Jake Kalish 6 IP 7 H 3 R 3 ER 0 BB 8 K 2-4 GO-FO 95p/68k

Friday Kingsport Mets 8 Burlington Royals 0
Saturday Burlington Royals 4 Kingsport Mets 3
Sunday Kingsport Mets 7 Burlington Royals 6

The Royals starters were unable to hold their own with even Austin Cox lasting just a couple innings during Saturday’s game. The best performance of the weekend came from Malcolm Van Buren in the group with seven strikeouts in five innings but the righty took the loss with three runs given up. Saturday’s game was led by Chris Hudgins with a two-run home run and another run scored by the catcher while the bullpen tossed seven-plus innings of one-run ball to earn the win. Starter Elvis Luciano gave up a pair of three run innings in his five and two-thirds innings as the right-hander walked two and gave up five hits. The offense came up one run short thanks to a 1 for 11 effort with runners in scoring position.

Eric Cole: 4-10 R, 2-2b, RBI, 2BB, 3 SB
Juan Carlos Negret: 1-10 2 BB, 3 K
Malcolm Van Buren: 5 IP 3 H 3 R 3 ER 3 BB 7 K 4-2 GO-FO 82p/50k

Friday Orem Owls 13 Idaho Falls Chukars 12
Saturday Ogden Raptors 13 Idaho Falls Chukars 3
Sunday Ogden Raptors 20 Idaho Falls Chukars 19

Wow, that’s some horrible pitching this weekend for the Chukars with 13 runs or more given up in each game. All three starters gave up at least six runs with Jon Heasley giving up 10 on Sunday. The bullpen didn’t fare any better and the offense scored plenty in Friday and Sunday’s games if not for the atrocious pitching.

Jose Caraballo: 5-16 5R, 2-2b, 3b, HR, 8 RBI, 3K
Chase Vallot: 6-14 3R, 2-2b, HR, 6 RBI, 7K
Reed Rohlman: 6-11 5R, 2-2b, 2 RBI, 5 BB, CS

Friday Boxscores
Saturday Boxscores
Sunday Boxscores

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Khalil Lee 3-4, R, 2b, 2 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Gerson Garabito 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 9-3 GO-FO, 99p/65k

Round Rock Express 5, Omaha Storm Chasers 2

The four-run sixth frame against starter Zach Lovvorn pushed the Chasers deficit to 5-1, which proved too much to overcome on Sunday. It was Lovvorn’s third consecutive loss and his third outing in a row of five runs or more allowed as the righty gave up five hits, four for doubles, and two walks in his six innings. The Chasers went 0-4 with runners in scoring position, scoring their only runs with solo home runs by Frank Schwindel and Donnie Dewees.

Josh Staumont: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 22p/14k
Frank Schwindel: 1-4, HR
Donnie Dewees: 1-3, HR, BB, 2K

NW Arkansas Naturals 5, Tulsa Drillers 2

The Naturals received a second consecutive quality start from Emilio Ogando while the Naturals bats did enough against Mitchell White, the Dodgers #9 prospect (Baseball America), to earn the win. A four-run third inning that featured four Naturals hits and a leadoff error by the Drillers was the key. Samir Duenez drove in a pair with a single and scored on Alex Liddi’s double to put the Naturals up 4-0. A Khalil Lee RBI double countered the Drillers run in the fifth. From there, Ogando and the bullpen did the rest with three relievers tossing the final three innings to earn the win.

Erick Mejia: 1-4, R, SB (26)
Samir Duenez: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, BB
Anderson Miller: 1-3, 2b, BB, SB

Wilmington Blue Rocks 8, Frederick Keys 1 – F/7

The Rocks used some erratic Frederick pitching in the first inning to build a lead and starter Gerson Garabito made it stand up in a complete game effort. A leadoff walk to Blake Perkins was the first of four walks in an inning that also featured a pair of hit by pitches and two singles during the six-run first inning. A leadoff walk to Emmanuel Rivera in the second led to another run and Gabe Cancel’s double in the third pushed the advantage to 8-0. The only blemish on Garabito’s line was a third-inning solo home run as the Dominican right-hander completed the seven inning game with just one run allowed on five hits. It was Garabito’s third start of seven innings in his last four.

Gabe Cancel: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B
Blake Perkins: 1-3, R, RBI, 2BB
D.J. Burt: 2-3, R, RBI, BB

Gm1 – Burlington Royals 9, Greeneville Reds 2
Gm2 – Greeneville Reds 6, Burlington Royals 1

Eight runs in the first three innings keyed the Royals victory in the first game with leadoff hitter Jeison Guzman scoring a pair of runs and Eric Cole driving in three while scoring two of his own. Starter Austin Cox earned the win while pitching five innings with two runs (1 ER) allowed during that time. The second game went the other route with starter Marlin Willis giving up five runs (4 ER) on four hits and five walks in just 3.1 innings. The offense was unable to counter, connecting on just three hits in the seven inning shortened game.

Eric Cole 2-7, 2R, 2b, 3 RBI, BB
Jose Marquez 2-6, 3R, 2-2b, 2BB, 2 SB
Jeison Guzman 3-4, 2R, BB, SB

Idaho Falls Chukars 12, Missoula Osprey 8

The Chukars offense built a big lead early and hung on for a win late. The lineup put up 14 hits, walked eight times and scored 12 runs with an 11-4 lead through five innings. Outfielder Jose Caraballo keyed the way with two runs scored and four runs driven in with his 3-5 day at the plate. Starter Jon Heasley struggled in the first inning surrendering four runs (3 ER), with three of those runs coming on a home run. The right-hander finished off his four innings before giving way to Domingo Pena who tossed the final five innings around four runs given up.

Offerman Collado: 3-6, R, 2b, RBI
Jose Caraballo: 3-5, 2R, 2b, 4 RBI, BB
Angel Medina: 2-5, R, 2-2b, 2 RBI

Sunday Boxscores

Monday 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

BPKC Hitter of the Day – Jeison Guzman 2-4 HR, 2b, BB 

BPKC Pitcher of the Day – Gerson Garabito 7 IP 3 H 2 R 1 ER 3 BB 4 K 8-7 GO-FO 101p/65k

Lexington Legends 6 Kannapolis Intimidators 4

The Legends used a pair of three-run innings to earn their first victory of the second half. With starter Yefri Del Rosario working five scoreless innings to start the game, his normal battery mate, MJ Melendez, staked him to a 3-0 lead with his 12th home run of the season in the third inning. That lead stood up until sixth when Kannapolis countered with a two-run home run and a walk that would come around when reliever Collin Snider gave up a pair of singles in relief of Del Rosario. The Legends quickly countered with a three runs seventh inning, getting a rbi single by Ricky Aracena, a run-scoring double by Cal Jones, and an RBI groundout by Cristian Perez to take a 6-3 lead. An unearned run came across in the seventh but Tyler Zuber would finish things off with two and two-thirds scoreless relief, striking out five in the process.

MJ Melendez: 1-4 HR, 3 RBI
Nick Pratto: 0-4 K
Yefri Del Rosario: 5.2 IP 3 H 3 R 3 ER 3 BB 4 K 6-6 GO-FO 90p/54k

Wilmington Blue Rocks 9 Lynchburg Hillcats 2

The Blue Rocks exploded for six runs in the sixth inning to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead and an eventual win. In that inning, after a Gabe Cancel two-run single the Rocks loaded the bases with a Rudy Martin walk before scoring to make it 3-2 on a hit by pitch of the Chase Vallot. That one run lead was quickly moved to four runs when Vance Vizcaino cleared the bases with a triple. The Rocks would continue to pile on with a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth two earn a win for Gerson Garabito who completed seven innings for the third time this season.

Gabe Cancel: 2-4 R, 3 RBI, BB, CS (2)
D.J. Burt: 1-3 R, 2b, 2 BB, 2 SB (20)
Travis Jones: 3-4 2R, 2b, RBI, BB

San Antonio Missions 7 NW Arkansas Naturals 2

Another rough outing for left-hander Foster Griffin when he struggled in the sixth inning. A 1-1 game into the sixth, the wheels fell off when he gave up a leadoff double prior to three singles scoring a pair of run to make it 3-1. With two outs Michael Gettys took a Griffin pitch over the fence in right field to make it 6-1. The Naturals could counter with just a solo home run by Jecksson Flores in the loss.

Kort Peterson: 1-4
Anderson Miller: 1-3 HR, BB
Jecksson Flores: 3-4 HR, 2b

Round Rock Express 7 Omaha Storm Chasers 2

The Chasers failed to cash in on many early opportunities, connecting on 10 hits off Express starter David Hurlbut but scoring just two runs with a 1 for 12 effort with runners in scoring position. The game was 2-2 after five innings with Jon Dziedzic on the hill but a one-out double from Willie Calhoun scored a run off the lefty before Luis Vazquez came in. The side-arming reliever gave up another double in the sixth to score another run before he gave up a run-scoring single and a two-run home run to put the game out of reach.

Frank Schwindel: 1-4 RBI, BB
Ryan O’Hearn: 1-5
Cam Gallagher: 2-3 2b, BB

Idaho Falls Chukars 10 Grand Junction Rockies 6

The Chukars offense scored early and often, pounding out 13 hits against the first two Rockies pitchers while building a 9-2 lead through the first five innings. In addition to the 13 hits, the squad also walked five times as they had baserunners all over the bases after a scoreless first inning. All ten runs came on the board from the 2nd through the fifth inning with the lineup banging out seven extra-base hits among their fourteen on the night. Starter CJ Eldred was the beneficiary of the offensive output, working a quality start with six innings of three-run ball while allowing three runs on six hits and a walk to improve his record to 2-0 on the season. The Chukars currently have three different players with a seven-game hitting streak or more in Tyler James (11), Jose Caraballo (8) and Jesus Atencio (7).

Jose Caraballo: 2-5 R, 2b
Kyle Isbel: 2-5 R, 2-2b
Tyler James: 3-5 RBI, CS (3)

Pulaski Yankees 5 Burlington Royals 1

The Royals couldn’t cash in most of their opportunities on Thursday night, going 0-7 with runners in scoring position. With little offense, the three-run first off starter Randy Acevedo did in the Royals. The right-hander gave up seven hits and two walks in his six innings of work despite creating 11 groundouts before giving way to Josh Dye. Shortstop Jeison Guzman connected on his second home run for Burlington while also doubling and walking in the game.

Randy Acevedo: 6 IP 7 H 4 R 4 ER 2 BB 3 K 11-3 GO-FO 89p/56k
Juan Carlos Negret: 2-4
Hunter Strong: 1-4 2K

Thursday Boxscores

Friday Probables
Omaha – Trevor Oaks 4-3 2.05 ERA 1.15 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Arnaldo Hernandez 6-4 3.95 ERA 1.52 WHIP
Wilmington – Nolan Watson 4-6 6.11 ERA 1.84 WHIP
Lexington – Carlos Hernandez 4-3 5.05 ERA 1.39 WHIP
Idaho Falls – Tyler Gray 0-1 27.00 ERA 3.00 WHIP
Burlington – Daniel Lynch 0-0 6.75 ERA 1.88 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day Frank Schwindel 3-4 R, 2b

BPKC Pitcher of Day Nolan Watson 9 IP 6 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 7 K 13-2 GO-FO 89p/65k

Lexington Legends 4 Rome Braves 0

It’s been a struggle for three seasons for former 1st round pick Nolan Watson but on this day had it working as well as he ever has to defeat the Braves Low-A squad. Working efficiently thanks in part to some over aggressive hitters Watson set a new career high in innings pitched in a game by completing his effort, his previous best was six innings which he had done on five different occasions. Along with the complete game, Watson put away seven hitters via strikeout while also inducing thirteen groundouts. The offense backed him with a pair of runs in the third inning when shortstop Cristian Perez singled in a run before Nick Pratto drove in another with a sacrifice fly. For Perez that hit was part of a two-hit night that saw him raise his batting average to .393 while extending his hit streak to sixteen games. The game remained 2-0 until the ninth inning with Watson tossing zeroes when Seuly Matias got ahold of his twenty-first home run of the season to expand the lead and the eventual margin of victory with his two-run blast.

Seuly Matias 1-4 HR, 2 RBI, 2K
Nick Pratto 0-2 RBI, BB
Sebastian Rivera 1-3 BB

Winston-Salem Dash 4 Wilmington Blue Rocks 2

The Rocks scored a pair of the runs in the first before going silent in another loss in Winston-Salem. Three hits in that first inning helped score the two runs with Xavier Fernandez doubling in D.J. Burt to push the lead to 2-0. Starter Gerson Garabito gave up a run in the fourth and another in the fifth as he struggled to get through the lineup a second time. With the game tied reliever Julio Pinto couldn’t hit the zone, walking one in front of a Blake Rutherford double before giving up a sac fly in falling behind 4-2. The final twelve Rocks hitters went in order as the White Sox farm club defeated them for the second night in a row.

Khalil Lee 0-4 2K
Kort Peterson 2-3 2b, BB
Gerson Garabito 5 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 3 BB 7 K 5-2 GO-FO 87p/53k

Tulsa Drillers 3 NW Arkansas Naturals 1

The Naturals hitters were limited to just five hits in a defeat that pushed them back into second place. Starter Jake Kalish spun four scoreless innings before giving it up in the fifth, allowing three runs on back to back doubles before Will Smith hit his seventh home run of the season. For Smith, it was his third home run of the season against the Naturals and his second in this series. Those runs were plenty as the Naturals went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and scored their only run on a sac fly by Elier Hernandez.

Donnie Dewees 2-4
Erick Mejia 1-3 R, BB
Nicky Lopez 0-3

Tacoma Rainiers 5 Omaha Storm Chasers 2

Starter Josh Staumont couldn’t match his effort the last three times on the bump as Tacoma hitters waited and fought him off early to run his pitch count up. The right-hander tossed 42 pitches in the first inning, walked four in just three innings and gave up a pair of runs in that first during his short outing. A Jorge Bonifacio infield single in the third inning scored a run and an Humberto Arteaga sac fly in the fourth tied it up. Unfortunately reliever Luis Vazquez gave up a three-run home run in the fifth inning to put his squad behind. From there the Chasers had just two hits and couldn’t muster a run in defeat.

Josh Staumont 3 IP 2 H 2 R 2 ER 4 BB 4 K 2-3 GO-FO 73p/38k
Adalberto Mondesi 2-4 2b, 2K
Sam Selman 1.2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K 2-1 GO-FO

Idaho Falls Chukars 4 Ogden Raptors 2

Starter J.C. Cloney gave up three first-inning singles and two runs before finding a groove. From the final out in the first inning until the second out in the fifth Cloney put the Raptors in a cage, striking out eleven on the night while yielding just four singles. The Chukars answered the two first inning runs with two of their own in the third inning on a pair of rbi singles by Nick Hutchins and Reed Rohlman. The game stayed tied until the seventh when Manny Olloque singled in Freddy Fermin following his double. An insurance run would cross in the eighth inning while Robert Garcia was finishing the last two innings off.

Billy Butler had his number retired prior to the game. The former 1st round pick played there in 2004, hitting .373 as an 18 year old in the league.

J.C. Cloney 7 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 0 BB 11 K 6-2 GO-FO 82p/61k
Rudy Martin 1-4
Freddy Fermin 2-4 2R, 2b

Friday Boxscores

Saturday Probables
Omaha – Glenn Sparkman 6-2 3.24 ERA 1.14 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Foster Griffin 3-6 5.63 ERA 1.58 WHIP
Wilmington – Arnaldo Hernandez 6-4 3.92 ERA 1.48 WHIP
Lexington – Carlos Hernandez 3-2 4.94 ERA 1.26 WHIP
Idaho Falls – C.J. Eldred

BPKC Hitter of the Day Frank Schwindel 3-4 R, 2b, 2 RBI, BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Glenn Sparkman 7 IP 4 H 1 R 0 ER 1 BB 2 K 11-4 GO-FO 105p/74k

Transactions LHP Dan Tillo promoted to Wilmington, LHP Cristian Castillo put on DL.

Salem Red Sox 6 Wilmington Blue Rocks 5

Starter Gerson Garabito’s control issues have been a problem this season with the right-hander regularly giving free baserunners and some hard contact as he struggles with his command in the zone. It was more of the same in this one for the Rocks with the right-hander walking five hitters on the day and allowing plenty of hard contact. The Wilmington offense staked Garabito to a 2-0 lead in the first inning before Garabito allowed a run on a triple and a sacrifice fly. It appeared like Garabito got an inning-ending double play ball but Gabe Cancel dropped the flip from the shortstop leaving both runners safe. With a reprieve in the inning Salem prospect, C. J. Chatham unloaded on a pitch deep over the leftfield wall to give Salem a 4-2 lead. A walk allowed by Garabito in the fifth led to another run before his day ended after six innings. Slumping first baseman Chris DeVito had a big day at the plate for the Rocks with a rbi double in the seventh as part of a three double two run inning and hit a solo home run in the ninth but an insurance home run off Carter Hope had given Salem the insurance they needed an inning prior.

Chris DeVito 2-4 2R, HR, 2b, 2 RBI
Khalil Lee 1-4 RBI
Emmanuel Rivera 1-4 RBI

Springfield Cardinals 1 NW Arkansas Naturals 0

The Naturals ran into a rehabbing buzzsaw as the Cardinals stud pitching prospect Alex Reyes dominated them for seven and two-thirds innings. The Baseball Prospectus #8 overall prospect struckout thirteen Naturals hitters while allowing just a single by Luis Villegas and three walks. The Naturals starter Andres Machado gave up the games only run on a solo home run in the second before finishing five and two-thirds ball with four strikeouts. NW Arkansas was unable to get anything going when Reyes left in the eighth as the Springfield pen finished off the shutout.

Nicky Lopez 0-3 BB, K
Anderson Miller 0-2 BB, SB
Andres Machado 5.2 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 3 BB 4 K 7-5 GO-FO 98p/64k

Omaha Storm Chasers 4 Iowa Cubs 2

The Chasers received another solid start from newcomer Glenn Sparkman in the third game of their four-game series with Iowa. The right-hander changed speeds from 90-94 mph with his fastball, controlling it and commanding it as usual while mixing in his low 80s change and curveball to keep hitters off balance. That control and command yielded just two three ball counts against him, walking one hitter on the night while allowing just four hits and one run. The lone run was via a double in the sixth inning followed two-base error after Billy Burns dropped a ball as he tried to avoid colliding with second baseman Jack Lopez. Despite the error, Burns contributed plenty, scoring a pair of runs with a leadoff double in the third inning and another leadoff hit in the fifth. That fifth inning featured a two run double by Frank Schwindel who later scored in the inning as part of a four-hit night. Reliever Josh Staumont struggled in the ninth to finish the game off and was relieved by Brandon Maurer, earning his second save in the process.

Billy Burns 2-4 2R, 2b
Cam Gallagher 2-4 RBI
Josh Staumont 1 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 1 K 1-0 GO-FO 30p/20k

Saturday Boxscores

Sunday Probables
Omaha – Trevor Oaks 2-3 3.15 ERA 1.35 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Foster Griffin (lhp) 2-4 3.98 ERA 1.44 WHIP
Wilmington Gm1 – Arnaldo Hernandez 4-1 2.97 ERA 1.40 WHIP
Game 2 – Dan Tillo (lhp) 1-1 4.35 ERA 1.23 WHIP
Lexington Suspended Game
Game 2 TBD