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.

HR Roll Call: Paulo Orlando (11,12), Samir Duenez (10), Jecksson Flores (7), Alfredo Escalera 2 (4,5), Chase Vallot (14), Nick Pratto (14)

Sunday BPKC Hitter of the Day: Nick Pratto 2-4 R, 2-2b
Monday BPKC Hitter of the Day: Alfredo Escalera 2-4 2HR

Sunday BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Josh Dye 5 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 6 K 1-1 GO-FO 72p/50k
Monday BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Ofreidy Gomez 7 IP 5 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 5 K 2-8 GO-FO 77p/49k

76-60 2nd Half Champs
Sunday Greenville Drive 7 Lexington Legends 4
Monday Greenville Drive 6 Lexington Legends 4
Avg Brewer Hicklen .307
HR Seuly Matias 31
RBI MJ Melendez 73
Wins Garrett Davila 7
ERA (minimum 50 IP) Holden Capps 2.98
Saves Tad Ratliff 10

The Legends were outslugged over the weekend as they rested their prime pitchers in waiting for their first playoff appearance in 12 years. First baseman Nick Pratto kept his hot hitting going with two hits in each game with a home run on Monday and pair of doubles on Sunday.

Nick Pratto: 4-9 3R, 2-2b, HR, RBI
Cal Jones: 3-8 RBI, CS
Sebastian Rivero: 2-4 2 RBI

68-72 Overall 3rd place
Sunday Game 1 Potomac Nationals 1 Wilmington Blue Rocks 0
Sunday Game 2 Wilmington Blue Rocks 3 Potomac Nationals 2
Monday Potomac Nationals 5 Wilmington Blue Rocks 4
Average Travis Jones .298
HR Gabe Cancel, Kort Peterson 8
RBI Gabe Cancel 73
Wins Gerso Garabito 8
ERA Garabito 3.16
Saves Bryan Brickhouse 14

The Rocks finished off their season losing two of three games, the last one an extra-innings loss to the Nationals. All three starters allowed just one run in each game with Josh Dye earning his first High-A win following the Burlington season with a spot start. Reliever Tyler Zuber blew Monday’s game with three runs allowed in the tenth inning on three hits and a walk.

Josh Dye: 5 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 6 K 3-4 GO-FO 72p/50k
Andres Sotillet: 7 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 4 BB 7 K 6-3 GO-fO 109p/69k
Ofreidy Gomez: 7 IP 5 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 5 K 2-8 GO-FO 77p/49k

70-70
Sunday NW Arkansas Naturals 4 Arkansas Travelers 3 F/10
Monday Arkansas Travelers 8 NW Arkansas Naturals 3
Avg Nicky Lopez .333
HR Alex Liddi 23
RBI Liddi 72
Wins Emilio Ogando 11
ERA Pedro Fernandez 2.81
Saves Jake Newberry 12

The Naturals split their weekend games to finish and even 70-70 for the season. Starter Scott Blewett gave NW Arkansas a quality start on Sunday before Ian Kennedy was roughed up on Monday. The Sunday game featured a Jecksson Flores game-tying home run in the ninth for the infielder who won the Texas League batting title.

Alfredo Escalera: 2-7 2HR, 2 RBI, K
Jecksson Flores: 1-6 HR
Samir Duenez: 2-3 HR

66-74
Sunday New Orleans Baby Cakes 6 Omaha Storm Chasers 4
Monday Omaha Storm Chasers 6 New Orleans Baby Cakes 5 F/10
Avg Humberto Arteaga .292
HR Frank Schwindel 24
RBI Schwindel 93
Wins Jon Dziedzic, Trevor Oaks 8
ERA Richard Lovelady 2.47
Saves Lovelady 9

The Chasers split their final weekend with an extra-inning win and a blown lead on Sunday. First baseman Frank Schwindel connected on five hits in the two games with a pair of doubles. Those doubles were his 37th and 38th of the season which broke Omaha’s franchise record for a season that had stood since 1983. Closer Richard Lovelady completed his ninth save of the season to finish with an ERA of 2.47 on the season.

Jake Kalish 5 IP 8 H 1 R 0 ER 1 BB 5 K 3-4 GO-FO 85p/55k
Frank Schwindel 5-10 2R, 2-2b, 3 RBI
Nicky Lopez 1-9 2R, RBI, BB, SB

Idaho Falls Chukars 4 Ogden Raptors 2

The Chukars kept pace with first place Grand Junction with a slim win on Monday. Starter Kris Bubic worked five innings with seven strikeouts giving up just a second inning two-run home run as his only blemish. The Chukars quickly answered in their half of the second inning with a Hunter Strong RBI double and a Rubendy Jaquez run scoring single. Royals seventh-round pick Tyler Gray toss four scoreless innings in place of Bubic, working around three walks and earning the win with Offerman Collado’s two-run single in the sixth inning.

Rubendy Jaquez: 2-2 RBI, BB
Kris Bubic: 5 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 4 BB 7 K 3-1 GO-FO 90p/51k
Tyler Gray: 4 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 3 K 6-3 GO-FO 72p/42k

Sunday Boxscores
Monday Boxscores

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Jecksson Flores 4-5 2R, 3b, 2 RBI, SB (21)

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jon Dziedzic 6 IP 5 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 2 K 6-9 GO-FO 94p/54k

Asheville Tourists 6 Lexington Legends 3

Starting pitcher Charlie Neuweiler had his first rough outing as a member of the Lexington pitching staff as the right-hander got knocked for a pair of home runs in the third inning. After two scoreless innings, Neuweiler ran into some trouble with a walk, a steal, and an RBI single to put Asheville up 1-0. A second walk came in front of a three-run home run that quickly put him down 4-0. A second blast that went over 420 feet came off the bat of the next hitter and Neuweiler’s night was over after finishing off the inning. The Legends countered with a two-run home run by Cristian Perez but missed other opportunities to be limited to three runs in the loss.

Charlie Neuweiler: 3 IP 4 H 5 R 5 ER 2 BB 4 K 3-2 GO-FO 73p/44k
Janser Lara: 3 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 2 BB 5 K 1-3 GO-FO 58p/34k
Kyle Isbel: 2-4 R SB (7)

Wilmington Blue Rocks 6 Salem Red Sox 5

The Rocks lineup went to work Thursday night, connecting on 12 hits while walking three times. The offense was needed after starter Dan Tillo struggled with walks again with five free passes and six hits allowed to give up five runs (4 ER) in five innings. Trailing 4-2 in the fifth, Meibrys Viloria doubled in a pair of runs to tie the game up. An inning later they trailed again but countered with an Angelo Castellano single to bring in Rudy Martin after his triple. A seventh-inning RBI single by Travis Jones to bring home Emmanuel Rivera gave the Rocks a lead and the bullpen did the rest, tossing the final three innings scoreless to secure the win.

Meibrys Viloria: 2-5 2b, 2 RBI
Rudy Martin: 2-4 2R, 3b, SB (21)
Travis Jones: 2-4 RBI, SB (13)

Midland RockHounds 9 NW Arkansas Naturals 5

Newly acquired Jon Perrin made his first start in the Royals organization Thursday night a couple days after the trade that brought him over. Making just his second start this season, Perrin worked five innings, giving up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks while striking out four while working 70 pitches. As usual, Jecksson Flores was pacing the Naturals offense scoring a pair and driving in two more to help keep the game even after Cristian Castillo gave up two runs. Tied 4-4, the game went into extra innings where the Naturals kept Yunior Marte on the mound his two scoreless innings but the right-hander walked a hitter prior to giving up a groundball single to load the bases. Manager Mike Rojas turned to Franco Terrero, a move that didn’t go well with the right-hander quickly giving up a double that unloaded the bases with a Terrero throwing error. One hitter later Terrero gave up his eleventh home run of the season to push the deficit to five runs at 9-4 which would be too large to overcome.

Erick Mejia: 2-4 2R, SB (31)
Samir Duenez: 1-4 2 RBI
Jon Perrin: 5 IP 3 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K 6-4 GO-FO 70p/46k

Omaha Storm Chasers 9 Round Rock Express

The Chasers Jon Dziedzic spun six scoreless innings while getting plenty of offensive backing in the first game of their road series with Round Rock. Working around five singles and a walk, Dziedzic completed his fifth consecutive quality start. The Chasers offense took advantage of former Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman, scoring two runs on him in just two and one-third innings before scoring three more off Austin Bibens-Dirks who made his major league debut last season. The Chasers tacked on three more late to take a commanding 8-0 lead as all nine hitters in the lineup reached base at least once while pounding out 15 hits and earning seven walks

Donnie Dewees: 4-5 2R, RBI, SB
Frank Schwindel: 1-4 R, BB – 16 game hitting streak
Jack Lopez: 2-4 2b, 4 RBI

Pulaski Yankees 3 Burlington Royals 1

Burlington right-hander Malcolm Van Buren can reach the mid to upper 90s with his fastball but is still learning what he can do with it and this night proved that. The opening hitter of the night took a 2-0 pitch and deposited it over the wall, but from there Van Buren held his own, striking out five over four innings with just another hit allowed against three walks. Reliever Kelvin Gonzalez couldn’t match Van Buren’s effort, giving up two runs (1 ER) in his four innings while the Burlington offense scored just one run on three hits in the loss.

Malcolm Van Buren: 4 IP 2 H 1 R 1 ER 3 BB 5 K 4-0 GO-FO 75p/41k
Juan Carlos Negret: 1-3 BB
Jose Marquez: 1-4 R, 2 SB, K

Great Falls Voyagers 11 Idaho Falls Chukars 7

The Chukars took a big early lead only to see the pitching staff give it up in the middle innings. The Chukars took advantage of former Royals lefty Matt Portland, scoring six runs off him in the first four innings to take a 6-1 lead. Things looked great until the fifth when starter Kris Bubic couldn’t escape the inning, loading the bases with a pair of singles and a defensive error. After the manager turned to Tyler Gray to try to escape the damage things went awry after the ’18 draft pick got a couple of outs when a second defensive error kept the inning alive. From that point, the next three hitters would reach base to lead to a seven-run lead and an Idaho Falls deficit. The White Sox affiliate would continue to pad their lead with three runs over the next two innings while Idaho Falls could only answer with a Chase Vallot home run in the loss.

Kris Bubic: 4 IP 3 H 5 R 2 ER 3 BB 6 K 4-2 GO-FO 85p/50k
Angel Medina: 2-3 2R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Tyler James: 3-5 R, 2 SB (33)

Thursday Boxscores

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Cristian Perez 3-5 2R, 2b, RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Garrett Davila 4 IP 2 H 1 R 0 ER 1 BB 3K 7-1 GO-FO 71p/46k

Transactions – OF Brewer Hicklen promoted to Wilmington from Lexington and OF Kyle Isbel promoted from Idaho Falls to Lexington.

Lexington Legends 10 Greenville Drive 3

Former Florida Gator and 1st round pick Jackson Kowar made his second start for Lexington, struggling with the strikezone again somewhat in his abbreviated outing. The right-hander walked a pair in the first before tossing a wild pitch to move two into scoring position. With the two on, he gave up an RBI double to drive in two runs before getting a strikeout to finish off the inning. In his second inning of work he got a strikeout before giving up a pair of singles, the second of which was a bunt single that was perfectly placed down the line prior to stranding the runners with a pop out and a groundout. The Legends offense quickly countered the two-run innings with a four-run frame of their own with three rbi hits and an RBI groundout to take a 4-2 lead through two. Lefty Garrett Davila would replace Kowar in the third inning, yielding just an unearned run over the next four innings. After an insurance run in the eighth, the Legends broke the game open with a five-run ninth inning with a pair of rbi singles by Matt Morales and Cristian Perez before Manny Olloqued doubled in a pair to give Lexington their eventual winning margin.

MJ Melendez: 0-5 RBI, K

Jackson Kowar: 2 IP 3 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 2 K 3-0 GO-FO 40p/24k

Springfield Cardinals 3 NW Arkansas Naturals 2

Defensive errors helped the Cardinals towardsthree runs in a one-run defeat of NW Arkansas. Struggling starter Emilio Ogando gave his teammates a quality start, working six innings of one-run baseball with the only run allowed coming on a sacrifice fly after Ogando had moved them forward with an errant pickoff attempt at first. That unearned run tied the game after Erick Mejia had given NW Arkansas a 1-0 lead with a two-out double that scored Khalil Lee from first base. After the teams exchanged another run each, third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez made a two-out fielding error that allowed the Cardinals to take the lead and the eventual win after the Naturals failed to counter in the ninth.

Khalil Lee: 0-1 R, BB, K 2 Sac
Jecksson Flores: 2-3 R
Erick Mejia: 1-3 2b, RBI, BB

Nashville Sounds 11 Omaha Storm Chasers 1

Not much to see in this one with starter Zach Lovvorn giving up eight runs in the first two innings while the offense put together just five hits in the blowout loss.

Josh Staumont: 3 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 5 K 2-1 GO-FO 65p/35k
Nicky Lopez: 0-4
Ramon Torres: 3-4 2b

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: Manny Olloque 4-7, 4R, 2-HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Connor Mayes 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 9-1 GO-FO, 83p/60k

NW Arkansas Naturals 11, Arkansas Travelers 10

With the first half title on the line, starting pitcher Scott Blewett struggled, putting the Naturals behind 5-0 after just four innings. Despite that deficit, NW Arkansas answered back in the bottom of the fourth, connecting on a pair of two-run home runs by Jecksson Flores and Alex Liddi to pull within a run. The Naturals kept piling on from there, getting a solo home run from Donnie Dewees in the fifth before a five-run sixth inning put them up 10-5. The big knock in that inning came from Sunday’s hero Erick Mejia, connecting on a two-run triple before scoring in the inning. A seventh-inning single by John Brontsema pushed the lead to 11-5 before Naturals relievers Gabe Speier and Walker Sheller struggled to put the game away, allowing five runs before Andres Machado secured the final out. The two teams will play again tomorrow to decide the division winner of the 1st half.

Anderson Miller: 3-5, 3R
Scott Blewett: 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 4-3 GO-FO, 88p/52k
Donnie Dewees: 2-4, HR, BB

Omaha Storm Chasers 6, Reno Aces 4

The Chasers used a pair of three-run innings to defeat Reno on Tuesday. A first-inning double by Frank Schwindel scored one while Lucas Duda and Jack Lopez each singled in a run in the inning. After Reno had knotted the game up with a two-run double off Jason Adam, the Chasers offense countered in the seventh inning. Again, it was Schwindel doubling in a run with fellow first baseman Ryan O’Hearn also getting in the act with a two-run double of his own in the win.

Frank Schwindel: 3-4, R, 2-2b, 2 RBI
Ryan O’Hearn: 1-4, 2b, 2 RBI
Jorge Bonifacio: 3-5, 2R, 3b

Game 1 – Ogden Raptors 11, Idaho Falls Chukars 8
Game 2 – Idaho Falls Chukars 17, Ogden Raptors 0

The Chukars walked 12 hitters after resuming their suspended game, giving up 10 runs to drop a game that they led 3-1 prior to its suspension. The second game got completely out of hand after the Chukars blew it open with a 12-run third inning. First baseman Manny Olloque, who had at-bats with Triple-A Omaha this season, homered twice and drove in seven runs in the blowout win.

Tuesday Boxscores

Wednesday Probables
Omaha – Heath Fillmyer 4-5, 5.75 ERA, 1.63 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Emilio Ogando 4-3, 5.79 ERA, 2.12 WHIP
Idaho Falls – TBD
Burlington – TBD
AZL Royals – TBD

BPKC Hitter of the Day – Chris DeVito 4-4 R, 2-2b, RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day – Cristian Castillo 4 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 2 K 7-2 GO-FO 50p/36k

Lexington Legends 7 Rome Braves 4

The Legends big prospects led the way to another win over Rome on Saturday. The Braves jumped out to a 3-1 lead after three innings, hitting a solo home run off Carlos Hernandez in the second to tie the game before scoring a pair on a couple of singles in the third inning. In the fifth, the Legends countered with a run scoring infield single by Ricky Aracena prior to Cal Jones driving him in with a double. Now tied 3-3 Lexington would take the lead in that inning on a groundout by Cristian Perez. While Hernandez was settling down, getting through six innings with those three runs allowed his battery mate MJ Melendez was taking over the game. After scoring a run in the second after a single Melendez hit a bomb of a home run to center in the sixth to expand on the lead. While doing that offense Melendez was controlling the running game as well, tossing out two potential base stealers and also picking a runner off first base. The Legends final run was tacked on by outfielder Seuly Matias connecting on his 22nd home run of the season, a shot that got over the left-center fence.

Seuly Matias 1-4 HR,2 K
MJ Melendez 2-4 2R, HR, 2-2 CS/att, PO
Carlos Hernandez 6 IP 8 H 3 R 3 ER 1 BB 5 K 4-3 GO-FO 72p/51k

Wilmington Blue Rocks 2 Winston-Salem Dash 1

The Blue Rocks pitching staff and first baseman Chris DeVito helped carry Wilmington to a win over the White Sox farm club. The first baseman who has struggled most of the first half went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles in carrying the offense. Scoreless into the seventh inning DeVito doubled with two outs in front of a Vance Vizcaino single to score the game’s first run. In the ninth DeVito was the one with a two out hit, driving in Gabe Cancel following his double earlier in the inning to push the lead to 2-0. In the ninth, closer Bryan Brickhouse gave up a couple of singles, just the fifth and sixth hit he’s allowed during the season, which scored a run after an error by Vizcaino before securing the final out and his twelfth save of the year.

Bryan Brickhouse 2 IP 2 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 3 K 1-2 GO-FO 24p/16k
Gabriel Cancel 1-4 R, 2b
Carter Hope 3 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 K 3-3 GO-FO 35p/25k

Tulsa Drillers 4 NW Arkansas Naturals 3

A pair of home runs did in Foster Griffin and the Naturals on Saturday. After the Naturals manufactured a pair of runs in the first and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead Griffin served it up on the sixth. After an infield single and a walk, the lefty left a changeup over the plate and Jacob Scavuzzo hammered deep to left to put Tulsa up 3-2. The very next pitch ended up over the fence as well after DJ Peters connected on a solo home run to push the lead to 4-2. The Naturals brought the tying run to the plate in each of the next three innings but just a Jecksson Flores solo home run could be produced as they dropped another vital game in the first half race. The loss put the Naturals behind first place Arkansas by two games as they head into their four-game set with the Travelers starting on Sunday.

Foster Griffin 5.1 IP 7 H 4 R 4 ER 2 BB 5 K 4-2 GO-FO 82p/53k
Nicky Lopez 1-3 RBI
Jecksson Flores 1-3 HR, BB

Omaha Storm Chasers 9 Reno Aces 5

The Chasers starting pitcher Glenn Sparkman navigated the highly offensive ballpark pretty well Saturday night while the Chasers offense knocked around Reno pitching. Despite ten hits given up in five innings, Sparkman got through five innings with just three runs allowed. On their end, the Omaha offense connected on 19 hits, including five extra-base hits to score nine runs. Infielders Jack Lopez and Corey Toups each connected on opposite field home runs while all nine hitters in the lineup had at least one hit on the night. The Chasers bullpen gave up three more hits and a pair of runs via Reno’s third home run of the night but it wasn’t enough as Omaha took the win.

Jorge Bonifacio 3-5 R, 2b, RBI
Corey Toups 2-4 HR, BB
Glenn Sparkman 5 IP 10 H 3 R 3 ER 2 BB 2 K 7-2 GO-FO 107p/72k

Idaho Falls Chukars 12 Ogden Raptors 4

The Chukars hitters waited the Raptors pitchers out in this one, walking nine times on 190 pitches during the game while also connecting on twelve hits n the game. Of those twelve hits, six went for doubles which led to twelve runs on the board and a comfortable win. Starting pitcher C.J. Eldred made his first start since season ending Tommy John surgery during his final season at the University of Iowa, going six innings while allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out three to earn his first win with the organization.

C.J. Eldred 6 IP 8 H 3 R 3 ER 0 BB 3 K 7-4 GO-FO 84p/54k
Rudy Martin 1-2 2R, 2b, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Manny Olloque 2-4 R, 2-2b, RBI, BB

Saturday Boxscores

Sunday Probables
Omaha – Jon Dziedzic 3-5 3.03 ERA 1.16 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Zach Lovvorn 4-4 5.77 ERA 1.53 WHIP
Wilmington – Dan Tillo 2-2 4.16 ERA 1.25 WHIP
Lexington – TBD
Idaho Falls – Ismael Maldonado

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: Elier Hernandez 4-5, 3R, HR, 3 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Richard Lovelady 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2-0 GO-FO, 28p/23k

Transactions
IF Corey Toups moved to Omaha
LHP Sam Selman activated at NW Arkansas
C Jason Esposito activated at NW Arkansas

Frederick Keys 5, Wilmington Blue Rocks 3

Rocks starter Arnaldo Hernandez had some bad luck and missed some spots in the third inning against Frederick, which made all the difference Wednesday night. In that inning, the righty walked a pair around a well-placed bunt that loaded the bases for the Keys. A sac fly and a double quickly made it 2-0 before an infield single pushed across another run and moved a runner to third. That runner would be brought home on a groundout to put Frederick up 4-0. After Wilmington manufactured a run in their half of the inning, the Keys got a solo home run in the seventh to push the advantage back to four runs. That gap would be enough after the Rocks scored a pair in the seventh, but left the bases loaded in the loss.

Khalil Lee: 0-1, R, 2BB, HBP, K
Chase Vallot: 0-3, RBI, 2 K, HBP
Meibrys Viloria: 1-4, RBI, 1-1 CS/Att

NW Arkansas Naturals 12, Frisco RoughRiders 8

The Naturals starter Andres Machado struggled mightily, allowing seven runs on 10 hits and four walks in just 3.2 innings. Despite those struggles, the offense flexed their muscles once again to come out on top. On most nights it has been the top of the order speedsters leading the way, but on Wednesday it was the longball as the Naturals clubbed three home runs, two by the muscle in the middle from Elier Hernandez and Alex Liddi. That pair drove in seven of the 12 runs while Jecksson Flores also hit a home run and drove in two. The 12 runs were spread out in three innings with a three-run second with a Liddi double, a five-run third that featured Liddi’s three-run home run and a Luis Villegas RBI double. Those runs gave the Naturals an 8-5 lead, but Machado gave two back the next inning to trim that lead to just one. The margin stood there until Flores cleared the fence with a solo home run and Hernandez brought home three more with his third homer of the season and his second in his last five games. Those runs put the game out of reach and put the Naturals into second place in their division, just one back of Springfield.

Nicky Lopez: 1-4
Donnie Dewees: 1-4, 2R
Grant Gavin: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO, 27p/20k

Omaha Storm Chasers 8, Oklahoma City Dodgers 5

The Chasers built an early lead with some power and hung on for a win late. A two-run home run by Ryan O’Hearn put the Chasers up in the first. An inning later, Adalberto Mondesi’s two-run blast was part of a four-run frame to expand the lead to 6-0. Starter Glenn Sparkman gave up a pair of home runs, but both came with nobody on as he navigated the other five hits he allowed in five innings to get through with just the two runs allowed. Omaha scored a pair in the sixth when they loaded the bases, bringing in one when Frank Schwindel got plunked before a wild pitch scored another to push the advantage to 8-3. Reliever Justin Grimm gave a couple back, but lefty Richard Lovelady shut things down over the final two innings to secure the save.

Adalberto Mondesi: 2-4, 2R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Ryan O’Hearn: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Glenn Sparkman: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 5-3 GO-FO, 76p/54k

Wednesday Boxscores

Thursday Probables
Omaha – Jonathan Dziedzic 2-5, 3.25 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Foster Griffin 2-5, 5.17 ERA, 1.59 WHIP
Wilmington – Dan Tillo 2-2, 4.15 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Lexington Gm1 – Garrett Davila 3-1, 3.50 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Lexington Gm2 – Janser Lara 1-2, 2.78 ERA, 1.24 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Luis Villegas 1-1, 2RBI, BB, SAC

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jace Vines 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 9-4 GO-FO, 96p/59k

Wilmington Blue Rocks 3, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 1 – F/7
Myrtle Beach Pelicans 10, Wilmington Blue Rocks 1 – F/7

The Rocks Khalil Lee scored a pair of runs early and starter Jace Vines made it stand up in the first game of the doubleheader, throwing a complete game. The former Texas A&M pitcher negotiated five hits and three walks in his seven innings thanks to his usual high number of groundouts, collecting nine to earn his second win.

In game two, Anthony Bender struggled with his control while failing to limit contact as well. Despite the right-hander regularly working in the mid to upper 90s, he’s failing to capitalize on that velocity, striking out just 5.3 hitters per nine. Additionally, Bender is walking 6.8 per nine while giving up more than a hit per inning which all speaks to a firm fastball. Wednesday, it was more of the same with Bender walking four and allowing seven hits which led to seven runs. The Rocks got a run on a single, a walk and a groundout in the second, but didn’t get another hit until the sixth inning in the loss.

Khalil Lee: 1-4, 2R, BB, HBP, SB (8), 2K
Emmanuel Rivera: 2-5, R, BB
Meibrys Viloria: 1-5, RBI, BB, 0-1 CS-Att

NW Arkansas Naturals 5, Arkansas Travelers 4 – F/8

Three consecutive singles jump-started the fourth inning for the Naturals. The third single came off the bat of Jecksson Flores, scoring Nicky Lopez. A throwing error by the pitcher on an Anderson Miller bunt scored another and pushed Miller and Flores into scoring position. A passed ball and another single, this one by Luis Villegas, scored both runners to flip a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 lead. Starter Zach Lovvorn gave up two runs the next inning but was able to get through six innings for a quality start before handing things off to the bullpen. A Villegas sac fly scored Miller in the sixth as insurance before the rain came in the eighth, ending the game early, in a Naturals win.

Nicky Lopez 1-4 R
Jecksson Flores 1-4, R, RBI
Franco Terrero 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 14p/9k

Thursday Probables
Omaha – Scott Barlow 1-1, 2.66 ERA, 1.33 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Scott Blewett 1-3, 5.19 ERA, 1.82 WHIP
Wilmington – Ofreidy Gomez 1-3, 5.40 ERA, 1.88 WHIP
Lexington – Nolan Watson 2-3, 7.88 ERA, 1.81 WHIP