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: 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 2-3 R, 2b, RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Foster Griffin 7 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 4 K 7-6 GO-FO 104p/68k

Lexington Legends 3 Columbia Fireflies 0

The Legends employed the bullpen in this one and they handled things quite well with Holden Capps, Jacob Condra-Bogan, and Andrew Beckwith tossing eight shutout innings before the rain came in for the save. On offense, wild pitches scored the Legends first two runs with Seuly Matias walking and coming in on a wild pitch in the second before Cristian Perez singled and scored on a wild pitch in the third inning. Infielder Dennicher Carrasco connected on his seventh home run of the season in the eighth inning. Left-hander Holden Capps struggled with the strikezone some during his spot start but tossed four innings before turning things to Condra-Bogan struckout three in his three innings before Beckwith tossed a scoreless eighth.

Cristian Perez: 1-4 R, SB (4) – 12 game hit streak
Seuly Matias: 2-2 R, 2BB, SB (4)
Nick Pratto: 1-3 BB

NW Arkansas Naturals 1 Arkansas Travelers 0

Two pitchers pulled the Naturals within a game of first place with a 1-0 shutout win on Monday. Left-hander Foster Griffin, after three abysmal starts, rebounded with seven innings of shutout work, working around four hits and a walk before giving way to Jake Newberry. The Naturals offense was kept at bay most of the game before Anderson Miller singled to left in the fifth inning to score Jecksson Flores who advanced to second after a single and an error by the Arkansas leftfielder. Reliever Jake Newberry earned his 11th save after navigating three hits over the final two innings.

Anderson Miller: 2-4 RBI
Nicky Lopez: 1-3 BB
Jake Newberry: 2 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K 3-0 GO-FO 22p/16k

Omaha Storm Chasers 2 Albuquerque Isotopes 0

Much like the other two clubs, the Chasers received quality pitching with starter Jon Dziedzic tossing seven innings of shutout ball. The crafty lefty navigated five hits and a pair of walks, getting eight groundouts and striking out five to earn his third win of the season. The Chasers first baseman Frank Schwindel who is in the middle of another of his hot hitting stretches, hitting .390 with a 1.091 OPS over his last 20 games, connected on an RBI double to score Corey Toups before Logan Moon drove him in with a single to provide both runs in the seventh inning. Relievers Kevin Lenik and Brandon Maurer worked the final two innings to secure the win.

Jon Dziedzic: 7 IP 5 H 0 R 0 ER 2 BB 5 K 8-6 GO-FO 96p/61k
Adalberto Mondesi: 0-4 K
Ryan O’Hearn: 0-2 2K

Monday Boxscores

Tuesday Probables
NW Arkansas – Zach Lovvorn 3-4 5.65 ERA 1.54 WHIP
Wilmington Gm 1 – Dan Tillo 2-2 3.77 ERA 1.18 WHIP
Wilmington Gm 2 – Jace Vines 2-7 5.68 ERA 1.65 WHIP
Lexington – Janser Lara 1-3 3.57 ERA 1.39 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Anderson Miller 2-3, 2R, HR, 2 RBI, BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jon Dziedzic 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 8-4 GO-FO, 91p/61k

West Virginia Power 5, Lexington Legends 3

Legends starter Garrett Davila gave up four runs in the first inning on an RBI single and a three-run home run as he failed to retire the first five hitters who came to the plate and ran his pitch total 37 pitches to end his night. Those runs were enough to handle the Legends as the offense struggled with just three unearned runs on five hits.

Seuly Matias: 0-4, 3K
MJ Melendez: 1-3, BB, K
Cristian Perez: 1-2, R, BB

Game 1 – Wilmington Blue Rocks 4, Lynchburg Hillcats 1
Game 2 – Wilmington Blue Rocks 6, Lynchburg Hillcats 5

The Rocks got another solid start from Dan Tillo in game one, giving them five innings of one-run ball before leaving. With the game tied at one going into the sixth inning outfielder, Kort Peterson unloaded on his seventh home run of the season to put Wilmington up 3-1. A single by Oli Nunez brought in another run before Julio Pinto closed things down to earn the win.

In game two, starter Jace Vines couldn’t hold an early 3-1 lead, falling behind 5-3 after yielding 10 hits in just 3.1 innings. The Royals High-A squad answered in the fifth with a pair of runs on a bases-loaded single by Meibrys Viloria and took the lead in the sixth on an RBI single by Gabe Cancel. From there, Bryan Brickhouse closed things out with a clean seventh to earn his tenth save of the season.

Bryan Brickhouse: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 13p/8
Kort Peterson: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Khalil Lee: 2-5, 3R, 2b, 2 BB, SB (12)

NW Arkansas Naturals 8, Springfield Cardinals 6 

The Naturals overcame another difficult start by Foster Griffin with some good bullpen work and plenty of offense. Since a solid April, Griffin has allowed 36 earned runs over 39 innings while giving up 64 hits in the process. Trailing 6-2, outfielder Anderson Miller connected on his fifth home run of the year to pull within 6-4. A couple of innings later the Naturals tied it when Jecksson Flores doubled in Miller before scoring on a wild pitch. In the seventh frame hot-hitting Elier Hernandez singled in Nicky Lopez and Erick Mejia to go up 8-6. From the time Griffin left, the bullpen dominated the Cardinals lineup with four different relievers striking out 11 hitters and tossing up nothing but zeros over the final five innings to secure the win.

Elier Hernandez: 3-4, 2R, 2 RBI
Nicky Lopez: 1-4, R, 2b
Yunior Marte: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 16p/13k

El Paso Chihuahuas 3, Omaha Storm Chasers 2 

The two teams got quality starts from their starters on this night, but the Chasers bullpen faltered in the loss. Newcomer Rosell Herrera connected on his first home run with the organization with a two-run blast in the fourth as part of his two hit night. Omaha wouldn’t muster any more runs while Eric Stout allowed a home run by Luis Urias in the eighth to give El Paso the lead and the eventual win.

Adalberto Mondesi: 0-3, BB
Ryan O’Hearn: 0-3, R, BB
Cam Gallagher: 0-4, 2 K

Wednesday Boxscores

Thursday Probables
Omaha – Heath Fillmyer 3-5, 6.18 ERA, 1.73 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Zach Lovvorn 3-4, 5.77 ERA, 1.56 WHIP
Wilmington – Anthony Bender 2-2, 5.55 ERA, 1.68 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Seuly Matias 2-4 2HR, 4 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jon Dziedzic 7 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 8 K 8-2 GO-FO 96p/65k

Delmarva Shorebirds 9 Lexington Legends 5

Coming into this game Janser Lara was exhibiting better control, having walked fewer than 3 per 9 innings while showing off the good fastball and breaking ball combination to miss bats. That wasn’t the case on this night though as the Latin right-hander struggled with the zone, throwing just 39 strikes among his 70 pitches while walking three and allowing six hits in just three innings of work. It wasn’t a ton of hard contact with four of the five singles coming on the ground and the other as a soft line drive but the high pitch counts and the wild pitch and errors drove him out of the game early. Piggyback partner Andres Sotillet was also knocked around on his arrival into the game, allowing three runs on eleven hits over the final six innings. The closest the Legends got after the third inning was a three-run deficit in the eighth inning on Seuly Matias’s second two-run home run on the night.

Nick Pratto: 1-4 R, 2b
Jeison Guzman: 3-4 2R, HR
Brewer Hicklen: 2-4 2b

Carolina Mudcats 4 Wilmington Blue Rocks 3

Hard throwing Ofreidy Gomez struggled with the zone and threw a few too many hittable pitches in Carolina in game one of the series with the Mudcats. The right-hander that works in the low to mid 90s hit the zone with just 53 of 99 pitches, walked three and gave up six hits and four runs in four and two-thirds. Trailing 4-1 after a rain delay Emmanuel Rivera doubled to left-center to bring Wilmington within a run but Xavier Fernandez and Chris DeVito would fail to advance him home, ending the rally in the inning and eventually the game.

Emmanuel Rivera: 2-4 2b, 2 RBI
Khalil Lee: 1-4 2k, SB(7)
D.J. Burt: 1-4 R, BB

Tulsa Drillers 9 NW Arkansas Naturals 3

The Drillers got to Foster Griffin early and late while the offense had plenty of hits but didn’t do enough damage with them in a loss. Three separate two-out doubles plated a single run in the first and two more in the second against Griffin while the Naturals answered with just a run-scoring double by newly promoted Brandon Downes over the first two innings. Zeroes went up over the next three innings before another two-out two run double in the sixth added to the tally against Griffin. From there the Drillers tacked on against the bullpen while the Naturals added a couple of late runs in a loss.

Nicky Lopez: 2-5
Brandon Downes: 2-4 2b, HR, 2 RBI
Foster Griffin: 7 IP 10 H 5 R 5 ER 1 BB 5K 8-3 GO-FO 97p/62k

Omaha Storm Chasers 3 Iowa Cubs 2

The Chasers received an outstanding start from Jonathan Dziedzic to snap their losing skid. The lefty spun seven innings of scoreless ball allowing just three hits while filling the zone with 65 strikes on 96 pitches in that time. The eight strikeouts for Jon was a season high and a nice rebound effort from the seven runs he allowed against New Orleans. The game was scoreless until the seventh when Paulo Orlando unloaded on a three-run home run to give the Chasers all they would need to secure a win.

Hunter Dozier: 1-3 BB
Ryan O’Hearn: 1-3 BB
Cam Gallagher: 1-4 R

Thursday Boxscores

Friday Probables
Omaha – Heath Fillmyer 2-2 5.46 ERA 1.54 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Zach Lovvorn 0-3 5.90 ERA 1.45 WHIP
Wilmington – Gerson Garabito 1-2 2.12 ERA 1.18 WHIP
Lexington – Nolan Watson 2-2 6.33 ERA 1.74 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Erick Mejia 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, SB (4)

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jacob Bodner 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO, 16p/12k

Springfield Cardinals 6, NW Arkansas Naturals 5

Starter Foster Griffin didn’t fool the Cardinals hitters much in his time on the hill Monday before bowing out at 5.2 innings. The line is serviceable at four runs allowed, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. He gave up eight hits, two of which left the yard and he could’ve had much worse results considering all the hard contact he gave up. The Naturals trailed 6-1 after Jake Kalish surrendered a two-run home run in the seventh inning before mounting a comeback attempt that fell just short. Infielder Erick Mejia hit a two-run home run in the eighth frame and came up with a chance to tie the game in the ninth following a Nicky Lopez RBI single, but the former Dodgers farmhand grounded out to second to end the game.

Samir Duenez: 1-3, HR, BB
Elier Hernandez: 3-4
Foster Griffin: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 5-6 GO-FO, 94p/58k

Nashville Sounds 4, Omaha Storm Chasers 3

The Chasers offense looked as if it was still stuck in the cold on Monday afternoon, with the team leaving nine runners on base and missing out on a couple of late opportunities to tie the game. The two teams exchanged two run innings in the second with Nashville scoring with a pair of doubles off starter Jon Dziedzic while Omaha countered with a Logan Moon RBI single and a second run coming in on a Terrance Gore double play ball. An inning later, Dziedzic struggled to close things out, giving up a pair of two-out singles that brought home two runs to push Omaha down 4-2. The Chasers offense was silent in the middle innings, but received an error and a pair of infield singles to load the bases in the seventh inning with the top of the order due up. Unfortunately, they couldn’t cash in on a prime opportunity to score with Ramon Torres and Jack Lopez striking out before Hunter Dozier grounded out weakly to shortstop. An inning later Nick Dini would come through with a RBI single to trim the deficit to one run, but Parker Moring couldn’t keep the rally going. The Chasers would go down in order in the ninth to drop the final game of the series.

Hunter Dozier: 0-5, 3K
Ryan O’Hearn: 1-4, R
Jon Dziedzic: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1-6 GO-FO, 91p/59k

Boxscores from Monday

Tuesday Probables
NW Arkansas – Zach Lovvorn possibly
Wilmington – Anthony Bender 1-0, 5.56 ERA, 2.12 WHIP
Lexington – Garrett Davila 0-1, 3.55 ERA, 1.82 WHIP

HR Roll Call: Whit Merrifield (3), Ramon Torres (2), Logan Moon (1)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Logan Moon 3-4, 3R, 2b, HR, 3 RBI, BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Zach Lovvorn 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 6-4 GO-FO, 81p/51k, 13 swinging strikes

Player Spotlight

If Zach Lovvorn’s first two starts are any indication, then I have him WAY too low in the Royals system. The righty has worked up to 94 mph, usually 91-93 mph, with his fastball that he can place on both sides of the plate and elevate when needed. That pitch is a nice average fastball, but it pairs well with his changeup that features good arm speed with sink and a solid 12-6 curveball with good shape that he can spot for strikes, or manipulate to dive out of the zone for a swing and a miss. The righty has so much confidence in his changeup that he will use it in any count and against same-sided hitters.

It’s just two starts so it is too early to change my rankings based on this, but if he continues to progress, then he will rank in the Royals Top 15 prospects and maybe even in the 5-10 range.

Omaha Storm Chasers 9 Round Rock Express 1

The Storm Chaser’s offense jumped out with a big night at the plate on Tuesday to cruise to an easy win. Six different Chaser hitters reached base two or more times with Whit Merrifield connecting on three hits, including his third home run already this season. In addition to Merrifield, designated hitter Jorge Bonifacio had a big night at the dish with a bases-loaded double to the left-center gap that plated three and another fielder’s choice to finish with four of Omaha’s nine RBI. Lefty Jon Dziedzic twirled another good start with 5.2 shutout innings with five strikeouts to earn his first win of the year. Working his fastball in the 87-89 range along with an upper 70’s change and mid 70’s curveball, Dziedzic kept Round Rock hitters off balance during his time on the mound.

Reliever Matt Strahm worked a quick inning, touching 96 mph with his fastball and working around a leadoff double.

Boxscore Link

Whit Merrifield 3-5, 2R, HR
Jorge Bonifacio 2-4, 2R, 2b, 3b, 4 RBI
Cam Gallagher 3-4, RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 12 Corpus Christi 3

The Naturals had a big night at the plate as well, pounding out 17 hits and 12 runs with four players having multi-RBI nights. Outfielder Logan Moon broke a 0-10 start with eight strikeouts with a three-run home run in the second inning en route to a 3 for 4 night with three runs scored. The offensive effort backed Lovvorn, who had another outstanding night on the mound, working six innings with just one run allowed. The former 6th round pick struck out eight hitters for a second consecutive start, allowing just two hits and two walks on the night.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 3-5, R, 3b, 2 RBI
Donald Dewees 3-4, 2R, RBI, 2BB
Evan Beal 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 0-3 GO-FO, 25p/17k

Wilmington Blue Rocks 3 Carolina Mudcats 2

The Rocks staged a late comeback to snap their three-game losing streak in the second game of their series with Carolina on Tuesday. Starter Cristian Castillo opened his season with a solid effort, allowing just two hits and an unearned run in his five innings while striking out five. The lefty is a control type pitcher, mixing at 86-89 with his solid change and curve to keep hitters off balance. Castillo earned 11 swinging strikes with the only run coming via a three-base error on a steal attempt when Chase Vallot uncorked a ball to center that Elier Hernandez misplayed which allowed the runner to come all the way home.

The Mudcats would give back a gift of their own in the seventh, when their shortstop’s error allowed Hernandez and Anderson Miller to score to give Wilmington the lead that their bullpen held for the win.

Boxscore Link

Cristian Castillo 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 52k/82p, 3-4 GO-FO
Chase Vallot 1-3, 2b, BB
Yunior Marte 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 19p/10k

Greenville Driver 4 Lexington Legends 3

The Legends staged a two run rally in the ninth inning in their second game of the Greenville series, but fell one run shy in defeat. Starter Nolan Watson, who lead the league in home runs allowed last season gave up two big flies in the first before settling in. The righty worked five innings with just three hits allowed, but the home runs over the Little Green Monster were enough to give Lexington the loss. Third baseman Emmanuel Rivera had a big night at the plate going 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles, but his first inning error extended the inning prior to the second home run off Watson.

Boxscore Link

Nolan Watson 5 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 6-4 GO-FO, 80p/43k
Meibrys Viloria 1-4, RBI
Emmanuel Rivera 4-4, R, 2-2b

HR Roll Call: Khalil Lee (1)

BP-KC Hitter of the Day: Khalil Lee 3-4 HR, 2R, RBI, BB, SB 

BP-KC Pitcher of the Day: Zach Lovvorn 6 IP 1 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 8 K 5-4 GO-FO 74p/45k

Game of the Day
Lexington Legends 6 Charleston Riverdogs 3

The Legends were the one affiliate that got their offense going on Thursday, jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first. Second baseman Gabriel Cancel got that frame started with a one-out single, moving to second on Kort Pederson’s hit by pitch and then coming home on Chris DeVito’s single to left. A throwing error on the play at the plate on Cancel allowed both Pederson and DeVito to move up an extra 90 feet, allowing them both to come home on Emmanuel Rivera’s single to center. The scoring in the inning would be capped by Amalani Fukofuka’s double to left-center.

The Legends would continue to press on their end, pushing out Riverdog’s starter Nick Green after just 2.1 innings despite being unable to dent the scoreboard again in that time. The Yankees would counter with hard-throwing piggyback pitcher Albert Abreu, formerly of the Astros organization. The righthander who is ranked #82 on the Baseball Prospectus Top 100 would go on to work over the Legends hitters, striking out 6 in four frames, while touching 98 to 99 mph on the gun multiple times. The fireballer paired a nice curveball with that fastball and even tossed in some decent changeups, flummoxing the Legends lineup, save for Khalil Lee. It was Lee that battled for an 11 pitch walk in the fourth inning and then ended Abreu’s scoreless streak in the seventh with an opposite field home run. The blast highlighted an offensive night that checked every possible box for Lee, which included stealing a base and advancing bases on pickoffs, and connecting on two other hits.

The Royals prospect that I ranked 4th in my prospect rankings would reach base in the ninth with a single, advance to third with an error on a pickoff attempt, and score the eventual final tally with a Cancel double. Legends starter Nolan Watson would struggle with control on the night, walking five while struggling to harness the life on his fastball. Despite giving up just three hits he was limited to four innings on the night.

Boxscore Link

Gabriel Cancel 2-5, R, 2b, RBI
Grant Gavin 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 7-0 GO-FO, 41p/26k
Nolan Watson 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 4-3 GO-FO, 83p/43k

Colorado Springs Sky Sox 2 Omaha Storm Chasers 1

The Chasers couldn’t get much going on Thursday, connecting on just two hits while Brewers prospect Josh Hader put them away via K six times in five innings. That lack of offense gave lefty Jon Dziedzic a tough luck loss after limiting Colorado Springs to just two runs over five innings. Both runs came courtesy of Ryan Cordell, doubling in a run in the first and homering off Dziedzic in the fourth. Starter Jake Junis will start Friday night for Omaha.

Boxscore Link 

Whit Merrifield 0-3, BB, RBI, CS
Cam Gallagher 1-4, R, 2b, 1-2 Def CS
Yender Caramo 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, 12p/7k

San Antonio Missions 4 NW Arkansas Naturals 0

The king of the frustrating start in 2016, Zach Lovvorn, regained his title for at least one more night on Thursday in his debut for the NW Arkansas Naturals. The righty was solid in his six innings, pairing his 89-92 mph fastball with his solid slider to strikeout eight in six innings while giving up just one hit. Unfortunately that one hit was a solo home run via Luis Urias, BP’s #10 San Diego prospect. That run was enough as the Naturals could mount just three hits in the shutout loss.

Boxscore Link

Frank Schwindel 2-4, 2b
Pedro Fernandez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1-2 GO-FO, 11p/6k
Donald Dewees 0-3, BB

HR Roll Call Jorge Bonifacio (17), Orlando Calixte (9), Corey Toups (9), Manny Olloque (6), Yeison Melo (4), Michael Arroyo (4), Cal Jones (3), Esteury Ruiz (5)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Michael Arroyo 2-3 3R, HR, 2 RBI, BB

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Vance Tatum 3.2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 BB 5 K 5-1 GO-FO

Omaha Storm Chasers 4 Sacramento River Cats 2

The Chasers knocked a pair of home runs with solid pitching to snap their losing streak. Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio hit his 17th home run of the season and scored another run while Jon Dziedzic worked six innings with just one run allowed. Relievers Scott Alexander and Andrew Edwards shut the door with three scoreless innings to wrap things up for Omaha.

Boxscore Link

Jorge Bonifacio 1-3 2R, HR, BB
Orlando Calixte 2-5 R, HR
Roman Torres 2-4 2b, RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 9 San Antonio Missions 7 F/11

The Naturals popped San Antonio for seven runs in the first two innings before the bullpen gave up the lead and sending the game to extra innings. Second baseman Corey Toups homered to leadoff the game for the second time this week to get the scoring started for NW Arkansas, pounding out seven hits and seven runs in the first two frames. Starter Andy Ferguson was sitting pretty for a win after five innings of one run ball until Miguel Almonte and Tim Hill struggled and gave up enough runs for San Antonio to tie the game after seven innings. The game stayed tied the eleventh inning when the Naturals scored a run on a sac bunt and another on a Missions error to take the lead and the eventual win.

Boxscore Link

Corey Toups 2-4 2R, HR, 2b, RBI, 3 BB, SB (20)
Ryan O’Hearn 2-5 2b, RBI
Mauricio Ramos 3-5 R, 2-2b, 2 RBI, BB

Salem Red Sox 5 Wilmington Blue Rocks 2

The Rocks collected two hits in their latest loss to Salem. The Red Sox prospect Michael Kopech put away 11 hitters via strikeout while the reliever Jake Newberry gave up three runs in his two innings to take the loss.

Boxscore Link

Elier Hernandez 1-3
Corey Ray 5 IP 5 H 2 R 1 ER 2 BB 6 K
Samir Duenez 0-4 RBI

Augusta GreenJackets 4 Lexington Legends 1 

The Legends connected on just three hits Saturday in another loss. Starter Nolan Watson gave up his seventeenth home run of the year in dropping his tenth decision, giving up four runs in five innings. Five walks by the offense lead to just one run on offense due to the three hits.

Boxscore Link

Nolan Watson 5 IP 5 H 3 ER 2 BB 3 K
Roman Collins 2-4
Chase Vallot 0-4

Great Falls Voyagers 7 Idaho Falls Chukars 6

The Chukars hammered a pair of three runs home runs early only to watch their defense give the game away. The home runs came courtesy of a first inning home run via Manny Olloque and a third inning homer from Yeison Melo. The Chukars would make four errors from there and a misplay from Ricky Aracena in the ninth, scored a hit, lead to the final run in the loss.

Boxscore Link

Yeison Melo 1-2 HR, 3 RBI
Manny Olloque 2-3 2R, HR , 3 RBI, BB
Arnaldo Hernandez 6 IP 7 H 4 R 1 ER 2 BB 3 K 8-4 GO-FO 84p/54k

Burlington Royals 7 Danville Braves 1

The Royals got after local boy Joey Wentz for four runs in the third inning to hand him his second loss in the Appy league. The Royals used three different pitchers to spin a one run game with just three hits allowed and 10 strikeouts on their end for the win.

Boxscore Link

Nicky Lopez 2-3 R, 2b, RBI, 2 BB
Michael Arroyo 2-3 3R, HR, BB
Vance Tatum 3.2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 BB 5 K 5-1 GO-FO

AZL Mariners 6 AZL Royals 5

The AZL Royals built a 3-1 lead after the first inning only to watch a big fifth inning setup the Mariners for a win. That fifth inning featured five runs off starter Dillon Drabble that included a grand slam via Joseph Rosa. The Royals scored a pair of runs in the ninth, but had a runner tossed out at third base and Cal Jones struck out to end the rally. In the first inning Jones hit his third home run in his last four games.

Boxscore Link

Cal Jones 1-5 R, HR, 2 RBI
Dalton Griffin 2-4 R, 2b
Khalil Lee 1-2 R, 2 BB

DSL Royals 12 DSL Marlins 2 

Infielder Esteury Ruiz kept up his hot hitting while the Royals pounded their way to an easy victory. The 17 year old second baseman has had a strong week, going 12 for 20 with four doubles, two triples and a home run.

Boxscore Link

Esteury Ruiz 2-4 3R, 2b, HR, 2 RBI
Raymond Lopez 2-6 R, 3b
Christopher Marte 5 IP 2 H 1 R 0 ER 2 BB 5 K 3-5 GO-FO