HR Roll Call: Orlando Calixte (11), Ryan O’Hearn (21), Joe Dudek (5)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Ryan O’Hearn 3-5, HR, 5 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Corey Ray 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 4-5 GO-FO, 101p/60k

Round Rock Express 2 Omaha Storm Chasers 1

A pair of pitching staffs kept the two offenses at bay, except for one inning in the Chasers loss Tuesday night. The Express plated two runs off Jonathan Dziedzic with a sac fly and a run-scoring triple in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. The Chasers answered with a solo home run from Orlando Calixte before both offenses went cold and failed to cross the plate the rest of the night. The Royals Wade Davis pitched the sixth for Omaha, giving up a one-out double before striking out two hitters to complete a scoreless frame. He was followed by rehabbing Kris Medlen who also tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. The Chasers have six games left in their season.

Boxscore Link

Wade Davis 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO/AO, 15p/13k
Jorge Bonifacio 3-3, BB
Orlando Calixte 2-4, HR

NW Arkansas Naturals 11 Tulsa Drillers 6 

The Naturals exploded in the game’s opening three innings for 10 runs to walk away with an easy win in the opener with Tulsa. A first inning wild pitch, plus a double from Frank Schwindel and a single by Samir Duenez, gave NW Arkansas a 3-0 lead. That lead quickly expanded to 7-0 in the second on Alfredo Escaper’s run-scoring single and a Ryan O’Hearn three-run home run, his 21st of the year. The hits kept coming in the third inning when Mauricio Ramos connected on a double to plate Humberto Arteaga and run-scoring singles from O’Hearn and Schwindel to push the advantage to 10-0. The waiting for the offense to finish their innings may have drained starter Yender Caramo who gave up four runs in the fifth, but he managed to finish the frame to earn his fifth Double-A win. The victory allowed the Naturals to keep pace with first place Arkansas who also won. There are three games left in this series before the Naturals turn to a possible division-deciding series with the Travelers.

Boxscore Link

Frank Schwindel 4-5, R, 2 RBI
Samir Duenez 2-5, RBI
Humberto Arteaga 3-4, 2R, SB (15)

Game 1
Wilmington Blue Rocks 9 Carolina Mudcats 1

The Rocks dominated game one with three Wilmington players doing plenty of damage to Carolina. Outfielder Anderson Miller plated the game’s first run with a double to drive Cody Jones home in the first, before scoring himself on a Luis Villegas single. That would be all the offense Corey Ray would need on the day as the righty dominated the first six innings of the outing, allowing just a single and a walk while striking out seven Mudcats. Those two runs stood up until the Rocks plated three runs in the sixth with a Robert Pehl single to plate one before Miller brought Pehl home with a bases-loaded walk. Up 5-0, Wilmington put the game well out of hand in the seventh with doubles by Pehl and Miller that pushed three runs across as part of a four-run inning on the way to a 9-1 win.

Boxscore Link

Robert Pehl 3-4, 2R, 2b, 3 RBI
Anderson Miller 2-3, R, 2-2b, 3 RBI
Corey Ray 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Game 2
Wilmington Blue Rocks 5 Carolina Mudcats 2

In game two, the Rocks used a bullpen effort to earn a doubleheader sweep. A four-run sixth inning broke open a 1-1 game when Austin Bailey singled in front of a Robert Pehl two-run double as part of the inning. The Mudcats would plate a run in the seventh, but Brennan Henry would finish off the inning for the win.

Boxscore Link

Kyle Kubat 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Robert Pehl 1-2, R, 2b, 2 RBI, BB
Brian Bien 2-2, RBI

Augusta GreenJackets 2 Lexington Legends 1

The Legends could push just one run across due to a 2 for 9 performance with runners in scoring position on Tuesday, costing them a game. The Lexington pitching staff fared well, striking out 10 with starter Gerson Garabito putting away six in four innings. A run allowed by Mark McCoy in the seventh put Lexington behind 2-0 on a pair of extra base hits to start the inning. A pair of hits in the eighth quickly brought the Legends within a run and placed the tying run on base and within ninety feet after a wild pitch, but the next two hitters failed to bring him home.

Boxscore Link

Roman Collins 2-3, R, 2-2b
Chase Vallot 0-4, 3k
DJ Burt 1-3, RBI, BB

Idaho Falls Chukars 11 Ogden Raptors 10

A Chukars win in the second game of their series with Ogden displaced the Raptors from first place while pulling Idaho Falls with 2.5 games of first. The Raptors played an attrocious defensive game, making six errors and allowing 11 Chukars runs. Only four of those runs were earned as Idaho Falls knocked out 15 hits in the win. Shortstop Ricky Aracena committed his 38th error of the season in the first inning which lead to five runs for Ogden. Combined, the two teams scored 11 runs in the first, with zero earned runs in the frame.

Boxscore Link

Ricky Aracena 0-3, R, BB, E (38)
Joe Dudek 3-5, 3R, HR, 3 RBI
Angelo Castellano 2-4, 2R, 2b, RBI, BB

Game 1
Burlington Royals 9 Danville Braves 2

The Royals clinched their playoff spot in the first game of the doubleheader in Danville. The Royals ’16 draftee from Oregon State, Travis Eckert, worked five strong innings in game one, allowing just a second inning run-scoring double, while leaving the game with a lead the offense had given him that same inning. With a 2-1 lead, a run scoring double by Nicky Lopez pushed the lead to 3-1 before he added a fourth run later in the frame. That stood until the eighth, when the Braves scored before Burlington put the playoffs in hand with a five-run ninth.

Boxscore Link

Travis Eckert 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 5-3 GO-FO
Vance Vizcaino 2-5, R, BB
Jose Sanchez 4-5, 3 RBI

Game 2
Burlington Royals 9 Danville Braves 2

In game two, the Royals pitching squad worked around 12 hits while they did plenty with their 15 hits, pushing in nine runs. From the sixth through the eighth, the Royals punched out seven hits and used a pair of Danville errors to plate seven runs, turning a 2-0 game into a 9-1 lead and an eventual 9-2 win. Appalachian League pitcher of the year Cristian Castillo earned the win with five innings of shutout baseball. The win secured the Eastern Division of the Appy League for the Royals.

Boxscore Link

Cristian Castillo 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 5-8 GO-FO
Gabriel Cancel 3-4, R, 3 RBI
Vance Vizcaino 2-4, R, RBI, BB

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

Nashville Sounds 12 Omaha Storm Chasers 3

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

Boxscore Link

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

   Hagerstown Suns 3 Lexington Legends 1

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

Boxscore Link

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

Idaho Falls Chukars 4 Grand Junction Rockies 5

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

Boxscore Link

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

Greeneville Astros 3 Burlington Royals 7

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

Boxscore Link

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

AZL Brewers 11 AZL Royals 10

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

Boxscore Link

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

DSL Dodgers 3 DSL Royals 2 (11)

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

Boxscore Link

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

HR Roll Call Orlando Calixte (10), Zane Evans (5), Nicky Lopez (5), Seuly Matias (8), Khalil Lee (6)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Orlando Calixte 3-4 3R, HR, 2 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Derek Gordon 4 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 5 K 5-1 GO-FO 64p/44k

Omaha Storm Chasers 11 Fresno Grizzlies 7

The Chasers bid the west coast adieu for the 2016 season with a big offensive night in Fresno. The two teams combined for 13 runs through the first four innings with Omaha’s six run third inning pacing them with a 7-6 lead. That one run of separation would last until sixth when Jorge Bonifacio would connect on a bases clearing double to push the lead to 10-6. It was one of two doubles on the night for Bonifacio with he and Orlando Calixte driving in seven of the teams 11 runs. All nine hitters in the lineup had at least one hit with the team punching out 15 total. The bullpen would pickup struggling Mike Minor Benino Pruneda leading the way with six K’s over three innings to earn the win.

Boxscore Link

Benino Pruneda 3 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 2 BB 6 K
Hunter Dozier 1-2 3R, RBI, 2 BB
Jorge Bonifacio 3-5 R, 2-2b, 4 RBI

San Antonio Missions 5 NW Arkansas Naturals 4

After losing over a year to Tommy John surgery Royals prospect Glenn Sparkman was back at Double-A on Friday. The right-handed starting pitcher worked four scoreless innings, but ran into trouble in between. The third inning featured back to back home runs off Sparkman that accounted for four runs in the inning and put he and his team behind. The Naturals would trail the entire evening, twice getting within a run before dropping the game 5-4. A pair of walks would push the tying run into scoring position, but after an Alfredo Escalera groundout to bring the game within a run a Corey Toups strikeout would end the affair.

Boxscore Link

Glenn Sparkman 5 IP 6 H 4 R 4 ER 2 BB 5 K 3-5 GO-FO 82p/57k
Alfredo Escalera 2-5 2b, RBI
Zane Evans 2-4 HR

Wilmington Blue Rocks 2 Carolina Mudcats 1

The Rocks did the most with little to push their winning streak to five games. With the game tied at 0-0 into the seventh inning shortstop Carlos Diaz connected on a two run double to give Wilmington a lead. Four pitchers combined to earn the win as the Rocks turned to a bullpen staff victory with Sam Lewis earning his first High-A win despite giving up Wilmington’s only run on the evening.

Boxscore Link

Derek Gordon 4 Ip 2 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 5 K
Carlos Diaz 2-3 2b, 2 RBI, CS (5)
Samir Duenez 1-4 2b

Hagerstown Suns 4 Lexington Legends 1

The Legends score a run in the first before the bats went silent the rest of the night. Just two singles from the second through ninth innings for Lexington as the Suns pitching staff made quick work of Legends hitters. The game was in Lexington’s favor until the fifth when a walk by Julio Pinto, a wild pitch and a throwing error by Chase Vallot evened things up for Hagerstown. That scored stayed static until the eighth when Yunior Marte plunked a couple of hitters and allowed three singles that scored three runs for the bad guys. Those runs were plenty to win the game with Lexington’s hitters unable to get much done on their end.

Boxscore Link

Julio Pinto 5 Ip 4 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 5 K 4-5 GO-FO 75p/50k
Yunior Marte 4 IP 5 H 3 R 2 ER 0 BB 8 K 3-0 GO-FO 78p/51k
Roman Collins 1-3 R, BB, CS (5)

Elizabethton Twins 5 Burlington Royals 4

The Royals gave up a run late to drop their fourth game in a row. After Garrett Davila gave up a pair of runs in the first two innings on his way to three runs in a shortened four innings the Royals rebounded with a three run third to take a lead. In that third a Nicky Lopez solo home run and a two run double by Chris DeVito gave Burlington a 4-2 lead. The Twins would score a run in the fourth off a leadoff triple and a single before hitting a solo home run in the fifth to tie the game. The game would stay tied until the ninth when the Twins manufactured a run with a pair of singles and a sac bunt. The Royals would get the tying run to third base with one out in the ninth, but were unable to push him across in the loss.

Boxscore Link

Nicky Lopez 3-4 2R, 3b, HR, RBI
Jose Sanchez 3-5 R, 2b, 3b
Chris DeVito 1-4 2b, 3 RBI

AZL Royals 8 AZL Brewers 5

A pair of youngsters powered the Royals to a win over the Brewers. Things got going early when 17 year old Seuly Matias hit his league leading eighth home run to put the Royals up 3-0. The Brewers would rally against starter Anthony Bender for four runs over the next three innings as the righty had difficulty despite eight strikeouts on the night. Now trailing 4-3 the Royals 18 year old Khalil Lee would start off the sixth with a triple and come around on a single by Oliver Nunez. Also in that inning Matias and Nunez would score on Dalton Griffin’s double to give the Royals the lead back at 6-4. That score would stand until the ninth when Lee would connect on a two run home run, his sixth of the year to give the Royals plenty of insurance to secure the win.

Boxscore Link

Khalil Lee 2-4 3R, 3b, HR, 2 RBI
Seuly Matias 2-3 2R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Anthony Bender 4 IP 6 H 4 R 3 ER 1 BB 8 K 4-1 GO-FO

DSL Royals 8 DSL A’s 1

The Royals used five A’s errors to help them towards eight runs and a convincing win Friday. A fielding error in the first inning helped open the door to a four run inning and a throwing error recreated the four run pattern in the seventh. That was plenty for a pitching staff that leads the league in team ERA at just 2.03. Three pitchers combined to give up just one unearned run while earning nine groundouts and six strikeouts in the win.

Boxscore Link

Janser Lara 3 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 3 K
Jose Tapia 3 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 1 K
Esteury Ruiz 1-3 2R, 2b, RBI

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

HR Roll Call Orland Calixte (7), Mauricio Ramos (5), Logan Moon (2), Chris Devito (4), Emmanuel Rivera (1), Meibrys Viloria (4)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Meibrys Viloria 5-5 2R, 2b, HR, 3 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Matt Tenuta 4 IP 1 H 1 R 0 ER 1 BB 3 K 2-6 GO-FO 67p/42k

Oklahoma City Dodgers 8 Omaha Storm Chasers 5

The Chasers couldn’t keep pace with the Dodgers in their last game before the Triple-A All Star break Sunday. Starter Luke Farrell was knocked around for eight runs in just four innings of work while giving up seven of the eight Omaha hits allowed on the day. Trailing 8-3 after three innings the Chaser bats could provide just two runs late to fall by three runs. Outfielder Orlando Calixte remained hot in finishing off the first half, going 4 for 5 with a home run to close out the final 26 games of the first half with a .347 average and 19 extra base hits over that span.

Boxscore Link

Bubba Starling 1-3 RBI, BB
Orlando Calixte 4-5 3R, HR, RBI
Tony Cruz 1-3 R, 2b, 2 RBI, BB

NW Arkansas Naturals 8 Frisco RoughRiders 6

Trailing 6-3 the Naturals came up with a big three run home run to tie the game and send it to extras. After lefty Matt Strahm struggled some in his five innings, allowing three home runs the Naturals came up big in the ninth to save him from a loss. It was Logan Moon’s three run home run in the ninth that sent the game to extra innings. In extras, the RoughRiders made an error on a Cam Gallagher ball that brought two Naturals in which allowed them to take the win.

Boxscore Link

Matt Strahm 5 IP 7 H 4 ER 2 BB 5 K 3-4 GO-FO 89p/55k
Ryan O’Hearn 0-3 2R, 2BB
Terrance Gore 3-5 R, 2SB (23), CS (4)

Myrtle Beach Pelicans 9 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1

Former 3rd round pick Colin Rodgers’ season in Wilmington continued with difficulties on Sunday, allowing seven runs on five hits and four walks in just two innings plus of work. The Rocks offense couldn’t muster much on their end in dropping their fifth game in six tries.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 2-3 R, BB, SB (17)
Cody Jones 2-4
Carlos Diaz 1-3

Greenville Drive 8 Lexington Legends  

Not much went well for the Legends as the Greenville knocked around their pitching and kept their bats on ice. Going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position while the pitching combo of Yunior Marte and Emilio Ogando were tagged for eight runs on nine hits gave Lexington their first losing series since late June.

Boxscore Link

Yunior Marte 3.2 IP 3 H 4 R 3 ER 3 BB 1 K 5-5 GO-FO 98p/54k
Emilio Ogando 5.1 IP 6 H 4 R 2 ER 1 BB 5 K 7-2 GO-FO 84p/60k
Brandon Dulin 2-2 2BB

Orem Owlz 10 Idaho Falls Chukars 9

After being spotted a five run lead early, the Chukars pitching staff coughed it up to drop their fourth game in five tries. An RBI single from Manny Olloque in the first and a solo home run by Meibrys Viloria in the 2nd quickly gave Idaho Falls a 2-0 lead. The rest of the lineup would add on in the 2nd, getting three consecutive singles by and an error on a Luke Willis bunt to plate three more runs. Viloria would drive in Olloque in the fifth to push the lead to 6-3 before Orem plated six runs to take a 9-6 lead to the ninth. In that inning the offense would get rolling with a pair of singles by Olloque and Yeison Melo to get the inning started. An error would push Viloria into scoring position which he would score from on Nick Heath’s one out single to tie the game. That momentum was short lived however as Luke Willis would hit into a double play to end the top half of the ninth. An error by Ricky Aracena, his 13th, would put the leadoff man on and he would come around to score two hitters later after a sac bunt and a single to walk things off for the Owlz.

Boxscore Link

Manny Olloque 3-4 2R, RBI, BB
Nick Heath 3-5 R, RBI
Tanner Stanley 2-4 R, 2b, RBI, BB

Burlington Royals 8 Pulaski 5

Trailing 4-3 the Royals used runs in each of the last four innings to takedown the Yankees in the first game of their series. Trailing 4-3 the Royals plated a two out run on a Nathan Esposito single sixth to tie the game and took 5-4 lead in the seventh off Emmanuel Rivera’s first home run of the season. The Yankees would tie the game back up in their half of the seventh but a the Royals plated three runs in the final two innings with Chris Devito driving the final nail with a two run home run in the ninth.

Boxscore Link

Nicky Lopez 1-3 R, 2BB, SB (13)
Cristhian Vasquez 2-5 R, 3b
Andre Davis 5 IP 6 H 4 ER 2 BB 5 K 7-3 GO-FO

HR Roll Call Orlando Calixte (6), Mauricio Ramos (4), Anderson Miller (3)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Orlando Calixte 4-6 3R, 2-2b, HR, 2 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Matt Strahm 5.1 IP 5 H 2 R 0 ER 0 BB 8 K 5-2 GO-FO 101p/68k

Omaha Storm Chasers 12 Iowa Cubs 4

Chasers exploded for 18 hits and 12 runs to cruise to an easy win over Iowa on Tuesday. Every Omaha hitter contributed at least one hit or a run driven in while Orlando Calixte had a big day on offense. Calixte, a once promising Latin prospect, punched out two doubles and a home run while scoring three times to pace the offense that put together three multi-run innings. Starter Kris Medlen didn’t fare too well, giving up a pair of solo home runs in addition to three other hits in his two and two-third innings but the bullpen picked him up to earn the Omaha win.

Boxscore Link

Jorge Bonifacio 2-4 2R, RBI, BB
Hunter Dozier 3-5 2b, 2RBI
Balbino Fuenmayor 3-5 2R, RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 7 Frisco RoughRiders 2

Matt Strahm has dialed up the gas over his the last four starts and the results have been solid for the Royals pitching prospect. Counting his eight strikeout performance on Tuesday, the lefty has put away 29 hitters via strikeout in his last 23 innings of work. This was the best start yet for Strahm despite the lack of efficiency as he worked five and one-third innings with just two runs allowed, both via a Carlos Garcia dropped flyball on the warning track, on five hits without a walk allowed. The eight strikeouts combined by the offense’s five runs off Rangers #5 prospect Luis Ortiz led to a Naturals win. Third baseman Mauricio Ramos brought the biggest stick, connecting on a two run home run in the first and a two run single in the sixth that pushed the lead and the eventual winning margin to five runs.

Boxscore Link

Raul Mondesi 2-5 R, SB (17)
Mauricio Ramos 2-5 HR, 4 RBI
Corey Toups 3-4 R, 3b

Potomac Nationals 14 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1

After the Rocks ran up the score on the Nationals Monday, the favor was returned to them on Tuesday. Potomac knocked out 14 runs in the first four innings while compiling fifteen hits in the game. Starter Colin Rodgers was victim of much of the damage with the lefty getting knocked around for nine hits and seven runs in just two innings. While the Nationals were batting around Wilmington, the Rocks weren’t getting much accomplished on offense, connecting on just three hits and one run during the 14-1 loss.

Boxscore Link

Alfredo Escalera 1-4
Wander Franco 1-4 R
Luis Rico 2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 BB 4 K

Lexington Legends 10 Asheville Tourists 1

The Legends offense exploded for 17 hits en route to an easy win in game two of their series in Asheville. It took a few innings to really get going for the offense as they scored just two runs in the first five innings. The first run came courtesy of an Anderson Miller RBI single and the second via a wild pitch that let Mike Hill run home. Scott Blewett was tossing up zeroes in his one of his better starts of the year when the Legends put a stranglehold on the game with a three runs sixth inning to push the lead to 5-0. A two-run home run by Miller as part of a three run inning expanded the lead to 8-1 and a couple more runs in the ninth put the capper on a 10-1 win.

Boxscore Link

Scott Blewett 6 IP 1 H 1 ER 3 BB 4 K 5-2 GO-FO 86p/56k
Anderson Miller 3-5 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Hill 3-5 3R, 2b

Idaho Falls Chukars 12 Ogden Raptors 10

The Chukars built a 12-2 lead in the first four innings and hung on late for a win to pull within a half of a game of first place. A six run first that featured RBI doubles by David Edwards and Nick Heath got the Chukars started. Heath added a run scoring triple in the second before extra base hits from Tanner Stanley and Ricky Aracena played part in a three run third. The score ballooned to 12-2 after two more in the fourth but the bats would go cold the rest of the way as Idaho Falls would collect just two singles from the fifth inning on. The Raptors would draw close with a four run fifth, a three run seventh and a single tally in the eighth but Nicolas Andros would work a perfect ninth to secure the win for Idaho Falls.

Boxscore Link

Ricky Aracena 1-4 2R, 3b, RBI, BB
Nick Heath 2-5 R, 2b, 3b, 2 RBI
Andres Machado 4 IP 6 H 2 R 0 ER 0 BB 7 K 2-4 GO-FO 71p/49

Danville Braves 3 Burlington Royals 2

Lefty Garrett Davila gave up a run finally and the Royals lost a game late to drop their second in a row to Danville. Davila who had tossed 11.2 scoreless innings over his first two starts gave up a second inning two run home run to put his team behind early. From there the lefty settled and tossed four consecutive scoreless innings while working around just a fifth inning jam. Burlington scored a pair of runs in the sixth to even the game but an eighth inning run via a David McKay wild pitch did in Burlington in this one.

Boxscore Link

Logan Gray 1-4 R
Vance Vizcaino 1-3 R
Garrett Davila 6 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K HBP 10-2 GO-FO

DSL Red Sox 4 DSL Royals 1

Just two hits and one run with the Red Sox scoring four runs (2 ER) off starter Andres Sotillet for the win.

Boxscore Link

Angel Medina 1-4
Juan Peguero 0-3 RBI
Esteury Ruiz 0-3 BB

HR Roll Call Bubba Starling (6), Orlando Calixte (5), Balbino Fuenmayor (3), Ryan O’Hearn (15), Frank Schwindel (13), Samir Duenez (8), Travis Maezes (8), Roman Collins (1), Manny Olloque (2), David Edwards (2), Ryan Dale (2), Leland Clemmons (1), Luke Willis (1)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Manny Olloque 3-5 2R, HR, 6 RBI, BB

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Yunior Marte 7 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 2 BB 5 K 8-5 GO-FO 78p/58k

Game 1
Omaha Storm Chasers 8 Memphis Redbirds 3

Plenty of offense in the first game for the Chasers to cruise to an easy win. Three home runs in the seven inning shortened game including Bubba Startling’s first Triple-A home run. Starling’s homer was a three run effort while Orlando Calixte and Balbino Fuenmayor also hit a pair of solo home runs as part of the eight runs Omaha scored. Starter Jon Dziedzic earned the win thanks in part to seven strikeouts while allowing two runs in 5.1 innings.

Boxscore Link

Bubba Starling 2-3 2b, HR, 3 RBI
Orlando Calixte 3-4 2R, HR
Hunter Dozier 2-3 R, 2 RBI

Game 2
Memphis Redbirds 2 Omaha Storm Chasers 1

The second game was much more different with the two teams struggling to put much offense together. The Redbirds struck first with a two run home run from former Storm Chaser Jose Martinez off Luke Farrell. Those two runs represented the only scoring chance Memphis had during the game as they failed to put a runner in scoring position following the home run. The Chasers would have limited opportunities as well, getting just one runner in scoring position following a run in the 2nd inning to take the loss. The Royals moved Miguel Almonte to the bullpen in Omaha where he made his first true appearance Sunday, working 1.1 innings with just an infield hit and a walk allowed. Reliever Brooks Pounders continued his domination with two strikeouts in a perfect inning of work. The big righty has put away 28 hitters via strikeout in his last 13.2 innings of relief work.

Boxscore Link

Brooks Pounders 1 IP 0 H 0 R 0 BB 2 K 0-1 Go-FO 13p/11k
Bubba Starling 0-2 R, BB
Hunter Dozier 1-3 CS

NW Arkansas Naturals 6 Frisco RoughRiders 2

A pair of home runs accounted for all six Naturals runs and a win Sunday. Trailer 2-0 after a walk, an error and a pair of singles put Frisco on the board versus Jake Junis big boppers Ryan O’Hearn and Frank Schwindel broke out the big sticks. After four scoreless innings a pair of singles and a walk to Schwindel loaded the bases for O’Hearn. The lefty bat took a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam and a Naturals lead. Two innings later it was Schwindel ambushing a first pitch of an his at bat, lining it over the left field wall to expand the lead to 6-2. Junis combined with Evan Beal and Aroni Nina shutout Frisco over the final eight innings to earn the win for NW Arkansas.

Boxscore Link

Ryan O’Hearn 1-3 HR, RBI, BB
Frank Schwindel 1-3 2R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Jake Junis 5.2 IP 5 H 2 R 1 ER 4 BB 4 K 7-4 GO-FO 92p/52k

Winston-Salem Dash 7 Wilmington Blue Rocks 3

A third out error by third baseman Robert Pehl lead to a pair of unearned runs to put the Rocks down 2-0 in the first during Zach Lovvorn’s start. The righty would do his job from there preventing the Dash from tacking on while the Rocks offense struggled to give him runs once again. First baseman Samir Duenez’s second home run at High-A cut the lead in half in the third inning. The Dash tacked on five runs off the Wilmington bullpen while the Rocks scored just two more runs to lower Lovvorn’s record to 0-10 on the season.

Boxscore Link

Zach Lovvorn 5 IP 7 H 2 R 0 ER 4 BB 2 K 8-1 GO-FO 89p/52k
Samir Duenez 3-4 HR, 2b, 2 RBI, BB
Raul Mondesi 1-5

Lexington Legends 8 Rome Braves 0

The Legends received an outstanding pitching performance from starter Yunior Marte while packing plenty of offensive punch to win the four game series with Rome. The talented righthander worked seven innings scoreless while limiting the Braves to just an infield single while striking out five and walking two. His effort was backed up by eight runs thanks to a pair of home runs by Roman Collins and Travis Maezes that accounted for three runs. Collins home run was an inside the parker that got the Legends offense started towards the eight run effort that included six hits and seven walks.

Boxscore Link

Travis Maezes 1-4 HR, 2 RBI
Roman Collins 1-2 HR, 2 BB
D.J. Burt 1-5 2R, SB (23)

Idaho Falls Chukars 17 Grand Junction Rockies 8

The Chukars scored runs in the first six innings Saturday, pounding out five home runs enroute to a big win that secured the series win. Four different hitters in the lineup had three hits in the game with three of them hitting home runs. Designated hitter Manny Olloque may have enjoyed the best day at the plate, hitting a three run home run while driving in six runs and scoring an additional run on top of the homer. The team pounded out 18 runs, walked seven times while scoring those 17 runs. This all backed up righthander Arnaldo Hernandez for the win as he limited the Rockies to just two runs (1 ER) in his 5.2 innings using his plus control as usual with a 75% strike rate on the night.

Boxscore Link

Arnaldo Hernandez 5.2 IP 8 H 2 R 1 ER 0 BB 5 K 9-1 GO-FO 91p/68k
Ricky Aracena 3-6 2R, 2RBI, SB (4)
Luke Willis 3-5 4R, HR, 2 RBI, BB

Burlington Royals 3 Danville Braves 2

The Royals generated enough offense with a good pitching effort to extend their win streak to seven games. Lefty Cristian Castillo scattered seven singles over seven innings while striking out five against zero walks. Both teams went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position but a couple productive outs by the Royals gave them runs in the fifth and seventh to push three runs across despite just four singles in the game to earn the win.

Boxscore Link

Chris DeVito 1-3 2R, BB
Cristian Castillo 7 IP 7 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 5 K 4-6 GO-FO
Vance Tatum 2 IP 0 H 1 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K 4-2 GO-FO

AZL Padres 5 AZL Royals 4

Five runs, four unearned, lead to a Royals defeat in Arizona. The Padres knocked around Glenn Sparkman for five hits with the aid of two errors to cross the plate five times in just two-thirds of an inning. Allowing just one hit and one walk the rest of the way it wasn’t enough as the offense missed scoring chances in the sixth and ninth falling a run short of tying the game.

Boxscore Link

Khalil Lee 1-4 2b, BB
Jeison Guzman 1-4 R, 3b, BB
Jose Marquez 2-4 R, 2b, 2 RBI

HR Roll Call: Orlando Calixte (4), Humberto Arteaga (2)

BP KC Hitter of the Day Orlando Calixte 2-3, 2R, HR, 3b, 2BB, SB (15), 5 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day Gerson Garabito 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 7-4 GO-FO, 77p/51k

The Burlington Royals announced their opening day roster. Some of the intriguing names include Garrett Davila (2015 4th Rd Pick), Travis Eckert (2016 Pick), Vance Vizcaino and Logan Gray.

Omaha Storm Chasers 11 Colorado Springs Sky Sox 3

Alec Mills made his Triple-A debut for the Chasers Sunday, holding his own for five innings while being backed by an offensive explosion. The Chasers had started this roadtrip with the bats struggling, but a visit to Colorado Springs has done wonders to wake them up. On this day they would pound out 19 hits and 11 runs with every hitter in the lineup getting at least one hit. Centerfielder Orlando Calixte paced the offense with a triple and a grand slam to drive in five runs while scoring twice. Mills created his own trouble in the first with a throwing error that helped the Sky Sox score, then gave up solo home runs in the second and third before tossing two scoreless innings to earn the win.

Boxscore Link

Jorge Bonifacio 3-6, 2R, RBI
Hunter Dozier 4-6, R, 2b, 2 RBI
Alec Mills 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 8-1 GO/FO, 95p/64k

Arkansas Travelers 8 NW Arkansas Naturals 4

The Naturals missed on a few scoring opportunities while the Travelers took advantage of the bullpen. NW Arkansas evened the Travelers with their 11 hits but the bullpen’s six walks on top of starter Ashton Goudeau’s pair gave them were the difference. Alex Gordon made his first rehab appearance, connecting on a first inning double while going 1 for 3 on the day. Goudeau gave up two runs over five innings but the bullpen couldn’t slow down the Arkansas offense, giving up six additional runs over the next three innings.

Boxscore Link

Corey Toups 1-4, R, 2b, BB, RBI
Ryan O’Hearn 2-4, 2b, 2 RBI
Ashton Goudeau 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2-4 GO/FO, 77p/46k

Wilmington Blue Rocks 4 Carolina Mudcats 3

Wilmington used a three run fifth inning to taking the six game series at Carolina. Starter Foster Griffin gave up three runs over the first two frames to put the Rocks in small hole. The offense cut that lead to two with a Humberto Arteaga home run in the third. Three consecutive singles started off the inning and quickly trimmed the lead to one. An error tied it before an Elier Hernandez sac fly allowed Arteaga to score and give Wilmington the lead. From the third, the Rocks four pitchers tossed nothing but scoreless innings to shutdown the offense to give Wilmington the win.

Boxscore Link

Jake Newberry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-2 GO/FO, 41p/23k
Humberto Arteaga 4-5, 2 R, HR, RBI, SB (13)
Cody Jones 1-4, R, BB, RBI

Lexington Legends 2 Augusta GreenJackets 1 F/10

20 year old starter Gerson Garabito gave Lexington his best start of the season as he spun 6.2 innings of one run ball. Using just 77 pitches in that time, Garabito gave up just a first inning run on a pair of doubles. He then retired 18 of 19 hitters. The 1-0 deficit held up for Augusta until the ninth when Marten Gasparini connected on a one-out double to score Anderson Miller to tie the game and send it to extras. In the 10th, Lexington would quickly take the lead with three consecutive singles, the last from Miller which would drive in D.J. Burt to give the Legends their first lead of the game and the eventual win.

Boxscore Link

Anderson Miller 3-4, R, 2b, BB, RBI
D.J. Burt 2-5, R
Marten Gasparini 1-4, 2b, RBI

HR Roll Call — Orlando Calixte (2), Hunter Dozier (6), Raul Mondesi (5), Frank Schwindel (4)

BP Kansas City Hitter of the Day — Raul Mondesi: 1-4, HR, BB, 3 RBI

BP Kansas City Pitcher of the Day — Zach Lovvorn: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K

Northwest Arkansas Naturals 6, Tulsa Drillers 4

Raul Mondesi blasted a three-run home run in the top of the ninth, breaking a 3-3 tie and lifting the Naturals to a win. Mondesi’s homer was his fifth of the season after he hit six in 81 games last year. It followed a two-out error that let Ramon Torres reach base and an Orlando Calixte single. All of the Naturals’ runs came on home runs, as Calixte, Hunter Dozier, and Frank Schwindel each hit solo shots, all off Dodgers prospect Chase De Jong. Starting pitcher Alec Mills worked six strong innings but allowed three straight hits to start the seventh, and Tulsa scored three runs to tie the game.

Boxscore link

Alec Mills: 6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Orlando Calixte: 2-5, HR, 2 R, 1 RBI
Hunter Dozier: 2-4, HR, BB, 1 R, 1 RBI

Wilmington Blue Rocks 2, Potomac Nationals 3 (12 innings)

A tough-luck loss for the Blue Rocks, who took the lead with a single run in the 10th, only to give it right back in the bottom of the inning. Potomac then won the game thanks to two Wilmington errors in the 12th. Pitcher Matt Alvarez committed the first, putting runners at first and third. After an intentional walk to load the bases and a forceout at home, Ryan O’Hearn’s throwing error allowed the winning run to score. Zach Lovvorn only allowed one run in seven innings , while Roman Collins picked up four hits, including a double, and scored Wilmington’s first run.

Boxscore link

Ryan O’Hearn: 1-6, 3 K
Elier Hernandez: 1-5, 2B
Wander Franco: 1-5, RBI

Lexington Legends 4, Hickory Crawdads 3 (5 1/2 innings)

The Legends scored four runs in the fifth for a rain-shortened 4-3 win at Hickory. Singles by Joshua Banuelos and Mike Hill and a walk by Tanner Stanley loaded the bases with one out. D.J. Burt singled to score one run and Marten Gasparini followed with a two-run single to tie the game. A groundout by Samir Duenez scored the go-ahead run. Corey Ray picked up his first win of the season by pitching five innings, allowing six hits and a walk while picking up four strikeouts. All three Hickory runs were unearned due to errors by Hill and Ray. After a rain delay of just under an hour, the game was called in the middle of the sixth inning.

Boxscore link

D.J. Burt: 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI
Marten Gasparini: 1-2, 2 RBI
Chase Vallot: 0-3, 2 K

HR Roll Call — Jorge Bonifacio (4), Hunter Dozier (5), Samir Duenez 2 (3), Brett Eibner (1), Chase Vallot (5)

BP Kansas City Hitter of the Day — Samir Duenez: 4-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI

BP Kansas City Pitcher of the Day — Eric Skoglund: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Omaha Storm Chasers 10, Oklahoma City Dodgers 2

This was supposed to be a delicious pitching matchup between Miguel Almonte and one of the Dodgers’ top prospects, Julio Urias. Instead, OKC decided to start Zach Lee and use Urias in a piggyback role. The fans’ loss was the Storm Chasers’ gain, as Omaha battered Lee for 10 runs in the first four innings. Bonifacio got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the first. He would add an RBI single in Omaha’s five-run fourth inning. Brett Eibner hit a two-run homer of his own, and Travis Snider drove in three runs. Meanwhile, Almonte was limited only by pitch count, as he left after 100 pitches and 5 2/3 innings. He lowered his ERA to 3.45 and racked up eight strikeouts while allowing five hits and three walks.

Boxscore link

Jorge Bonifacio: 3-5, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI
Cheslor Cuthbert: 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI
Whit Merrifield: 1-4, BB, 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI

Northwest Arkansas Naturals 4, Springfield Cardinals 1

The Naturals scored three runs in the top of the 10th for a 4-1 win. Northwest Arkansas began the 10th with singles from Mauricio Ramos and Frank Schwindel. But they were still at first and second with two outs when Ramon Torres drew a walk. Orlando Calixte singled. A Springfield error on the play allowed all three runners to score. Yender Caramo worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the inning for his first save. The game started as a pitchers’ duel between the Naturals’ Eric Skoglund and Springfield’s Corey Baker. The Cardinals scored their only run in the second. The Naturals didn’t get on the board until Hunter Dozier led off the seventh with his fifth home run of the year.

Boxscore link

Kevin McCarthy: W (1-0), 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Mauricio Ramos: 3-4
Ramon Torres: 1-3, BB, 1 R

Lexington Legends 6, Carolina Fireflies 5

The Legends scored three runs in the eighth for a 6-5 win at Carolina. Lexington entered the inning facing a 5-3 deficit, but Duenez belted his second home run of the night to cut the deficit to one. Chase Vallot followed with a walk, and a Carolina error put runners at first and third. Ben Johnson singled to score Vallot and tie the score. Although Xavier Fernandez tried a bunt that turned into a double play, Cody Jones doubled to score Johnson with the go-ahead run. Lexington overcame a poor start by Scott Blewett, who allowed four runs in five innings. Kyle Kubat picked up the win in relief, pitching four innings and allowing one run. Vallot added a home run, his fifth of the year.

Boxscore link

Scott Blewett: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Ben Johnson: 2-4, 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI
Chase Vallot: 1-4, HR, BB, 2 R, 1 RBI