HR Roll Call: Peter O’Brien (1), Samir Duenez (1), Mauricio Ramos (1), Amalani Fukofuka (1), Chris DeVito (1)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Amalani Fukofuka 3-4, 2R, HR, RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jace Vines 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 4-1 GO-FO, 38p/26k

Omaha Storm Chasers 5 New Orleans Baby Cakes 3

The Chasers finished off a 5-2 homestand with a win on Monday with some late inning heroics and typical good pitching. A couple first inning runs were provided by the offense via a Peter O’Brien groundout and a Jorge Bonifacio single. Those runs plus another via a double play ball from Bonifacio put Omaha up 3-0. It looked as if Eric Skoglund would continue the starting pitching dominance the Chasers had shown during the homestand, but trouble arrived for the lefty in the fourth with two runs in the frame and another in the fifth to push him out.

Tied at 3-3, the teams would exchange zeroes until the seventh when big Peter O’Brien got off the home run schneid with a blast to deep left center for his first round-tripper of the year. Another run in the eighth was more than enough for the Omaha pen to put the game in the books.

Boxscore Link

Ramon Torres 2-5, 2R
Peter O’Brien 1-3, HR, BB
Eric Skoglund 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 3-5 GO-FO, 81p/52k

NW Arkansas Naturals 9 Corpus Christi 7 F/13

The Naturals gave the pitching staff a 5-0 lead Monday with a pair of home runs from Samir Duenez and Mauricio Ramos, only to watch Reid Redman give up that lead. From there the Naturals pen settled and Logan Moon hit a big two out bases clearing triple to build a big enough lead in the thirteenth inning.

Starter Zach Lovvorn – profiled here yesterday – didn’t show the stuff he had in his first two starts, but he did grind through 5.2 innings, leaving the mound with a 5-1 lead.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 3-6, HR, 4 RBI
Zach Lovvorn 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 5-3 GO-FO, 87p/52k
Jake Newberry 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3-2 GO-FO, 29p/20k

Salem Red Sox 11 Wilmington Blue Rocks 2

After a pair of good starts, Foster Griffin couldn’t survive the second inning in Salem on the way to a big rout. The Sox tuned him up for seven hits, six of them in the second inning, with two more walks in that frame to plate eight in the inning off him and nine total. The Rocks would score just two thanks to Wander Franco driving in one with a triple and scoring one hitter later.

Boxscore Link

Wander Franco 2-4, R, 3b, RBI
D.J. Burt 0-1, 3BB
Chase Vallot 1-4, E (5)

Lexington Legends 5 Greenville Drive 3

The Girth Quake arrived in Lexington on Monday, keying the Legends win. The Red Sox affiliate had just taken a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning when Lexington loaded the bases with two outs for Chris DeVito who answered the call with a grand slam to right to take a 5-2 lead. From there Jace Vines shut the door, tossing three scoreless with a pair of strikeouts to earn his first save of the year.

Boxscore Link

Chris DeVito 1-4, GS
Garrett Davila 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 4-6 GO-FO, 97p/56k
Angelo Castellano 1-4, SB (2)

HR Roll Call: Jorge Bonifacio (3), Ramon Torres (3), Zane Evans (1), Anderson Miller (1), Manny Olloque (3)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Chris DeVito 3-4, 2R, 2b, RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jon Dziedzic 6.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 10-2 GO-FO, 100p/61k

Omaha Storm Chasers 7 New Orleans Baby Cakes 0

One day shy of 20 years since the Triple-A Royals affiliate threw a combined no-hitter, the Storm Chasers came within three outs of their own no-hit effort. Left-hander Jonathan Dziedzic got things started, working five and one-third perfect frames until Ramon Torres’ nonchalant play at short ended in a misthrow, allowing Isaac Galloway to reach via error in the sixth. A walk followed to the next hitter before Dziedzic worked through the sixth and got a couple more outs in the seventh before getting pulled due to reaching his scheduled pitch count. Reliever Bobby Parnell would finish the seventh and toss a perfect eighth frame before turning things to Matt Strahm for the ninth. Facing former Storm Chaser Ryan Jackson, lefty Strahm battled until losing a seven-pitch confrontation when the right-handed hitter singled on a ground ball just inside the first base bag.

The Royals reliever would quickly earn three outs to finish off the game and secure the win, giving Omaha their second one-hit win of this homestand. For Dziedzic, it was his best performance of his pro career and reminded him of his last college start. During that start, he limited Ryan O’Hearn and his Sam Houston State squad to no hits over 8.2 innings.

Leading the offense was Torres with a grand slam in the second inning and Jorge Bonifacio with a home run in the fifth inning. For Torres, it was his third home run of the season after hitting just two in 73 games with Omaha last year.

Boxscore Link

Jorge Bonifacio 1-3, 2R, 2RBI, BB
Whit Merrifield 3-4, R
Matt Strahm 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1-1 GO-FO, 19p/12k

Corpus Christi Hooks 10 NW Arkansas Naturals 3

The Naturals got knocked around by the Houston Astros Double-A affiliate in the first game of their series. Starter Corey Ray gave up a pair of home runs and the bullpen got knocked around during the rout. The Naturals collected 10 hits but were limited to just three runs as only Zane Evans’ first home run of the year went for extra bases. Reliever Tim Hill had a tough go of things, giving up five runs on a walk and five hits in just 1.1 innings.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 2-3, BB
Zane Evans 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
Corey Ray 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 4-0 GO-FO, 76p/45k

Wilmington Blue Rocks 5 Potomac Nationals 4 F/11

The Blue Rocks scored a run in the eleventh inning to win their first series of the season. The Rocks trailed two separate times with lefty Cristian Castillo giving up four runs (3 ER) in his five innings, but that didn’t deter the offense from continuing to put on the pressure in the seventh. In that frame, trailing 4-1, the Rocks received a one-out walk by Chase Vallot and back-to-back singles from Roman Collins and Wander Franco to plate a run and put the tying runners on base. A two-out walk to Colton Frabasilio loaded the bases before Nicky Lopez’s single tied the game. From there, it would stay knotted until the eleventh inning when Franco and Collins paired up once again for one-out singles in front of Jonathan McCray’s double that gave the Rocks a lead and the eventual win.

The Blue Rocks, now 5-5, will head to Salem for a three-game series with the Red Sox affiliate.

Boxscore Link

Anderson Miller 2-5, HR, CS
Wander Franco 3-5, R, RBI
Cristian Castillo 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 4-5 GO-FO

West Virginia Power 13 Lexington Legends 5

The Legends Nolan Watson continued to struggle to limit hard contact in the 13-5 loss on Sunday. The former 1st round pick gave up a home run and four doubles in 5.1 innings while surrendering six other hits and eight runs. Reliever Jose Veras didn’t fair much better, getting knocked around for a dinger and four runs in his 2.2 innings. The middle of the order did pretty much all of the damage for Lexington, collecting nine of the team’s ten hits on the day.

Boxscore Link

Kort Peterson 2-5, 2R, 2-2b
Manny Olloque 1-5, HR, 2 RBI
Nolan Watson 5.1 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 7-3 GO-FO, 95p/63k

Featured Photo via Minda Haas Kuhlmann Flickr @minda33

HR Roll Call: Kort Peterson (5)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Angelo Castellano 4-4, 2R, 3b, 3 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Jason Freeman 3.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 2-1 GO-FO

Arkansas Travelers 5 NW Arkansas Naturals 1

The Naturals bullpen surrendered four late runs, while the offense came up empty on numerous occasions to drop the series finale in Arkansas. In his third Double-A start of the season, Glenn Sparkman gave up a run in the first inning on three singles. From there Sparkman tossed three scoreless frames to leave the game tied after Ryan O’Hearn singled in Alfredo Escalera. The game remained knotted until the seventh, when reliever Eric Stout would give up a two-out triple that plated one Arkansas run prior to a wild pitch that allowed another. A solo home run in the eighth was followed by a double and a single to push the score to 5-1 while the offense came up empty for any answer by the Naturals. The loss put the Naturals behind Arkansas by a half of a game with seven to play. The two teams will meet in a three game series to finish the season.

Boxscore Link

Alfredo Escalera 1-4, R, 2b
Ryan O’Hearn 1-4, RBI
Glenn Sparkman 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Idaho Falls Chukars 18 Ogden Raptors 7

A barrage of hits lead the Chukars to a lopsided win over first place Ogden. The victory cut their division deficit to three games. In all, Idaho Falls put together 21 hits while walking three times and using three Ogden errors to plate 18 runs with three multi-run innings. All nine Idaho Falls batters had a hit during the game with seven of the nine having multi-hit games. The Chukars had a slim 9-7 in the seventh inning when they exploded for eight runs with nine hits and thirteen hitters coming to bat in the frame.

Boxscore Link

Jace Vines 4.2 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Meibrys Viloria 3-5, 2R, 2-2b, 4 RBI
Luke Willis 3-5, 4R, 3b, BB

Pulaski Yankees 4 Burlington Royals 2

The Royals couldn’t get much going in their loss in Monday’s finale with Pulaski. Shutout for eight innings, the Royals put together a pair of runs in the ninth off of a Kort Peterson two-run home run, but came up short despite putting the potential game-tying runs on base. The loss was credited to David McKay despite just a fourth inning solo home run allowed in his four frames of work. Reliever Alex Close was dinged for three runs in his two innings to put the Royals in a hole that they fell just short of climbing out of. The loss didn’t hurt the Royals in the standings as both Princeton and Bluefield lost in their pursuit. The Royals current lead stands at three games with four to play.

Boxscore Link

Kort Peterson 1-4, HR, 2 RBI
David McKay 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 4-2 GO-FO
Jose Sanchez 1-3, R, BB

AZL Royals 5 AZL Mariners 1

The Royals pitching staff came up big in clinching their second half division title over the Mariners on Monday. Starter Colton Howell worked five shutout innings to get the Royals off on a good foot. With the pitching in place, rehabbing infielder Wander Franco knocked in a run in the first inning as well as leading off the fifth with a single, igniting a three-run inning. With a 5-0 lead through five, three different pitchers finished off the final four innings with just one run allowed to earn the Royals a playoff berth.

Boxscore Link

Wander Franco 3-4, R, RBI, BB
John Brontsema 3-4, 2R, 2b, RBI
Jake Wakamatsu 2-4, R

HR Roll Call – None

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Bubba Starling 2-5 2b, 3 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Matt Tenuta 6 IP 2 H 0 R 2 BB 9 K 5-3 GO-FO 83p/55k

Omaha Storm Chasers 6 Round Rock Expres 5

The Chasers got another good start from Luke Farrell and a big insurance run in the ninth to win in Round Rock on Tuesday. Omaha plated three runs in the first inning with a double from Whit Merrifield and a pair of walks coming in front of run scoring singles by Tony Cruz and Bubba Starling. With the lead now at 3-1 Starling doubled to push two more across, scoring Cruz and Dozier. A bases loaded walk in the ninth pushed the final Omaha run across which would be enough to secure the win despite the bullpen giving up three runs in the final two innings. Round Rock’s Doug Bernier had a big night, hitting for the cycle with a home run in the ninth.

Boxscore Link

Bubba Starling 2-5 2b, 3 RBI
Tony Cruz 2-4 R, 2b, 2 RBI, BB
Luke Farrell 7 IP 6 H 2 ER 3 BB 4 K 6-7 GO-FO 111p/67k

NW Arkansas Naturals 3 Arkansas Travelers 2

The Naturals received outstanding pitching from their bullpen and finally pushed through on offense in the seventh to even the series with Arkansas. Four singles in that seventh inning plated those three runs with Logan Moon’s two run job being the biggest of the bunch. That hit had given the Naturals the lead after Josh Staumont gave up a pair of runs on a homer in the second inning. The bullpen picked him up though with three different pitchers working five scoreless innings to secure the win.

Boxscore Link

Josh Staumont 4 IP 3 H 2 ER 3 BB 7 K 6-0 GO-FO 86p/47k
Cam Gallagher 1-3 R, BB
Aroni Nina 2 IP 2 H 0 R 3 BB 3 K

Wilmington Blue Rocks 6 Lynchburg Hillcats 5

Starter Matt Tenuta dominated in his six innings while the offense piled on early before the bullpen barely escaped with the win. It was the Rocks first series win of the second half as their lefty starter piled up nine strikeouts, allowing just two hits while on the hill to leave with a big lead. That lead stood at 6-0 after a run in the second inning, a big four run frame in the third and a run in the seventh. That third inning featured a pair of run scoring doubles by Wander Franco and Samir Duenez. A five run eighth by the Hillcats pushed the lead to just one run, but Jake Kalish was able to close things down to hang onto the win.

Boxscore Link

Brandon Downes 1-2 R, 2b, RBI, BB
Elier Hernandez 1-3 R, 2b
Chad Johnson 2-3 2R, 3b, BB

Missoula Osprey 5 Idaho Falls Chukars 4

The Chukars dropped the first half finale after a walkoff home run stomped out a ninth inning rally. Starter Jace Vines gave up three unearned runs and a dormant offense put Idaho Falls down 3-0 early and left them trailing nearly the entire evening. Trailing 4-1 into the ninth the offense finally woke up with a walk and a pair of singles prior to a two out game tying double by Angelo Castellano. The game appeared to be headed to extras will All Star reliever Brian Bayliss on the hill for Idaho Falls until Missoula’s Jake Cave drove a ball out of the park with one out in the ninth to walk the game off or the Osprey.

Boxscore Link

Meibrys Viloria 2-4 R
Ricky Aracena 2-4 R, 2E (22)
Jace Vines 5 IP 4 H 3 R 0 ER 3 BB 4 K 9-3 GO-FO 84p/54k

Burlington Royals 4 Bristol Pirates 2

The Royals finished off their sweep of the Bristol Pirates with another solid pitching effort. Starter David McCay put away eight hitters in six innings to improve his record to 2-1 this season. The former Florida Atlantic pitcher gave up a run scoring double in the third and a triple that plated a run in the sixth inning, but was able to squelch both rallies after those hits in each inning. A wild pitch plated a second run in the fifth to give the Royals a lead before a Gabriel Cancel double scored a run the final run of the game. Relievers Alex Close and Walker Sheller secured that 4-2 final with three scoreless innings, earning Sheller’s fourth save in the process.

Boxscore Link

Boo Vazquez 1-2 2R, 2BB
Vance Vizcaino 2-3 BB, CS (5)
David McCay 6 IP 6 H 2 ER 0 BB 8 K 2-3 GO-FO

AZL Royals 6 AZL Rangers 4

The AZL squad won a game late with two runs in the bottom of the eighth to regain a lead they had given up. The Royals used three two run innings, getting a Robby Rinn double to plate two in the first and a triple by Seuly Matias in the ninth as part of two of those innings.

Boxscore Link

Jeison Guzman 2-4 2R, 2b
Khalil Lee 1-2 2R, RBI, 2BB, CS (3)
Seuly Matias 1-4 3b, RBI, 3 K

HR Roll Call Hunter Dozier (16), Irving Falu (3), Wander Franco (5), Marten Gasparini (6), Mike Hill (4), Jecksson Flores (4), Meibrys Viloria (4), Jeison Guzman (1)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Meibrys Viloria 3-5 3R, 2b, HR, 6 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Emilio Ogando 6 IP 3 H 0 R 0 BB 6 K 5-3 GO-FO 87p/54k

Iowa Cubs 4 Omaha Storm Chasers 3

The Chasers knocked a pair of home runs off their former pitcher, Aaron Brooks, but it wasn’t enough as the Cubs scored a pair of middle inning runs and carried it through the late innings. Christian Binford gave up a two run home run in the first inning and a RBI double to Dan Vogelbach in the fifth that was quickly followed by a single to drive him in. Those four runs were enough to saddle Binford with the loss despite a pair of solo home runs from Irving Falu and Hunter Dozier.

Boxscore Link

Irving Falu 4-4 2R, HR
Hunter Dozier 3-5 HR
Christian Binford 6 IP 9 H 4 ER 4 Bb 2 K 2-4 GO-FO 99p/56k

NW Arkansas Naturals 4 Frisco RoughRiders 3

Despite just four hits the Naturals earned a win Monday with the aid of nine walks, a couple errors and some productive outs. Rangers star Yu Darvish started the game and struggled with his control early on, walking three in just two innings. The first two walks paid immediate dividends with speedsters Terrance Gore and Raul Mondesi performing a double steal that caused an errant throw into centerfield, allowing Gore to scamper home for the Naturals first run. Wild pitches in the second scored a run and pushed a runner to third base in the third inning that came home on a productive out. Finally a productive groundout by Humberto Arteaga brought home their final and deciding run in the fifth inning. Four pitchers worked the game to earn the win with Kyle Bartsch following Pedro Fernandez to earn the win after Pedro was inefficient in three innings.

Boxscore Link

Ryan O’Hearn o-2 R, BB
Corey Toups 1-3 2b, RBI
Raul Mondesi 0-2 R, 3BB, 3SB (16)

Wilmington Blue Rocks 12 Potomac Nationals 1

Third baseman has struggled much of the season for Wilmington but broke out in a big way Monday. In his first three at bats on the even Franco brought home a run in each, connecting on a sac fly rbi, a single to bring in another and a groundout to bring home a third. That helped Wilmington and pitcher Corey Ray to a 5-1 lead. A huge eighth inning by the Rocks pushed the game away with Franco providing the final blow, a grand slam to finish off a seven run inning and give him seven runs batted in on the day. The runs were more than enough for Corey Ray who tossed a career high seven and two-thirds innings while limiting Potomac to four hits, two walks and one run.

Boxscore Link

Alfredo Escalera 3-4 R, RBI, BB
Wander Franco 2-4 HR, 7 RBI
Corey Ray 7.2 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 5 K 6-3 GO-FO 95p/58k

Lexington Legends 9 Asheville Tourists 6

The Legends enjoyed the smaller Asheville park in game one of their series, connecting on three home runs and four doubles to build a big lead and hang on late. The home runs Mike Hill, Marten Gasparini and Jecksson Flores accounted for five of the Legends runs and starter Emilio Ogando tossed six scoreless innings before turning things over to the bullpen.

Boxscore Link

Jecksson Flores 2-4 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Hill 2-5 HR, 3 RBI, CS (3)
Marten Gasparini 2-5 HR, CS (8)

Idaho Falls Chukars 16 Ogden Raptors 12 F/10

The Chukars overcame a seven run deficit in their high octane Pioneer league game Monday. Scoring double digit runs for the third game in a row Idaho Falls compiled 12 runs to comeback from a 7-0 down in the second inning, taking a 12-11 lead after seven innings. The Raptors would score a single tally in the ninth and send the game to extras where Meibrys Viloria lit off the fireworks with a walkoff grand slam. The 19 year old catcher continues to impress the Pioneer League, connecting on a league high in doubles (10) and tying for the league lead in home runs (4).

Boxscore Link

Colton Frabasilio 3-5 2R, RBI, BB
Cole Way 2.2 IP 1 H 0 R 3 BB 3 K 1-2 GO-FO 44p/23k
Tanner Stanley 3-5 3R, 2 RBI, BB

Danville Braves 4 Burlington Royals 1

The Royals struggled to get any offense going and dropped a game that snapped their seven game win streak. Just four hits for the Royals while going 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. Big 6’6 lefty Andre Davis pitched well, using his low 90’s fastball to complete seven innings but a mistake to Kevin Josephina ended up getting drilled over the fence giving him a loss in the game. Reliever Justin Camp allowed a pair of runs to give the Braves enough cushion to put the game away.

Boxscore Link

Andre Davis 7 IP 5 H 2 R 2 ER 0 BB 5 K 12-2 GO-FO
Emmanuel Rivera 2-4 2b
Nicky Lopez 1-4

AZL M’s 11 AZL Royals 5

The AZL Mariners knocked around Royals pitchers for eight extra base hits to cruise to a 11-5 win.

Boxscore Link

Jeison Guzman 1-5 HR
Khalil Lee 0-5 R
Nathan Webb 1.2 IP 2 H 0 R 1 BB

DSL Royals 9 DSL Dodgers2 6

The Dodgers sent the game to extra innings with a run in the bottom half of the ninth but the Royals answered with a three run eleventh inning to put the game out of reach.

Boxscore Link

Esteury Ruiz 2-5 2R, BB
Enderson Rodriguez 3 IP 4 H 2 ER 2 BB 2 K 4-0 Go-FO
Dennicher Carrasco 3-5 3R, BB

HR Roll Call Hunter Dozier (14), Chad Johnson (2), Travis Maezes (7), Samir Duenez (5), Jecksson Flores (2)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Wander Franco 4-5 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Erik Skoglund 6.2 IP 5 H 2 ER 1 BB 3 K 5-5 GO-FO 98p/65k

New Orleans Zephyrs 7 Omaha Storm Chasers 4

The Chasers struggling offense kicked in a little bit on Sunday collecting 11 hits and two walks but left some scoring opportunities on the board before the bullpen gave up the lead and the eventual win. Three different Chasers hitters had three hits on the day while Hunter Dozier knocked out his sixth Triple-A home run but it was good for just four runs with a 2 for 8 team performance with runners in scoring position. Relievers Matt Murray (3 ER) and Malcom Culver (1 ER) gave up four runs between the 6th and 7th innings to give up the lead and the win.

Boxscore Link

Hunter Dozier 1-4 HR, BB
Jorge Bonifacio 3-5 R
Jonathan Dziedzic 5 IP 6 H 3 ER 3 BB 2 K 2-6 GO-FO 90p/52k

Arkansas Travelers 2 NW Arkansas Naturals 0

Starter Erik Skoglund pitched well enough to win, giving up just two runs over 6.2 innings but his offense couldn’t back him as the Naturals were blanked on just three hits and a pair of walks. Outfielder Bubba Starling’s struggles have hit a new low after another 0 for 3 that sent his average to just .188. The player that he showed last year just isn’t there, attempting to pull everything while striking out 32% of the time coming into Sunday’s game. In the middle of his second abysmal slump which currently running 0 for his last 17, the second this season that has stretched that long (May 15-19 0 for 18).

Boxscore Link

Ryan O’Hearn 1-3
Frank Schwindel 1-3 2b
Kyle Bartsch 1.1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 BB 2 K 0-1 GO-FO 18p/14k 0.64 ERA in 8 App. since rejoining KC

Salem Red Sox 6 Wilmington Blue Rocks 5

The Wilmington Blue Rocks fell behind 5-0 early on Sunday, unable to mount their comeback until Red Sox prospect Trey Ball left the game. The lefty kept Wilmington scoreless for 5.1 innings while scattering five hits and two walks in that time. Wilmington’s starter Matt Tenuta was unable to match the Salem starter, giving up four runs in his 5.2 innings. Trailing 5-0 and 6-1 the Rocks scored four runs in the final two innings to get within striking distance and getting the tying run to 3rd with two down. The former Dominican bonus baby, Elier Hernandez, couldn’t get the job done though, flying out to centerfield to end the game.

Boxscore Link

Chad Johnson 2-4 HR
Alfredo Escalera 2-4 2b, BB, RBI, E (3)
Elier Hernandez 2-5 RBI

Hagerstown Nationals 7 Lexington Legends 5

The Legends knocked out three home runs but it was not enough as their South Atlantic League All Star struggled on the mound. Lefty Emilio Ogando gave up seven runs over 4.2 innings on nine hits in that time. The big inning for the Nationals was the 4th when they used two home runs of their own to cross the dish four times and stretch a 1-1 game to 5-1. A pair of runs in the next inning pushed the advantage to six until the Legends offense finally awoke. First baseman got things rolling in the 7th with a solo home run which was followed by a Ben Johnson double that scored Anderson Miller. Designated hitter Travis Maezes closed the gap further with a two run home run. Trailing 7-5 the Legends would put the tying runs on the bases in the 8th but were unable to push them across, dropping the game in the process.

Boxscore Link

Anderson Miller 1-3 R, BB
Travis Maezes 1-4 HR, 2 RBI
DJ Burt 1-3 BB

HR Roll Call: Jack Lopez (4), Wander Franco (4), Chase Vallot (8), Travis Maezes (6)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Chase Vallot 3-5, HR, 2b, 6 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Jake Junis 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 4-3 GO-FO, 78p/50k

With the injury to Salvador Perez the Royals called up Tony Cruz from Omaha, optioned Peter Moylan to Triple-A and moved Zane Evans to Omaha from NW Arkansas to replace Cruz.

Omaha Storm Chasers 3 El Paso Chihuahuas 2 

Over 9,000 were in attendance on an absolutely beautiful night for baseball in the third of four games for Omaha versus El Paso. That crowd saw lefty John Lannan give the Chasers his fourth quality start in his last five starting chances, spinning 7.2 innings of two-run ball. The lefty navigated around eight Chihuahua hits, giving up a run in the first on a Alex Dickerson double in the first and another in the third.

Photo via @OMAStormChasers

One reason for Lannan’s solid start is the Royals amazing analytics department as they continually have their fielders in a terrific position to field the ball. Whether it is moving the shortstop over 2nd base or a shift in the outfield, the defenders are regularly where they need to be to track down a ball as exhibited by shortstop Ramon Torres and his ten putouts on the evening. The Chasers offense did enough to earn the win, scoring a run in the first and adding two more in the fifth. It was Torres in that fifth coming through with a double to drive home catcher Parker Morin.

Boxscore Link

Ramon Torres 2-4, 2b, RBI, CS
Parker Morin 1-1, 2b, RBI, R, BB
Jorge Bonifacio 1-4, 3b, RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 4 Corpus Christi Hooks 1

Naturals starter Jake Junis continued his dominance in the month May in his latest start on the road in Corpus Christi. The righty navigated a prospect-laden Astros farm club over 7 innings with just a solo home run given up to former Virginia outfielder Derek Fisher. The pitch was somewhat of a mistake as it came on a 3-0 count and caught too much of the plate and Fisher sent it over the left-center fence. That would be all Junis would allow however, as he finished off the Hooks with just four hits and no walks allowed. The Naturals offense rewarded Junis with four runs and the win, thanks to two runs in the sixth and a two-run home run from Jack Lopez in the ninth. Lefty Kyle Bartsch, in his return to the Royals organization, worked the final two innings to earn his first save of the season.

Boxscore Link

Ryan O’Hearn 1-2, RBI, BB
Corey Toups 1-3, R, 3b, RBI, BB
Jack Lopez 1-3, HR, 2RBI, BB

Game 1
Wilmington Blue Rocks 8 Myrtle Beach Pelicans 4

Former 1st round pick Foster Griffin did just enough to earn his first High-A win Sunday, thanks to a nice offensive game by the Rocks. Every Rocks hitter in the lineup reached base with Wander Franco having the biggest impact in the game, connecting on a two run double as part of a three run third inning . A Pelicans three run fourth narrowed the gap after an umpire ruled that Alfredo Escalera didn’t catch a ball where he made a sliding attempt. That opened the door versus Griffin, who couldn’t get around the two on and no out jam without some damage. The score remained at 5-4 until the seventh when Franco gave the Rocks the cushion they needed, driving a ball to left that cleared the fence and pushed the Wilmington lead to 8-4.

Boxscore Link 

Alfredo Escalera 3-4, 2R, 2b, RBI
Foster Griffin 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 8-3 GO-FO, 83p/57k
Brandon Downes 1-2, 2R, 2b, BB
Wander Franco 2-4, 2b, HR, 5 RBI

Game 2
Wilmington Blue Rocks 3 Myrtle Beach Pelicans 1

A little less offense in game two for the Rocks prevented their starter from a win. The former sixth round pick Zach Lovvorn just can’t catch a break, despite the righty tossing six innings of one run ball (0 ER). He allowed just two hits and one walk over that span and striking out five; he received a no decision. Both of the Pelicans hits off Lovvorn came in the fourth as back-to-back singles started the inning and combined with Brandon Downes and Luis Villegas errors to plate the one run Myrtle Beach would score in the game. The Rocks first run came in the first off Alfredo Escalera’s seventh double of the season and the game was tied through the seven innings of doubleheader regulation. The game remained tied into extra innings until a two-run triple from Austin Bailey with two down in the ninth gave the Rocks the lead and the eventual sweep of the two parter. The Rocks will attempt to complete their first sweep of a series this season on Sunday, having been swept themselves six times already.

Boxscore Link

Austin Bailey 1-2, 3b, 2 RBI
Alfredo Escalera 1-4, 2b, RBI
Zach Lovvorn 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 6-5 GO-FO, 85p/52k

Lexington Legends 11 Hagerstown Suns 8

The Legends offense got rolling today, thanks to a big day by the 2-3-4 hitters in the lineup. That threesome of Ramon Collins, Samir Duenez and Chase Vallot had three hits apiece and accounted for plenty of the Legends run scoring. A solo home run from Travis Maezes in the fourth got the offense started. That was soon followed by a two run trip from Duenez. He was then driven in by a Vallot single to give Lexington a five run inning. It was Vallot two innings later with another big knock, this one a three run blast to push the Legends lead to 8-3. Hagerstown would score single runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh, but again it was Vallot to pack the punch as the catcher crunched his 11th double of the season to score Collins and Tanner Stanley to put the game out of reach.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 3-5, R, 3b, 3 RBI
Roman Collins 3-4, 3R, BB
Julio Pinto 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2-4 GO-FO, 60p/31k

HR Roll Call: Travis Maezes (5)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Mike Hill 4-4, R, 2b, RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Jacob Bodner 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

A number of moves in the Royals system on Thursday following the Mike Moustakas injury news:

— Royals signed minor league free agent Steve Tolleson, formerly of the O’s system.
— Brett Eibner was called up the major leagues.
— Orlando Calixte and Ramon Torres moved from Double-A to Triple-A Omaha.
— Corey Toups advanced to Double-A NW Arkansas from Wilmington. Catcher Allen de San Miguel was activated for NW Arkansas from Burlington.
— Reliever Mark McCoy moved to Low-A Lexington, while the Royals moved reliever Gabe Cramer from the Legends to the Idaho Falls roster.

San Antonio Mission 3 NW Arkansas Naturals 1

The offensive struggles for the Naturals continued in dropping the series finale at San Antonio on Thursday with the team scoring just one run. It is the eighth game in their last ten that the offense has scored two runs or less, with a pair of four run games being their high water mark in that span. A once deep lineup that featured Hunter Dozier, Raul Mondesi and Bubba Starling has lost some punch and couldn’t perform with runners in scoring position on this night, going 0 for 7. Speedster Terrance Gore was nailed trying to score from home on a shallow pop-out to left-center in the third inning to end one rally. First baseman Frank Schwindel misplayed a ball in the sixth that helped the Mission take the lead before they tacked on a run in the 8th.

Boxscore Link

Eric Skoglund 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 3-5 GO-FO, 94p/61k
Frank Schwindel 2-3, 2b, RBI
Ryan O’Hearn 1-4, R

Lynchburg Hillcats 8 Wilmington Blue Rocks 0

The Rocks didn’t put up much of a fight in the rubber match of their first series with Lynchburg on Thursday. Going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position sealed Wilmington’s fate, while starter Matt Tenuta took the loss. BP’s 5th ranked Indians prospect, Bobby Bradley, hit a two-run home run off lefty Colin Rodgers and the rest of the Hillcats drew five walks and knocked out eight more hits off Wilmington pitching on their way to eight runs. Wilmington drops to 14-31 overall and an abysmal 7-22 in division games.

Boxscore Link 

Wander Franco 2-4, 2-2b
Elier Hernandez 2-4, 2-2b
Matt Tenuta 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Hagerstown Suns 9 Lexington Legends 8

It took a couple innings too long for the Legends offense to get going in game one of their series with Hagerstown, leading to a close defeat. Starter Emilio Ogando struggled to stop the bleeding in the third and seventh innings, causing the lefty to give up seven runs (2 ER) in his six and two-third innings. The seventh inning featured five Hagerstown runs after the Legends had tied the game in the top half of the inning. The Legends pulled back within a pair with a three run eighth that featured an RBI double from Samir Duenez along with a two run home run from Travis Maezes. A Suns insurance run in the bottom half of the inning would be enough to hold off the Legends after they got to within a run in the top half of the ninth, but ran out of chances with the tying run on base.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 2-5, R, 2-2b, 3 RBI
Travis Maezes 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
Chase Vallot 1-5, RBI

Sunday was a 2-2 day for the organization with a big comeback win at Low-A while the High-A club just fell short.

HR Roll Call Hunter Dozier (9), Whit Merrifield (4), Jose Martinez (3), Ryan O’Hearn (9), Wander Franco (2)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Wander Franco 3-4 HR, 3 RBI, BB

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Mike Minor 5 IP 4 H 2 R 1 ER 1 BB 8 K 4-3 GO-FO 72p/49k

Omaha Storm Chasers 4 Tacoma Rainiers 2 

The Chasers used the longball to win their fourth game in five tries Sunday. Solo home runs from Jose Martinez, Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier accounted for three of Omaha’s four runs while pitchers Brooks Pounders, Mark Peterson and Andrew Edwards limited the Raniers to just two runs. Pounders gave the Chasers his second quality start of the season, allowing just three singles and a walk in his six innings while striking out just three hitters. He would miss out on a win when Tacoma scored a run off Peterson in the 7th inning but the lead would return to the Chasersfor good thanks to late inning home runs by Whit and Dozier in the 8th and 9th inning.

Boxscore Link 

Hunter Dozier 1-4 HR #9
Whit Merrifield 1-3 HR, BB
Brooks Pounders 6 IP 3 H 1 ER 1 BB 3 K 7-6 GO-FO

Springfield Cardinals 5 NW Arkansas Naturals 2

In his second rehab start with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, lefty Mike Minor was extremely efficient while working 5 innings on just 72 pitches. Using a pair of strikeouts in the 1st to get out of a two on and one out jam, he found himself in a groove to get out nine straight Cardinals hitters out from the 1st until the 4th. A misplay by Logan Moon on a single that was scored a double also advanced the hitter to third on Moon’s bobble and poor throw. A pop to right with a good throw to Moon would put the runner in a pickle, but Cam Gallagher’s errant throw over the head of Mauricio Ramos allowed the Cardinals to even the score at one. The pitcher’s lone mistake came in the fifth on a fastball that Chris Jacobs ambushed and blasted over the left-field wall. The game was knotted at two apiece until the 8th inning when a line of three straight singles followed a walk to hot hitting Harrison Bader before a sacrifice fly gave the St. Louis farm club a 4-2 lead via Pedro Fernandez’s Double-A debut. Another single ran the score to 5-2 Springfield and a two on no one out jam in the 9th by the Naturals was turned away with no damage done to give the Cardinals the 3-1 series win.

Boxscore Link

Ryan O’Hearn 1-5 HR #9
Frank Schwindel 1-4, robbed of a home run by Tommy Pham
Cam Gallagher 2-4 2b, RBI

Salem Red Sox 10 Wilmington Blue Rocks 9

The Red Sox saw plenty of pitches from Rocks starter Josh Staumont in the third game of their four game series. All told, the righty tossed 69 pitches in just one and two-thirds innings while walking a career high seven hitters. The seven walks combined with a pair of doubles and a single to plate seven Red Sox runs in his time on the hill, putting the Rocks in a 7-0 hole after just 2 innings. Despite the deficit, the Rocks would make the game interesting with a run in the 4th and four runs in the 5th; the big knock being a Brandon Downes bases clearing double. The Red Sox would tack on insurance runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th before an inspired 9th inning rally by the Blue Rocks came up a run short. That final inning rally featured Wander Franco’s second home run of the year, a two run blast that completed a three for four day that got his average over the Mendoza line for the first time this season. The Rocks outhit the Red Sox in the game while completing a series that saw their offense score 28 runs despite dropping two of three games.

Boxscore Link

Elier Hernandez 2-5 2-2b, RBI
Humberto Arteaga 2-5 2b, 3R, RBI
Brandon Downes 1-4 2b, R, 4 RBI

Lexington Legends 8 Charleston RiverDogs 7

The Legends had plenty of trouble making contact against Yankees pitching prospect Yefrey Ramirez Sunday as the righty put away nine Legends hitters in his five innings. The bats were pretty silent in those innings collecting just three hits and a run in his time on the hill. Unfortunately the RiverDogs didn’t have much trouble making contact off Royals lefty Emilio Ogando once he got through the lineup one time through. From there, the Yankees farm club scored seven times between the 3rd and 4th innings, thanks in part to a Chris Gittens three run blast. The home run was the third for Gittens in the four game series between the two teams after hitting just two in his previous 27 games played. The Legends were patient, waiting for Ramirez to leave and mount their comeback, scoring a pair of runs in the 7th on a Amalani Fukofuka single to close the deficit to four runs. After a scoreless 8th, the Legends loaded the bases quickly in the ninth with a Cody Jones single and a pair of walks to DJ Burt and Marten Gasparini. Despite a pitching change, Samir Duenez would drive in a pair to draw within 7-5. After a pair of outs a walk to Travis Maezes once again loaded the bases, the Legends had life. That opportunity was quickly cashed in on a wild pitch to draw within one, pushing the lead and eventual winning run into scoring position. With two outs catcher Xavier Fernandez would bring in the two runners with single to right to complete the five run walkoff comeback.

Boxscore Link

Amalani Fukofuks 2-5 2 RBI
Ben Johnson 2-5 2b, RBI
Marten Gasparini 2-3 3R, 2BB

HR Roll Call – Frank Schwindel (6)
BP Kansas City Hitter of the Day – Elier Hernandez: 3-4, 2B, R, 2 BB
BP Kansas City Pitcher of the Day – Jake Junis: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K

Omaha Storm Chasers 2 Tacoma Rainiers 3

The Chasers got out to an early 2-0 lead after two innings, but only had one more scoring opportunity when they loaded the bases with one out in the fourth. Whit Merrifield proceeded to ground into a double play, and only one man reached base in the last five innings. Jonathan Dziedzic took the loss, surrendering a run in the fourth after a double, wild pitch, and sac fly, then he gave up a double and a dinger in the seventh, knocking him out of the game. Brett Eibner continued his offensive resurgence, going 1-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.

Boxscore Link

Jose Martinez: 2-4, 6 hits in his last 4 games
Brett Eibner: 1-3, R, BB, SB
Travis Snider: 1-4, 2B, R

  Northwest Arkansas Naturals 7 Springfield Cardinals 2

Frank Schwindel’s second inning grand slam was more than enough offense in support of yet another solid start from Jake Junis. Following tonight’s 6.2 shutout innings, Junis has allowed just one run in his last 19.2 innings. The 23-year old righty also struck out six without walking a batter, and induced seven groundouts. On offense, the Naturals didn’t get much going for several innings after Schwindel’s blast, but Mauricio Ramos drove in a pair in the eighth with his third hit of the night, and Bubba Starling added an RBI double in the ninth – his league-leading 12th of the season. Benino Pruneda struck out four in 2.1 innings of relief work.

Boxscore Link

Jake Junis: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
Frank Schwindel: 1-4, GS, 4 RBI
Mauricio Ramos: 3-4, R, 2 RBI,

  Wilmington Blue Rocks 7 Salem Red Sox 8 (10)

Despite a 15-hit explosion from the offense, the Rocks dropped another game, this one thanks to a walkoff single from Red Sox prospect Andrew Benintendi in the first extra frame. Every hitter reached base at least once, and six Rocks collected multiple hits on the evening. The Sox jumped all over Matt Tenuta, scoring two in the first, three in the third, and one more in the fourth inning. While the bullpen handed out eight (!) free passes over the following five innings, they only allowed two runs, which gave Wilmington their chance to come back in the ninth inning. Down two runs, and down to their final out, Austin Bailey and Alfredo Escalera hit back-to-back singles, before being driven in on a triple from Humberto Arteaga. They couldn’t capitalize on a two on, one out situation in the tenth, and Benintendi’s single sent everyone home.

Boxscore Link

Wander Franco: 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Corey Toups: 2-4, R, 2 BB, SB (6)
Elier Hernandez: 3-4, 2B, R, 2 BB

   Charleston RiverDogs 5 Lexington Legends 1

Nolan Watson struck out a career-high six batters in his four innings of work, but he also gave up two home runs in the first inning, and the Legends were unable to produce any kind of offense to pick up the former first-rounder. Watson’s ERA now stands at 10.52. An ERA starting with a one is good, but not if it’s followed by three more numbers. He did only issue one walk, and 41 of his 69 pitches went for strikes, so perhaps this can get him going. Offensively, the Legends collected just six hits, three of which left the bat of Amalani Fukofuka. The RiverDogs scored two more runs against Niklas Stephenson in the eighth, putting the game out of reach.

Boxscore Link

Amalani Fukofuka: 3-4, RBI
Nolan Watson: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Chase Vallot: 1-3, 2B, throwing error (6), 2 SB allowed