Royals Minor League Report (6/11): Late Rallies Define Royals' Farm Slate

[Kevin O'Brien]

 

The Columbia Fireflies erased an eight-run deficit, scoring nine unanswered runs behind home runs from Roni Cabrera and Ivan Sosa and four scoreless innings of relief from Denis Samudio in a 9-8 win. Spencer Nivens homered and doubled in a losing effort for Northwest Arkansas, while Aaron Sanchez tossed three scoreless innings for Omaha. Josh Hammond and Hyungchan Um each drove in multiple runs to fuel Columbia's comeback.

Note: The Quad Cities River Bandits' game against Beloit was postponed due to weather. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Friday, June 12th.

Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals placed CF Kyle Isbel on the 10-day injured list. Left plantar fasciitis.
• Kansas City Royals recalled CF Kameron Misner from Omaha Storm Chasers.

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Sanchez Sharp But Storm Chasers Fall Late

The Omaha Storm Chasers could not solve Las Vegas in a 5-2 loss at Werner Park, managing just four hits across the afternoon on the eve of the College World Series, which is taking place at nearby Charles Schwab Field in downtown Omaha.

Sanchez set the tone with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out three. Andrew Pérez followed and took the loss, surrendering one run on four hits over two innings with two strikeouts. Anthony Gose struggled in his two innings, giving up three runs, including a home run, on three hits and a walk while striking out three.

 

 

The Omaha offense was quiet until the seventh inning, when the home side pushed across both of its runs. John Rave came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Brett Squires, and Matthew Lugo followed home on a Luca Tresh double to left.

 

 

Tresh and Squires each drove in a run, and Lugo added a double of his own. Drew Waters and Abraham Toro combined for five strikeouts at the top of the order.

Omaha left five runners on base and never threatened again after the seventh. They went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position on Thursday. 

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Josh Rojas	3	0	0	0	1	0
Abraham Toro	4	0	0	0	0	2
John Rave	4	1	1	0	0	2
Matthew Lugo	4	1	1	0	0	2
Brett Squires	3	0	1	1	0	0
Luca Tresh	3	0	1	1	1	1
Drew Waters	4	0	0	0	0	3
Gavin Cross	3	0	0	0	0	2
Connor Kaiser	2	0	0	0	1	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Aaron Sanchez	3	2	0	0	2	3	0
Andrew Pérez	2	4	1	1	0	2	0
Jose Cuas	1	2	1	1	1	1	0
Anthony Gose	2	3	3	3	1	3	1
Eric Cerantola	1	1	0	0	1	2	0

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Nivens Homers As Naturals Drop Decision In Arkansas

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals fell 6-2 to in-state rival Arkansas, the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Naturals were undone by a rough start on the mound by the Royals' No. 12 prospect.

Felix Arronde, who made his first start since returning from the IL, took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits over 1 2/3 innings with three walks, two strikeouts, and two home runs. Oscar Rayo followed and provided a steadying influence, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings with no walks and four strikeouts. Caden Monke gave up two runs on one hit and three walks in his lone inning, and Chase Jessee added two scoreless frames with three strikeouts.

 

 

Nivens supplied most of the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two runs batted in. His solo home run in the seventh inning cut into the deficit, and his run-scoring double in the ninth brought home Sam Kulasingam for the Naturals' final run.

 

 

Kulasingam reached base twice and scored a run, while Jorge Alfaro and Omar Hernandez each collected a hit. Northwest Arkansas left four runners on base and struck out seven times as a group. They also went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position. 

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Jack Pineda	4	0	0	0	0	0
Colton Becker	4	0	0	0	0	0
Sam Kulasingam	3	1	1	0	1	1
Jorge Alfaro	4	0	1	0	0	3
Spencer Nivens	4	1	2	2	0	0
Daniel Vazquez	4	0	0	0	0	2
Rudy Martin Jr.	3	0	0	0	0	1
Omar Hernandez	3	0	1	0	0	0
Justin Johnson	3	0	0	0	0	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Felix Arronde	1 2/3	3	4	4	3	2	2
Oscar Rayo	3 1/3	2	0	0	0	4	0
Caden Monke	1	1	2	2	3	2	0
Chase Jessee	2	1	0	0	1	3	0

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Fireflies Erase Eight-Run Hole In Wild Comeback

The Columbia Fireflies, decked out in their special Chicharrones uniforms for the Copa de la Diversion, rallied from an 8-0 deficit to stun Delmarva 9-8.

Starter Darwin Rodriguez had a night to forget, allowing eight runs on ten hits over four innings with two walks, four strikeouts, and a home run, as the Shorebirds plated five in the third and three in the fourth. The bullpen then slammed the door. Samudio earned the win with four scoreless innings, allowing no hits and two walks while striking out five, and Luis Valdez struck out three in a scoreless frame.

 

 

The offense came alive in the seventh, when Columbia sent the deficit tumbling. Hammond singled home Roni Cabrera and Connor Rasmussen, Um tripled in two more runs, and Sean Gamble singled home Um on an infield single as the Fireflies pushed across six runs in the inning.

 

 

Columbia completed the comeback in the eighth, when Cabrera homered, and Sosa launched a two-run home run to take the lead.

 

 

Hammond finished 2-for-5 with two runs batted in, Um drove in three runs, Sosa added two, and Rasmussen reached base three times. Columbia stranded six runners and went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. That said, Columbia did just enough at the plate to earn their 30th win of the year and get back to .500. 

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Yandel Ricardo	4	1	0	0	1	2
Josh Hammond	5	1	2	2	0	2
Stone Russell	4	1	0	0	0	1
Hyungchan Um	3	1	1	3	1	2
Sean Gamble	4	0	1	1	0	0
Angel Ramirez	3	0	0	0	1	2
Roni Cabrera	4	2	2	1	0	1
Connor Rasmussen	3	2	3	0	1	0
Ivan Sosa	4	1	2	2	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Darwin Rodriguez	4	10	8	8	2	4	1
Luis Valdez	1	1	0	0	0	3	0
Denis Samudio	4	0	0	0	2	5	0

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Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: DNP
2. David Shields: DNP
3. Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, RBI
4. Blake Mitchell: DNP
5. Josh Hammond: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 K
6. Ramon Ramirez: DNP
7. Drew Beam: DNP
8. Asbel Gonzalez: DNP
9. Ben Kudrna: DNP
10. Carson Roccaforte: DNP
11. Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
12. Felix Arronde: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
13. Blake Wolters: DNP
14. Michael Lombardi: DNP
15. Luinder Avila: DNP
16. Steven Zobac: DNP
17. Frank Mozzicato: DNP
18. Daniel Vazquez: 0-for-4, 2 K
19. Warren Colcano: 0-for-4, 1 BB, 3 K
20. Shane Panzini: DNP

 

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