Royals Minor League Report (9/11): Velasquez Leads A Strong Pitching Night In Two Royals Losses

[Kevin O'Brien]

 

Vince Velasquez led the Royals system with six scoreless innings for Omaha, allowing three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. In Northwest Arkansas, Brandon Johnson and Tyson Guerrero combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings and seven strikeouts behind starter Steven Zobac. Drew Waters had three hits, including a double, for the Storm Chasers, and Angel Acosta homered for the Naturals. Omaha lost 1-3 in Indianapolis, and the Naturals fell 2-3 at home.

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Velasquez Turns In Six Scoreless Innings, But Storm Chasers Fall 1-3

Velasquez was outstanding for Omaha, working six scoreless innings against Indianapolis. He allowed three hits, walked nobody, and struck out six, meeting the quality start threshold and keeping the Storm Chasers in front into the late innings of a 1-3 loss.

 

 

Omaha scored its only run in the fifth. Colton Becker drew a walk, moved to third on Omar Hernandez's fly ball to center, and scored on leadoff man Maikel Garcia's ground-ball single to left. This is Garcia's second game of his rehab assignment. 

 

 

Carson Roccaforte followed with a walk, but a flyout and a strikeout stranded both runners.

Waters led the offense with three hits in three at-bats, including his 24th double, and he added a walk. Hernandez had two hits, and Jorge Alfaro doubled. Omaha finished with eight hits, three walks, and one run, striking out 11 times, going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, and leaving 10 runners on base.

Indianapolis tied the game in the seventh, when a walk and a single put runners at the corners and a run came home on a double play. The Indians took the lead in the eighth, starting with a single, moving the runner to second on a sacrifice bunt, and then hitting a two-run home run to center field.

Mason Black took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts over two innings. Omaha had one last chance in the eighth, but Waters was picked off after his single, and Alfaro's two-out double went to waste.

The Storm Chasers are now 64-75 this season. 

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Maikel Garcia	5	0	1	1	0	1
Carson Roccaforte	4	0	1	0	1	1
Abraham Toro	4	0	0	0	0	0
Brett Squires	4	0	0	0	0	3
Drew Waters	3	0	3	0	1	0
Peyton Wilson	3	0	0	0	0	1
Jorge Alfaro	4	0	1	0	0	2
Colton Becker	3	1	0	0	1	2
Omar Hernandez	4	0	2	0	0	1
Totals	34	1	8	1	3	11

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Vince Velasquez	6	3	0	0	0	6	0
Mason Black	2	3	3	3	1	2	1
Totals	8	6	3	3	1	8	1

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Acosta Homers, But Naturals Drop A 2-3 Decision To Tulsa

Zobac, the Royals' No. 18 prospect, gave Northwest Arkansas three strong innings against Tulsa, allowing one run on one hit with no walks and two strikeouts. The only damage against him was a solo home run, and he handed off a lead that the Naturals could not hold in a 3-2 loss.

 

 

Northwest Arkansas got on the board in the first. Leadoff man Sam Kulasingam doubled for his 24th two-bagger of the season, Spencer Nivens singled him to third, Daniel Vazquez grounded out to move Nivens up, and Connor Scott drove Kulasingam in with a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Naturals added a run in the second. Hyungchan Um singled, but he was caught stealing at second base. However, Acosta followed with his first home run of the season, a line drive to right field.

 

 

Tulsa answered with two runs in the fourth, and both came without a swing. A hit by pitch and a single put two runners on, and after two strikeouts, three straight walks forced in the tying and go-ahead runs.

Chase Jessee was charged with the loss, allowing two runs on one hit and three walks with two strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning. Brandon Johnson followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings on two hits with three strikeouts, Guerrero struck out four over two scoreless innings on one hit, and Zachary Cawyer worked a scoreless inning, allowing two hits with one strikeout.

Um finished with two hits, and Nivens had a hit and two walks. Northwest Arkansas managed six hits, two walks, and two runs, striking out 10 times and leaving five runners on base while going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. 

The Naturals are now 56-78 this season. 

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Sam Kulasingam	4	1	1	0	0	2
Spencer Nivens	2	0	1	0	2	0
Daniel Vazquez	4	0	0	0	0	1
Connor Scott	3	0	1	1	0	1
Justin Johnson	4	0	0	0	0	2
Alberto Rodriguez	4	0	0	0	0	0
Hyungchan Um	4	0	2	0	0	1
Angel Acosta	3	1	1	1	0	1
Connor Rasmussen	3	0	0	0	0	2
Totals	31	2	6	2	2	10

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Steven Zobac	3	1	1	1	0	2	1
Chase Jessee	2/3	1	2	2	3	2	0
Brandon Johnson	2 1/3	2	0	0	0	3	0
Tyson Guerrero	2	1	0	0	0	4	0
Zachary Cawyer	1	2	0	0	0	1	0
Totals	9	7	3	3	3	12	1

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Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: DNP
2. David Shields: DNP
3. Josh Hammond: DNP
4. Blake Mitchell: DNP
5. Sean Gamble: DNP
6. Ramon Ramirez: DNP
7. Zion Rose: DNP
8. Asbel Gonzalez: DNP
9. Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-4, BB, K
10. Taylor Rabe: DNP
11. Yandel Ricardo: DNP
12. Justin Lamkin: DNP
13. Drew Beam: DNP
14. Michael Lombardi: DNP
15. Jack Slightom: DNP
16. Felix Arronde: DNP
17. Angeibel Gomez: DNP
18. Ben Kudrna: DNP
19. Steven Zobac: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
20. Blake Wolters: DNP

 

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