Royals Minor League Report (5/16): Storm Chasers Crush, Reyes Rolls, And Columbia Walks Off In Extras

Abraham Toro's grand slam capped a three-homer attack as Omaha cruised 11-3 in a rain-shortened win over Toledo, with Brett Squires and Luke Maile also going deep. Emmanuel Reyes spun a six-inning, no-earned-run gem with eight strikeouts to lead Quad Cities to an 8-2 victory. Northwest Arkansas was shut out 4-0 despite a sharp 4 1/3-inning, no-run effort from Hunter Patteson. Jhosmmel Zue's two-run double walked off Columbia's 8-7 win over Hickory in 11 innings.

Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals placed LHP Matt Strahm on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation.
• Kansas City Royals activated LHP Bailey Falter from the 15-day injured list.

Toro's Grand Slam Caps Three-Homer Rout In Rain-Shortened Win

The Omaha Storm Chasers cruised to an 11-3 win over the Toledo Mud Hens in a game called by rain after the top of the eighth inning. Cleanup hitter Brett Squires went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, and Abraham Toro added a grand slam, finishing 1-for-2 with four RBI and two walks. Luke Maile also went deep, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Gavin Cross had two hits and a stolen base.

The Storm Chasers turned the game on its head in the bottom of the first, scoring six runs after Toledo had taken a 1-0 lead in the top half. Leadoff hitter Tyler Tolbert reached on an error, John Rave singled, and Squires followed with a three-run homer to right center, scoring Tolbert and Rave. Two batters later, with Cross and Dustin Dickerson aboard via walks, Maile launched a three-run shot to left field to make it 6-1.

Omaha widened the gap in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded on a Kevin Newman double and walks to John Rave and Drew Waters, Toro crushed a grand slam to right center, extending the lead to 11-3.

Starter Aaron Sanchez allowed three earned runs on five hits, walking three and striking out four across 3 2/3 innings. Ethan Bosacker and Anthony Gose combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief before rain forced the early conclusion.

Patteson Sharp, But Bullpen Falters In Seventh As Naturals Get Shut Out

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals were shut out 4-0 by the Arkansas Travelers, who broke open a scoreless game with a four-run seventh inning. The Naturals managed only five hits, with Jack Pineda leading the way at 2-for-4. Leadoff hitter Rudy Martin Jr. added a double, and Carson Roccaforte and Connor Scott each drew walks.

For six innings, the game was a pitcher's duel. Starter Hunter Patteson worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out four. Oscar Rayo followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of his own, walking two and striking out three.

Things unraveled in the top of the seventh. Dennis Colleran Jr. issued back-to-back walks to begin the inning, threw a wild pitch, and then surrendered an RBI double. The next batter launched a three-run homer to left center to put Arkansas up 4-0. Colleran walked two more before Augusto Mendieta entered with the bases loaded. Mendieta allowed a single but induced a flyout to escape further damage without surrendering a run. Colleran was charged with four earned runs in only 1/3 of an inning, walking four and giving up the home run.

Mendieta finished with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. The Naturals' bats could not generate a rally, leaving six runners on base across the night.

Reyes' Quality Start, Figueroa's Three-Run Homer Lead River Bandits Past Lansing

The Quad Cities River Bandits notched an 8-2 road win over the Lansing Lugnuts behind a quality start from Emmanuel Reyes and a three-run homer from Derlin Figueroa. Catcher Blake Mitchell led the hitting attack, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Leadoff hitter Nolan Sailors also went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Figueroa finished with four RBI on his home run, and cleanup hitter Luke Pelzer added a triple and an RBI.

The River Bandits jumped on Lansing in the top of the third. With one out, Sailors singled, Asbel Gonzalez walked, and Mitchell ripped an RBI single to right to score Sailors. After Pelzer reached, Figueroa unloaded a three-run home run to center field, giving Quad Cities a 4-0 lead.

The Bandits kept adding on. Gonzalez delivered an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth, and an unearned run in the seventh scored Figueroa on a throwing error. In the ninth, Pelzer tripled home Mitchell and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Figueroa.

Reyes turned in a quality start, going six innings and allowing four hits and one unearned run while walking one and striking out eight. Aiden Jimenez followed with three innings, allowing two hits and one earned run with two walks and two strikeouts.

Jhosmmel Zue Walks Off Fireflies' 8-7 Win Over Hickory In 11

The Columbia Fireflies outlasted the Hickory Crawdads 8-7 in 11 innings, walking off on a two-run double by Jhosmmel Zue. Leadoff hitter Henry Ramos paced the offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and a walk. Stone Russell added two hits, a double, and two RBI, and Connor Rasmussen reached base five times on a 2-for-2 day with a double, three walks, and two runs scored. Zue finished with three RBI on his game-winning double.

Hickory took a 1-0 lead in the first inning before Columbia answered with two runs in the third on an RBI double by Ramos and an RBI single by Russell. The Fireflies added two more in the fourth on RBI singles by Ramos and Josh Hammond to lead 4-1.

The lead held until the seventh, when Hickory cut it to 4-3 with a two-run double. In the ninth, a solo home run tied the game at 4-4 and forced extra innings. Hickory pushed across its zombie runner in the top of the 10th, but Zue's sacrifice fly plated Columbia zombie runner Daniel Lopez to tie the game again at 5-5.

Hickory scored two more in the top of the 11th to take a 7-5 lead. In the bottom half, Russell doubled home zombie runner Josh Hammond to make it 7-6. Two more baserunners reached on walks, and with two outs, Zue laced a two-run double down the right-field line, scoring Russell and pinch runner Josi Novas to walk off the win.

Starter Jordan Woods worked four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run with one walk and three strikeouts. Henson Leal followed with three innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs with two walks and two strikeouts. Jhon Reyes gave up the game-tying solo homer in the ninth across two innings of work, and Dash Albus earned the win with two innings, allowing three runs but only one earned with three strikeouts.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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