Royals Minor League Report (5/9): Sanchez Spins Six Scoreless As Royals Affiliates Notch Three Wins

Aaron Sanchez fired six scoreless, one-hit innings with eight strikeouts as Omaha split its doubleheader at Indianapolis. Jorge Alfaro homered twice and drove in four to lead Northwest Arkansas past Frisco 8-7 in 10 innings, with Dennis Colleran Jr. striking out four for the win. Max Martin recorded a hitless 2 1/3 frames for Columbia, while Yandel Ricardo and Stone Russell powered a 5-2 win. Ramon Ramirez tripled and homered in a Quad Cities loss.

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Storm Chasers Drop Walk-Off Despite Sanchez's Quality Start

The Storm Chasers dropped the first game of the doubleheader 2-1 in nine innings on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Indianapolis. The contest was scoreless through seven innings, anchored by a Quality Start from Aaron Sanchez. Elih Marrero accounted for the only Omaha run with a 1-for-3 day that included a double and the team's lone RBI. The Storm Chasers managed just one hit on the day.

Sanchez went six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out eight.

The game stretched to extra innings, and the scoring opened in the top of the eighth with Drew Waters as the zombie runner. After a Josh Rojas sacrifice bunt advanced Waters to third, Marrero followed with an RBI double to right field that scored him for a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Mason Black surrendered a one-out RBI double to right that allowed the Indianapolis zombie runner to come home and tie the game at 1-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, with Beck Way on the mound and the Indians' zombie runner at second, a sacrifice bunt was mishandled on a Way throwing error to put runners at the corners. Two batters later, the winning run scored on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Drew Waters.

Black allowed one earned run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings. Way was charged with the loss after an unearned winning run.

Storm Chasers Take Game Two Behind Four-Run Third

The Storm Chasers lost the second game of a doubleheader at Indianapolis with a 4-1 victory thanks to a four-run third inning. Tyler Tolbert paced the offense, going 2-for-4 with a two-RBI single, a stolen base, and a run scored. John Rave doubled and scored as part of a 2-for-4 day, and Kevin Newman added a hit, a walk, a double, and a run. Elih Marrero went 1-for-1 in his lone at-bat.

Indianapolis grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when an Indians runner came home on a wild pitch from Shane Panzini. Omaha answered emphatically in the third. Newman drew a walk to start the inning, John Rave followed with his seventh double of the season, and Tolbert lined a single to left field that scored both to put Omaha ahead 2-1. After two strikeouts and a Luca Tresh hit-by-pitch, Colton Becker reached on a fielder's choice, and a throwing error by the Indians' shortstop on the play allowed Tolbert and Tresh to come around to push the lead to 4-1.

Panzini went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Ben Sears followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings on two hits and a walk, fanning three to earn the win. Andrew Pérez and Eli Morgan combined for two scoreless frames to close it out, with Morgan striking out two for the save.

Alfaro's Two Homers Lift Naturals Past Frisco In 10 Innings

The Naturals topped the RoughRiders 8-7 in 10 innings on the strength of a two-homer, four-RBI day from Jorge Alfaro. Alfaro hit a solo shot in the sixth inning and a three-run blast in the 10th, his third and fourth home runs of the season. Spencer Nivens added a solo home run as part of a 3-for-5, two-RBI day. Sam Kulasingam went 3-for-4 with a double, Daniel Vazquez had two hits, including a double, and leadoff man Carson Roccaforte scored a run.

Henry Williams started and went five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth, Northwest Arkansas tied the game when Spencer Nivens delivered an RBI single off the pitcher to score Sam Kulasingam, and Omar Hernandez followed with a sacrifice fly to score Brett Squires. After Frisco answered with a run in the bottom half, Roccaforte scored on a Brett Squires sacrifice fly in the fifth, and back-to-back solo homers from Alfaro and Nivens in the sixth pushed the lead to 5-3 before the RoughRiders tied it up.

The Naturals broke through in the top of the 10th. With Brett Squires at second as the zombie runner, Daniel Vazquez singled to right field, and Alfaro followed with a three-run home run to left center for an 8-5 lead.

Brandon Johnson surrendered two runs in the bottom half but recorded his third save.

River Bandits Fall To Kernels Despite Ramirez's Power

The River Bandits dropped a 6-3 decision to the Kernels at home. Ramon Ramirez and cleanup hitter Luke Pelzer accounted for the bulk of the offense, each leaving the yard. Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a triple, a solo home run, two runs, an RBI, and a walk. Pelzer added a 1-for-3 day with a two-run home run, two RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Tyriq Kemp and Erick Torres each added a single.

Emmanuel Reyes took the loss, going six innings and giving up four runs on eight hits with three walks, four strikeouts, and one home run allowed.

Quad Cities jumped ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first when Pelzer drilled a two-run home run to right-center to score Ramirez. The Kernels grabbed the lead back with a four-run third, capped by a three-run home run, to lead 4-2. Ramirez closed the gap with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the sixth, his fifth of the season, but Cedar Rapids tacked on two more in the eighth on a two-run shot.

Cory Ronan allowed two runs on a hit in two innings of relief, and Hunter Alberini struck out one over a scoreless inning to close.

Fireflies Top Cannon Ballers Behind Bullpen And Russell

The Fireflies took a 5-2 win at Kannapolis behind a strong bullpen effort and a deep offensive lineup. Stone Russell led the way with a 3-for-4 day that included a triple, two runs, and a stolen base. Daniel Lopez went 1-for-4 with a two-RBI double and a stolen base. Josh Hammond added a 1-for-3 day with a double, a walk, a run, and a stolen base. Yandel Ricardo went 1-for-5 with an RBI, and Hyungchan Um added an RBI single in a 1-for-4 effort.

Kendry Chourio started and went four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with a walk, three strikeouts, and a home run allowed.

Columbia struck first in the top of the first when Hyungchan Um singled to right field to score Josh Hammond. After the Cannon Ballers tied it in the second, the Fireflies retook the lead 2-1 in the third on a Yandel Ricardo RBI groundout that scored Jhosmmel Zue. The visitors then broke the game open in the top of the fourth when Daniel Lopez doubled to right field with two on, scoring Stone Russell and JC Vanek for a 4-1 advantage. Columbia tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on a Roni Cabrera sacrifice fly that scored Russell.

Brandon Herbold and Max Martin handled the middle innings without allowing a run, with Martin striking out two over a hitless 2 1/3 frames to earn the win. Yeri Perez worked a one-hit ninth to record his first save.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

Interested in learning more about the Kansas City Royals' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!