Royals Minor League Report (6/17): Naturals and River Bandits Win, Fireflies Fall

Frank Mozzicato earned the win with two scoreless innings of four-strikeout relief as the Northwest Arkansas Naturals beat Tulsa 7-2. Emmanuel Reyes worked six innings of two-run ball with five strikeouts to lift the Quad Cities River Bandits past Wisconsin 3-2, with Tyriq Kemp collecting three hits. For Columbia, Darwin Rodriguez struck out seven over six innings in a 9-5 loss, while Sean Gamble went 2-for-3 with a double and Josi Novas homered.

Omaha's game against the St. Paul Saints was postponed due to weather or Ghostbusters-esque conditions.

Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals activated RHP Connor Seabold.
• Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Mitch Spence to Omaha Storm Chasers.

Naturals Pile On In The Fourth To Down Tulsa 7-2

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals scored in three different innings to take a 7-2 win over the Tulsa Drillers, whom the Naturals have not beaten this season until tonight (They lost all their games in Tulsa back in May).

Jack Pineda led the offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Rudy Martin Jr. reached three times with two hits, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. Northwest Arkansas struck first in the first inning when Pineda singled home leadoff man Carson Roccaforte, and Spencer Nivens followed with a sacrifice fly to score Pineda for a 2-0 lead.

The decisive frame came in the fourth, when the Naturals plated four runs.

Connor Scott singled home Martin, Roccaforte added a sacrifice fly, and Pineda capped the inning with a two-run single that scored Alberto Rodriguez and Justin Johnson to push the lead to 6-2. Rodriguez added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Felix Arronde, our No. 12 prospect at Royals Keep, started and allowed two runs on two hits with two walks, three strikeouts, and a home run over three innings. He held his own despite facing a Drillers lineup stacked with Top-100 prospects from the Dodgers system. 

Mozzicato, our No. 17 prospect at Royals Keep, earned the win, striking out four over two scoreless innings while allowing one hit and three walks. Andrew Morones, Caden Monke, and Dennis Colleran Jr. combined for the final four innings.

Northwest Arkansas left seven runners on base and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They are now 28-35. 

Reyes Goes Six As River Bandits Edge Wisconsin 3-2

The Quad Cities River Bandits manufactured just enough offense to slip past the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3-2.

The Dutch-born Kemp paced the lineup, going 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, two stolen bases, and a walk, and Ramon Ramirez added a double, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Quad Cities scored single runs across three innings, breaking through in the second when Kemp singled home Ramirez.

In the fifth, Connor Rasmussen doubled to drive in Kemp, and the eventual winning run came in the sixth when Derlin Figueroa laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Ramirez.

Reyes turned in the night's strongest pitching performance, working six innings and allowing two runs on seven hits with one walk, five strikeouts, and a home run to earn the win. The 22-year-old now has a 3.64 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 12 starts and 59.1 IP. 

Jordan Woods followed with two scoreless innings, striking out two, and Yimi Presinal struck out two in a scoreless ninth for the save.

The River Bandits left nine runners on base and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position. With the win over the Rattlers, Quad Cities improved their record to 29-33. 

Fireflies Undone By Seventh-Inning Rally In 9-5 Loss At Hickory

The Columbia Fireflies could not hold an early lead and fell to the Hickory Crawdads 9-5.

Gamble, our No. 3 prospect, led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Angel Ramirez reached three times with a hit, two walks, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Columbia built a 4-2 advantage in the third inning, getting an RBI groundout from JC Vanek that scored Yandel Ricardo, a Novas solo home run, and a run-scoring single from Gamble.

The lead did not last. Hickory plated two in the fifth to tie the game, then broke it open with four runs in the seventh to take command.

Rodriguez was strong in his outing, striking out seven over six innings while allowing four runs on six hits and a walk. Jhon Reyes took the loss after retiring just one batter and surrendering four runs on five hits, and Yeri Perez allowed one run over 1 2/3 innings. Ivan Sosa drove in Gamble in the eighth for Columbia's final run.

The Fireflies left seven runners on base and went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They are 33-32 this season. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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