Royals Minor League Report (6/25): Royals Farm Sweeps The Slate

Three Royals affiliates won on the same night. David Shields fired six one-run innings with seven strikeouts as Quad Cities routed South Bend, 8-1. Randy Dobnak turned in a quality start, and Omaha rallied past Columbus, 6-3, behind Matthew Lugo's two-run homer. Josh Hammond went 4-for-4, and Sean Gamble drove in three as Columbia beat Kannapolis, 7-3, with Coleman Picard closing on 3 1/3 hitless innings.

Northwest Arkansas' game against Springfield was rained out. 

Royals Transactions

• No Roster Moves

Late Rally Carries Storm Chasers Past Columbus

The Omaha Storm Chasers scored three runs in the eighth inning to break a tie and beat the Columbus Clippers, 6-3.  Dobnak worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts for a quality start.

Omaha grabbed the early lead in the first when Lugo hit a two-run home run that scored Brett Squires for a 2-1 advantage. Columbus answered with two runs in the third to lead 3-2, and Omaha tied it in the fifth on a Peyton Wilson run-scoring single that brought home Gavin Cross.

The Storm Chasers took control in the eighth. Drew Waters doubled to drive in Rudy Martin Jr. for a 4-3 lead, and Brandon Drury followed with a two-run single that scored Lugo and Waters to make it 6-3.

Eli Morgan earned the win with a scoreless eighth, and Eric Cerantola closed the ninth for his eleventh save, striking out two. Brett Squires led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a double. Lugo finished with two RBIs, two runs, and a walk, while Gavin Cross added two hits.

Omaha left six runners on base and went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The Storm Chasers are now 35-42. 

David Shields Dominates As Quad Cities Tops South Bend

Shields turned in a dominant start as the Quad Cities River Bandits beat the South Bend Cubs, 8-1. Shields worked six innings, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts for a quality start.

Mason Miller followed with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts, and Yimi Presinal finished with a scoreless ninth. Quad Cities built its lead with a three-run second inning. Erick Torres drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Luke Pelzer, Connor Rasmussen grounded into a force out that brought home Derlin Figueroa, and Asbel Gonzalez followed with a run-scoring single that plated Tyriq Kemp for a 3-0 lead.

The Bandits added a run in the third on a Torres sacrifice fly double play that scored Ramon Ramirez, and Pelzer drove in Blake Mitchell with a groundout in the seventh. Quad Cities pulled away with three runs in the ninth, two of them on bases-loaded walks to Kemp and Torres. Gonzalez led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a stolen base from the leadoff spot. Pelzer added three hits, a walk, and two runs, and Torres finished with three RBIs and two walks.

The River Bandits left ten runners on base and went 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Quad Cities improved to 31-37. 

Josh Hammond, Sean Gamble Power Columbia Past Kannapolis

The Columbia Fireflies pulled away with a three-run sixth inning and beat the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, 7-3.

Shane Van Dam picked up the win, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts over five innings. Picard closed the game with 3 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out three to earn his first save.

Columbia trailed 1-0 after an unearned run in the first before taking the lead in the third. Gamble laced a two-run triple that scored Ivan Sosa and Hammond, and Hyungchan Um followed with a run-scoring groundout that brought home Gamble for a 3-1 advantage.

The Fireflies broke the game open in the sixth. Jhosmmel Zue singled home Yandel Ricardo, Ivan Sosa added a run-scoring groundout, and Josh Hammond singled in Angel Ramirez to push the lead to 6-2. Gamble capped the scoring with a run-scoring single in the ninth.

Hammond led the offense, going 4-for-4 with a double and a stolen base from the leadoff spot and scoring twice. Gamble finished with three RBIs, and Ricardo added three hits, including two triples.

Columbia left seven runners on base and went 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position. The Fireflies improved to 37-35 for the season. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: DNP
2. David Shields: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
3. Josh Hammond: 4-for-4, 2B
4. Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K
5. Sean Gamble: 2-for-5, 3B, K
6. Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-4, 2 K
7. Drew Beam: DNP
8. Carson Roccaforte: DNP
9. Asbel Gonzalez: 3-for-5
10. Yandel Ricardo: 3-for-4, 2 3B, K
11. Michael Lombardi: DNP
12. Ben Kudrna: DNP
13. Justin Lamkin: DNP
14. Felix Arronde: DNP
15. Blake Wolters: DNP
16. Steven Zobac: DNP
17. Austin Charles: DNP
18. Daniel Vázquez: DNP
19. Kamden Edge: DNP
20. Warren Calcano: 0-for-1, 2 R, 4 BB

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!