Royals Minor League Report (7/11): Angel Ramirez's Walk-Off Caps Wild Night Across The Royals System

Angel Ramirez capped a four-run tenth inning with a walk-off single as Columbia stunned Salem 9-8. Ramon Ramirez doubled twice and drove in four runs, but Quad Cities fell 9-8 at home on a ninth-inning home run. Steven Zobac fired five scoreless innings, and Zachary Cawyer closed out a 4-3 Northwest Arkansas win. Brett Squires homered, and Henry Williams turned in a quality start, but Omaha dropped a 4-2 decision at Louisville.

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Brett Squires Homers But Omaha Falls 4-2 At Louisville

Squires provided all of Omaha's offense, but the Storm Chasers dropped a 4-2 decision to the Louisville Bats.

Williams turned in a quality start in the loss, allowing three runs over six innings with five strikeouts and no walks.

Louisville got to him early, opening the scoring with a solo home run in the first. The Bats added two more in the third, when a leadoff single was followed by an RBI double and an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Omaha answered in the fourth. John Rave drew a leadoff walk, and Squires followed with a line-drive home run to right field, his 12th of the season, to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Unfortunately, after Squires' home run, Matthew Lugo struck out, and Gavin Cross and Peyton Wilson grounded out to end the inning. The Storm Chasers never got closer in this one.

Anthony Gose was dominant at times in relief, striking out five over two innings. However, he surrendered a solo home run in the eighth, extending Louisville's lead to 4-2. He also walked two.

The Storm Chasers managed just five hits, including a double by Elih Marrero, and drew two walks while striking out eight times. Omaha left five men on base and went quietly over the final five innings, failing to score after Squires' blast. They went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. 

Omaha is now 39-52 this season. 

Steven Zobac's Five Scoreless Innings Lead Naturals Past Wichita 4-3

Zobac fired five scoreless innings, and Northwest Arkansas held on for a 4-3 win over the Wichita Wind Surge.

Zobac, the Royals' No. 16 prospect, allowed just three hits, walked two, and struck out four to earn the win.

The Naturals broke through in the sixth, when Carson Roccaforte reached on an error, stole second base, his 17th of the season, and scored on a line-drive single by Sam Kulasingam.

Northwest Arkansas added two more in the seventh. Colton Becker was hit by a pitch, moved up on a stolen base, and scored on an RBI single by Omar Hernandez. Hernandez then stole second and came home on an error when Connor Scott lined out to center, making it 3-0.

Reliever Grant Gambrell ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh, allowing an RBI double and a run-scoring single that cut the lead to 3-2, though Roccaforte threw out the runner trying to stretch the hit into a double. Gambrell, who recently came over from the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association, allowed three runs over 2 2/3 innings and earned a hold.

The Naturals got an insurance run in the eighth when Jack Pineda doubled, and after a walk to Kulasingam, Spencer Nivens singled him home. Wichita answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, making it 4-3.

Cawyer slammed the door on Wichita, retiring all four batters he faced with a strikeout to record his third save. Northwest Arkansas won despite managing just five hits and striking out 10 times. They stranded five runners and went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position. 

After their fourth-straight win, the Naturals improved to 36-48. 

Ramirez Drives In Four But River Bandits Fall 9-8 On Ninth-Inning Homer

No. 6 prospect Ramirez doubled twice and drove in four runs, but the Quad Cities River Bandits let a six-run lead slip away in a 9-8 loss to the Peoria Chiefs.

Quad Cities pounced early. In the first, No. 9 prospect Asbel Gonzalez walked, Nolan Sailors singled, and Ramirez laced a two-run double, his 22nd. Derlin Figueroa followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0.

The River Bandits kept it going in the second, when Angel Acosta and Gonzalez singled ahead of another two-run double by Ramirez, and Luke Pelzer singled him home for a 6-0 lead.

Emmanuel Reyes gave Quad Cities five innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The game turned in the sixth, when Nick Conte failed to record an out and was charged with four runs as Peoria tied it 6-6. Max Martin struck out five over 2 2/3 innings and was not charged with a run, but was tagged with a blown save when inherited runners scored.

The River Bandits answered. Gonzalez lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 7-6, and Erick Torres singled home Jose Cerice in the eighth for an 8-6 lead. But in the ninth, L.P. Langevin allowed a single to make it a walk, and a three-run home run put Peoria ahead 9-8. Langevin, who's been one of the most dependable relievers in Quad Cities, took the loss and the blown save.

Torres finished 2-for-4, and Gonzalez reached with a hit and two walks while scoring twice. The River Bandits stranded five runners and went 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Quad Cities is now 40-42 after two straight losses. 

Ramirez's Walk-Off Single Caps Four-Run Tenth As Fireflies Win 9-8

Ramirez capped a four-run bottom of the tenth with a walk-off single as the Columbia Fireflies rallied past the Salem RidgeYaks 9-8.

Darwin Rodriguez delivered a quality start, allowing one run on five hits over 6 2/3 innings with no walks and five strikeouts. The only blemish was a solo home run in the seventh.

Columbia broke through in the fifth. Angel Ramirez drove in Connor Rasmussen on a fielder's choice, and Henry Ramos followed with an inside-the-park two-run home run, his fifth, for a 3-0 lead.

In the seventh, Ramirez doubled home Jhosmmel Zue on an error, giving the Angels a run and making it 5-1.

Salem tied it with four runs in the eighth off Yeri Perez and Andy Basora, then plated three in the tenth against Dash Albus, aided by a fielding error, to take an 8-5 lead. All three runs were unearned, and Albus struck out three in the inning.

The Fireflies stormed back in the bottom of the tenth.

With Sean Gamble as the zombie runner, Stone Russell and Yandel Ricardo walked, and Rasmussen ripped a two-run single to make it 8-7. Zue walked to load the bases, Ricardo scored the tying run on a wild pitch, and Ramirez grounded an infield single through the left side to score Rasmussen and end it.

Ramirez finished 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, and Zue went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. Albus earned the win.

The Fireflies stranded eight runners and went 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position. The win brought Columbia back to .500, as they now are 43-43 this season. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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