Royals Minor League Report (7/29): Fireflies Escape 9-8, But Royals Affiliates Drop Three Of Four

Columbia turned an eight-run second inning, built on home runs from Yandel Ricardo, Sean Gamble, and JC Vanek, into a 9-8 escape at Augusta. Omaha wasted six sparkling innings from Mason Black, tying the game in the seventh before losing 4-3 on a ninth-inning home run. Northwest Arkansas managed only six hits at Tulsa and fell 6-2. Quad Cities left 11 runners on base and struck out 12 times in a 3-0 shutout loss to Dayton.

Kansas City Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals placed 1B Vinnie Pasquantino on the 10-day injured list. Right wrist soreness.
• Kansas City Royals recalled RF John Rave from Omaha Storm Chasers.

Black Dominates, But Chasers Drop 4-3 Decision To St. Paul

Black gave Omaha nearly everything it needed, and the Storm Chasers still could not close it out, falling 4-3 to St. Paul. Black worked six innings, allowed just one hit and one run, walked three, and struck out four.

St. Paul scratched out a run in the first on a sacrifice fly to center field. Omaha answered with two in the fifth. Brandon Drury opened the inning with a walk, Elih Marrero doubled him to third, and Alejo Lopez lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring Drury home. Marrero then scored from third on a wild pitch during Kyle Isbel's bunt single, and Omaha led 2-1.

The seventh turned the game around. Matt Moore allowed three consecutive singles without retiring a batter, the third tying the score, and he was charged with a blown save. Ben Sears entered, recorded a lineout and a strikeout, gave up a two-out double that pushed St. Paul ahead 3-2, then struck out the final batter of the inning.

Omaha came right back in the bottom half. Drury walked again, Lopez walked with two outs, and Isbel singled to right field to bring Drury home, with a throwing error from right field moving Isbel up to second base, and the game was tied 3-3.

Justin Topa could not hold the tie. He surrendered a one-out solo home run in the ninth, retired the next hitter on a lineout, walked a batter, allowed a single, and picked a runner off first base to end the inning. Omaha went down in order in the ninth.

Isbel finished 3-for-4 with an RBI, Marrero went 2-for-4 with a double, and Drury reached twice on walks and scored twice. The Storm Chasers collected six hits and three walks, and struck out seven times.

Omaha went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. They are now 49-54. 

Roccaforte And Johnson Homer, But Naturals Fall 6-2 In Tulsa

Carson Roccaforte, the Royals' No. 9 prospect, wasted no time, leading off the game with his 23rd home run of the season, but Northwest Arkansas never built on that start and lost 6-2 at Tulsa.

Hunter Owen took the loss after 4 2/3 innings in which he gave up nine hits, four runs, and three home runs, though he did not walk a batter and struck out six. Tulsa answered Roccaforte's leadoff shot with a solo home run in the first, added two more on a home run in the second, and pushed the lead to 4-1 with another solo home run in the fifth.

The Naturals had their best early chance in the opening inning.

After Roccaforte's home run, Luke Pelzer singled, but a double play and a strikeout ended the threat. Canyon Brown singled in the third and doubled in the fifth, and Spencer Nivens drew a walk in the seventh, yet Northwest Arkansas never had more than one runner on base after the first.

Tulsa put the game away in the seventh, when Caden Monke walked two batters, gave up a two-run home run, and allowed a single in two-thirds of an inning. Brandon Johnson had been sharp before him, retiring four batters in a row over 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and Zachary Cawyer worked 1 1/3 innings without allowing a run.

Justin Johnson provided the only other offense, hitting a solo home run in the eighth, his third of the year. Brown finished 2-for-3 with a double, and Roccaforte went 2-for-4.

The Naturals totaled six hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. They went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position and left three runners on base. They are now 40-56. 

River Bandits Strand 11 Runners In 3-0 Shutout Loss To Dayton

Quad Cities put 11 runners on base and never got one of them home, dropping a 3-0 decision to Dayton.

Tanner Jones deserved better after his solid outing. The right-hander went 5 2/3 innings, allowed four hits and two runs, walked nobody, and struck out six, with both runs coming on solo home runs in the third and the sixth. He was charged with the loss and fell to 3-6 for the season.

The River Bandits had chances in every stretch of the game and could not convert any of them.

Asbel Gonzalez led off the sixth with a double and Blake Mitchell walked behind him, putting two on with nobody out, but a strikeout, a flyout, and a groundout ended the inning. Gonzalez singled to open the eighth and Mitchell walked again, and again the inning died on two strikeouts and a groundout.

The ninth brought one last opportunity. Trevor Werner singled with one out, and after a strikeout, Nolan Sailors singled to move Werner to third. A strikeout ended the game.

Kamden Edge was excellent in relief, retiring four batters over 1 1/3 innings without allowing a hit while striking out two. Nick Conte worked the final two innings and allowed one run, which came on a two-out single in the eighth.

Gonzalez led the offense at 2-for-5 with a double, and Mitchell reached base twice on walks. Jose Cerice, Tyriq Kemp, Werner, and Sailors each singled. Quad Cities managed six hits and four walks, and struck out 12 times.

The River Bandits stranded 11 runners and went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. They are now 46-48. 

Fireflies Ride Eight-Run Second To Wild 9-8 Win At Augusta

Columbia scored nine runs in the first two innings, then held on for dear life, beating Augusta 9-8.

Henry Ramos started it with a leadoff home run in the first, his sixth of the year.

The second inning was an avalanche of runs for Columbia.

Connor Rasmussen reached on an error, Ricson Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, and Gabriel Silva moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt. Ramos then tripled home two runs, No. 3 prospect Josh Hammond walked, and No. 11 prospect Ricardo hit a three-run home run for a 6-0 lead. No. 5 prospect Gamble followed with a home run, Vanek homered on the next at-bat, and Roni Cabrera doubled. Rasmussen struck out but reached first base on a passed ball that moved Cabrera to third, Gonzalez walked, and Silva singled home Cabrera to cap an eight-run inning and make it 9-0.

Randy Ramnarace started and gave Columbia 2 2/3 innings, allowing one hit while walking two and striking out four, and he was charged with the run Augusta scored on a triple in the third. Adrian Belen worked 1 1/3 innings, allowed two hits, and earned the win.

Augusta got most of it back in the sixth. Jesus Oliveira walked four batters in the inning, one of which forced in a run, and Michael Braswell III balked home another before a groundout, a single, and a single made it a five-run inning and a 9-6 game. Augusta added single runs in the seventh to put the Green Jackets in striking distance.

Thankfully for the Fireflies, Andy Basora recorded a hold in the eighth, and Manuel Colon retired all three hitters he faced in the ninth for his first save. Ramos finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double, and Vanek was 2-for-4. Columbia's staff issued 10 walks.

The Fireflies went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners. With the win, Columbia improved to 51-47 this season. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: DNP
2. David Shields: DNP
3. Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, BB
4. Blake Mitchell: 0-for-2, 2 BB
5. Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 K
6. Ramon Ramirez: DNP
7. Zion Rose: DNP
8. Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 K
9. Carson Roccaforte: 2-for-4, HR, RBI, K
10. Taylor Rabe: DNP
11. Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, K
12. Justin Lamkin: DNP
13. Drew Beam: DNP
14. Michael Lombardi: DNP
15. Jack Slightom: DNP
16. Felix Arronde: DNP
17. Angeibel Gomez: DNP
18. Ben Kudrna: DNP
19. Steven Zobac: DNP
20. Blake Wolters: DNP

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