Royals Minor League Report (7/8): Beam And Chourio Deal, With Naturals Winning and River Bandits Routing Peoria

Drew Beam spun a quality start, striking out seven over seven innings as the Northwest Arkansas Naturals edged Wichita. Kendry Chourio tossed three scoreless frames for the Quad Cities River Bandits, who rode Angel Acosta, Ramon Ramirez, and Blake Mitchell to a rout of Peoria. Gavin Cross doubled and tripled in Omaha's comeback bid before a walk-off loss, and Stone Russell homered in the Columbia Fireflies' defeat against Salem.

Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals sent 1B Vinnie Pasquantino on a rehab assignment to Omaha Storm Chasers.The 
• Kansas City Royals signed free-agent RHP Justin Topa to a minor-league contract.

Omaha Rallies To Tie But Falls On Late Grand Slam

The Omaha Storm Chasers erased a four-run deficit to draw even in Louisville, but a ninth-inning grand slam sent them to a 12-8 loss to the Bats.

Omaha's offense came in bursts, starting with a five-run second inning. Luca Tresh doubled home a run, leadoff man Cross followed with a two-run ground-rule double, and John Rave added a run-scoring groundout to make it 5-2.

After the Bats pulled ahead, Omaha chipped back to make it a game again in Louisville. 

Peyton Wilson and Brandon Drury delivered run-scoring singles in the seventh, and Matthew Lugo reached on an error in the eighth, scoring Andrew Velazquez to tie the game at 8-8. Cross led the effort, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and two RBIs. Drury reached base three times, walking twice and driving in a run, while Drew Waters scored twice.

Starter Mason Black, who's moved back to a starting role since being optioned back to Omaha, struggled through four innings, allowing seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits, including five home runs, with one walk and three strikeouts. The bullpen kept Omaha within reach until the ninth, when Ben Sears retired nobody and surrendered a walk-off grand slam, charged with four runs in the loss.

Omaha left nine runners on base and went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They are now 38-50 this season.

Naturals Break Through Late To Beat Wichita

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals scored three runs in the eighth inning to pull away for a 7-5 win over the Wichita Wind Surge.

Northwest Arkansas built its lead steadily throughout the contest.

Sam Kulasingam drove in a run with a groundout in the third, Omar Hernandez singled home a run in the fourth, and Jack Pineda homered in the fifth.

Clinging to a 4-3 lead in the eighth, the Naturals broke through. Leadoff man Carson Roccaforte singled in a run, and Kulasingam and Spencer Nivens each drew bases-loaded walks to push the margin to 7-3.

Hernandez paced the offense with a 4-for-5 night and an RBI. Pineda added three hits, two doubles, and a home run, while Colton Becker also collected three hits. Kulasingam finished with a triple and two RBIs, and Nivens drove in two more. Roccaforte reached base twice and scored twice out of the leadoff spot.

Beam, the Royals' No. 7 prospect at Royals Keep, turned in a quality start, working seven innings and allowing three runs on five hits, with one walk, seven strikeouts, and two home runs allowed. The Naturals stranded 11 runners, but went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position. They also did enough to hold on after Wichita pushed across two in the ninth.

Northwest Arkansas is now 33-48 this season.

River Bandits Pull Away Late In Rout Of Peoria

The Quad Cities River Bandits scored in four separate innings and broke the game open late for a 10-4 win over the Peoria Chiefs.

Quad Cities jumped ahead with three runs in the second, as Erick Torres singled home a run and Acosta followed with a two-run single. Peoria answered to take the lead, but the River Bandits regained control. Mitchell, the Royals' No. 4 prospect at Royals Keep, homered in the fifth, and Asbel Gonzalez, the No. 9 prospect, and Ramirez, the No. 6 prospect, drove in key runs in the seventh.

The biggest blow came in the eighth, when Jose Cerice homered, Acosta singled in a run, and Ramirez capped the frame with a two-run double for a 10-4 lead.

Acosta led the way, going 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs. Ramirez added two doubles and three RBIs, Derlin Figueroa collected three hits, and leadoff man Gonzalez reached base three times and scored twice.

Chourio, the Royals' top prospect at Royals Keep, set the tone on the mound, throwing three scoreless innings with two hits allowed and four strikeouts. The bullpen wobbled in the middle innings but slammed the door late, as the final three relievers combined for four scoreless innings to win their sixth straight game.

Quad Cities left six on base and went an impressive 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The River Bandits are now just one game under .500 at 39-40. 

Fireflies Fall After Early Deficit To Salem

The Columbia Fireflies could not recover from a four-run first inning and dropped a 5-2 decision to the Salem RidgeYaks.

Salem plated four runs in the first and added another in the fourth, leaving Columbia to climb out of a five-run hole for most of the night. The Fireflies finally got on the board in the fourth when Russell homered to right field, and they added another in the fifth when Yandel Ricardo doubled home Sean Gamble.

That was as close as Columbia would come, as the offense managed just six hits and struck out 12 times in a three-run loss.

Ricardo, the Royals' No. 10 prospect, led the group with two hits, a double, and an RBI, and Russell's home run accounted for Columbia's other run.

Starter Shane Van Dam allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits over five innings, with four strikeouts and no walks. The bullpen was sharp behind him, as Dash Albus and Andy Basora combined for four scoreless innings, but Columbia's offense could not close the gap.

The Fireflies left seven runners on base and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. The loss drops Columbia back under .500 at 41-42. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K
2. David Shields: DNP
3. Josh Hammond: 0-for-3, BB, 1 K
4. Blake Mitchell: 2-for-5, HR, 1 K
5. Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, 3 K
6. Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2 2B
7. Drew Beam: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 2 HR
8. Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K
9. Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-4, BB, 1 K
10. Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-4, 2B, 1 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: 2-for-5
19. Kamden Edge: DNP
20. Warren Calcano: DNP

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