Royals Minor League Report (8/16): Figueroa Walks It Off As River Bandits Sweep Fort Wayne

Derlin Figueroa's walk-off three-run homer finished a doubleheader sweep for Quad Cities, where Emmanuel Reyes struck out seven, and Rob Hensey allowed no hits over four innings. Justin Johnson's grand slam carried Northwest Arkansas past Springfield behind Drew Beam. Darwin Rodriguez turned in a quality start for Columbia, but the Fireflies lost their lead late. Nolan Sailors also homered, and Jorge Alfaro went 2-for-4 with a home run for the Naturals. Omaha was postponed.

Kansas City Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals sent RHP Eli Morgan outright to Omaha Storm Chasers.

Justin Johnson's Grand Slam Lifts Naturals Past Springfield

Northwest Arkansas trailed 3-1 through three innings in Springfield, then took the lead with one swing.

Jorge Alfaro opened the fourth with a single, Sam Kulasingam followed with a single, and Daniel Vazquez loaded the bases with a bunt single. After a strikeout, Justin Johnson hit a grand slam to left-center for a 5-3 lead, his ninth home run of the season.

The Naturals added an insurance run in the fifth when Javi Vaz walked, Carson Roccaforte singled, and Kulasingam lifted a sacrifice fly.

Johnson finished 1-for-3 with four RBI and a walk. Alfaro went 2-for-4 with two runs and a solo home run, his 12th.

Kulasingam was 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Vaz drew two walks. Northwest Arkansas collected seven hits, struck out 12 times, and left four runners on base, but four of those hits came in the fourth.

Drew Beam gave the Naturals five innings, allowing seven hits and four runs, three earned, with no walks and two strikeouts, and he earned the win. Caden Monke followed with a hitless inning and two strikeouts. Tyson Guerrero struck out two in a hitless inning. Tommy Molsky allowed a run on a hit and a walk with a strikeout. Dennis Colleran Jr. worked around a hit and a walk with a strikeout for his fourth save, closing out a 6-5 win.

Northwest Arkansas committed the only error of the game, and one of the four runs charged to Beam was unearned. The Naturals went 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left four runners on base. They are now 47-65. 

Zion Rose Forces In The Winner As River Bandits Edge Fort Wayne

Quad Cities managed four hits against Fort Wayne and still found a way to win, 4-3, because the River Bandits kept taking free passes.

With the game tied 3-3 and two outs, Ben North walked, Hyungchan Um walked, and Sailors walked to load the bases in the seventh. Rose then drew a walk to force in North, and the River Bandits protected the lead the rest of the way.

The early runs came in pieces. Sailors struck out swinging in the first but reached on a wild pitch, and Rose brought him home with a sacrifice fly. Tyriq Kemp singled in the second and scored on North's single.

Quad Cities pushed across another run in the third to lead 3-2 before Fort Wayne tied it in the fifth.

The River Bandits drew eight walks, stole six bases, and left six runners on base. Rose finished 1-for-2 with two RBI and a walk. North was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, and two stolen bases. Kemp went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, Derlin Figueroa was 1-for-3 with a walk, and Um walked twice.

Kendry Chourio started and gave Quad Cities three innings, allowing four hits and two runs with a walk and two strikeouts. Hensey followed with four innings without a hit, walking three and striking out three, and he earned the win. The only run charged to Hensey was unearned after he committed both of the River Bandits' errors. Aiden Jimenez closed with two innings, one hit, no walks, and two strikeouts for his third save.

Figueroa's Walk-Off Homer Completes River Bandits Comeback

After getting suspended on Saturday, Quad Cities did not score in Sunday's continuation until its final six outs, and then the River Bandits scored five. Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, Angel Acosta singled with two outs, and Sailors followed with a two-run home run, his fifth of the season, to tie the game.

The seven-inning game moved to the eighth, where Blake Mitchell opened as the zombie runner at second base. Chris Brito walked, and Figueroa drove a line drive to right-center for a three-run home run, his 25th, ending it 5-2.

Figueroa finished 2-for-3 with a double, the home run, three RBI, and a walk. Sailors was 1-for-4 with two RBI. Acosta went 1-for-1 with two walks and a run. Mitchell was 0-for-3 with a hit by pitch and scored the run that started the winning rally.

Quad Cities totaled four hits, struck out 12 times, and left seven runners on base, and the River Bandits committed both errors in the game.

Reyes started and gave Quad Cities five innings, allowing four hits and two runs with no walks and seven strikeouts. Both runs against him came on a run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly. Dash Albus followed with two hitless innings, no walks, and three strikeouts. Kamden Edge allowed a hit in an inning of work, stranded the automatic runner, and earned the win to move to 5-1.

Fireflies Draw 13 Walks, Then Watch A Lead Disappear At Wilson

Columbia turned four hits into six runs and still lost 9-6 at Wilson.

The Fireflies broke through in the second on four straight walks, the last of them to Tyson Moran, which forced in the first run. Jhonayker Ugarte grounded into a double play that brought home a second run, Daniel Lopez walked, and Henry Ramos singled to bring in two more for a 4-2 lead.

Columbia loaded the bases with three more walks in the third and added a run on a ground ball. Ramos homered in the sixth for a 6-3 lead.

Ramos finished 2-for-4 with the home run, two RBI, and a walk. Lopez was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Sean Gamble went 0-for-3 with two walks, two stolen bases, and two runs. Roni Cabrera walked three times, and Jhosmmel Zue also walked three times.

Columbia drew 13 walks, struck out four times, and left eight runners on base, and the Fireflies did not commit an error.

Rodriguez gave Columbia six innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with two walks and five strikeouts, a quality start. Adrian Belen then allowed three runs on two hits, including a home run, with a walk and a strikeout, and blew the save as Wilson tied it 6-6. Justin LeGuernic recorded one out and allowed three runs on two hits and two walks, taking the loss. Yeri Perez got the last two outs of the inning, walking one.

The loss dropped the Fireflies to .500 at 56-56. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
2. David Shields: DNP
3. Josh Hammond: 0-for-5
4. Blake Mitchell: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
5. Sean Gamble: 0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 SB, K
6. Ramon Ramirez: DNP
7. Zion Rose: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, BB
8. Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-2, BB, HBP, K
9. Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-4, K
10. Taylor Rabe: DNP
11. Yandel Ricardo: DNP
12. Justin Lamkin: DNP
13. Drew Beam: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
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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