Royals Minor League Report (8/18): Sailors Slams The Door in Quad Cities As Royals Arms Carry The Farm

The Quad Cities River Bandits took the only win of the night behind Jordan Woods, who allowed one hit over four innings with six strikeouts, and Nolan Sailors, whose grand slam capped a 7-2 victory. Grant Gambrell gave Northwest Arkansas five scoreless innings before a 6-5 loss. Vince Velasquez allowed three home runs in Omaha's 8-7 defeat. Moises Amezquita threw three scoreless innings for Columbia, which lost both ends of a doubleheader at Segra Park.

Kansas City Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Lucas Erceg to Omaha Storm Chasers.
• Kansas City Royals recalled RHP Carlos Duran from Omaha Storm Chasers.

Omaha Rallies In The Ninth But Falls 8-7 To Rochester

The Omaha Storm Chasers collected 14 hits and four doubles at Werner Park, but five Rochester home runs carried the Red Wings to an 8-7 win.

Velasquez started for Omaha and worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and four runs, all earned, with one walk and five strikeouts. Three of the hits he allowed were home runs. Luke Little recorded one out, walked three, and struck out one. Easton McGee allowed two runs on two hits over one inning. Matt Moore was charged with three hits and two runs while recording a single out, and he took the loss. Ben Sears finished with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Omaha broke through with four runs in the third. Abraham Toro doubled home two runs, Jack Pineda doubled in another, and Matthew Lugo added a sacrifice fly.

Carson Roccaforte and Drew Waters delivered run-scoring singles in the fifth to build a 6-3 lead.

Toro finished 3-for-5 with a double, two runs, and two RBI. Brett Squires went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Pineda added two hits, a double, two runs, and an RBI.

Luca Tresh had two hits and a run, and Peyton Wilson doubled. Roccaforte drew two walks to go with his run-scoring single.

Trailing 8-6 in the ninth, Pineda and Squires singled to pull Omaha within a run, and Lugo followed with a single of his own. Roccaforte grounded out to end it, leaving the tying run in scoring position. Omaha struck out 10 times, drew two walks, left seven runners on base, and went 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

The Storm Chasers are now 56-62. 

Justin Johnson's Three-Run Homer Is Not Enough In Naturals' Ninth-Inning Loss

Gambrell gave the Northwest Arkansas Naturals five scoreless innings at Nelson Wolff Stadium, but San Antonio scored four times in the ninth for a 6-5 win.

The Naturals starter allowed four hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Beck Way followed and gave up four hits and two runs while recording two outs. Anthony Simonelli struck out two over 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Augusto Mendieta was charged with four earned runs on three hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings, and he took the loss. Zachary Cawyer allowed two hits without recording an out.

Northwest Arkansas also got some help from some stellar defense, especially in the infield. 

The Naturals built their lead in the second. Colton Becker singled home Daniel Vazquez, and Johnson followed with a three-run home run, his 10th of the season, for a 4-0 advantage.

Spencer Nivens singled in Johnson in the seventh to make it 5-2.

Johnson finished 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Vazquez went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run. Omar Hernandez added two hits and a run. Becker was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Luke Pelzer had a hit and two walks from the leadoff spot. Nivens went 1-for-5 with an RBI, and Jorge Alfaro struck out three times in four at-bats.

San Antonio opened the ninth with a double and a single, and after two strikeouts, a walk and three straight singles produced four runs. A throwing error by right fielder Sam Kulasingam allowed a runner to take second base during the rally. Northwest Arkansas finished with nine hits, four walks, and 10 strikeouts, left seven runners on base, and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The loss drops the Naturals to 47-66 this season. 

Sailors' Grand Slam And 16 Strikeouts Lift Quad Cities Past Dayton

Quad Cities pitching struck out 16 Dayton batters, and Sailors' grand slam broke the game open in a 7-2 win at Day Air Ballpark.

Woods started and allowed one hit over four innings, walking one and striking out six.

Jackson Cleveland struck out four over two innings and gave up two runs on two hits, one of them a home run. Ethan McElvain turned in a scoreless inning and earned the win. Nick Conte and Yimi Presinal each added a scoreless inning, combining for five strikeouts and two walks. The staff allowed three hits in all.

The River Bandits scored first when Asbel Gonzalez came home on a Zion Rose ground out. Derlin Figueroa homered for the 26th time this season, and Stone Russell added a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.

After Dayton pulled within a run, Quad Cities answered with four runs in the seventh, all of them on Sailors' grand slam, his sixth home run of the year.

Sailors finished 2-for-4 with a run and four RBI. Figueroa went 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs, and an RBI. Gonzalez had a hit, a walk, and two runs from the leadoff spot. Rose drove in a run and walked, and Tyriq Kemp and Russell each singled.

Quad Cities managed only six hits, but the club drew four walks and took advantage of three Dayton errors. Blake Mitchell struck out five times in five at-bats. The River Bandits struck out 16 times themselves, left seven runners on base, and went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

With the win, they improved to 59-51 this season. 

Columbia's Three-Run Second Slips Away In Extra-Inning Opener

The Columbia Fireflies led early in the doubleheader opener at Segra Park, but Augusta scored twice in the eighth for a 5-3 win.

Shane Van Dam started and allowed seven hits and two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out five. Andy Basora struck out four over 1 1/3 innings and was charged with an unearned run. Dalton Hill allowed one hit over 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Jhon Reyes worked one inning, walked two, and allowed two runs, one of them earned, taking the loss.

Columbia answered a first-inning run with three of its own in the second. Sean Gamble came home on an error, and Ricson Gonzalez singled in Connor Rasmussen and Tyson Moran for a 3-1 lead.

That was the extent of the Columbia offense.

The Fireflies finished with three hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts. Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Gamble was 1-for-4 with a run, and Moran was 1-for-3 with a run. Rasmussen walked and scored. Yandel Ricardo struck out three times in four at-bats, and Josh Hammond was hitless in four at-bats.

Augusta tied the game in the sixth on a wild pitch and pushed across two runs in the eighth, the first of them by the zombie runner on a double-play ground ball. Henry Ramos walked in the eighth, but Columbia did not score. The Fireflies left five runners on base, went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and were charged with one error.

Fireflies Shut Out In Doubleheader Nightcap Despite Amezquita's Three Scoreless

Columbia managed four hits in the doubleheader nightcap and was shut out 3-0 by Augusta at Segra Park.

Michael Braswell III started and allowed four hits and three earned runs over three innings, walking one and striking out three, and he took the loss. Moises Amezquita followed with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks with three strikeouts.

Augusta scored once in the first on a sacrifice fly, then added two more in the third on a triple and another sacrifice fly. Sean Gamble made the catch in center field on both of those fly balls.

The Fireflies never advanced a runner past second base. Ricardo led the offense with two hits in three at-bats, singling in the first and again in the fourth. Gamble singled behind him in the fourth, and Camden Johnson doubled in the seventh. Henry Ramos drew the only walk.

Columbia struck out 12 times in a game shortened to seven innings, and the lineup was retired in order in three of the seven innings it batted. Ricardo had struck out three times in the opener, and Gamble finished the doubleheader with two hits in seven at-bats.

Augusta did not need to bat in the seventh. Columbia left four runners on base and closed the day with seven hits across the two games. The Fireflies' record fell to 56-58 after being swept on Tuesday. 

Top 20 Prospect Performance

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

How many games will the Kansas City Royals win in 2026?

How many games will the Kansas City Royals win in 2026?

• How many games will the Kansas City Royals win in 2026? Required
  • 86+
  • 81-85
  • 76-80
  • < 75
• Save

See All Royals Polls >

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!