Royals Minor League Report (8/2): Naturals Erupt For Nineteen Runs, Storm Chasers And River Bandits Fall

Northwest Arkansas hit six home runs and scored 19 runs at Tulsa, with Colton Becker going 5-for-5 with two homers and five RBI. Felix Arronde allowed six runs for the Naturals. Omaha managed two runs against St. Paul, both tied to Brett Squires, who doubled, homered, and scored twice. Quad Cities scored five runs in the first inning on homers by Chris Brito and Tyriq Kemp, then the bullpen allowed seven runs. Columbia's scheduled doubleheader in Augusta was postponed.

Kansas City Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals placed RHP Luinder Avila on the 15-day injured list. Right forearm tightness.
• Kansas City Royals activated CF Kyle Isbel from the 10-day injured list.
• Kansas City Royals traded CF Lane Thomas and LHP Bailey Falter to Atlanta Braves for LHP Carter Holton and RHP Lucas Braun.
• Kansas City Royals selected the contract of LHP Aaron Bummer from Omaha Storm Chasers.

Brett Squires Accounts For Both Omaha Runs In Loss To St. Paul

The Omaha Storm Chasers lost the series finale to the St. Paul Saints, 4-2, at home at Werner Park.

Squires had the best day at the plate for Omaha, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, one RBI, and two runs scored. Alejo Lopez went 2-for-2 with a triple and a walk. Matthew Lugo went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, Abraham Toro went 1-for-5 with a double, and Jack Pineda went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

Omaha finished with seven hits and five walks, and the Storm Chasers struck out nine times.

Omaha scored once in the third inning. Squires doubled to right field, and Pineda followed with a single that scored him. The other run came in the eighth, when Squires hit a solo home run, his 16th of the season.

Lugo doubled two batters later, but Omaha did not add to the total. Lopez tripled with two outs in the ninth and was stranded there.

Ben Sears started and worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one run, with no walks and two strikeouts. He took the loss and fell to 6-2. Ethan Bosacker recorded one out and gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. Scott Barlow followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, walking three and striking out two. Dan Altavilla added 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a walk and two strikeouts. Anthony Gose threw two scoreless innings without a hit or a walk, striking out two. Eli Morgan allowed one run on two walks without giving up a hit.

The Storm Chasers stranded eight runners on base and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Omaha fell to 51-56. 

Becker Goes Five-For-Five With Two Homers In Naturals Rout

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals broke out offensively in the series finale on Sunday against Tulsa, winning 19-7. The Naturals collected 20 hits and hit six home runs.

Becker went 5-for-5 with two home runs, a double, five RBI, a walk, and three runs scored. Connor Scott went 3-for-6 with a home run, a double, and three RBI. Justin Johnson went 3-for-5 with a home run and one RBI. Jorge Alfaro went 3-for-5 with two RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Carson Roccaforte went 2-for-6 with a home run and three RBI, and Sam Kulasingam went 1-for-5 with a home run, a walk, and two RBI.

Trailing 6-0, Northwest Arkansas scored eight runs in the third inning. Johnson and Alberto Rodriguez scored on a Kulasingam fielder's choice, Roccaforte singled home Luke Pelzer, Alfaro singled home Kulasingam and Roccaforte, Becker hit a two-run home run, and Rodriguez singled home Scott.

The Naturals scored eight more in the fourth. Roccaforte, the Royals' No. 9 prospect, hit a two-run home run, Scott hit a three-run home run, Johnson hit a solo home run, and Kulasingam hit a two-run home run.

Becker added a three-run home run in the fifth, his second of the game, for the final margin.

Arronde, the Royals' No. 16 prospect, started and gave up six runs on seven hits over four innings, walking three and striking out four. Chase Jessee followed with two innings, allowing one run on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts, and he earned the win to move to 2-2. Caden Monke allowed two hits and a walk over two-thirds of a scoreless inning. Anthony Simonelli threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a walk and a strikeout, and Zachary Cawyer closed it out with a scoreless inning, allowing two hits and striking out one.

The Naturals stranded six runners on base and went 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position. With the win, Northwest Arkansas improved their record to 42-58. 

Five-Run First Inning Not Enough For The River Bandits

The Quad Cities River Bandits lost to Dayton, 9-5, at home, and all five of their runs came in the first inning.

Brito hit a three-run home run, his third of the season, that scored Nolan Sailors and Erick Torres. Jose Cerice was later hit by a pitch, and Kemp followed with a two-run home run, his ninth.

Unfortunately, Quad Cities did not score again.

Brito went 1-for-4 with three RBI. Kemp went 1-for-3 with two RBI, a walk, and a stolen base, his 25th of the season. Blake Mitchell went 1-for-4 with a double. Sailors, Torres, Trevor Werner, and Angel Acosta each had one hit. The River Bandits finished with seven hits and one walk, and they struck out 10 times.

Emmanuel Reyes started and worked six innings, allowing two runs on three hits, with one walk and six strikeouts. It was his fifth quality start of the season. 

Nick Conte gave up four runs on two hits and two walks in one inning, striking out two, and he took the loss to fall to 0-2. Yimi Presinal walked five and allowed three runs on one hit while recording two outs. Aiden Jimenez finished with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

Dayton scored two runs in the seventh inning and five in the eighth. Four of the five runs in the eighth came without a hit, on a wild pitch and three consecutive bases-loaded walks.

The River Bandits stranded four runners and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Quad Cities fell back to .500 with the loss and are now 49-49. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio, DNP
2. David Shields, DNP
3. Josh Hammond, DNP
4. Blake Mitchell, 1-for-4 with a double for Quad Cities
5. Sean Gamble, DNP
6. Ramon Ramirez, DNP
7. Zion Rose, DNP
8. Asbel Gonzalez, DNP
9. Carson Roccaforte, 2-for-6 with a home run and three RBI for Northwest Arkansas
10. Taylor Rabe, DNP
11. Yandel Ricardo, DNP
12. Justin Lamkin, DNP
13. Drew Beam, DNP
14. Michael Lombardi, DNP
15. Jack Slightom, DNP
16. Felix Arronde, four innings, seven hits, six runs, three walks, and four strikeouts for Northwest Arkansas
17. Angeibel Gomez, DNP
18. Ben Kudrna, DNP
19. Steven Zobac, DNP
20. Blake Wolters, DNP

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