Royals Minor League Report (8/23): Gambrell And Shields Carry The Farm On A Split Night

Grant Gambrell struck out nine over five innings and allowed one hit as Northwest Arkansas won 7-2, with Jorge Alfaro homering and Spencer Nivens driving in three. David Shields fanned six over five innings in Quad Cities' 12-3 win, where Ben North, Austin Charles, and Tyriq Kemp all homered. Darwin Rodriguez struck out five, and Jesus Oliveira threw two hitless innings in Columbia's 3-1 loss, and Abraham Toro collected three hits in Omaha's 9-0 defeat.

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Toro's Three Hits Wasted As Omaha Is Shut Out

Omaha managed just four hits and never scored in a 9-0 loss to Rochester.

Toro accounted for three of those hits, going 3-for-4 with singles in the first, fourth, and sixth innings. Peyton Wilson doubled and walked, Alejo Lopez and Carson Roccaforte each drew a walk, and the Storm Chasers struck out 10 times and left seven runners on base.

Vince Velasquez worked five innings and gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. All three runs came in the third, when Rochester put together back-to-back singles for a run and then added a two-run home run.

Ben Sears followed with a scoreless inning and a walk. Stellar defense up the middle helped limit damage in his appearance.

Luke Little retired two hitters and was charged with three runs on one hit and two walks. The seventh unraveled on a walk, a run-scoring single that advanced on Little's throwing error, another walk, a sacrifice bunt, and a two-run single that pushed the lead to 6-0.

Nolan Hoffman recorded the final out with a strikeout, allowing one hit. Lucas Erceg pitched a scoreless inning with three hits allowed, a walk, and two strikeouts. Easton McGee closed the game and gave up three runs on two hits, walking one and striking out two. In the ninth, McGee issued a walk, allowed a single, and then surrendered a three-run home run to former Royals draft pick Cayden Wallace.

Omaha committed two errors and never advanced a runner past third base. They went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. The Storm Chasers are now 57-66. 

Gambrell Fans Nine And Alfaro Homers In Naturals Win

Northwest Arkansas beat San Antonio 7-2 behind a dominant start and a late burst of offense. Gambrell allowed one hit over five innings, walked nobody, and struck out nine, which was a career high. He did not allow a run.

The Naturals scored first in the opening inning. Colton Becker was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout, and scored on a two-out single by Nivens.

Northwest Arkansas added a run in the fourth on a wild pitch, and another in the fifth when Canyon Brown singled, Luke Pelzer walked, Becker singled to load the bases, and Sam Kulasingam grounded out to first to bring Brown home.

The eighth broke the game open. Daniel Vazquez singled, Omar Hernandez reached on a force out, and Jorge Alfaro drove a two-run home run to left-center for a 5-0 lead.

In the ninth, Pelzer walked, Becker singled, and Nivens delivered a two-run single to right.

Becker finished 3-for-4 with two runs. Alfaro went 2-for-4 with the home run and two runs batted in. Nivens went 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs batted in. Vazquez added two hits, including a double. The Naturals collected 10 hits, drew five walks, struck out 14 times, and left eight runners on base.

Caden Monke, Shane Panzini, and Frank Mozzicato each threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen, combining for one hit allowed and three strikeouts. Tommy Molsky finished the game and gave up two runs on two hits, including a home run, while striking out three.

The Naturals went 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners. With the win, Northwest Arkansas improved to 50-68. 

Three Home Runs And A Big Sixth Push Quad Cities Past Dayton

Quad Cities scored in six different innings and beat Dayton 12-3.

Shields set the tone with five innings of two-run baseball, giving up four hits, walking nobody, and striking out six. Both runs against him came in the third, on a solo home run and, two batters later, a pair of singles followed by a wild pitch.

The River Bandits took the lead for good in the fourth on Austin Charles' solo home run, then added a run in the fifth when Tyriq Kemp reached on a force out and scored on Asbel Gonzalez' double.

The sixth produced four runs. Chris Brito and Jose Cerice walked, Charles popped out, and Erick Torres grounded into a force out that scored Brito when the throw got away. North walked to load the bases, and Hyungchan Um tripled to left to score Torres and North. Um then scored on a wild pitch during Kemp's walk.

North, an undrafted free agent from this year's draft class, homered in the eighth, his fourth of the year and his career. 

The ninth added four more, starting with Kemp's leadoff home run and continuing with Gonzalez' single, a walk to Brito, Cerice's run-scoring single, a single by Charles, and a Torres groundout that plated another run while a wild pitch brought in a third.

North finished 2-for-4 with two runs batted in. Charles went 2-for-5, and Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with a double and a run batted in. Jackson Cleveland threw two scoreless innings on two hits, and Aiden Jimenez followed with two innings, no hits, one unearned run, two walks, and two strikeouts.

The River Bandits went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded five runners. Quad Cities now sits at 63-52 for the season. 

Early Deficit Sticks As Columbia Drops A 3-1 Decision

Columbia collected eight hits but scored once in a 3-1 loss to Augusta.

The Fireflies fell behind in the first inning, when a throwing error by Josh Hammond put a runner on, a walk followed, and a two-out single brought both runners home. Neither run was earned.

Rodriguez worked 4 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, only one earned, on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts. He was helped by some smart defense and "interesting" baserunning by the Green Jackets.

The third run scored in the fifth, when Augusta singled, and after a lineout and a strikeout, added a run-scoring single.

Columbia answered in the sixth to make the game interesting.

JC Vanek singled, Josh Hammond struck out, and Sean Gamble doubled to right to put runners on second and third. Jhosmmel Zue then reached on a fielder's choice that scored Vanek, though Gamble was retired at third. Connor Rasmussen struck out to end the inning.

Zue finished 2-for-4 with a double and the run batted in. Tyson Moran went 2-for-3 with a walk. Gamble had a double, Hammond singled, Vanek singled and walked, and Daniel Lopez singled and walked. The Fireflies left eight runners on base and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

The bullpen kept the game close. Michael Braswell III recorded four outs on one hit with a strikeout. Oliveira threw two scoreless innings with no hits allowed, a walk, and three strikeouts. Moises Amezquita finished with a scoreless inning, allowing a walk and striking out one. Columbia's relievers combined for 4 1/3 innings without a run.

The Fireflies now sit at 59-60 this season. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: DNP
2. David Shields: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
3. Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, 2 K
4. Blake Mitchell: DNP
5. Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, 2B, K
6. Ramon Ramirez: DNP
7. Zion Rose: DNP
8. Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 K
9. Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
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: DNP
17. Angeibel Gomez: DNP
18. Ben Kudrna: DNP
19. Steven Zobac: DNP
20. Blake Wolters: DNP

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