Royals Minor League Report (9/4): Late Rallies Lift Omaha And Quad Cities

Jacob Berry's sacrifice fly in the tenth pushed Omaha past St. Paul 3-2, backed by hitless relief from Carlos Duran and Ethan Bosacker. Quad Cities scored three in the ninth to win 6-4 on Nolan Sailors' two-run single, with Kendry Chourio allowing one run to start. Spencer Nivens had three hits in Northwest Arkansas' 13-5 loss, where Dennis Colleran Jr. threw two scoreless innings. Camden Johnson had two hits and drove in a run for Columbia.

Kansas City Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals sent LF Drew Waters outright to Omaha Storm Chasers.

Jacob Berry Walks Off St. Paul In The Tenth For Omaha

The Omaha Storm Chasers beat the St. Paul Saints 3-2 in ten innings, scoring the winning run without a hit in the final frame.

Omaha finished with eight hits, six walks, and eleven runners left on base. Peyton Wilson went 1-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and two strikeouts. Jacob Berry went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Abraham Toro drew three walks and scored a run, while Alejo Lopez went 1-for-4 and scored.

Omaha broke through in the seventh. Jorge Alfaro was hit by a pitch, Brandon Drury singled to left, and Colton Becker came on to run. Lopez bunted into a force play that retired Alfaro at third, and Gavin Cross struck out. Wilson then doubled to center to score Becker and Lopez for a 2-1 lead.

St. Paul tied it in the eighth after a fielding error by Berry put a runner in scoring position.

In the tenth, Abraham Toro started as the zombie runner at second. Carson Roccaforte was intentionally walked, Luca Tresh moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, and Berry lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring Toro home.

John Means started and worked three innings, giving up one run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He was helped by some stellar defense, including this play from Cross, which saved a run. 

Hunter Patteson followed with 4 1/3 innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Scott Alexander gave up a hit over 2/3 of an inning without allowing a run. Carlos Duran struck out one in a hitless inning, and Ethan Bosacker did the same to earn the win.

The Storm Chasers were able to win despite stranding 11 runners and going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Omaha is now 61-72 this season. 

Nivens Collects Three Hits In Northwest Arkansas Loss

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals lost 13-5 to the Arkansas Travelers, falling behind early and never closing the gap.

Northwest Arkansas had eight hits, two walks, and six runners left on base. Spencer Nivens went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Connor Scott went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Justin Johnson went 1-for-4 with a home run, his twelfth, and an RBI. Hyungchan Um added a hit, and Daniel Vazquez had one as well.

The fifth inning brought the only sustained pressure from Northwest Arkansas.

Alberto Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, Angel Acosta walked, and Javier Vaz struck out. Sam Kulasingam walked to load the bases. A balk brought Rodriguez home and moved Acosta to third and Kulasingam to second, and Nivens singled to center to score both. That cut the deficit to 7-3. Northwest Arkansas added a run in the sixth when Scott doubled, Um singled him to third, and Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Grant Gambrell started and lasted 1 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Brandon Johnson went 2 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Tommy Molsky recorded two outs and was charged with six runs, five earned, on four hits with two walks and one strikeout. Anthony Simonelli allowed two runs over 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Colleran Jr. closed with two scoreless innings, giving up four hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

The Naturals went 2-for-5 and left six runners on base. Northwest Arkansas fell to 54-74. 

Sailors Drives In Two In The Ninth As Quad Cities Wins

The Quad Cities River Bandits scored three times in the ninth inning to beat the Peoria Chiefs 6-4 and clinch a spot in the Midwest League postseason.

Quad Cities collected six hits and two walks and left five runners on base. Zion Rose went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Blake Mitchell went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and an RBI. Nolan Sailors had one hit in five at-bats with two RBI and four strikeouts. Austin Charles went 1-for-4 and scored, and Ben North scored twice while drawing a walk.

The eighth put Quad Cities in front. North reached on a fielding error, stole second, and moved to third on a throwing error. Zion Rose then singled to left to bring him home for a 3-2 lead.

Unfortunately, Peoria answered with two home runs in the bottom half to lead 4-3.

The ninth settled it for the River Bandits.

Jose Cerice was hit by a pitch, and Charles singled to right. Tyriq Kemp moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, and Erick Torres lined out. Ben North walked to load the bases, and Nolan Sailors singled to left to score Cerice and Charles.

North then came home on a Rose ground ball for the final margin.

No. 1 prospect Chourio started and threw three innings, allowing one run on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Rob Hensey gave up one run on one hit over two innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Dash Albus worked 1 2/3 innings without allowing a run, giving up one hit with two strikeouts. Kamden Edge allowed two runs on two hits over 1 1/3 innings with a walk and a strikeout, and earned the win. L.P. Langevin struck out one in a hitless inning for the save.

The River Bandits went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded five runners on base. Quad Cities is now 69-56. 

Columbia Takes An Early Lead But Falls At Myrtle Beach

The Columbia Fireflies scored twice in the first inning and did not score again, losing 7-2 to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Columbia managed four hits and five walks and left nine runners on base. Johnson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Henry Ramos went 1-for-4 with a walk and scored a run. Ricson Gonzalez had a hit and a walk, and Tyson Moran and Jhonayker Ugarte each drew a walk. Leadoff hitter Henry Ramos aside, the top of the order produced little, and Josh Hammond went 0-for-5 with a strikeout.

Columbia got everything in the first inning.

Henry Ramos walked, and Josh Hammond struck out. Camden Johnson lined a single to center to bring Ramos home.

Roni Cabrera struck out, and Daniel Lopez reached on a throwing error that allowed Johnson to score for a 2-0 lead.

Myrtle Beach chipped away with single runs in the second and fifth, then broke the game open with five in the seventh. That inning began with a single and a walk around a groundout, an RBI single, and another walk to load the bases. A two-run single followed, extended by a throwing error by Ramos, and a fielder's choice with a throwing error by Moran brought in two more.

Despite those issues, the Fireflies did receive some stellar defense from Johnson at shortstop in this game. 

Coleman Picard started and gave up two runs, one earned, over 5 1/3 innings on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Dalton Hill was charged with five runs, four earned, on three hits in one inning with two walks and one strikeout. Yeri Perez recorded two outs with two strikeouts and two walks, allowing no hits. Brandon Herbold finished with a hitless inning and two strikeouts.

The Fireflies struggled with ducks on the pond, going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine runners on base. Columbia is now 64-65 this season. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
2. David Shields: DNP
3. Josh Hammond: 0-for-5, 1 K
4. Blake Mitchell: 1-for-3, HR, 1 BB, 1 K
5. Sean Gamble: DNP
6. Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-4, 1 K
7. Zion Rose: 2-for-5
8. Asbel Gonzalez: DNP
9. Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-4, 1 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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