Royals Minor League Report: Power, Pitching Highlight Minor League Slate

Blake Wolters fanned nine over 5 2/3 innings as the Columbia Fireflies routed Kannapolis 7-2, with Yandel Ricardo, JC Vanek, and Ivan Sosa each homering. Carson Roccaforte's two-run shot for Northwest Arkansas could not erase Frank Mozzicato's rough four-inning outing, as the Naturals fell 10-3 at Frisco. Aiden Jimenez allowed one unearned run across five innings of relief, but Quad Cities lost 3-2 in 10 to Cedar Rapids on a tiebreaking single. Omaha's game was postponed.

Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals activated RHP Stephen Kolek from the 15-day injured list.
• Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Mason Black to Omaha Storm Chasers.

Storm Chasers Game Postponed In Omaha

The Omaha Storm Chasers' scheduled game was postponed.

Late Homers Not Enough As Naturals Fall At Frisco

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals dropped a 10-3 decision at Frisco, undone by a rough middle of the game. Frank Mozzicato worked four innings, allowing four runs on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Two of those hits left the yard. Mozzicato departed after four, and the RoughRiders broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, plating six runs against the Naturals' bullpen, including three more home runs, to push the lead to 10-0.

The Naturals finally got on the board in the seventh when cleanup hitter Brett Squires led off with his sixth home run of the season. Squires finished 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Northwest Arkansas added two more in the eighth. Justin Johnson drew a leadoff walk, and Carson Roccaforte followed with a two-run blast to center, his seventh of the year. Roccaforte's homer accounted for both of his RBIs on the day.

Daniel Vazquez singled and walked, while Justin Johnson reached three times on a hit and two walks. The Naturals stranded seven runners. Augusto Mendieta worked the rest of the fifth and sixth, allowing one unearned run, and Christian Chamberlain and Andrew Morones followed with a hitless frame apiece. The Naturals managed six hits, struck out 11 times, and were charged with one error.

River Bandits Drop Extra-Inning Heartbreaker To Kernels

The Quad Cities River Bandits fell 3-2 in 10 innings to Cedar Rapids, unable to push across the tying run after the Kernels broke through in the top of the 10th. Aiden Jimenez took over in the sixth and worked five innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run with no walks and a strikeout. Cedar Rapids pushed across the go-ahead run in the 10th when zombie runner Marek Houston was moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single to center.

Starter Mason Miller logged four innings, giving up five hits and one earned run while walking three and striking out three. Dash Albus surrendered a run in his lone inning of work.

Quad Cities tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Tyriq Kemp singled to open the frame and came around to score on Asbel Gonzalez's RBI single. Ramon Ramirez followed with a single, and Asbel Gonzalez later came around to score the tying run before the rally ended.

Asbel Gonzalez finished 2-for-4 with the RBI single, a run scored, and two stolen bases. Ramon Ramirez went 2-for-5 with a stolen base. Derlin Figueroa added two doubles in a 2-for-4 effort. Tyriq Kemp went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and scored the run. Blake Mitchell was intentionally walked in the 10th. The River Bandits collected 10 hits, drew three walks, and stranded 10 runners.

Wolters Strikes Out Nine As Fireflies Down Cannon Ballers

Blake Wolters dominated for the Columbia Fireflies in a 7-2 win at Kannapolis, working 5 2/3 innings while allowing two hits and one earned run with two walks and nine strikeouts. The lone blemish was a solo home run in the sixth. Randy Ramnarace, Jhon Reyes, and Yeri Perez followed out of the bullpen, with Ramnarace and Reyes combining to keep the Cannon Ballers off the board across 2 1/3 innings before Perez allowed a run in the ninth.

Columbia took control with three solo home runs in three consecutive innings. Ivan Sosa, his fourth of the year, opened the scoring in the third. JC Vanek added his third in the fourth, and Yandel Ricardo turned on his first of the season in the fifth, putting the Fireflies up 4-0.

The Fireflies blew the game open in the ninth. Stone Russell singled, JC Vanek walked, and Daniel Lopez bunted for a single that Stone Russell scored on after a throwing error from the first baseman. Ivan Sosa drove in JC Vanek with a fielder's choice, and leadoff hitter Henry Ramos plated Daniel Lopez with a groundout to push the margin to six.

Yandel Ricardo finished 2-for-5 with the home run, a triple, an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. JC Vanek reached three times on a hit and two walks. Ivan Sosa drove in two. The Fireflies recorded six hits, three home runs, and stranded seven runners.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Carter Jensen: DNP
2. Blake Mitchell: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3. David Shields: DNP
4. Kendry Chourio: DNP
5. Ben Kudrna: DNP
6. Sean Gamble: 0-for-5, 2 K
7. Josh Hammond: 0-for-4, BB, SB
8. Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-5, SB, K
9. Drew Beam: DNP
10. Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-4, RBI, R, K, 2 SB
11. Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-5, 3B, HR, RBI, 2 R, SB, K
12. Felix Arronde: DNP
13. Luinder Avila: DNP
14. Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-3, BB, K
15. Steven Zobac: DNP
16. Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, R, K, SB
17. Blake Wolters: 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 1 HR
18. Michael Lombardi: DNP
19. Warren Calcaño: DNP
20. Frank Mozzicato: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR

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