Diamonds in the Rough 7.13

Royals got solid starting pitching to go 5-2 on the day.  HR Roll Call Paulo Orlando (3) 

Pine Tar Press Pitcher of the Day Angel Baez 6 IP 2 H 1 R 0 ER 2 BB 10 K

Paulo Orlando via Gage Matthews

Pine Tar Press Hitter of the Day Paulo Orlando 2-3 2b, HR, RBI, 2BB

Pine Tar Press Rookie League Player of the Day Sam Selman 5.1 IP 5 H 2 R 1 ER 1 BB 7 K

Omaha Storm Chasers 4 Iowa Cubs 3

Will Smith seems to be getting the hang of AAA winning his third straight decision.  Since getting a start off in June Smith has given the Chasers four consecutive quality starts while improving his K numbers over that time improving his K rate from 6.5/9 prior to June 16th to 9.4/9 over his last four starts.  The lefty put away 6 in his 7 innings on this night allowing 7 hits and just 1 run and leaving with a one run lead.  The Chasers added to that lead with a two run double in the bottom of the 7th by Clint Robinson and eventually hung on to a one run victory as Vin Mazzaro left the tying runner just 90 feet away.  The win snapped Omaha’s four game losing streak and pushed their divisional lead back to 16.5 games.

W: Smith (4-4, 3.61) L: Raley (4-5, 3.57)
S: Mazzaro (1)

Springfield Cardinals 2 NW Arkansas Naturals 1

An 0 for 11 night with runners in scoring position and a missed opportunity to hang onto a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 9th lead to a loss Friday night.  Neither team had much offense going in the 13 innings played as each teams starter lasted 7 innings without giving up a run but a Paulo Orlando home run in the top of the 9th set up NW Arkansas for the win.  With a 1-0 lead and Ryan Dennick just an out away in the bottom of the 9th former Royal farmhand Jamie Romak tied the game up with his 4th home run for the Cardinals.  The Naturals wouldn’t get much working in extras and a leadoff double by Springfield’s Xavier Scruggs put them in good position to walkoff with the win.  The Naturals manager chose to walk the bases loaded once Scuggs reached third with one down but that move would end up blowing up in his face as Ethan Hollingsworth would walk in the winning run.

W: Thomas (3-0, 4.82) L: Hollingsworth (0-6, 5.00)

Wilmington Blue Rocks 3 Potomac Nationals 1

It took a couple weeks short of three months for Jason Adam to win his 2nd game but the local boy snapped his run of bad luck on Friday the 13th.  Coming off the best start of his career Adam nearly matched that effort, working 7 innings while allowing just a solo home run and five other hits to put himself in a position for the win.  Like always the Rocks offense didn’t give Adam much to work with scoring just 2 runs while he was on the hill but they tacked on another in the 8th as insurance and Sam Runion finished off the final 2 innings to get the win.  Shortstop Orlando Calixte went 2 for 3, scoring a run and driving in another.

Jason Adam Postgame Audio

Vance Wilson Postgame Audio

W: Adam (2-9, 3.76) L: Grace (4-9, 5.91)
S: Runion (5)

Kane County Cougars 2 South Bend Silver Hawks 1

The Cougars didn’t give their pitching staff much run support to work with in the rubber game of the series but it was just enough thanks to some outstanding pitching.  Starter Angel Baez continued to show he is a bit too much for the Midwest league tossing his third consecutive quality start while becoming the first Cougar to strikeout 10 in a game this season.  The right-hander put away the first five hitters he faced via K and gave up just 2 hits on the night one of which was a run scoring double in the 4th to give South Bend a 1-0 lead.  The Cougars offense quickly struck back in the bottom of the 4th getting a walk and a stolen base from Justin Trapp followed by an RBI single by Jack Lopez to tie it up.  The next two hitters would be retired but a ball in the dirt on a strikeout and a ground ball out from Jorge Bonifacio allowed Lopez to move to 3rd where he would score from on Michael Antonio’s run scoring single, giving Kane a 2-1 lead.  That would be the final run of the game for either team as Baez, Rudy Brown and Malcom Culver  would combine to work the final five innings scoreless with Culver working out of a bases loaded   one out jam in the bottom of the ninth with a double play to end the game.

W: Baez (5-2, 2.08) L: Green (2-5, 3.73)
S: Culver (4)

Idaho Falls Chukars 4 Helena Brewers 3

Starter Sam Selman continued the run of good starts for Royals affiliates giving the Chukars 5.1 innings of solid work.  The lefty put away 7 via strikeout, earned 5 groundouts to just one flyout and allowed just 1 earned run (2 R) on 5 hits before turning things over to the bullpen.  With the game tied at 3 in the 7th Idaho Falls would score with a single, a wild pitch, a strikeout that forced the catcher to throw down to first and a passed ball.  The pen would finish things off earning Fernando Cruz his first save of the season with his 1.2 scoreless innings.

W: Middendorf (2-0, 4.30) L: Viramontes (1-2, 5.00)
S: Cruz (1)

Kyle Zimmer made his first professional start tossing 2 innings for the AZL club.

W: McVey (1-0, 0.00) L: Brazoban (1-2, 5.40)
S: Encinosa (2)

DSL Royals 5 DSL A’s 2

W: Almonte (4-1, 1.63) L: Vargas (0-2, 6.00)
S: Rosario (3)