Diamonds in the Rough 7.7

4-4 Royals record by the affiliates.  HR Roll Call Yem Prades (5) Cheslor Cuthbert (6) Matt Fields (6) Alex Llanos (1) Nic Cuckovich (1) Kenny Diekroeger (5) 

Pine Tar Press Hitter of the Day Lorenzo Cain 2-3 2b, R, RBI, BB

Pine Tar Press Pitcher of the Day Angel Baez 6 IP 4 H 1 ER 1 BB 5 K

Pine Tar Press Rookie League Player of the Day Luis Melgar 6 IP 1 H 0 R 1 BB 5 K

Iowa Cubs 5 Omaha Storm Chasers 4

Will Smith gave Omaha 7 quality innings Saturday but it wasn’t quite enough for the Chasers to avoid back to back losses.  Smith allowed 3 runs during that time giving the bullpen a break but the Chasers 3 for 12 performance with runners in scoring position cost them the game.  Tied 3-3 after 7 Iowa plated a pair of runs off Francisley Bueno in the 8th to take the lead and hung on in the 9th to get Anthony Seratelli to flyout to center to leave the tying runner 180 feet from home.

W: Beliveau (3-5, 4.14) L: Bueno (1-4, 2.93)

Corpus Christi Hooks 7 NW Arkansas Naturals 3

The Naturals bullpen got knocked around while the Naturals offense couldn’t get much working besides a Yem Prades 3 run home run to get swept by the Hooks.  It was the sixth consecutive loss for NW Arkansas who scored more than 2 runs for the first time in July.  Starter Michael Mariot was decent allowing just 2 runs in his 5.2 innings but the same could not be said of Ryan Dennick after giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and a pair of walks in just 2.1 innings.  The biggest failure of the Naturals could have came via the running as the Naturals couldn’t prevent the Hooks from running allowing five stolen bases off two separate catchers.  Former NW Arkansas lefty Kevin Chapman earned the win tossing 1.1 scoreless innings.

W: Chapman (5-3, 2.48) L: Dennick (4-3, 5.14)

Myrtle Beach Pelicans 8 Wilmington Blue Rocks 3

The Rocks bullpen let a 2-2 game get away from Wilmington Saturday evening.  Starter Elisaul Pimentel put together his best start since getting send back down to High A ball limiting the Pelicans to just 2 runs (1 ER) over 6 innings but it wasn’t enough as the offense couldn’t get too much going on their end.  The Rocks got a back to back home runs in the 4th from Cheslor Cuthbert and Matt Fields but would put jut one more run on the board which wouldn’t be enough when Myrtle knocked around Andrew Stueve for 6 runs on 6 hits and a pair of walks in his 2.2 innings.

W: Henry (3-1, 3.46) L: Stueve (0-1, 7.36)
S: Rowen (6)

Kane County Cougars 5 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 1

The Cougars got another good start from Angel Baez helping them get back into a first place tie with Quad Cities.  One of the fastest rising pitching prospects in the system came in with 13.1 scoreless innings and pushed that streak to 17 innings prior to a solo home run to Cameron Garfield.  That home run didn’t slow down Baez however as the right-hander finished off a couple more innings allowing just three other hits and a walk while striking out 5 during his third quality start in a row and fifth overall.  With the solid starting pitching the Cougars five runs via a sac fly in the 1st, a bases loaded walk in the 3rd as well as a run scoring double play to push their lead to 3-0.  A 2 run home run by Alex Llanos pushed the lead to four runs which was plenty for Rudy Brown and Andrew Triggs who worked the final 3 innings perfectly.

W: Baez (4-2, 2.38) L: Miller (7-6, 4.17)

Idaho Falls Chukars 4 Orem Owlz 1

Starter Sam Selman got through 5 innings for the first time since becoming a Royal earning his second win in the process.  The Vanderbilt lefty put away 7 via strikeout and maneuvered his way around 3 hits and 3 walks to allow just a single run.  Rookie ball is probably not a big enough challenge for Selman who continues to earn ground balls at a above average rate (78%), getting six ground outs on the night.  The Chukars got a run in the 4th on Nic Cuckovich’s first home run of the season as well as another in the 5th on a two out single by second baseman Carlos Garcia to score Ethan Chapman after a walk and a stolen base.  The Chukars plated two more in the 7th when Chapman and Garcia repeated the 5th inning followed by an Elier Hernandez triple that plated Garcia.  Those were enough runs for the Chukars to even their record back to 10-10.

W: Selman (2-0, 2.40) L: Santiago (1-2, 6.43)
S: Hall (2)

Burlington Royals 3 Bluefield Blue Jays 2

The Royals got another solid pitching performance this time from Daniel Hernandez to extend their winning streak to four games.  The Royals 23 year old right-hander gave them a quality start allowing just 2 runs over 6 innings help the Royals stay in the game long enough for the offense to get into gear.  It took a few innings for that offense to get going getting a hitter on in five of the first six innings but unable to get much more going.  Scoreless through six innings Kenny Diekroeger put Burlington on the board with his fifth home run in 14 games with the Royals, cutting a 2 run deficit in half.  That deficit would remain until the bottom of the ninth when a fielding error with one out opened the door to a rally for Burlington.  A Fred Ford single with two down pushed Patrick Leonard into scoring position and a Beau Maggi walk pushed the bases loaded.  A wild pitch allowed Leonard to score to tie the game, followed by another walk to load the bases and ultimately a walkoff single by Jose Rodriguez to give Burlington a walkoff win.