Triple-A Omaha won in OKC, 4-0, beating LA Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in a rehab assignment.
Blue Rocks reliever Jake Kalish on June 12, 2016 (Jen Nevius).
The Storm Chasers took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning against Kershaw on a Jorge Soler home run (his 20th with Omaha). The other hit off Kershaw was a one out Paulo Orlando single in the fourth, but he was picked off. Terrance Gore picked up two hits off the OKC bullpen.
Starter Jake Kalish won his first Triple-A game, going seven scoreless innings. He allowed five hits and walked two while striking out a career-high tying eight. Seth Maness finished off OKC with two perfect innings.
*In roster news, pitcher Onelki Garcia, who was scheduled to start one of the game’s of Sunday’s doubleheader, was called up to the big leagues to take the place of KC Royals starter Danny Duffy, who was placed on the DL.
Double-A NW Arkansas lost their series opener to Arkansas, 13-3. The Travelers scored six runs in the top of the ninth. It got so bad that backup catcher Allan de San Miguel came on with a runner on base in the ninth (2/3IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 0K).
The Naturals relievers had problems with stranding inherited runners. Starter Foster Griffin took the loss, as he allowed six runs on seven hits and four walks over 3.2 innings. He left with the bases loaded in favor of lefty Tim Hill, who allowed two of those runs to score.
Hill was pulled in the seventh with a runner on base in favor of Yunior Marte, who stranded that runner. When Marte was pulled in the ninth with two runners on base in favor of Jason Adam, both scored (2IP, 2H, 3R, 4BB, 2K). Adam allowed four runs on one hit and three walks while recording just one out.
Catcher Nick Dini went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Infielder Carlos Diaz went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in his first game off the DL (fellow infielder Jack Lopez went on the paternity list).
*Ashton Goudeau made his second rehab appearance Saturday night for the AZL Royals. In the start, he pitched two scoreless innings. Goudeau walked one and struck out three.
High-A Wilmington lost in Salem, 3-0. The Blue Rocks are once again 4.5 games back of the Red Sox for the Wild Card spot.
The Blue Rocks collected just four hits (all singles) and two walks. Their first base runner came to lead off the fifth (a Chris DeVito single), but he was erased on an inning ending double play. They had two base runners in the eighth with one out to chase Red Sox starter Daniel Gonzalez, but could not cash in.
Starter Colin Rodgers took the loss, as he allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out six. Jacob Bodner allowed a hit over two scoreless innings before Luis Rico walked one in his one inning of work, but got an inning ending double play.
Low-A Lexington lost in Asheville, 8-5. The Legends scored in the last two innings.
Travis Eckert took the loss, as he allowed eight runs on nine hits and a walk over just 3.1 innings. He left with two runners on base in favor of Michael Silva, who allowed both to score. However, Silva pitched 2.2 scoreless innings (H, 2BB, 3K). Tyler Fallwell allowed just one hit over hit two scoreless innings of relief (two strikeouts).
The Legends collected nine hits, but went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Gabriel Cancel went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.
Drinking the Royals Blue Aid 
Nice article. It’s to bad about the Blue Rocks this year. I enjoy going to their games when I visit my friend in PA. She’s about 20 minutes from Wilmington.
As bad as the Blue Rocks have been playing over the last 3 weeks, Salem has allowed everyone back into the playoff race. It’s a tough hill to climb, but they’re just 3.5 games back of a playoff spot (though with only 7 left).
I hope they make it
Me too (fingers crossed)