Chasers take advantage of OKC errors

Omaha scored the winning run in the seventh on a bunt base
hit by Lough and subsequent throwing error on the play by
pitcher Douglas Arguello that permitted Joaquin Arias to score.
(File photo: Lee Wa

Oklahoma City, OK – Zach Miner, Kelvin Herrera and Jesse Chavez combined to throw 5.1 scoreless innings in relief as Omaha outlasted Oklahoma City, 5-4, Saturday night in the opener of a four-game series at Bricktown Ballpark. The Storm Chasers improved to 58-49 and maintained their five game lead over Memphis in the PCL American North, since the Redbirds lost to Iowa 6-3..

The Chasers jumped on OKC starter Sergio Perez for a pair of runs in the first inning runs on an errant throw by RedHawks’ catcher Robinson Cancel on a stolen base attempt by David Lough that allowed Jarrod Dyson to score from third base and a ground out by Clint Robinson that brought Lough home.

The Royals trade Aviles to Boston for Navarro and Volz

Mike Aviles (File photo: Lee Warren)

The Kansas City Royals traded infielder Mike Aviles to the Boston Red Sox Saturday for infielder Yamaico Navarro and right handed pitcher Kendal Volz. Navarro will join the Royals, while Volz will be assigned to Wilmington.

Aviles, 30, was drafted by the Royals in the seventh round of the 2003 MLB amateur draft. He put up solid numbers in the minor leagues from 2003-2005, hitting 14 home runs and driving in 80 runs for Double-A Wichita in 2005. He played for the Omaha Royals in 2006-07, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 77 runs in 2007, before earning a shot with the big league club in 2008.

After his rookie season in Kansas City, Aviles was thought to be the shortstop of the future. He hit .325 with a .354 OBP and hit 10 home runs with 51 RBIs in 102 games, earning him the 2008 Player of the Year award in Kansas City. He finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. But in 2009, he suffered an elbow injury, leading to Tommy John surgery.

Perez hits a grand slam in 10-1 Chasers win

Robinson Tejeda pitched the final inning
in relief, giving up two hits, but not allowing a run
(File photo: Corey O'Malley)

Omaha, Neb. – Salvador Perez hit two grand slam home runs in his last four games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, winning the Texas League Player of the Week award. Three games into his Triple-A career, he hasn’t missed a beat. Perez hit yet another grand slam, his first home run with Omaha, and later added an RBI single in the Storm Chasers 10-1 victory over Albuquerque in front of 8,791 fans Friday night at Werner Park.

The 21-year-old catcher, noted more for his defense than for his bat, went after the second pitch from reliever Ramon Troncoso in the bottom of the sixth inning, knocking it just over the wall in deep left-center, some 385 feet from home plate. His grand slam gave him a 20 runs batted in over his last seven games, surpassing the season total of 14 he had through the end of June. His 34 RBIs during the month of July is three more than any other player in all of professional baseball.

Perez’s heroics were plenty enough for Omaha starting pitcher Sean O’Sullivan (3-2), who allowed one run on three hits over six innings of work. He walked two and struck out five on the night. Kelvin Herrera, who came up with Perez from Double-A Wednesday, threw a scoreless seventh before Everett Teaford and Robinson Tejeda finished off the Isotopes with one scoreless inning apiece.

Eveland tosses a shutout against the Chasers

Jarrod Dyson was the only hitter to
reach base more than once for Omaha
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Omaha, Neb. – Albuquerque starter Dana Eveland tossed his first career complete-game shutout, leading the visiting Isotopes to a 2-0 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers Thursday night at Werner Park. The Chasers only managed three hits in the ballgame, none of which left the infield.

The 27-year-old left hander threw 115 pitches to record 27 outs, walking one, allowing the three singles and hitting two batters. Jarrod Dyson was the only Storm Chasers hitter to reach base more than once, reaching on a bunt single in the fifth and getting hit by a pitch in the eighth. Eveland (11-5) lowered his ERA to 3.26 on the season and extended his league lead in wins by one. He picked up the shutout in his 167th-career professional start, which includes 54 starts in the majors for Brewers, Diamondbacks, Athletics, Blue Jays and Pirates.

Luis Mendoza took the tough luck loss for the Chasers, allowing two unearned runs in 6.1 innings. He allowed four hits, walked four and struck out six. His record fell to 7-4 on the season, though he lowered his ERA to a league-best 2.37 during the course of the evening. Kevin Pucetas struck out four in 2.2 innings of hitless relief to keep the Storm Chasers close, but Eveland was able to shut down the Omaha bats the rest of the way.

Two-run double by Robinson powers Omaha past Albuquerque

Clint Robinson drove in the winning run with
a double in the eighth inning
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Omaha, Neb. – After trailing most of the night, the Omaha Storm Chasers got a boost from a struggling Clint Robinson who stroked a two-run double to give Omaha a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the bullpen shut down the Albuquerque Isotopes over the final three innings and the Chasers went on to win, 6-4.

Omaha manager Mike Jirschele said it was a big win for the Chasers, who had lost three games in a row. The Chasers now lead the PCL American North by four games since second place Memphis lost in Round Rock 13-4.

“It’s huge,” Jirschele said after the game. “Right now, if you can play .500 the rest of the way out, you’ve got a chance at winning this division, the way it looks. It’d be nice to put a streak together where you win seven, eight in a row, but I think if we continue to go out and do our thing, I think we’ve got enough fire power to have a chance at winning this division.”

Mitchell's home run lifts Albuquerque over the Chasers

Omaha, Neb. – The last time the Albuquerque Isotopes ventured into Werner Park, third baseman Russ Mitchell hit a two-run home run to beat the Storm Chasers, 2-0, on July 3rd. Twenty-three days later, Mitchell delivered a repeat performance, blasting a two-run, go-ahead home run in the Isotopes’ 6-4 victory Tuesday night.

The ninth-inning long ball spoiled what was shaping up to be a fine performance by the Omaha bullpen, which was called upon in the fifth to replace ineffective starting pitcher Mike Montgomery. Right-hander Zach Miner held Albuquerque scoreless over the next four innings, giving the Storm Chasers an opportunity to get back in the game and have a chance at victory.

As has been the case quite often this season, Montgomery struggled with his control. Making his 20th start of the season, he allowed four runs on seven hits over four innings pitched, walking four and striking out three. He needed 93 pitches to get his first 10 outs, with the final two coming on a hard smash with the bases loaded that the Omaha defense turned into a 5-4-3, inning-ending double play with the Chasers trailing 4-1.

“He’s just been inconsistent with his command, and it’s something that’s got to get better,” said manager Mike Jirschele after the game. “He was fortunate to get through as far as he did.”

Round Rock earns series split with 9-2 win

Omaha, Neb. – The Round Rock Express took the finale of a four-game set with the Omaha Storm Chasers, 9-2, earning the series split and winning their 60th game of the year Monday afternoon at Werner Park. The Express collected at least one hit from each batter in their lineup as part of a 17-hit attack.

Round Rock out-hit Omaha 57-41 over the four games, matching a season-high for hits allowed by Chasers pitching in a series. The Express also held the Omaha offense in check for the second-straight day, stranding 13 baserunners and holding the Chasers to 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Lorenzo Cain’s RBI single in the fifth and Irving Falu’s bases-loaded walk in the seventh accounted for the entirety of the Chasers scoring output.

Vin Mazzaro got the start for Omaha, working the first five innings and getting tagged for five runs – three earned – on 11 hits. He struck out three and intentionally walked one batter. Mazzaro (5-1) was handed his first Triple-A defeat as a starting pitcher since May 6, 2009, when he was a member of the Sacramento River Cats, snapping a 22-start non-losing streak.

Q & A with Johnny Giavotella

Giavotella continues to work on his defense
at second base (File photo: Lee Warren)

Fans in Kansas City are clamoring for Johnny Giavotella. A quick look at his accomplishments in Omaha this season will tell you why.

The 5’ 8” second baseman’s 49 hits (.398 average) in June were more than any other player in professional baseball – from Class A through the big leagues. And he’s hitting at a better clip in July (31-for-77, a .403 average). He currently leads the Omaha Storm Chasers in hitting (.342), hits (139), doubles (30), total bases (198), OBP (.396), multi-hit games (40) and he’s tied for first in RBIs (65).

The right-handed hitter is hitting both righties (.331) and lefties (.374), and strangely, he is hitting better when he is behind in the count (.374) than when he is ahead (.356). He also has power (9 home runs).

Hurley shuts down the Chasers

Lance Zawadzki drove in the only
run for the Storm Chasers.
(Photo: Dennis Hubbard)

Omaha, Neb. – Round Rock starting pitcher Eric Hurley was just too good. The former 2004 first-round pick and former high school teammate of current Kansas City Royal Billy Butler, shut down the Chasers over seven innings, giving up just one run and improved to 5-0 on the season, in a 3-1 Express victory.

The sixth inning was the key for the Express. With the Chasers leading 1-0, O’Sullivan gave up an RBI double to Express first baseman Brad Nelson and a sacrifice fly to Matt Kata, giving the Express a 2-1 lead and they didn't look back.

Second place Memphis is losing to Oklahoma City 7-0 in the fifth inning as of this writing. If that score holds up, the Chasers will maintain their four game lead over the Redbirds in the PCL American North.

O’Sullivan only gave up two runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out five. And with one exception, he showed good command of his breaking pitches.

“O’Sullivan pitched great,” said interim manager Tommy Gregg. “He left that one changeup up to Nelson (in the sixth inning) that cost him a little bit, but other than that, he pitched a great game.”

Chasers down the Express in 11 innings

Omaha, Neb. – Lorenzo Cain capped a three-hit game with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning, leading the Storm Chasers over the Round Rock Express in front of 7,055 fans Saturday night at Werner Park. It was the club’s third walk-off victory of the season and their 55th overall win in 100 tries.

After a lead-off walk to Jarrod Dyson by losing pitcher Pedro Strop (4-4), Johnny Giavotella – who had squared around to bunt one pitch earlier – doubled to right-center to put the winning run just 90 feet away. David Lough was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Cain followed by ripping a 3-2 offering into left to plate Dyson for the game-winner.

Three innings earlier, it was a Jarrod Dyson two-out, two-run single off Round Rock reliever Cody Eppley that knotted the score at 5-5, setting the stage for extra innings. Dyson’s base-hit brought home Irving Falu and Lance Zawadzki, who moved into scoring position with a double-steal. It was each player’s 12th stolen base of the season.

Suppan pitching in Omaha because he still loves the game

Jeff Suppan is 9-5 with a 4.60 ERA in 20

appearances (19 starts) for Omaha this season

(File photo: Gage Matthews / Kings of Kauffman)

Jeff Suppan’s performance Friday night at Werner Park is exactly what you would expect from him. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he pitched to contact, tweaked his game plan, gave up a lot of hits, and still found a way to keep the Storm Chasers in the game long enough for their offense to kick in.

Suppan picked up his ninth win of the season, which ties him for second in the PCL, while at no point looking to be in control of the game.

“To me, that’s what pitching is all about,” Suppan said after the game. “Knowing what’s working, knowing what’s not. Changing speeds, trying to work as fast as we can. It’s one of those days where my fastball really wasn’t how I like it to be – down in the zone. Getting on top of the ball, getting underneath it and the cutter a lot, so I was having to change speeds in different ways.

Chasers erupt for five runs in the fifth, go on to win 10-4

Jeff Suppan in action Friday night at Werner Park.
He picked up his ninth win of the season.
(Photo: Lee Warren)

Omaha, Neb. – David Lough led the Omaha Storm Chasers offensive attack Friday night at Werner Park, going 3-for-5 with a home run and 2 RBIs, meanwhile, starting pitcher Jeff Suppan wiggled off the hook on numerous occasions en route to a 10-4 win for Omaha.

The win was Suppan’s ninth of the season. And the Chasers extended their lead in the PCL American North to three games since Memphis lost in Oklahoma City.

After the game, interim manager Tommy Gregg said he was pleased with everyone’s effort because it was a tough day. The team woke up at 3:30 am in Memphis to catch their plane. They endured a delay at one point and had to fly around a storm at another point. Then, later in the day, they found out that some of their gear was delayed.

Game canceled in Memphis; will not be made up

Memphis, TN – The crucial four-game set between Omaha and Memphis was shortened to three games after Thursday night's contest at Auto Zone Park was canceled due to rain and severe weather. The game will not be made up during the regular season.

The Storm Chasers claimed the season series with the Redbirds, 9-6, and will hold the tiebreaker advantage should the teams finish in a first place tie at the end of the regular season. Omaha currently has a two-game lead over Memphis in the PCL American North.

Sean O'Sullivan is the probable starter for the Storm Chasers when they return home Friday to open a four-game series with Round Rock, which will send lefty Zach Jackson to the mound.

Tyler Greene drives in three in Memphis win

Memphis, TN – Tyler Greene drove in three runs to back seven solid innings from Brian Broderick as Memphis downed Omaha, 6-4, Wednesday night in the third of a crucial four-game set at Auto Zone Park. The Redbirds won their second straight game to pull within two games of the PCL American North-leading Storm Chasers.

Memphis got one on the board in the first inning after Jim Rapoport drew a leadoff walk and scored when Greene followed with a home run to hit safely in his 16th consecutive game. The streak was kept alive when a ruling was handed down earlier in the day by the PCL awarding Greene a double in the 9th inning of Monday night's contest and therefore negating the no-hitter thrown by Omaha starter Luis Mendoza.

Johnny Giavotella scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the third to trim the lead to 2-1 only to see Greene double home Rapoport in the bottom half to extend the lead back to a pair. Giavotella picked up three more hits, raising his average in July to .406.

Mendoza no-hitter officially overturned

Press release from the Pacifc Coast League:

Round Rock, Tex. – In response to the request by the Memphis Redbirds to review the scoring decision from the bottom of the ninth inning in their July 18th game with the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Pacific Coast League has deemed the batted ball by Tyler Greene of Memphis shall be changed from its original ruling as an error to a hit.

In consideration of language included in the Official Baseball Rules, and with the benefit of additional time to review the play, including video replay and accounts of the play provided by professional baseball personnel present at the July 18th game, the PCL office and its official statisticians at Major League Baseball Advanced Media will recognize Greene’s hit as a double. The change in the ruling will nullify a no-hitter by Omaha pitcher Luis Mendoza and prolong Greene’s active hitting streak to 15 games entering today.

Memphis wins in extra innings to trim Omaha's lead to three games

Johnny Giavotella was 3-for-7, raising his
average to .390 in the month of July
(File photo: Gage Matthews / Kings of Kauffman)

Memphis, TN – Pete Kozma singled in the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the 14th inning to finish a five-hour marathon and lift Memphis past Omaha, 6-5, Tuesday night in the second of a four-game series at Auto Zone Park.

The Redbirds rebounded from being no-hit in the series opener to pull within three games of the PCL American North-leading Storm Chasers, who had a three-game win streak snapped.

Mario Santiago stranded two runners in the 12th and 13th innings but could not work himself out of trouble in the 14th. Matt Carpenter, who went 5-for-6, drew a leadoff walk and moved to second base on an Aaron Luna sacrifice bunt. Following an intentional base on balls to Bryan Anderson, the fourth time he walked in the game, Kozma delivered a base hit to left field that brought Carpenter home with the decisive run. Kozma was 2-for-29 without an RBI against the Chasers before coming through with the winning hit.

Mark Nasser talks about Mendoza's no-hitter

Omaha Storm Chasers radio broadcaster Mark Nasser made some time for Omaha Baseball 360 this morning to talk about Luis Mendoza's no-hitter, turned one-hitter, turned no-hitter last night in Memphis. He spoke about why Mendoza has been so effective this season, the controversial play that nearly cost Mendoza the no-hitter and Nasser offered his opinion of the play. Just click the play button below to listen to the interview.

UPDATE from the Storm Chasers on July 19 @ 4:02 pm: The Memphis coaching staff, led by manager Chris Maloney – who, incidentally, was ejected during the 5th inning last night – is protesting the scoring decision and has filed a formal appeal to the Pacific Coast League office. A final decision could be made within the next 24-48 hours.

UPDATE from the PCL on July 20 @ 5:13 pm: The PCL has overturned Medoza's no-hitter. It will go down in the record books as a one-hitter. See the PCL's complete response here.

Luis Mendoza tosses his second career PCL no-hitter

Luis Mendoza tossed his second career PCL no-hitter
in Memphis last night (File photo: Lee Warren)

Memphis, TN – Luis Mendoza tossed the first Omaha no-hitter in 23 years Monday night. He shut down the Memphis Redbirds and Omaha cruised to a 4-0 win, improving to 53-43 and increasing their lead over the Redbirds in the PCL American North to four games.

The Chasers also clinched the divisional tie-breaker over the Redbirds and are now 9-4 against them this season with three games remaining.

But the story everyone is talking about is the no-hitter that was changed to a one-hitter after the game and then reversed back to a no-hitter later in the night.

 

Giavotella powers Chasers past hometown Zephyrs

Omaha, Neb. – Second baseman Johnny Giavotella had a career day against the New Orleans Zephyrs Sunday at Werner Park, going 4-for-4 with two home runs in a 7-4 Omaha victory that gave the Chasers a three-game lead over second place Memphis in the PCL American North.

The Jesuit High School (New Orleans) and University of New Orleans alumnus homered in the first, doubled in the third, homered again in the fourth and singled and scored in the seventh. His performance raised his batting average to .334 for the year with nine home runs, 64 RBIs, 56 runs scored and 28 doubles, while raising his batting average to .394 since June 1st.

Giavotella’s big afternoon helped veteran righthander Jeff Suppan to his team-leading eighth win of the year. Suppan (8-5) went seven innings, allowing four runs, staying in long enough to take advantage of the Chasers three-run seventh spurred by Giavotella’s fourth hit of the game. The Zephyrs had rallied with two runs to tie the game at 4-4 in the top half of the inning.

Aviles leads the charge in Chasers win

Omaha, Neb. – The Storm Chasers turned the tables on New Orleans on Saturday, coming back to beat the Zephyrs 9-5 at Werner Park. Mike Aviles had a big night at the plate, belting three doubles and driving in four runs in the winning effort.

After starting and winning pitcher Sean O’Sullivan spotted New Orleans three quick runs in the top of the first inning, the Chasers began chipping away. Jarrod Dyson chopped a single over the mound leading off the bottom of the first, and one out later Aviles ripped an RBI double past a diving Joe Thurston in left, bringing home Dyson on the play. Aviles tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth on a two-run gap shot, and later drilled an RBI double to center to extend the lead to 9-4. The four runs batted in matched a season high for the 30-year-old shortstop.

O’Sullivan (2-1) settled down, finishing seven strong innings despite a triple-digit heat index. He allowed four runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out five in 105 pitches. He was particularly effective with his breaking pitches, consistently getting his curve ball over for strikes. O’Sullivan then gave way to Kevin Pucetas, who allowed a run in two innings of relief duty.

Zephyrs down the Chasers, Omaha clings to one game lead

Mike Montgomery gave up three
earned runs in 6.0 innings
(File photo: Dennis Hubbard)

Omaha, Neb. – Everything turned on one at bat during the sixth inning on Friday night. New Orleans shortstop Ozzie Martinez blasted a two-run, two-out home run to give New Orleans a 3-2 lead. The Chasers hung in the game until the eighth inning when the Zephyrs sent 10 men to the plate, scoring six runs to take a 9-2 lead. That turned out to be the final score and the Chasers fell to 50-43 on the season.

Omaha scored in the first inning on a solid single to right field by Clint Robinson. He drove in Jarrod Dyson, who had no problem scoring from second base and didn't even draw a throw from right fielder Chris Aguila. Omaha scored again in the second inning when Irving Falu drove in Lorenzo Cain with a sharp single to center field on an 0-1 pitch to give Omaha the 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Mike Montgomery looked strong early, retiring the first nine hitters he faced. He changed speeds and located well with the exception of his curve ball, which he was eventually able to command. He cruised through the first five innings, giving up just a single run.

Zephyrs three-run rally sinks the Chasers

Danny Duffy gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Omaha, Neb. – The New Orleans Zephyrs rallied for three runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning Thursday night, knocking off the Storm Chasers 7-5 in front of 7,766 fans at Werner Park. The late surge took the luster off the one-night return of Danny Duffy, who pitched six innings in his first Triple-A start since early May.

Duffy, 22, used just 78 pitches in a tune-up start before he makes his expected return to the Kansas City rotation next week. He allowed four runs on seven hits in his six innings of work, striking out five without walking a batter. He now has a 48-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 42.0 innings this season with the Chasers.

Alternative Routes from Omaha to Kansas City

Flooding has caused a shutdown of I-29 from Bartlett, Iowa to Rock Port, Missouri. If you are looking for an alternative route between Omaha and Kansas City here are a couple:

Route #1

• Take I-29 South out of Omaha to Highway 34 East at the Glenwood, Iowa exit.
• Take Highway 34 East to Highway 59 South.
• Take Highway 59 South to Craig, Missouri where you can jump back onto I-29 South into Kansas City.

This past weekend, two people said this route takes 3.5 hours. One said he has made the drive four times in the last week and the roads were in good shape.

Route #2

• Take Highway 92 East out of Omaha to Highway 71 South in Lyman, Iowa.
• Take Highway 71 South to I-29 South (just north of St. Joseph).
• Take I-29 South into Kansas City.

I took this route this past weekend and it took 4.0 hours. The roads were good and I experienced very little traffic.

For other routes, check the KFAB website.

Obviously, this information could become outdated quickly as conditions change so check the Iowa Department of Roads (takes a while to load) and Missouri Department of Transportation websites. Also check this Google map (takes a while to load) for flooded routes.

Chasers split in OKC, take 1.5 game lead into the break

Vin Mazzaro
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Oklahoma City, OK - Vin Mazzaro threw seven solid innings to pitch Omaha past Oklahoma City, 4-1, Sunday afternoon in the last of a four-game set at Bricktown Ballpark. The Storm Chasers held the RedHawks to four hits in winning the last two games to earn a series split and head into the All-Star break with a 1.5 game lead over Memphis in the PCL American North.

Koby Clemens doubled home Robinson Cancel with two outs in the fourth inning to produce the game’s first run before the Chasers took the lead for good in the fifth.

Mazzaro then blanked the hosts on two hits over the next six innings to earn his fifth win of the season. The right-hander walked one and fanned three and was followed by Brandon Sisk, who retired all six hitters he faced to close out the victory and earn his first Triple-A save.

Mendoza flirts with no-hitter in Omaha win

Luis Mendoza
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Oklahoma City, OK – Luis Mendoza threw seven no-hit innings as Omaha downed Oklahoma City, 7-1, Saturday night in the third of a four-game set at Bricktown Ballpark. The Storm Chasers stopped a two-game slide to lift their record to 49-41 and increase their lead over Memphis to 1.5 games in the PCL American North after the Redbirds fell at Round Rock.

Mendoza opened the eighth inning by issuing a walk to the leadoff man, J.R. Towles, his fourth of the night. Anderson Hernandez then looped a base hit into right-center field to spoil the no-hit bid and spell the end of the evening for the All-Star right-hander. Luis Aquino was the last Omaha hurler to toss a no-hitter – he did so on June 20, 1988.

RedHawks walk off with win over Chasers

Oklahoma City, OK – Tommy Manzella's sacrifice fly brought home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to push Oklahoma City past Omaha, 4-3, Friday night in the second of a four-game set at Bricktown Ballpark. The Storm Chasers dropped their second straight game to fall to 48-41 and saw their lead over Memphis in the PCL American North trimmed to one-half game.

Anderson Hernandez led off the home ninth with a looping single off Robinson Tejeda and moved to second base on a balk. Oswaldo Navarro dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance Hernandez to third from where he scored the decisive marker on Manzella's fly ball to center field.

Brandon Barnes drove in the first run of the game in the home third with a fielder's choice grounder before Lorenzo Cain laced a line drive home run to left to even the score in the fourth and match a career-high with his 11th round tripper of the season.

OKC moved back in front 2-1 in the sixth when Drew Locke singled home Luis Durango before the Storm Chasers countered in the seventh with a two-out run of their own courtesy of a Johnny Giavotella single that plated Irving Falu.

Cancel's late inning home run lifts the RedHawks

Oklahoma City, OK – Robinson Cancel’s three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Oklahoma City to a 7-5 come-from-behind win over Omaha Thursday night in the opener of a four-game set at Bricktown Ballpark.

The Storm Chasers dropped to 48-40 but maintained their 1.5 game lead over Memphis in the PCL American North after the Redbirds lost at Round Rock.

Jesse Chavez was brought on to face Cancel with runners at first and second one out in the decisive inning. The right-hander ran the count full before the OKC first baseman, with the runners in motion, hit his fourth home run of the season to left field to put the RedHawks back in front, 7-5. Mickey Storey came on to retire the Chasers in the ninth to earn the save.

The hosts broke up a scoreless game with three runs in the fourth when J.B. Shuck doubled home a run and scored on a Drew Locke sacrifice fly. Koby Clemens then hit a solo home run off the left field foul pole to complete the three-run burst against Omaha starter Sean O’Sullivan.

Jarrod Dyson steals the show in Omaha win

Jarrod Dyson stole the show Wednesday
(Photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Metairie, LA – Jarrod Dyson scored the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning on a wild pitch as Omaha upended New Orleans, 5-4, Wednesday afternoon to finish off a three-game set at Zephyr Field. The Storm Chasers took the last two games to improve to 48-39 and temporarily increase their lead over Memphis to two games in the PCL American North.

Dyson singled with two outs in the ninth, stole second, stole third and then scored on a Frank Mata offering that hit in the dirt and skipped past catcher Gregg Clime to move the visitors in front, 5-4. Jesse Chavez then worked a scoreless bottom of the frame to register his 10th save of the season.

Omaha scores five in the ninth for improbable win

David Lough delivered the game-winning
sacrificy fly in the ninth inning
(Photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Metairie, LA – David Lough delivered the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to finish off a five-run ninth inning rally as Omaha came back to fashion an improbable 6-5 victory over New Orleans Tuesday night in the middle contest of a three-game set at Zephyr Field. The Storm Chasers stopped a two-game slide to improve to 47-39 and maintain their hold on first place in the PCL American North.

Trailing 5-1 and held to just three hits entering the ninth, the visitors loaded the bases with nobody out on two hits and an error to chase Mariano Gomez from the hill. Pete Andrelczyk took over and was greeted by a Cody Clark single that knocked in a run and a two-run double by Joaquin Arias that trimmed the deficit to 5-4.

Jarrod Dyson was hit by a pitch to fill the bases before New Orleans native Johnny Giavotella singled home the tying run with his first hit of the series. Lough then followed with a fly ball off Dan Jennings deep enough for Arias to tag from third and score the decisive run. Mike Aviles, who started the game-changing rally with a leadoff double, went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.

Gene Watson talks about the scouting process

Gene Watson, coordinator – professional scouting for the Kansas City Royals, was Mark Nasser’s pre-game show guest tonight. They had an interesting exchange about the process a scout goes through in evaluating talent.

Talk about evaluating players. I’m always fascinated by this for scouts because you might be in one place one day where a guy might either have a great game or a lousy game and you have to make evaluations based on just one game. That’s almost an impossible task.

You’ve really got to start with track record, statistical performance, what their draft status is, and then you begin to dig on the make up with your area scouts, finding out what kind of kids they were in high school, any people you might know in the other organization and really, you try to piece it all together and put it into one big melting pot and ultimately make your decision on the player.

Dayton Moore, the general manager, may call you at any second and say, “Geno, Player A. Yes or No?” That’s a lot of pressure.

That’s really the funnest part of the job and what you really have to do is, once you see a player, like a player, you’ve got to stay on track with him. How’s he doing? What’s his last month been? Six months? Year? Is he healthy? Is he taking care of his business off the field? What kind of teammate is he? That’s really, really the fun part of the job. I’ve learned the hard way sometimes, you better have an answer right away and you better be convicted of that answer.

New Orleans wins in walk-off fashion

David Lough was 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs
(File Photo: Lee Warren)

Metairie, LA – It was ugly at Zephyr Field tonight. New Orleans and Omaha combined for eight errors (both teams had four). Two errors in the bottom of the ninth were costly for the Chasers. They set the stage for a game-winning RBI double by New Orleans second baseman Joe Thurston, pushing the Zephyrs past Omaha 7-6.

It looked like the Chasers may be on the road to victory in the top half of the ninth when Irving Falu and Jarrod Dyson pulled off a double steal, and a throwing error on the play by catcher Brad Davis allowed Falu to score, giving Omaha a 6-5 edge. But it wasn’t enough.

Ozzie Martinez doubled with one out in the bottom half of the inning and came around to score the tying run on a Clint Robinson fielding error. Irving Falu followed Robinson’s error with a fielding error of his own at third base. Two hitters later, Thurston delivered his decisive hit past a diving Lorenzo Cain in right field.

Ely shuts down the Chasers to end Omaha’s winning streak

Suppan pitched seven innings, giving up two
earned runs on five hits and two walks
(Photo: Lee Warren)

Jeff Suppan’s bid for his fourth win in five starts came up short on Sunday, even though he pitched well enough to win – giving up just two earned runs in seven innings of work. But Albuquerque starter John Ely was even more efficient – tossing seven shutout innings while yielding just four hits and two walks in a 2-0 Albuquerque win in front of 9,023 fans, a new Werner Park record. 

The only scoring came in the fifth inning when Albuquerque first baseman Russell Mitchell took a 1-0 offering from Suppan over the left field wall with centerfielder Jamie Hoffmann on base. After the game, hitting coach Tommy Gregg – who is managing the team while Mike Jirschele is away on personal business – spoke about Suppan’s outing and the pitch Mitchell hit out of the park.

“That pitch was down,” Gregg said. “It was over the plate, but it was down and Mitchell did a good job of just getting the barrel to it and hit a line drive out of the park. But it wasn’t a bad pitch. You’ve got to give Mitchell the credit for putting the barrel on it good. That’s the way the game goes.

Giavotella stays hot; Omaha wins 4th straight

Giavotella continues to swing a hot stick, belting
a home run and driving in three
(Photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

The calendar may have changed from June to July, but Omaha second baseman Johnny Giavotella hasn’t missed a beat at the plate. Following a calendar month in which he hit .398 with 49 hits, 25 runs batted in and 20 runs scored, the 5-foot-8 Giavotella belted a home run and drove in three runs in a 4-1 Storm Chasers victory over Albuquerque Saturday night at Werner Park.

Righthander Sean O’Sullivan (1-1), making his third rehabilitation start for the Storm Chasers, held the Isotopes to a run on four hits over six solid innings. He walked two and struck out five, throwing 59 of his 88 pitches for strikes. After giving up four runs on six hits in his first two rehab innings on June 22nd, O’Sullivan has allowed a total of one run on five hits in 10 innings since. He allowed his lone run in the top of the second, spotting Albuquerque a 1-0 lead, but that was all the visitors would manage to muster.

In the bottom of the third inning, Joaquin Arias led off with a triple to the left-center gap off losing pitching Randy Keisler (4-4). After an Irving Falu groundout kept Arias at third base, Giavotella lined one over the left field wall to make it 2-1 Storm Chasers. The PCL All-Star would add a sacrifice fly in the fifth, giving him seven home runs and a team-leading 59 runs batted in this season, all while hitting .328.

Mike & Mike provide 1-2 punch in shutout win

Mike Montgomery celebrated his 22nd birthday in style, throwing 6.2 shutout innings en route to a 6-0 blanking of the Albuquerque Isotopes Friday night at Werner Park. Shortstop Mike Aviles provided Montgomery and the bullpen all the offense they would need, belting a third-inning grand slam to put the Chasers up for good.

It was the Storm Chasers third win in a row, each of which have come in dramatically different types of ballgames. First it was Kila Ka’aihue’s walk-off grand slam on Tuesday to beat Memphis 6-2, then Thursday’s 18-13 slugfest against the Isotopes that featured nine home runs. This time, Montgomery came back strong after taking a start off.

The 6-foot-4 lefty allowed just a pair of singles, walked three and struck out seven in 98 pitches. He exited to a standing ovation from many of the 6,805 in attendance, improving his record to 3-4 on the season. It was Montgomery’s first home win since his first home start back on April 17 against Nashville. Mario Santiago and Jesse Chavez retired seven of the eight batters they faced to finish off the ballgame.