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| Irving Falu's bases loaded double in the first inning gave Vin Mazzaro all the run support he needed. (File photo: Brad Williams Photography) |
The Storm Chasers improved to 74-57 and reduced their magic number to clinch their first division title since 1999 to eight.
The game was called after a 35-minute delay with two outs, nobody on and Zach Miner pitching to Chris Coghlan in the home seventh. Miner picked up his first save of the season.
Omaha loaded the bases with three singles in the first inning before Kila Ka’aihue popped out for the second out of the inning. However, Falu followed with a double that cleared the bases and staked the Chasers to a 3-0 lead. Falu has driven in 13 runs this month – which is more than he has driven in during any other month this season. He’s also hitting .400 (16-for-40) over his past ten games.
David Lough led off the sixth with a home run, his ninth of the year and first since August 4, to extend the margin to 4-0. Chris Sampson of the Zephyrs suffered just his second loss of the season in 10 decisions after yielding four runs on six hits while striking out three over six frames.
Mazzaro, who improved to 6-2 on the season, worked around two walks and a hit batter in the first inning with the aid of a double play grounder and stranded another pair of runners in the fourth. He also induced Joe Thurston to bounce into an inning-ending twin-killing with two runners aboard in the fifth before being touched for the hosts lone run in the sixth on Alex Romero’s RBI double. He allowed four hits, walked four and fanned two to win for the first time since July 10 at Oklahoma City.
The series continues Thursday with Omaha left-hander Mike Montgomery (5-8, 5.33) taking the mound against New Orleans RHP Elih Villanueva (6-10, 5.55).
