Perez has big night in Chasers win

Salvador Perez was 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs
(File photo: Brad Williams /
Brad Williams Photography)

Omaha, Neb. – With violent storms whipping across the Omaha metro area Saturday night, the Chasers felt right at home, winning a 7-5 decision over the Sacramento River Cats at Werner Park. The game was delayed two times due to the weather, once with Omaha leading 6-4 in the fifth and again with the Storm Chasers on top 7-5 in the eighth.

The win by the Chasers, coupled with a loss by second place Memphis, gives Omaha a six game lead in the PCL American North. The Chasers are now 63-51 and they are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Jeff Suppan (11-5) eventually earned the win in this one, as the 36-year-old righthander completed five innings of work just before the first storm hit. The 11 victories move him into a first-place tie for most wins in the league this season, matching Albuquerque’s Dana Eveland and Sacramento’s Graham Godfrey. He allowed four runs on four hits, walked two and struck out three in the game.

Catcher Salvador Perez, 15 years Suppan’s junior, was the hitting star for the Chasers in the ballgame. He ripped a pair of RBI doubles in the first three innings, giving him three runs batted in on the night and 10 in his short time in a Storm Chasers’ uniform. His second-inning double scored new shortstop Yamaico Navarro, who arrived in Omaha just three hours prior to first pitch. Navarro went 1-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

Lorenzo Cain also had a nice night, belting his 14th home run of the season to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the third. David Lough added an RBI single in the seventh after Jarrod Dyson opened the inning with a double, providing the Chasers with some added insurance.

Sacramento’s Josh Outman (7-2) took the loss for the River Cats, going four innings and throwing 88 pitches. The lefthander struck out six, but also allowed six runs on six hits.

With the delays, two Chasers’ pitchers were cut short of their normally prescribed work. Suppan went just five innings thanks to the first delay, Kevin Pucetas worked the sixth, seventh and one batter in the eighth, Kelvin Herrera faced four batters in the eighth before the second storm hit, and Brandon Sisk closed out the final 1.1 innings to earn his second save. With the strong showing, the Omaha bullpen has now allowed just two runs over its last 33 innings (0.55 ERA).

The Storm Chasers will begin a four-game series Sunday against the Fresno Grizzlies, Triple-A affiliate of the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. Omaha ace Luis Mendoza (8-4, 2.32) will face Fresno southpaw Dan Runzler (1-2, 4.31) in the opener, with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 pm.