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| Manny Pina was 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs (File photo: Lee Warren) |
The Chasers will return home to Werner Park Friday, needing just one victory to advance to the Pacific Coast League Championship Series.
Just as they did in their Game 1 shutout, Omaha grabbed an early 3-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Kila Ka’aihue’s leadoff single was followed by a bunt base hit by Irving Falu and an infield single by Joaquin Arias, loading the bases with nobody out. Pina coaxed an eight-pitch walk to put the Chasers on the board, and Kurt Mertins and Jarrod Dyson followed with a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring sacrifice bunt, respectively, making it 3-0.
Round Rock would snap its 10-inning scoreless streak in the bottom of the second against starting and winning pitcher Vin Mazzaro (1-0). After Mazzaro retired the first four hitters of the game, he walked Joey Butler and allowed a first-pitch, two-run homer to Val Majewski to give the Express what turned out to be their only two runs of the night.
Mazzaro went on to record 15 consecutive outs, taking a one-hitter into the seventh. He gave up two runs on four hits and one walk, while striking out six.
Pina, who ended up going 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs and a walk, singled in another run in the sixth, giving the Chasers a bit of breathing room at 4-2, but the game’s critical play would come an inning later in the bottom of the seventh.
After Mazzaro struck out Brad Nelson looking for his 15th-straight out to start the seventh, Chad Tracy hit a weak bouncer to the right of Irving Falu and beat the throw to first for a single. Joey Butler then looped an inside pitch softly into right for another base-hit, and Val Majewski ripped a single to right to load the bases and put the tying run into scoring position.
Chasers manager Mike Jirschele elected to summon Willy Lebron from the bullpen to face Luis Cruz. Lebron got Cruz to bounce into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play on the first pitch, preserving the 4-2 lead and taking the wind out of the Round Rock sails.
The Omaha offense was not done. After two men were out in the top of the eighth, Joaquin Arias stroked his third base hit of the night, setting the table for Pina in another big situation. The Chasers’ catcher blasted a 2-1 offering from Tim Wood onto the grass berm in left-field to make it a 6-2 ballgame. It was Pina’s second four-RBI game in less than a week, matching his season-high set on September 2 in Iowa.
After the Storm tacked on another run in the top of the ninth to make it 7-2, Lebron loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning before giving way to Brandon Sisk. The Chasers lone lefty in the bullpen retired the only two batters he faced to record the save.
The Chasers will send left-hander Mike Montgomery (5-11, 5.32) to the mound in Game 3 to face Express right-hander Neil Ramirez (4-3, 3.68). A victory would give Omaha its first playoff sweep in the 43-year history of the franchise and give the team three days off heading into the PCL Championship Series. Friday night’s contest will begin at 7:05 pm.
