Chasers drop a heartbreaker in extra innings

Omaha, Neb. – Omaha had everything going its way Friday night – an engaged crowd creating an incredible playoff atmosphere, a 2-0 lead in the PCL American Conference Championship Series against Round Rock and a return home to Werner Park, but in the end they lost a 9-8 heartbreaker in eleven innings after the Storm Chasers committed two errors in the top of the 11th inning, allowing the Express to score three times.

With two outs in the Express half of the 11th inning, Brad Nelson hit a slow roller that somehow squirted through the legs of Joaquin Arias at first base, putting runners at the corners against Zach Miner. Chad Tracy took full advantage of the miscue and ripped a single to center field, giving the Express a 7-6 lead. Joey Butler, who is 8-for-11 (.727) in the series, followed with another single that Jarrod Dyson booted, allowing Nelson and Tracy to score to extend Round Rock’s lead to 9-6.

The Chasers scored two runs in the bottom of the eleventh, but it wasn’t quite enough. It was their second comeback attempt of the evening.

Omaha win puts them one win away from championship series

Manny Pina was 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Round Rock, Tex. – Vin Mazzaro, Manny Pina and the Omaha Storm Chasers pulled out a hard-fought 7-2 victory over the Round Rock Express Thursday night, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

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.

Chasers shut down by Cubs' pitching

Jarrod Dyson drove in the only run for Omaha
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Des Moines, IA – Mario Mercedes tripled in the game-winning run in the sixth inning to lift Iowa to a 2-1 victory over Omaha Sunday night in the middle of a three-game series at Principal Park.

The Storm Chasers fell to 79-62 and will have one last chance to win 80-or-more games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.

D.J. LeMahieu’s run-scoring single in the first inning put the Cubs in front before Jarrod Dyson’s RBI double in third evened the count. From there, the Chasers were shut down by Chris Rusin, Andrew Cashner, Chris Carpenter and Scott Maine, who held them scoreless on six hits over the final six innings.

Omaha's offense explodes for 15 runs in Iowa

Irving Falu was 3-for-6 with a home run and two runs scored.
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Des Moines, IA – Willy Lebron worked 2.2 scoreless innings in relief while Omaha’s offense poured it on in a 15-5 decision over Iowa Friday night in the opener of the final four-game series of the regular season at Principal Park.

The Storm Chasers collected 16 hits, drew nine walks and took advantage of three errors to improve their overall record to 79-61 and their record away from home to 39-29.

Irving Falu’s solo home run in the first inning got the scoring started before the visitors added a trio of runs with two outs in the third. David Lough tripled and scored after an errant throw to third base prior to Manny Pina’s two-run double that made it a 4-0 game.

Lou Montanez tripled in a run and scored during a three-run bottom half of the third that brought the Cubs back to within one. Iowa moved in front for the first time in the fourth when Marquez Smith delivered an RBI double and scored when Chris Robinson followed with a base hit.

Omaha drops final regular season home game

Kevin Pucetas threw four innings of scoreless relief,
extending his scoreless innings streak to 9.2.
(File photo: Brad Williams Photography)

Omaha, Neb. – A day after clinching the franchise’s first postseason berth in 12 years, the Storm Chasers got off to a hot start before running out of gas in a 9-4 defeat to the Round Rock Express. The Thursday night crowd of 8,927 pushed the Werner Park inaugural season attendance total to 410,326.

All of the Chasers’ scoring took place in the bottom of the first inning off eventual winning pitcher Martin Perez (4-4). After loading the bases with nobody out on two walks and a bunt single, Lorenzo Cain drove in a run with a ground out to make it 1-0 in favor of Omaha. Joaquin Arias followed with a two-run single and Manny Pina added a sacrifice fly, making it a 4-0 ballgame in the early going.

Perez held the Storm Chasers to just two hits and no walks in his next four innings, departing with a 6-4 lead after five innings of play. The 20-year-old lefty struck out five, keeping the Chasers off-balance with his excellent change-up.

Chasers lose a close one, but magic number reduced to two

David Lough was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a BB.
(File photo: Gage Matthews / Kings of Kauffman)

Omaha, Neb. – Round Rock catcher Taylor Teagarden belted two solo home runs, leading the Express past the Storm Chasers 3-2 Tuesday night at Werner Park. The Chasers put the tying run in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings, but were unable to score the equalizer.

“We battled,” said Omaha manager Mike Jirschele after the game about the team the Chasers will face in the playoffs, if they can maintain their lead.

“It was a tough game,” he said. “You know, we play these guys tough all the time – they are up, what now, 10-4 [in the season series] on the year? But if you look at it, I think there was only one game where we got beat by seven, but otherwise, there have been a lot of two-run, one-run games – extra innings. You know, we play them tough. 

“But what hurt us tonight is when we lost Clint [Robinson] and Kila [Ka’aihue] both and you’ve got to put Mertins and Zawadzki in the four and five hole for most of the game. Not that they can’t do the job, but it hurts when you lose those two big boppers.”

Omaha wins a wild one

Kevin Pucetas tossed 4.2 scoreless innings in relief.
(File photo: Brad Williams Photography)

Metairie, LA – Kevin Pucetas was sensational through 4.2 scoreless innings of relief work as Omaha rebounded from a slow start to overtake and then hang on to down New Orleans in a wild 11-10 affair Sunday evening in the last of a five-game series at Zephyr Field. 

The Storm Chasers lifted their record to 76-59, maintained their four-game lead over Memphis with eight to play and reduced their magic number to clinch the division title to four.

Lorenzo Cain’s sacrifice fly drove in Jarrod Dyson three batters into the game but the Zephyrs responded in the home half of the inning with Mike Cervenak’s two-out, two-run home run.

Chasers trounce the Zephyrs, trim magic number to six

Joaquin Arias was 3-for-5 with a home run and 3 RBIs
(File photo: Brad Williams Photography)

Metairie, LA – Joaquin Arias collected three hits, scored three times and blasted a three-run homer as Omaha rolled over New Orleans, 14-1, Friday night in the middle contest of a five-game series at Zephyr Field.

The Storm Chasers improved to 75-58, pushed their lead over Memphis back to four games and trimmed their magic number to six to clinch their first division title since 1999.

Clint Robinson started the second inning with a single, moved to second base on a wild pitch and scored on Irving Falu’s one-out base hit to get the Chasers on the board. Matt Dominguez led off the home half of the inning with a home run, his 12th of the season and fifth against Omaha. The long ball ended a stretch of 61 innings for Omaha starter Luis Mendoza since he had last yielded a home run on June 28 to Andrew Brown of Memphis.

O'Sullivan wins his sixth straight start

Sean O'Sullivan won his sixth straight start on Tuesday.
(File photo: Brad Williams Photography)

Omaha, Neb. – After an embarrassing defensive performance last night, in which the Storm Chasers committed six errors, Omaha manager Mike Jirschele tweaked the defense and Sean O’Sullivan pitched a gem en route to a 5-2 Omaha win over Nashville on Tuesday night.

Second place Memphis won as well, so Omaha maintained its four-game lead in the PCL American North. The loss moved the Sounds to 7.5 games back.

After the game on Monday, Jirschele said he would make some adjustments to the defense. The adjustments included moving Irving Falu from second base to shortstop (replacing Yamaico Navarro who committed two errors) and putting Kila Ka’aihue back at first base, replacing Clint Robinson (who committed two errors).

Omaha unable to overcome six errors

Omaha starter Jeff Suppan allowed one earned
run in 6.1 innings pitched, giving up six hits
and one walk to go with one strikeout.
(Photo: Brad Williams Photography)

 

Omaha, Neb. – The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped a 7-3, 11-inning decision to Nashville Monday evening at Werner Park – a game marred by six Chasers errors that aided six of the Sounds seven runs. Omaha was unable to capitalize on a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth that sent the game to extras, remaining winless at Werner Park when trailing after eight innings.

Before the game reached extra innings, the Chasers were able to forge a tie with two out in the ninth thanks to some patience at the plate and a clutch base hit.

With David Lough aboard at third and two men already out, Clint Robinson coaxed a free pass from reliever Donovan Hand, followed by an infield single by Kila Ka’aihue to score Lough and bring the Chasers to within a run at 3-2. After Irving Falu worked a six-pitch walk to load the bases, Yamaico Navarro smashed a grounder past a diving Eric Farris at second base. Pinch-runner Joaquin Arias scored easily, but rightfielder Caleb Gindl’s throw home was on the money to gun down pinch-runner Kurt Mertins, ending the ninth with a 3-3 score. It was one of two innings in which the Chasers made the third out on the basepaths.

Cain's ninth inning double lifts Chasers to fifth straight win

Lorenzo Cain's two-run double in the ninth lifted
Omaha to its fifth straight win
(File Photo: Gage Matthews / Kings of Kauffman)

Tacoma, Wash. – Lorenzo Cain’s two-run double in the ninth inning helped Omaha steal away with a 3-1 win over Tacoma Friday night to complete a four-game series sweep at Cheney Stadium.

The Storm Chasers won their fifth straight to finish an eight-game road trip with six wins and a five-game lead over Memphis in the PCL American North with just 17 games remaining.

Clint Robinson led off the second inning with an opposite field home run to left, his 20th of the season, to give the visitors the early lead before Michael Saunders doubled home Mike Wilson in the home fourth to even the count.

Omaha wins fourth straight, maintains five-game lead

Clint Robinson is 18-for-his-last-38 (.474 average). He
picked up three more hits Thursday night in Tacoma.
(Photo: Brad Williams Photography)

Tacoma, Wash. – Clint Robinson collected three hits and drove in three runs to lead a balanced attack in Omaha’s 7-4 win over Tacoma Thursday night in the third of a four-game series at Cheney Stadium.

The Storm Chasers won their fourth in a row to improve to 70-55 and maintain their five-game lead over Memphis in the PCL American North.

Jarrod Dyson walked and Irving Falu bunted for a base hit to start the game against Tacoma southpaw Chris Seddon. The speedy duo then pulled off a double steal and came in to score on a Robinson single.

Robinson singled with two outs in the third and scored to make it a 3-0 contest on a Kila Ka’aihue double. The Rainiers, who had been held to a combined four runs in the first two games of the series, equaled that output with one swing in the fourth.

Four-run ninth propels Omaha to victory

Kila Ka'aihue's ninth inning home run moved him
into fifth place on the franchise's all-time list
(File photo: Lee Warren) 

Salt Lake City, UT – Kila Ka’aihue’s two-run home run finished off a four-run ninth inning that propelled Omaha to a 9-6 win over Salt Lake Monday night in the last of a four-game series at Spring Mobile Ballpark. The Storm Chasers improved to 67-55 and held on to their four-game lead over victorious Memphis in the PCL American North.

Joaquin Arias opened the decisive inning with a walk, but was thrown out at second base on Jarrod Dyson’s attempted sacrifice bunt. Irving Falu, who was 4-for-4, was hit by a pitch and the runners then pulled off a double steal. In a 5-5 game against a drawn-in infield, Dyson scored the go-ahead run on a Lorenzo Cain ground out before Clint Robinson’s single pushed Falu across with an insurance run. Ka’aihue followed with his long ball, the 62nd of his career with Omaha to move him into fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list, to sew up the victory.

Broken bat ground out pushes Fresno past Omaha

Jarrod Dyson made a great defensive play in addition
to going 3-for-5 with a triple. (Photo: Corey O'Malley)

Omaha, Neb. – Just when it looked like the Omaha Storm Chasers might storm from behind to win Tuesday night, Brett Pill hit a broken bat ground out to short in the tenth inning that scored a run, giving the Fresno Grizzlies a 4-3 lead and that score held up. The ball was hit too slowly for Omaha shortstop Yamaico Navarro to turn a double play, so he had to go to first.

“He made a good pitch,” Jirschele said after the game, speaking about reliever Brandon Sisk facing Pill in the tenth inning. “It was just too good a pitch. He should have hit it a little firmer.”

The Chasers found themselves down 3-0 in the middle innings. Brandon Crawford hammered a 1-1 offering from Omaha starter Vin Mazarro over the right field wall in the fourth inning. Later in the inning, Justin Christian and Edgar Gonzalez both drove in a run with singles.

Chasers defeat Fresno with three-run third inning

Joaquin Arias was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple
(File photo: Brad Williams / Brad Williams Photography)

Omaha, Neb. – Four successive hits in the third inning by Joaquin Arias, Jarrod Dyson, David Lough and Lorenzo Cain off Fresno starter Shane Loux produced three runs and the Omaha Storm Chasers went on to win 4-2 in front of 6,812 fans at Werner Park Monday night.

“I thought we swung better tonight,” said Omaha manager Mike Jirschele after the game. “There were a few times when we had a chance to tack on a few and we just couldn’t get that big hit, but we kept going and we scored enough to win.”

Sean O’Sullivan picked up his fifth win of the season and lowered his ERA to 3.22, giving up nine hits on two earned runs and one walk. He struck out four and gave up one home run – an opposite field solo shot to right field by Fresno first baseman Brett Pill.

Sloppy defense by Omaha leads to Fresno win

David Lough was 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Omaha, Neb. – The Fresno Grizzlies took advantage of a pair of Omaha errors during a six-run second inning, coasting to a 7-3 victory over the Storm Chasers Sunday evening at Werner Park. The Chasers quickly cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third, but were held scoreless over the final six innings.

Second place Memphis picked up a game on the Chasers with a win on Sunday, moving to within five games of Omaha.

The top of the second got off to an ominous start on Sunday, as starting and losing pitcher Luis Mendoza couldn’t corral a Brett Pill one hopper back to the mound for an error. Following a single and a walk, Brandon Crawford chopped a ball up the first base line to Mendoza, whose throw to Clint Robinson glanced off Robinson’s glove for an error, scoring two. The inning spiraled out of control from there, only ending when Brandon Belt was gunned down at the plate to end the inning with the Chasers trailing 6-0.

Omaha sweeps the RedHawks, wins fifth in a row

Kila Ka'aihue hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning.
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Oklahoma City, OK – Luis Mendoza worked six strong innings in Omaha's 13-2 victory over Oklahoma City Tuesday night in the last of a four game series at Bricktown Ballpark.

The Storm Chasers won their fifth in a row to improve to a season best 12 games over .500 at 61-49 and they maintained their five game lead over Memphis in the PCL American North.

David Lough's lead off long ball in the fourth broke up a scoreless game and triggered a five-run rally. Irving Falu added a sacrifice fly before Lance Zawadzki tripled in two runs and scored on a Joaquin Arias base hit.

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.

Ka'aihue blast keeps Chasers in first place

Kila Ka'aihue smashed a grand slam home run
in the bottom of the ninth to win the game
(Photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Looking like their 65-day grip on first place was about to come loose, the Omaha Storm Chasers pulled together a late rally and stunned the second-place Memphis Redbirds 6-2 Tuesday afternoon at Werner Park.

Kila Ka’aihue delivered the knockout blow with a two out, bottom-of-the-ninth, grand slam home run on a 3-1 pitch. It was the first home plate celebration in Werner Park history.

The two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth was the catalyst to the comeback, sparked by an opposite field double by Clint Robinson. After Joaquin Arias pinch ran and Ka’aihue was walked intentionally, Lorenzo Cain laid off a couple tough pitches before dropping a single into shallow right field to tie the score at 2-2. Robinson and Cain each entered the game hitless in their last four contests, but had a pair of hits in this one.

Omaha takes opener in Nashville, comeback falls short in game 2

Clint Robinson singled home Irving Falu with two outs
in the seventh inning of game two to bring Omaha to within
a run, but they ended up falling short. (Photo: Lee Warren)

Frankie De La Cruz was solid through 6 1/3 innings and helped to make early offense stand up as Nashville fended off Omaha, 5-4, in game two to earn a doubleheader split Wednesday night at Greer Stadium. The Storm Chasers claimed the opener, 4-1, and head into the final two games of the five-game series at 40-34.

Sean O'Sullivan took the hill for Omaha on a rehab start in the nightcap and was touched for run-scoring hits by Erick Almonte and Mat Gamel in the first inning that put the visitors in an early 2-0 hole. Taylor Green led off the second with a home run, his third against the Storm Chasers this season, and another run came across on a wild pitch later in the frame. O'Sullivan was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on six hits over 2 1/3 innings.

Almonte was involved in the Chasers two runs in the fifth as he committed an error on an Irving Falu grounder that allowed Paulo Orlando to score before Johnny Giavotella singled home Falu with two outs to halve the deficit.