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 drops second game of series in New Orleans

Clint Robinson was 4-for-4 with a home run and is
hitting .405 over his last ten games.
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Metairie, LA – Elih Villanueva was strong through seven innings and two big rallies were too much for Omaha to overcome in an 8-2 defeat at the hands of New Orleans Thursday night in the second of a five-game series at Zephyr Field. 

The Storm Chasers dipped to 74-58, lost a six-game road win streak and saw their magic number to clinch their first playoff berth in 12 years remain at eight.

Omaha broke through in the fourth inning with the game’s first run on a base hit by Clint Robinson that scored Lorenzo Cain, who had singled and advanced to second base on an error. However, the lead didn’t last long, as the hosts posted four runs in their half of the inning.

Suppan loses second game since early May

Clint Robinson was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Salt Lake City, UT – Ronald “Bear” Bay worked seven solid innings and received home run support from Efren Navarro and Paul McAnulty in Salt Lake’s 6-2 victory over Omaha Friday night in the opener of a four-game series at Spring Mobile Ballpark. 

The Storm Chasers dropped to 65-54 and saw their lead in the PCL American North sliced to 4.5 games over now-second place Nashville.

Gil Velazquez’s RBI single, a solo home run by Navarro and a sacrifice fly to center by Alexi Amarista gave the Bees a 3-0 lead in the second inning.

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.

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.

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.