Clippers down the Chasers in Triple-A Championship

The 2011 Pacific Coast League Championship
trophy was on hand at Fire Barn in Omaha where
fans gathered to watch the game
(Photo: Lee Warren)

Albuquerque, N.M. – If it wasn’t already clear that the Triple-A National Championship Game was primarily an exhibition, it became so on Tuesday night when Luis Mendoza started for the Kansas City Royals rather than the Omaha Storm Chasers.

While Mendoza was mowing down the Tigers in a 10-2 win at Kauffman Stadium, Sean O’Sullivan struggled, after having nine days off, in an 8-3 losing effort for the Storm Chasers against the Columbus Clippers.

The one-game, nationally-televised playoff showcase started out well for Omaha, but the offense and pitching stalled out after a first-inning display reminiscent of performances throughout this year’s championship run.

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 drop final game of the regular season

Kurt Mertins was 2-for-3 with a run scored
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Des Moines, IA – The regular season came to and a disappointing end Monday at Principal Park with a 7-2 loss to Iowa. The Chasers dropped their final two games to finish 79-63 and missed out on winning 80 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.

Brett Jackson’s lead off long ball in the home first got the scoring started and was the first home run allowed by Omaha starter Kevin Pucetas since June 30. The Cubs added another run in the second on a two-out RBI hit by their Canadian catcher Chris Robinson, who was honored on Chris Robinson Day at the ballpark.

The Chasers tied the game in the third on run-scoring hits by David Lough and Clint Robinson, who joined Chris Hatcher, who collected 106 RBIs in 1998, as the only players in franchise history to drive in 100 runs in a single season. However, Omaha was blanked over the final six innings by Jay Jackson, Nick Struck and Robert Coello.

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.

4-3 Omaha win reduces magic number to three

Clint Robinson is hitting .404 in August.
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Omaha, Neb. – Willy Lebron pitched three scoreless innings of relief, ensuring that Clint Robinson’s go-ahead two-run single would be enough for the Chasers to defeat the Round Rock Express 4-3 Monday night at Werner Park.

After the game, Omaha manager Mike Jirschele spoke about Robinson, who is hitting .404 with 29 RBIs in August.

“He made two outstanding [defensive] plays tonight,” Jirschele said. “Besides that, he’s seeing the ball good – swinging the bat well. He’s on a mission right now and he’s been helping to carry this club.”

The victory reduced the Storm Chasers’ magic number to three with seven games remaining, but Jirschele was quick to point out that the Chasers need to stay focused.

“Memphis has got a good club,” he said. “They could easily win out. So we’ve got to be able to go out and win three more games yet.”

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.

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.

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.