Chasers win Game 2 of the PCL Championship Series

Jarrod Dyson finished 4-for-6 with a homer,
four RBIs, three runs, a double and a stolen base
(Photo from Game 1: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Omaha, Neb. – The Omaha Storm Chasers drew one step closer to winning its first Pacific Coast League championship Wednesday night at Werner Park when they trounced the Sacramento River Cats 15-4 in front of 4,039 fans.

The Chasers fell behind early. Omaha starter Vin Mazzaro struggled with his command in the first inning, in which he threw 30 pitches (16 balls). He gave up a single to Jermaine Mitchell to lead off the game. Mitchell stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Josh Donaldson. Adrian Cardenas then took Mazzaro deep to right field to give Sacramento an early 3-0 lead.

“I wasn’t real happy – you give them three runs in the first,” said Omaha manager Mike Jirschele after the game. “But you know what? Our guys battled back and got us one right away to put us within two. We had eight innings to go after that, so we were still in the game.”

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.

Falu drives in three in Chasers win

Irving Falu's bases loaded double in the first inning
gave Vin Mazzaro all the run support he needed.
(File photo: Brad Williams Photography)

Metairie, LA – Vin Mazzaro was solid for six innings on the mound and Irving Falu delivered the game’s biggest hit as Omaha opened a five-game series with a 4-1 rain-shortened win over New Orleans at Zephyr Field.

The Storm Chasers improved to 74-57 and reduced their magic number to clinch their first division title since 1999 to eight.

The game was called after a 35-minute delay with two outs, nobody on and Zach Miner pitching to Chris Coghlan in the home seventh. Miner picked up his first save of the season.

Omaha loaded the bases with three singles in the first inning before Kila Ka’aihue popped out for the second out of the inning. However, Falu followed with a double that cleared the bases and staked the Chasers to a 3-0 lead. Falu has driven in 13 runs this month – which is more than he has driven in during any other month this season. He’s also hitting .400 (16-for-40) over his past ten games.

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.

Bees win in walk-off fashion

Salt Lake City, UT – Freddy Sandoval belted a lead off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Salt Lake to a 2-1 triumph over Omaha Sunday evening in the third of a four-game series at Spring Mobile Ballpark. The Storm Chasers dipped to 66-55 and saw their lead in the PCL American North sliced to four games over now-second place Memphis, which shut out Tucson earlier in the day.

The Bees pushed across the game's first run in the first inning on Jeff Baisley's run-scoring hit but couldn't add to their lead with runners at the corners and nobody out in the second . Jarrod Dyson's lead off long ball, his second in as many days, got the game even in the fourth and gave him eight hits in 12 at-bats to that point in the series.

Omaha starter Vin Mazzaro yielded just a lone run on seven hits and matched a season-high with 10 strikeouts but was not involved the decision. He was removed after a two-out walk to Alexi Amarista, his third of the game, with two outs in the seventh before Zach Miner came on to record the final out of the inning.

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.

River Cats even the series on a three-run home run

David Lough was 2-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

The music group 33 Miles will be performing Saturday night after the game at Werner Park, but the number 33 wasn’t kind to the Omaha Storm Chasers Thursday night.

After a 33 minute rain delay in the fifth inning, Omaha manager Mike Jirschele decided to put starting pitcher Vin Mazzaro back on the mound and he gave up a three-run home run to Jermaine Mitchell, the first batter he saw, giving the River Cats a 4-3 lead.

That turned out to be the final score.

Does Jirschele regret putting Mazzaro back on the mound?

“He made one pitch – he didn’t locate it where he wanted to,” Jirschele said after the game. “But he ended getting through that and going another one [inning]. We had to look for him to hopefully get another inning or two and the rain delay wasn’t too long to where he couldn’t come back.

Chasers take advantage of OKC errors

Omaha scored the winning run in the seventh on a bunt base
hit by Lough and subsequent throwing error on the play by
pitcher Douglas Arguello that permitted Joaquin Arias to score.
(File photo: Lee Wa

Oklahoma City, OK – Zach Miner, Kelvin Herrera and Jesse Chavez combined to throw 5.1 scoreless innings in relief as Omaha outlasted Oklahoma City, 5-4, Saturday night in the opener of a four-game series at Bricktown Ballpark. The Storm Chasers improved to 58-49 and maintained their five game lead over Memphis in the PCL American North, since the Redbirds lost to Iowa 6-3..

The Chasers jumped on OKC starter Sergio Perez for a pair of runs in the first inning runs on an errant throw by RedHawks’ catcher Robinson Cancel on a stolen base attempt by David Lough that allowed Jarrod Dyson to score from third base and a ground out by Clint Robinson that brought Lough home.

Mitchell's home run lifts Albuquerque over the Chasers

Omaha, Neb. – The last time the Albuquerque Isotopes ventured into Werner Park, third baseman Russ Mitchell hit a two-run home run to beat the Storm Chasers, 2-0, on July 3rd. Twenty-three days later, Mitchell delivered a repeat performance, blasting a two-run, go-ahead home run in the Isotopes’ 6-4 victory Tuesday night.

The ninth-inning long ball spoiled what was shaping up to be a fine performance by the Omaha bullpen, which was called upon in the fifth to replace ineffective starting pitcher Mike Montgomery. Right-hander Zach Miner held Albuquerque scoreless over the next four innings, giving the Storm Chasers an opportunity to get back in the game and have a chance at victory.

As has been the case quite often this season, Montgomery struggled with his control. Making his 20th start of the season, he allowed four runs on seven hits over four innings pitched, walking four and striking out three. He needed 93 pitches to get his first 10 outs, with the final two coming on a hard smash with the bases loaded that the Omaha defense turned into a 5-4-3, inning-ending double play with the Chasers trailing 4-1.

“He’s just been inconsistent with his command, and it’s something that’s got to get better,” said manager Mike Jirschele after the game. “He was fortunate to get through as far as he did.”

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.