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.

Perez has big night in Chasers win

Salvador Perez was 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs
(File photo: Brad Williams /
Brad Williams Photography)

Omaha, Neb. – With violent storms whipping across the Omaha metro area Saturday night, the Chasers felt right at home, winning a 7-5 decision over the Sacramento River Cats at Werner Park. The game was delayed two times due to the weather, once with Omaha leading 6-4 in the fifth and again with the Storm Chasers on top 7-5 in the eighth.

The win by the Chasers, coupled with a loss by second place Memphis, gives Omaha a six game lead in the PCL American North. The Chasers are now 63-51 and they are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Jeff Suppan (11-5) eventually earned the win in this one, as the 36-year-old righthander completed five innings of work just before the first storm hit. The 11 victories move him into a first-place tie for most wins in the league this season, matching Albuquerque’s Dana Eveland and Sacramento’s Graham Godfrey. He allowed four runs on four hits, walked two and struck out three in the game.

Catcher Salvador Perez, 15 years Suppan’s junior, was the hitting star for the Chasers in the ballgame. He ripped a pair of RBI doubles in the first three innings, giving him three runs batted in on the night and 10 in his short time in a Storm Chasers’ uniform. His second-inning double scored new shortstop Yamaico Navarro, who arrived in Omaha just three hours prior to first pitch. Navarro went 1-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

River Cats squeak by the Chasers

Cody Clark was 2-for-3 with an RBI
(File photo: Lee Warren)

Graham Godfrey and the Sacramento River Cats shut down the Omaha Storm Chasers 2-1 Friday night, in front of a nearly-full house of 8,871 fans at Werner Park. The River Cats have claimed two of the first three games of the four-game series, with all three games decided by a single run.

Thanks to strong performances by winning pitcher Graham Godfrey (11-2) and Omaha’s Mike Montgomery (4-7), the difference in the ballgame turned out to be a pair of ground balls down the first base line, one by each team.

In the top of the second, Adrian Cardenas turned on a pitch from Montgomery and snuck it past a diving Clint Robinson for a double, scoring Michael Taylor with the game’s first run. Later, with the River Cats up 2-1 in the seventh, Omaha’s Jarrod Dyson came to the plate with runners on first and second and hit a similar ground ball toward the line that looked to be enough for the game-tying hit. But 6-foot-4 first baseman Chris Carter smothered it with a sprawling dive and was able to flip to pitcher Vinnie Chulk for the out, squashing the rally.

Here comes Johnny

Johnny Giavotella
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

An hour after the Omaha Storm Chasers lost to the Sacramento River Cats Thursday night, most of the lights at Werner Park were dim. A couple of players milled around in the clubhouse, just about to head home for the evening.

Johnny Giavotella was seated at a table in the clubhouse, trying to eat a late dinner, but his phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. And he still had a goodbye or two he wanted to say.

The craziness started when manager Mike Jirschele called Giavotella into his office after the game.

“He called me in there and I kind of had some chills at first, I didn’t know what to expect,” Giavotella said. “He asked me if I wanted to work on some double plays tomorrow here at the field. And I was like, ‘Yeah, you know, whatever you want.’ And he said, ‘Or would you like to go to the big leagues?’

“I was taken aback by it. You know, it was a dream come true. I had to sit down just to gather it all in.”

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.

Storm Chasers overcome four errors to win sixth straight

Clint Robinson hit a two-run home run in the forth inning.
(File photo: Minda Haas / Royal Blues)

Omaha, Neb. – The Omaha Storm Chasers extended their winning streak to six games Wednesday night, defeating the Sacramento River Cats 3-2, thanks to a two-run home run in the fourth inning by Clint Robinson and strong efforts from starting pitcher Sean O'Sullivan, and relievers Kelvin Herrera and Jesse Chavez, who were able to keep the River Cats from scoring over the final three innings.

The win guarantees that Omaha will maintain their five game lead in the PCL American North, with an opportunity to stretch it to six games if Memphis loses in Reno.

The Chasers didn’t make it easy on themselves. They committed four errors – three of which were by shortstop Lance Zawadzki (two throwing and one fielding) in the third inning – and left runners in scoring position twice with less than two outs, but were unable to get them home. Throw in the fact that the River Cats are full of mashers and Omaha manager Mike Jirschele was just happy to escape with the win.

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.

Chasers win fourth in a row behind strong pitching

Jeff Suppan won his 10th game of
the season. (File photo: Lee Warren)

Oklahoma City, OK – The Omaha Storm Chasers managed just two runs against Oklahoma City pitching Monday night at Bricktown Ballpark, but that was all they needed because Omaha starter Jeff Suppan and reliever Kevin Pucetas tossed a six-hit shutout.

The 2-0 Chasers win, their fourth win in a row, means the Chasers remain 5.0 games up on the second place Memphis Redbirds, who won at home tonight against Iowa, in the PCL American North.

One of the Chasers runs came on a controversial fielder’s choice in the second inning. With one out and Kila Ka’aihue at third base, Jarrod Dyson hit a chopper up the third base line. Oklahoma City starter Lucas Harrell fielded the ball and attempted to tag Ka’aihue but he appeared to tag him with his glove while the ball was in his other hand. Home plate umpire Brett Robson called Ka’aihue safe at home. Harrell argued and Robson ejected him. It was a controversial play all the way around because Dyson should have been credited with a hit on the play since he would have beat the throw to first base.

The Chasers picked up another run later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to center field by Johnny Giavotella. Salvador Perez scored on the play.

Giavotella drives in four in Chasers rout

Johnny Giavotella, shown here helping Jeff Suppan
warm up earlier this season, went 5-for-6 with 4 RBIs.
(Photo: Gage Matthews / Kings of Kauffman)

Oklahoma City, OK – Johnny Giavotella collected five hits and drove in four runs to back a solid outing from Mike Montgomery as Omaha raced out to a huge early lead en route to a 12-3 decision over Oklahoma City Sunday afternoon in the second of a four-game series at Bricktown Ballpark.

The Storm Chasers won their third straight game to improve to 59-49 and remain five games up on the Memphis Redbirds in the PCL American North.

Lorenzo Cain’s two-run home run, his career-high 13th, staked the Chasers to a 2-0 lead in the first inning that held up after Montgomery stranded runners at second and third with one out in the bottom half of the inning.