Defensive Lapses Cost Chasers
August 23, 2011 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
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 frames, 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.
Nashville went on to score four times in the top of the 11th, the final two tallies coming on a home run by Mat Gamel, his 27th long ball of the season. The rally was set up when losing pitcher Brandon Sisk (4-2) airmailed a throw to first on a sacrifice bunt, a play that allowed the lead runner to move to third and the batter to second.
Early on, the story of the game was young Nashville hurler Wily Peralta. The big righthander held the Chasers hitless until the seventh, when Lorenzo Cain beat out an infield grounder and later scored on an Irving Falu single. Those were the only two hits Peralta surrendered in his seven innings of work, striking out seven batters and walking two.
Omaha starter Jeff Suppan allowed two runs - one earned - in 6.1 innings pitched, giving up six hits and one walk to go with one strikeout. He threw 93 pitches, 61 for strikes, exiting with runners on second and third with one down in the seventh. The runner on third would score on a sacrifice fly, Suppan's only earned run of the game.
The defensive miscues took on a life of their own throughout the ballgame, as each successive error stacked the deck more and more against the Chasers. Nashville took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Robinson dropped a relatively routine two-out throw from third baseman Lance Zawadzki, allowing a run to score from third base. Robinson had trouble again in the eighth, this time on a hard hit grounder that he was unable to backhand. The run that eventually scored in that frame gave the Sounds a 3-1 lead.
Navarro contributed two errors to the final tally, his fourth and fifth of the year in 64 chances with the Storm Chasers to lower his fielding percentage to .922. In addition to the errors committed by Robinson, Navarro and Sisk, Cain booted a ball in right field that allowed a batter to advance to second base on a single.
The Chasers will try to put their defensive woes behind them Tuesday in game four of the four-game series with Nashville. Omaha will go for their eighth-consecutive win when trailing 2-1 in a series, while also trying to gain ground on the second-place Memphis Redbirds - now just four games behind with 14 to play. Omaha righthander Sean O'Sullivan (7-2, 3.47) will take on Nashville lefthander Sam Narron (6-5, 4.89) beginning at 7:05 p.m.
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