9th Inning Rally Falls Short as Omaha Falls to Saint Paul 6-5
July 21, 2023 - International League (IL)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
PAPILLION, NEB. - The Omaha Storm Chasers led for much of the game and kept within striking distance in the second half but despite putting the winning run on in the ninth inning, fell to the St. Paul Saints for the second straight game, 6-5 on Thursday night at Werner Park.
Facing his former team, Jermaine Palacios gave the Chasers a pair of early runs, with a sacrifice fly in the second inning that scored Brewer Hicklen after a leadoff triple for a 1-0 lead. He put Omaha up 2-0 in the fifth on a solo home run for a 2-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Angel Zerpa kept the Saints scoreless over the first half of the game with 4.1 scoreless frames, with just three hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Steven Cruz finished the fifth inning behind Zerpa to keep St. Paul off the board, but allowed one run in the sixth to cut the lead in half, then was tagged for four runs in the seventh inning as the Saints jumped ahead and led the rest of the night.
After Nate Eaton singled in the eighth inning, Tyler Gentry doubled him in to cut the deficit to two runs, but the Saints added a run of insurance on a pair of hits in the ninth inning, to increase their lead to three runs.
Omaha put up a strong fight in the bottom of the ninth, as Adeiny Hechavarría opened the inning with a double, then scored on a Samad Taylor single. Nick Loftin singled, then Logan Porter singled in Taylor to put Loftin on third as the tying run and the winning run on first. However, Eaton struck out to end the game and the Chasers fell a run short, losing 6-5.
Behind Cruz, James McArthur and Evan Sisk combined for 1.2 scoreless innings and Walter Pennington retired three straight after allowing a pair of hits to open the ninth.
Eight different Chasers batters recorded hits in the game, including two each from Taylor and Loftin, while the pitching staff combined to strike out 10.
Omaha will try to rebound Friday at 7:05 p.m. CT with left-hander Cole Ragans on the mound against St. Paul
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