Another Twin Bill Split for Chasers and OKC
June 25, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
Oklahoma City, OK - Christian Colon homered and drove in all four runs but it was not enough to overcome an early four-run deficit as Oklahoma City claimed a 5-4 win in game two and a doubleheader split with Omaha Tuesday night at Bricktown Ballpark. The Storm Chasers won three of the six games in the series and return home at 35-44, trailing first-place Iowa and Memphis by 3 1/2 games in the American Conference North Division. Omaha will open a four-game series with the I-Cubs on Thursday night at Werner Park.
Maikel Cleto, claimed on waivers by the Royals from St. Louis, had a rough start to his first appearance for Omaha, as he surrendered back-to-back run-scoring doubles to Jimmy Paredes and Brandon Laird in the first inning to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. Following a walk and a wild pitch, Jose Martinez grounded out to plate Laird to make it a three-run frame. The hard-throwing right-hander, who had issued 14 walks in his last two starts with Memphis, walked the bases loaded to open the second but got a double play ball and fly out to limit the damage to only one run.
Bobby Doran, making his first Triple-A start, kept the Storm Chasers blanked until Colon blasted a three-run homer with two outs in the fifth to trim the lead to 4-3. Johnny Giavotella followed with a base hit that ended the night for the right-hander after he had allowed six hits and walked two over 4 2/3 innings. Alex Sogard came on to get the final out of the inning and pick up the win.
Cleto was removed after four innings during which he surrendering four runs on six hits and five walks while fanning one and was replaced by George Sherrill, who gave up a run in the fifth on a walk, a balk, a wild pitch and a Martinez sacrifice fly that extended the lead to a pair. Jason Stoffel took over on the hill for OKC in the sixth and allowed three singles that loaded the bases with two outs for Colon, who picked up an infield hit that scored Brett Hayes to cut the gap back to a run. Josh Zeid entered in the seventh and closed the door, with the help of a game-ending double play, to earn the save and give OKC a 6-5 lead in the season series.
Xavier Nady's two-out single chased home Giavotella, who had doubled, with two outs in the first inning in the opener to get the scoring started. It was one of five hits in the frame that netted only the one run as Chad Tracy bounced into a force play with the bases loaded to end the threat. Robbie Grossman started the home half with a single, advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt, moved to third on a passed ball but was cut down at the plate trying to score on a ground ball to Tracy, the first baseman.
From there, the game settled into the anticipated pitcher's duel it was billed to be, as OKC's Jarred Cosart set down 11 in a row before a walk to Willy Taveras in the fifth. Meanwhile, Omaha starter Danny Duffy had retired a dozen straight before Jon Singleton opened the fifth with a base hit. The southpaw, who was activated from the disabled list and optioned to Omaha earlier in the day, did issue his only walk later in the inning but avoided trouble by getting Ruben Sosa to ground out to squash the rally and strand a pair of runners. Duffy finished his five-inning performance allowing two hits and striking out four and was followed to the hill by Buddy Baumann, who walked the bases loaded in the sixth but struck out Carlos Perez to keep the hosts off the board.
Cosart had set down six straight hitters until he encountered Tracy, who ended the streak with one out in the seventh with a solo home run, his fourth of the season and first since May 20, to give the visitors some breathing room heading into the final half-inning. The RedHawks right-hander went the distance but suffered the defeat after giving up six hits, walking one and fanning four. Baumann walked the leadoff hitter and was lifted in favor of Donnie Joseph, who walked the first batter he faced and gave up a sacrifice bunt by Sosa that advanced the runners. However, the left-hander wriggled out of the jam by getting Grossman to fly out and striking out Jonathan Villar to end the game and preserve Duffy's first win since he beat the Yankees on May 3 last season.
The Storm Chasers return home Thursday night and will send right-hander Yordano Ventura to the mound in the series opener against Iowa right-hander Guillermo Moscoso. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:45 pm and can be heard locally on 1180 Zone 2 The Deuce and online at omahastormchasers.com.
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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 25, 2013
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