PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Hayes Hammers Home a 5-3 Finale Win

August 25, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


OMAHA, Neb. - Brett Hayes' sixth homer of the series put the Omaha Storm Chasers (67-69) in front of his former team for good as they notched a 5-3 series finale win against the New Orleans Zephyrs (68-68). With an 11-5 win by Memphis in Iowa today, the Chasers maintain the 2.0-game lead in the division and the magic number is down to seven with eight games left.

Hayes homered in all four games he played against New Orleans in the five-game set, totaling the most long balls in a series for Omaha since Craig Brazell also totaled six in May of the 2007 season against Oklahoma City. Hayes leads the team with 17 homers on the season, the most he has put up in any professional season, and had totaled only seven homers in his previous 61 games before the monster series. Only Oklahoma City's George Springer has more homers (eight) in the PCL than Hayes in the month of August.

Storm Chasers starter Brian Sanches became the first Omaha pitcher to ten wins and the sixth pitcher in the PCL to double-digit victories, and the ten wins match a career high he set back in 2002 for the 16-year veteran. He allowed three runs (two earned) over his six innings, the 11th time in his 13 starts he has given up two earned runs or less this season. Since July 1st Sanches is 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 50.0 innings, the second lowest ERA in the league during that stretch, and the Chasers have won 11 of his 13 starts in 2013.

During the game Christian Colon collected a RBI on a groundout in the fifth inning that tied the game at 3-3, after Sanches allowed a two-run shot to Pedro Ciriaco's brother Audy Ciriaco in the top of the inning, for his team-leading 56th RBI on the year. He later smacked a single in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, tying him with Xavier Nady for the longest hitting streak by a Storm Chaser this season.

Omaha will now root for New Orleans as the Zephyrs take on Memphis in a four-game set in the Big Easy while the Chasers travel to Des Moines to face the I-Cubs. In the series opener at Principal Park left-hander Danny Duffy (3-0, 4.08) takes the hill for Omaha, and in his last five starts he has given up four earned runs in 22.0 innings while totaling 28 strikeouts. Duffy will face off with Iowa right-hander Yoanner Negrin (3-6, 4.35) with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. and coverage getting underway on 1180 Zone 2 The Deuce and www.omahastormchasers.com at 6:15 p.m.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 25, 2013


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