Chasers comeback falls short in second straight loss to I-Cubs

PAPILLION, Neb. -- The Omaha Storm Chasers put the potential tying run at third base and the potential winning run at first base in the bottom of the ninth inning, but failed to complete a comeback, falling, 6-5, to the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday at Werner Park. The loss moves Omaha (64-58) four games behind Toledo with four games left to play.

Trailing, 6-4, entering the bottom of the ninth inning, designated hitter Ryan McBroom led off the inning with a double. Following an error by Trent Giambrone to allow shortstop Erick Mejia to reach safely, second baseman Angelo Castellano drove in McBroom with a single down the right-field line. Later in inning with Mejia at third and Castellano at first, Castellano took off for second base on a pitch to centerfielder Lucius Fox and got caught in a rundown. Mejia was thrown out at home on the play attempting to score the potential tying run.

Omaha took an early lead, when first baseman Emmanuel Rivera blasted a two-run homer against Iowa right-hander Cory Abbott (Win, 4-6) over the left-center field fence in the first inning.

The Storm Chasers led 2-0 until the fifth, when the I-Cubs scored four runs on five hits against left-hander Marcelo Martinez (Loss, 4-7). Following back-to-back singles by Brennan Davis and Tyler Ladendorf, Johneshwy Fargas hit a three-run, go-ahead home run and Levi Jordan hit a solo home run.

Martinez completed 6.0 innings for the second consecutive start, striking out the final four batters he faced to tie his season high with nine strikeouts.

Iowa tacked on another run in the seventh when Fargas doubled and scored on a groundout. He attempted to steal third on a pitch that was hit on the ground to shortstop and scored during Mejia's throw to first.

Omaha made it a one-run game with back-to-back homers on back-to-back pitches in the bottom of the seventh. First, Rivera smacked his second home run of the night—a 453-foot shot—over the left-field fence. On the next pitch, McBroom clobbered a 470-foot solo home run to left field for his league-leading 30th home run of the season, cutting the deficit to 6-5.

McBroom's 30 home runs tie him with Carlos Peguero for the most home runs in a single season in Storm Chasers history (2011-pres.). The Omaha single-season franchise home run record is 46, set by Chris Hatcher in 1998.

Ladendorf gave Iowa an insurance run in the ninth with a solo home run to left.

The Storm Chasers continue their six-game series with the Iowa Cubs on Thursday, when left-hander Foster Griffin (0-0, 3.15) faces Iowa right-hander Matt Swarmer (3-7, 4.88). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. CT with the Sarpy County Tourism Pregame Show on 1180 The Zone.

Following a six-game series against Iowa, the Storm Chasers play their final five home games of the season against the Indianapolis Indians (PIT) from Sept. 22-26 as part of the Triple-A Final Stretch. A special ticket package for the Triple-A Final Stretch is available now. For tickets and more information, visit omahastormchasers.com or call the Werner Park Ticket Office at (402) 738-5100 and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.