Two-Run Eighth Lifts Chasers Over Toledo 6-5

PAPILLION, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers scored two runs in the eighth inning of a

back-and-forth thriller to win their third straight game this week against the Toledo Mud Hens, a 6-5 victory on Saturday at Werner Park.

Once again, the Mud Hens jumped out to an early lead and scored a run in the top of the second against Dinelson Lamet and a double and single to open the inning put Toledo up 1-0.

The Chasers quickly countered in the bottom of the first as Rodolfo Durán drew a one-out walk and came around to score as Devin Mann ripped his 12th homer of the season, a two-run shot, for a 2-1 lead.

Omaha added another additional more runs in the third and fourth inning as Nelson Velázquez hit singled in the third, then stole second and scored on an RBI single from Nick Loftin. In the fourth, Mann led off the inning with a double, his second hit of the night and set up John Rave to hit his team-leading 31st double of the season and plate Mann for a 4-1 game.

Lamet worked scoreless innings in the third and fourth, including a 1-2-3 fourth inning, with a stretch of five batters in a row set down that carried into the first out of the fifth. Toledo was held to just the one run in that span, while stranding seven runners on base in the first three innings.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Mud Hens answered back and scored two runs off of a solo home run from Bligh Madris, followed by a double and RBI single that shrunk Omaha’s lead to 4-3 and ended Lamet’s day. Austin Cox entered the game with two outs in the fifth and stranded the inheritred runner, plus one of his own to maintain the one run advantage.

Cox tossed 1.2 scoreless innings and added two strikeouts to the pitching staff’s line before Jonathan Bowlan took the mound for the Chasers in the top of the seventh inning and threw a 1-2-3 inning.

Omaha was held quiet after the fourth, with eight in a row set down through the end of the sixth. The Mud Hens regained the lead in the top of the eighth inning as a single, intentional walk and a two-run double gave Toledo a 5-4 lead and put Bowlan on the hook for a loss.

Down by a run with six outs to work with, Rodolfo Durán sinlged with one out in the eighth inning to begin a rally for the Chasers. Tyler Tolbert pinch ran for Durán and stole second base, then Mann walked and was pinch run for with Drew Waters. Devanney Tolbert around from second base to tie the score at 5-5, then a sacrifice squeeze bunt from Rave scored Waters from third base for a 6-5 lead.

Steven Cruz entered the game in the top of the ninth inning and worked a 1-2-3 inning to earn his third save of the year while the victory gave Bowlan his team-leading 10^th win of the

The Chasers now sit at 85 wins, one win shy of tying the franchise record of 86 wins in a season, set by the 1990 Omaha Royals.

The Storm Chasers will look to clinch the series against the Mud Hens Sunday, September 15 as first pitch is slated for 2:05 p.m. CT and right-handed pitcher Chandler Champlain takes the mound for Omaha.