Lynch IV Throws Quality Start in 9-7 Omaha Win
PAPILLION, NEB – After a two-day break for both teams, the Omaha Storm Chasers stopped a late rally from the Toledo Mud Hens with a 9-7 on Tuesday at Werner Park. The Chasers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when John Rave crushed his 15th homer of
PAPILLION, NEB – After a two-day break for both teams, the Omaha Storm Chasers stopped a late rally from the Toledo Mud Hens with a 9-7 on Tuesday at Werner Park.
The Chasers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when John Rave crushed his 15th homer of the season on the first pitch thrown in the inning to give Omaha the early lead.
Omaha used the long ball to extend its lead, as Drew Waters hit a solo shot to right field in the fourth inning, his eighth homer of the season to put the Chasers up 2-0. CJ Alexander added another solo homer in the fifth inning, crushing 11th of the year to right field for a 3-0 Omaha lead. Austin Nola increased the lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer, his fourth in his last six games, plating Waters in the process.
Starting pitcher Daniel Lynch IV worked his sixth quality start of the season and improved to 6-0 on the year, opening the game with 6.0 scoreless innings. He got the first out of the seventh inning before Toledo got on the board with a home run from Bligh Madris that ended Lynch’s night. Over 6.1 innings, Lynch held the Mud Hens to just the one run on three hits, while striking out seven.
Right-handed reliever Noah Murdock in the top of the seventh inning with one out gone and got the final two outs of the inning with strikeouts, stranding a pair of runner son in the process.
The Storm Chasers continued their scoring in the bottom of the seventh, as Alexander recorded his third hit of the game, then Waters and Cam Devanney drew two straight walks to load the bases for Nola. Nola cleared the bases with a double to center field for a 5-RBI night as Alexander, Waters and Devanney all scored to move the lead in Omaha’s favor 8-1 at the end of seven.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Mud Hens rallied back with six runs and cut the Omaha lead to just one run. Murdock got the first out of the inning, but walked three and allowed a hit, before he was relieved by Jesus Tinoco. Tinoco inherited the bases loaded and allowed all three runners to score, as the righty was tagged for four straight two-out hits, with two of his own runners scoring, as the Mud Hens came within one, 8-7.
The Chasers added another run of insurance in the bottom of the eighth as Nate Eaton hit a solo shot to left field, his 10th of the season and the team’s fifth of the day, moving the score to the 9-7 that held to be final.
Evan Sisk stranded a pair of inherited runners in the eighth and got the final out of the inning, then recorded the first two outs of the top of the ninth. The inning opened on a home run-robbing catch by Waters and with a runner on and two outs, Sisk handed the ball off to Steven Cruz, who got a strike out to close the game for a 9-7 Omaha win.
The Storm Chasers continue this week’s series against the Toledo Mud Hens with an early start as first pitch starts at 12:05 p.m. CT on Wednesday and right-handed pitcher Andrew Hoffmann is slated to start for Omaha.