Mann of the Hour(s): Chasers Sweep DH with Mud Hens

There isn’t a more clutch team in Minor League Baseball this season than the Omaha Storm Chasers. It was proven in both games this evening at Fifth Third Field.

As Mike Jirschele told me on Sunday, “Everyone wants to be that hero.”

And on Friday, the hero was Devin Mann not once, but twice.

Mann drove in the go-ahead runs in Game 1 and got the game to extras in Game 2 that allowed the Storm Chasers to sweep the Toledo Mud Hens 5-2 and 6-2 (Eight Innings), respectively, in Western Ohio on Friday night.

GAME 1:

The Chasers got on the board first for the first time in five games in the 1st Inning. Back-to-back singles by Nate Eaton and CJ Alexander gave the Chasers the opportunity. Eaton scored on a wild pitch, then Alexander came around on a double from Brian O’Keefe. That gave the Chasers a 2-0 lead in the 1st.

The Mud Hens responded with two of their own in the second. Bligh Madris singled followed by a walk from Justice Bigbe. After both runners moved over on a few groundouts, Andrew Navigato socked a single to right field to score both runners and tie the game at two for Toledo.

We’d be scoreless going into the 7th, and that’s when the Chasers offense woke up. Austin Nola (good to see him get going) doubled to left to start the inning. Nate Eaton then singled to shallow left and stole second a few pitches later. With two men on and two men out, Devin Mann hit his first of two clutch hits of the day with a single up the middle to plate both Nola and Eaton. Mann would score on a double from Brian O’Keefe to give the Chasers a 5-2 lead heading to the bottom of the frame.

Carlos Hernandez got two quick outs but gave up a double to Parker Meadows on the second pitch of the AB. Spencer Torkelson roped a base hit to left field hoping to score him, but a great throw from Nate Eaton in the outfield reached Austin Nola, who tagged out Meadows in a close play to end Game 1.

GAME 2:

It was much more of a pitchers duel in Game 2, but the Chasers struck first again on John Rave’s 10th home run of the season, a solo shot to right field. It was Omaha’s first hit of the game. 1-0 Chasers halfway through the game.

Despite a strong start, Jonathan Bowlan ran into trouble in the 5th Inning. Back-to-back singles put two men on for Toledo. Andrew Navigato, who drove in both runs in Game 1, did the same here with a two-run double down the left-field line. Despite escaping the inning, the Chasers found themselves behind for the third time in four games as Toledo took a 2-1 lead into the 6th.

The Mud Hens couldn’t rid themselves of the Chasers that easily. Omaha got three straight singles in the 6th from Rave, Eaton, and CJ Alexander to load the bases. Mann then hit his second clutch hit of the day with a long single off the wall in left field. Rave scored easily, but Eaton was thrown out at the plate. Regardless, the Chasers got the tying run and thanks to big outs from Steven Cruz, forced extra innings.

Omaha’s offense was like a well-oiled machine in the 8th Inning. Doubles from Eaton, Alexander, and O’Keefe scored three runs for the Storm Chasers. Josh Lester drove in O’Keefe on his first Triple-A hit with a single to left. It was also his first RBI as a Chaser. A four-run 8th gave Omaha a 6-2 lead heading to the bottom of the inning.

Despite the Mud Hens loading the bases with one out, Will Klein got a strikeout and a pop-out in foul territory to give the Chasers the victory.

After getting pummeled in Game 1 of this series, the Storm Chasers have outscored Toledo 18-9 in three straight victories.

NOTES:

With the sweep of the doubleheader, the Storm Chasers magic number to clinch the 1st Half of the schedule is now at six games. They cannot clinch it this weekend but could clinch it during the homestand against Louisville next week.
Devin Mann finished the DH 2-7 but had three RBIs. Two of them were game-tying runs, one was the game-winner in Game 1. He was, indeed, the Mann.
Austin Nola is now 3 for his last 7. He was 5-for-53 entering this series. He’s coming around, which is great to see.
Josh Lester got his first Triple-A hit and RBI in Game 2 with an RBI single to right in the 8th Inning.
Tyler Gentry was 2-3 in Game 1. He’s 6-14 in the series. Another guy starting to get hot.
Nate Eaton was en fuego today. 5-8, two doubles, RBI, scored three times in two games.
Same for Brian O’Keefe. He finished 4-7 in two games. Two RBIs in Game 1, RBI double in Game 2
CJ Alexander had another multi-hit game in Game 2. He went 2-4 with an RBI double.
After going 0-4 with three K’s in Game 1, John Rave went 2-4 with a homer, an RBI, and he scored twice.
Let’s talk pitchers. Kris Bubic made another rehab appearance in Game 1. He tossed four innings allowing two runs on four hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. Not bad.
Noah Murdock has been here for two games and has been awesome. Murdock was credited with his first win of the season, tossing two scoreless innings with one walk and one strikeout.
Carlos Hernandez picked up his fourth save.
Steven Cruz relieved Jonathan Bowlan in Game 2 and allowed two hits in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out two.
Evan Sisk got Parker Meadows to ground out to end the 7th Inning. That was his outing. He was credited with his fifth win of the year.

NEXT GAME:

The Storm Chasers look for the series win against the Mud Hens tomorrow at 6:05 pm. No word on who will start for Omaha tomorrow. The early assumption is Daniel Lynch IV as he was optioned to the Chasers earlier this week.