Martin, Sabol Home Runs Not Enough in Indy’s 5-4 Defeat to Omaha

PAPILLION, Neb. – Luis Ortiz struck out nine and surrendered two unearned runs over 6.0 no-hit innings, Mason Martin and Blake Sabol each hit solo home runs, but the Omaha Storm Chasers sprayed four singles during a three-run eighth to rally past the Indianapolis Indians on Thursday night, 5-4.

After scoring two runs without a hit against Ortiz through the first six frames, the Storm Chasers (64-68) snatched their first hit of the game – a two-out single by Clay Dungan off John O’Reilly – in the seventh. O’Reilly (L, 5-3) remained in the game for the eighth and following a leadoff walk to Maikel Garcia and Nick Loftin single, Freddy Fermin fisted a run-scoring single into shallow right field. O’Reilly then caught Dairon Blanco looking at strike three, but two-out singles by Jackson Reetz and Logan Porter gave Omaha the lead and O’Reilly his third blown save.

Indianapolis (68-63) was held scoreless through five innings before scratching across a run in the sixth against southpaw Austin Cox, who fanned eight over 6.0 one-run frames. Cox beaned Drew Maggi to start the inning and one out later, Bligh Madris dropped a single down the left field line to plate Maggi.

With Cox out of the game, the Indians secured the lead in the seventh. Martin greeted left-hander Gabe Speier with his second home run in as many days to left field for his team-leading 17th blast of the season. Ji-Hwan Bae later doubled home Carter Bins to make it 3-2, and Sabol’s two-out shot to left-center in the eighth gave Indy its final run.

Yefri Del Rosario (W, 1-0) yielded three hits – including Sabol’s second Triple-A home run and 16th of the season – in 1.0 inning of relief but benefited from Omaha’s eighth-inning spurt to take home the victory. Andres Nunez (SV, 4) pitched around a one-out infield single by Bae in the ninth.

Ortiz’s nine-strikeout performance was his second-highest total of the season, one shy of 10 over 5.0 innings in his final start with Double-A Altoona on Aug. 26 at Bowie.

Madris tripled to open the eighth but was tagged out at home trying to score on a Del Rosario pitch that skipped away from Fermin behind the plate. He finished with two hits for his third consecutive multi-hit game. Martin had a game-high three knocks, and Indianapolis outhit Omaha, 12-5.

The Indians and Storm Chasers continue their series at Werner Park on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:35 PM ET. RHP Osvaldo Bido (3-7, 4.48) gets the nod for Indy. Omaha has not yet named its starter.