Omaha Avoids Indians’ Comeback in 5-4 Triumph

INDIANAPOLIS– Nick Pratto kicked off a four-run third inning with a home run for the Omaha Storm Chasers as they took down the Indianapolis Indians, 5-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Victory Field.

Pratto’s homer came off Drake Fellows (L, 7-4) and knotted the game at one. The Storm Chasers (12-23, 43-66) then proceeded to load the bases with no outs on two singles and a hit by pitch, setting up Carter Jensen to break the tie with a two-run ground-rule double. Luca Tresh rounded off Omaha’s game-deciding frame with a sacrifice fly, putting them on top, 4-1.

The Indians (23-12, 65-44) wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the first frame. Ji Hwan Bae walked and stole second before being brought home on a Nick Solak double. The hit extended Solak’s on-base streak to 39 games since June 10, the longest run in Triple-A this season. Indy tacked on another run after Omaha’s big inning, courtesy of an RBI single from Matt Fraizer in the fourth inning, to make it 4-2.

Dairon Blanco led off Omaha’s seventh inning with a double and Tresh added a final run to the Storm Chasers’ tally with a triple. The Indians responded by loading the bases and plating a run on a sacrifice fly from Fraizer but stranded the game-tying runs at second and third in their half. Ronny Simon scratched across another run for Indy with an RBI single to pull the Indians within one in the eighth before they squandered a bases-loaded rally.

John Gant (W, 3-3) made the start for Omaha and allowed two runs in 5.0 innings on his way to a victory and Michael Fulmer (S, 4) blanked Indianapolis across the final 2.0 innings for the save.

Indy and Omaha meet at the halfway point of their six-game series on Thursday night at 6:35 PM. Southpaw Hunter Barco (2-1, 4.29) is set to take the mound for the 14th time for Indianapolis across from RHP Chandler Champlain (3-7, 8.10).