Chasers pummel Saints behind season highs in runs, hits

ST. PAUL, MINN. -- The Omaha Storm Chasers offense exploded for 16 runs on 21 hits, both season bests, to defeat the St. Paul Saints, 16-9, on Thursday at CHS Field.

Omaha (23-9) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning when right-fielder Ryan O'Hearn crushed a three-run homer over the right-center field fence and out of the ballpark. Third baseman Gabriel Cancel and catcher Sebastian Rivero later followed with back-to-back RBI singles against St. Paul (16-17) right-hander Chandler Shepherd (Loss, 1-2) to make it 5-0.

The Saints responded in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by outfielder Byron Buxton, making a rehab appearance, against left-hander Daniel Lynch (Win, 2-1). But Omaha came back with five more runs in the top of the second, sending nine men to the plate for the second consecutive inning. After O'Hearn launched a two-run homer to left-center, designated hitter Meibrys Viloria sliced a single to left to bring in first baseman Ryan McBroom. Later, Viloria and Cancel scored on a two-run double by Rivero to put Omaha in front, 10-2.

O'Hearn finished the game 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs, collecting multiple home runs for the second consecutive game. In 11 games with Omaha, O'Hearn has nine home runs and 20 RBIs.

St. Paul scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning to continue the slugfest, plating two on a home run by designated hitter Keon Broxton and two more on Buxton's second home run of the game. Lynch, who allowed one more run to score on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, yielded a career-high seven runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings.

Omaha began to pad its lead in the fourth, when outfielder Bubba Starling connected on a solo homer to left, his seventh of the season in 11 games. Starling added another run in the fifth when he drove in O'Hearn with an RBI triple off the fence in centerfield. Starling finished the game 3-for-6 with a triple, home run, and two RBIs.

The Chasers tacked on three more runs in the sixth. After loading the bases on a single and two walks, shortstop Alcides Escobar drove in a run with a single to right. Next, with the bases still loaded, O'Hearn was hit by a pitch to force in a run. McBroom capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI infield single to third, extending Omaha's lead to 15-6.

The final run of the night for the Chasers came in the seventh, when Rivero blasted a solo home run to left. He finished the game with a career-high five hits, going 5-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs.

St. Paul hit two more home runs, solo shots from outfielder Brent Rooker in the seventh and Drew Maggi in the ninth, to finish the scoring.

It was the first game with at least 15 runs for Omaha since June 8, 2018, in a 16-1 win over Albuquerque and the first game with at least 20 hits since June 4, 2019, in a 14-3 win over Albuquerque. Rivero's five-hit game was the first for a Chasers player since Nicky Lopez had five hits on July 27, 2018, in a 15-4 win at Fresno.

The Storm Chasers continue their series with the Saints on Friday, when right-hander Scott Blewett (1-1, 5.40) faces St. Paul right-hander Rob Whalen (0-1, 1.08). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and coverage begins with the Sarpy County Tourism Pregame Show at 6:45 p.m. on 1180 The Zone.

Following the series at CHS Field, the Storm Chasers return to Werner Park on June 15 for a six-game series against the Louisville Bats (CIN), which includes a Sunday night game on June 20, which is Father's Day. For tickets and more information, please visit omahastormchasers.com, call the Werner Park Ticket Office at (402) 738-5100 and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.