Omaha Outlasts Round Rock in Crazy Game at the Dell

Round Rock, TX - Paulo Orlando collected four hits, scored twice and drove in a run in a wild 11-8 win for Omaha over Round Rock Friday night in the last of a temporarily shortened series at Dell Diamond. The Storm Chasers scored in six different innings and totaled 18 hits to take two of the three games that were completed to improve to 15-18 overall and 4-9 on the road. There were six lead changes and two ties in a game that featured 32 hits and 34 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Chris Gimenez slugged a grand slam to give the hosts the early lead and mark the third time in the series they had scored in the first inning. Francisley Bueno, starting for Omaha to ensure he would get his rehab work in, tossed a scoreless second inning and departed after yielding three hits, walking one and striking out one.

The Express were in a pinch to find someone to take the hill after Thursday's promotion of scheduled starter Justin Germano and turned to Jose Monegro, who was making his Triple-A debut and just his second appearance of the season. He gave up a run-scoring double to Matt Fields in the second, walked two and fanned one over three frames before giving way to Arlett Mavare, who was also taking a Triple-A mound for the first time.

The right-hander was greeted rather rudely as Brian Fletcher doubled with one out and scored when Fields followed with his second home run of the season to trim the lead to 4-3 before Pedro Ciriaco came through with a two-out RBI double to get the game tied. Round Rock loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth against John Lamb and received an infield hit from Bryan Petersen that pushed across the go-ahead run but the Omaha left-hander did a great job avoiding further damage with a couple of ground outs and a strike out.

Lamb's escape plan turned out to be huge after Francisco Pena slugged a two-run homer in the sixth to put Omaha ahead for the first time at 6-5 with his team-best seventh round tripper of the season. The lead swung back to Round Rock in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back two-out run-scoring singles by Adam Rosales and Petersen. The see saw then tipped back in Omaha's favor in the next half inning when Carlos Peguero scored on a passed ball and Orlando singled home Fletcher to make it 8-7.

Donnie Joseph took over for Lamb in the seventh and gave up the tying run before the Storm Chasers moved in front for good in the top of the eighth on a two-out RBI hit by Peguero that scored Jimmy Paredes. The Express threatened in the bottom of the frame but Spencer Patton stranded a runner at third with a strikeout and a great diving catch by Ciriaco. The right-hander got a couple of insurance runs to work with in the ninth and retired the side in order, the only time in the game the Express were so set down, to preserve the win and register his sixth save.

Omaha will open a four-game series against New Orleans on Saturday evening with right-hander Sugar Ray Marimon making the start against Zephyrs' southpaw Brian Flynn. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:45 pm and can be heard locally on 1180 Zone 2 The Deuce and online at omahastormchasers.com.