Omaha Drops Back-and-Forth Game to Toledo

PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 6-5 Saturday night against the Toledo Mud Hens, in a back-and-forth game that featured four lead changes..

Dallas Keuchel made his Storm Chasers debut Saturday night and the lefty threw a 1-2-3 1st inning, striking out 1. In the bottom of the frame, Omaha took a 1-0 lead after MJ Melendez led off with a walk and advanced to second on a single from Cavan Biggio. Joey Wiemer followed with another single to score Melendez and plate the first run of the game.

Toledo took a 2-1 with RBI singles in the 2nd and 3rd innings, one of them from former Storm Chaser Brewer Hicklen.

Omaha responded to Toledo’s lead with 3 runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Diego Castillo singled and moved to third on a double from Biggio. Wiemer followed with a 2 RBI single to score both Castillo and Biggio, then Dairon Blanco reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Blanco advanced to third on a single from Harold Castro before going on to score on a Toledo throwing error for a 4-2 Storm Chasers lead.

In the 5th, Justin Dunn came in behind Keuchel, though the Mud Hens regained a 5-4 advantage on a 3-run double. In the bottom of the frame, the Storm Chasers met the Mud Hens at 5-5. Biggio connected on his third hit and second double of the night and Wiemer walked. Blanco reached on a fielder’s choice, both Biggio and Wiemer advancing on a fielding error. A sacrifice fly from Castro plated Biggio, though his run remained unearned due to the Toledo error.

Brandon Johnson relieved Dunn in the 6th and allowed a solo home run, Toledo extending its lead to 6-5. Johnson returned to the game in the 7th, though he was chased from the game with two outs remaining in the inning. Michael Fulmer replaced Johnson, inheriting the bases loaded; however, Fulmer struck out the first two Mud Hens he faced to close the scoreless frame and strand the 3 inherited runners.

In the 8th, Toledo stretched its lead to 7-5 with an RBI single off Fulmer. Beck Way followed Fulmer in the 9th inning and worked a scoreless inning. The Storm Chasers shrunk the deficit to 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth after Melendez doubled and scored on a single from Biggio; however, Omaha’s rally ended there, the 67-6 score holding to be final for the team's third 1-run loss in a row.

Omaha returns to action on Sunday against the Toledo Mud Hens, with first pitch set for 2:05 p.m. CT at Werner Park. Left-hander Rich Hill is scheduled to pitch.