Blanco Drives in Three and Walks off Memphis in Four-Hit Game
PAPILLION, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers pulled out ahead in the end of a back-and-forth affair, beating the Memphis Redbirds 10-9 in 10 innings Friday at Werner Park, as left fielder Dairon Blanco went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in, including the game-winner. Omaha jumped ahead early with a
PAPILLION, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers pulled out ahead in the end of a back-and-forth affair, beating the Memphis Redbirds 10-9 in 10 innings Friday at Werner Park, as left fielder Dairon Blanco went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in, including the game-winner.
Omaha jumped ahead early with a lead, as Nate Eaton crushed a solo homer down the left field line in the bottom of the first. In the third, Tucker Bradley and Blanco connected on back-to-back doubles to score a run, then Tyler Gentry singled Blanco home for a 3-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Drew Parrish cruised through three scoreless innings to start, on just 38 pitches, but faced a roadblock in the fourth inning as the first eight Memphis hitters reached base and tagged him for seven runs to knock him out of the game.
Walter Pennington stranded a pair of inherited runners behind Parrish, then worked a scoreless fifth, giving Omaha momentum to take a lead.
The Chasers nearly replicated the Redbirds’ explosive inning, tallying six runs in the bottom of the fifth to soar ahead, taking advantage of poor Memphis defense and adding timely hits. After Blanco singled to open the inning and there was one out, seven of the next eight batters reached, beginning with another RBI single from Gentry and an RBI single from Johan Camargo. Brewer Hicklen brought in a run on a fielder’s choice, then Tucker Bradley drew a bases loaded walk and a single from Blanco drove in two, with the third Redbirds error of the inning.
Pennington allowed a run in the sixth, but Brooks Kriske behind him stranded a pair of inherited runners and retired seven of the eight he faced, including his first six and a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
With a one-run lead entering the ninth, Dylan Coleman came on to get the save after 2.1 scoreless innings from Kriske. He walked a pair and nearly worked out of trouble, but a one-out throwing error by Clay Dungan on ground ball tied the game and 9-9 and force extras, as Omaha couldn’t tie the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Jonah Dipoto took the mound in the 10th and shut down the top of the Memphis order, firing a perfect inning with a pair of strikeouts, on just 14 pitches.
Hicklen opened the bottom of the 10th as the placed runner, Dungan walked, then Bradley bunted them both over.
With just one out, after singling in the eighth inning for his fourth hit of the day, Blanco stepped to the plate and sent a fly ball deep to right field that scored Hicklen from third, a walk-off sacrifice fly for the 10-9 final, Omaha’s first walk-off win of the year.
Omaha will try and secure at least a series split Saturday at 7:05 p.m. CT with Runza Night at Werner Park and right-hander Max Castillo on the mound.