Chasers Bounce Back with Slugfest Win

The calendar flip to June meant the start of postgame fireworks on Thursdays at Werner Park.

Omaha and Iowa provided some in-game fireworks as well in an 8-5 slugfest won by the Storm Chasers.

The teams combined for six home runs – including a 454-foot tape-measure shot by Cubs outfielder Trayce Thompson – in the first six innings. Omaha tallied four of them to build a commanding 8-2 lead.

Bubba Starling hit two, in consecutive innings, in his first action since May 20. The Omaha outfielder had been out of the lineup after undergoing LASIK surgery, and then a follow-up procedure, on his right eye.

The former first-round draft pick had been taking batting practice daily, but he hadn’t been in a game since the Chasers were playing Iowa in Des Moines. He was out during Omaha’s recent winning streak.

“I really wasn’t concerned about timing … maybe a little bit,” he said. “I just wanted to get out and have some at-bats, hit some balls hard and just be back playing with the guys. It’s tough sitting on the side there. But it’s been fun watching them play – nine-game win streak. They’ve been getting after it.”

The Chasers had their winning streak snapped by the Cubs on Wednesday, but they bounced back by scoring all eight of their runs via the long ball. Ryan O’Hearn gave Omaha the lead with a two-run shot in the fourth, one inning after rehabbing Chicago outfielder Jason Heyward homered to open the scoring.

Starling’s solo homer in the following inning padded the lead. Emmanuel Rivera added a two-run blast two outs later to make it 5-1 before Thompson’s shot off the second batter’s eye cut the lead to three.

The Chasers had two on with one out in the sixth when manager Brian Poldberg looked to Starling to advance them with a sacrifice. He bunted foul, then he launched a three-run homer with two strikes.

“Poley gave me the bunt sign a few times, and I haven’t bunted in a little bit,” he said. “I got a little nervous and got too quick. I just tried to stride out with two strikes and tried to put it in play.”

The result was Starling’s second two-homer game in his last three starts. He’s recorded five hits in the six games that he’s played this season. Four of them have been home runs. The other was a double.

“I’m really not a home-run hitter,” he said. “I run into them occasionally. I’m just trying to put the ball in play and hit it hard and seeing what good things can happen. Gosh, guys up and down the lineup have been swinging it. Our pitching’s been great. It’s just kind of fun to hop in the lineup and be a part of it.”

The Chasers got a solid start from Carlos Hernández (2-1), who allowed a run on five hits through five innings in his second win. Three of the hits he gave up were to Heyward and veteran Dee Strange-Gordon.

Anthony Swarzak picked up his second save with an immaculate inning in the ninth. In his sixth Omaha appearance, he punched out Vance Vizcaino, Thompson and Taylor Gushue on nine pitches – all strikes.