Omaha Storm Chasers Claim Second PCL Championship
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The Omaha Storm Chasers defeated the Salt Lake Bees 10-5 in Game 4 of the Pacific Coast League Championship, clinching a 3-1 series win and the second PCL Championship in franchise history. Omaha is the tenth team since 1963 to win two PCL Championships in the span of three seasons.
After suffering a shutout loss last night, the Storm Chasers responded with one of the best offensive outputs of not only the postseason but the entire season with ten runs and 19 hits. The Chasers used a three-run first inning to jump ahead and a six-run eighth inning that put the game out of reach, with the major blow coming on a bases loaded triple by Lane Adams in the eighth to stretch the lead to 8-2. The 19 hits were the second most by the Storm Chasers this season, and the Omaha offense had not scored ten runs since July 3 against New Orleans. Seven of the nine Omaha batters notched multi-hit games, after only six Chasers had multi-hit games in the first three games of the series combined.
Storm Chasers starter Brian Sanches finished off a remarkable season for Omaha by tossing five innings allowing just two runs to pick up his second win of the postseason, and team-leading 12th win overall including the regular season and postseason. Sanches allowed two earned runs or fewer in 13 of his 15 starts for the Storm Chasers this season, and in his final eight starts he allowed only seven earned runs in 45.2 innings (1.38 ERA).
With a 70-74 regular season record the Storm Chasers have the second fewest regular season wins of any PCL champion since 1963, when playoffs began consistently, and the champ with the fewest wins was the 1984 Edmonton Trappers with 69 wins when the PCL still used the half system for playoff qualifying. Omaha won six of seven games in the postseason, and eight of their final nine games overall to qualify for the postseason and claim the title.
The Storm Chasers will face the champion of the International League, the Durham Bulls, in the Triple-A National Championship on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. CDT, and the game will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network.