Storm Chasers Struggles in Iowa Continue
Iowa Moves Into Second Place in the American Conference North
Des Moines, IA - Felipe Paulino spun seven scoreless innings to pitch Iowa past Omaha, 4-1, Saturday night in the fourth of five meetings at Principal Park. The Storm Chasers have fallen in three straight after taking the series opener to dip to 63-52 and into third place 4 1/2 games behind division leading Oklahoma City, which lost a fourth consecutive game to Colorado Springs by blowing a ninth inning lead.
The Cubs scratched across the game's first run in the third inning on a Javy Baez fielder's choice grounder but left the bases loaded with one out after Christian Villanueva popped up and Rubi Silva flied out. Omaha starter Andy Ferguson yielded that run on two hits over three innings but was saddled with the defeat. Buddy Baumann took over for the visitors and worked out of a runners at first and second and nobody out jam in the sixth but wasn't as fortunate in the seventh after Villanueva belted a two-out three-run home run to increase the hosts lead to four.
Paulino retired the side in order in five frames and permitted only two hits while walking one and striking out six to earn the victory in what was his fourth start of the season against the Storm Chasers. Ryan Buchter tossed a scoreless eighth and was followed by Brian Schlitter, who had allowed only four earned runs over 33 innings entering the ninth. He gave up a lead off double to Rey Fuentes that was cashed into a run on a Jose Martinez ground out that ended a 21-inning scoreless drought for the visitors and accounted for the final margin. Schlitter walked two runners around that ground out before he struck out Casey Kotchman to end the game and sew up the Cubs 18th win in the last 23 meetings on the Iowa side of the I-80 rivalry series.
The series wraps up Sunday afternoon with Omaha right-hander Clay Mortensen taking the hill against Iowa righty Carlos Pimentel. Coverage gets underway at 12:45 with the Metropolitan Community College pre-game show and can be heard on 1180 Zone 2 The Deuce and online at omahastormchasers.com.