PAPILLION, NEB. — The Omaha Storm Chasers got within striking distance but after falling behind early, could not pull ahead and lost to the Indianapolis Indians on Wednesday afternoon, 7-4.
Indianapolis jumped out early, as the Indians scored a run in the first and four in the second off Omaha starter Zach Davies for an early 5-0 lead. Davies, making his Omaha debut, settled down after the second with a scoreless third inning but did not return to the mound after the third and was charged with the loss. He walked two and allowed five hits, surrendering five runs (four earned).
Indy starter Paul Skenes had Omaha’s hitters off balance for much of the day, as he struck out 7 over 4.2 innings of work. The Storm Chasers, however, became the first team to score a run off of him this season, as CJ Alexander tripled with one out in the bottom of the second and scored on a single from Nate Eaton. Another run crossed the plate for Omaha in the fourth inning, as Nick Loftin scored on a throwing error from Skenes.
Behind Davies, Jonah Dipoto and John McMillon each offered 2.0 innings of relief. Both righties allowed a single run, as Indianapolis was able to counter both of the runs the Chasers scored off Skenes and maintain a five-run lead, 7-2, through the first seven innings.
The Storm Chasers made some noise in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Alexander doubled, then Eaton and Brian O’Keefe offered back-to-back run-scoring singles that brought the tying run into the on-deck circle for Omaha, however that was the closest the Chasers got to coming back,
Not only did Omaha bring the score closer in the eighth, but the game settled down on the mound for the Chasers over the final two innings, as former Indian Colin Selby retired his old teammates in order in the top of the eighth, then Evan Sisk struck out the side in the top of the 9th inning. McMillon, Selby and Sisk combined to retire the final 7 Indy hitters and 10 of the last 11.
The only two runs batted in during the contest were credited to Eaton, while Alexander finished a home run shy of the cycle, his third 3-hit game of the season.
This week’s series continues Thursday at 6:35 p.m. CT with right-hander Luis Cessa headed to the mound for Omaha.
