After no runs in the first inning, Isaac Paredes walked to start the second. Aderlin Rodriguez then tapped a grounder to third, but Melendez, making his first pro start at third, made a wild throw that allowed Paredes to move up to third and Rodriguez to second. That gave Jacob Robson a prime RBI opportunity and he did the job with an RBI groundout. With Ryan Kreidler now at the dish, he hit a deep shot to right that Martin caught at the warning track. Rodriguez trotted home for the Hens’ second run, crediting Kreidler with a sac fly.
The Storm Chasers answered back right away in their at-bat. A fielding error by Paredes followed by a pair of singles plated Omaha’s first run of the game. After a fielder’s choice and a flyout, Bobby Witt Jr. blasted a two-run double to left-center that put the Chasers in front by a run.
After a walk to Torkelson and a walk to Clemens put men on first and second with two outs. Paredes stepped to the plate and grounded a pitch right up the middle and into center field that Torkelson came around to score on, tying the game at three.
Defensive miscues once again plagued the Mud Hens in the fourth. After a leadoff single by Martin, Fox tapped a comebacker to Pinto, but Kreidler had the throw go off his glove to put guys on second and third. A sac fly to left then put Omaha in front 4-3. That’s all that they would get though, as Pinto left them loaded.
With the score still 4-3 as the bottom of the sixth rolled around, Pinto returned to the mound. He allowed a leadoff single and a walk but manager Tom Prince stuck with him. The decision would not pay off as Ryan McBroom blasted a broken bat three-run homer to make it 7-3 Omaha. That would end the day for Pinto as Will Vest came on to relieve him. Melendez worked a full count and then hit an opposite field home run to make it-back-to-back jacks for the Chasers.
After Vest went 1.2 innings with just the solo homer allowed, Bryan Garcia entered for the eighth with the Hens still down five. Pratto greeted him with a triple to left after Robson could not make a sliding catch. After a walk and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases, Garcia hit a batter to force in a run. He went on to get consecutive strikeouts to limit the damage as the Chasers led by six.
In the bottom of the ninth, Juan Centeno singled, but nothing came of it and the Hens dropped the series opener 9-3.
What’s Next:
The Toledo Mud Hens and Omaha Storm Chasers play a doubleheader starting at 5:35 p.m. tomorrow. The second game will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first. Both games will be seven innings.
Hens Notes:
- OF Daz Cameron singled in the first to extend his hit streak to nine games.
- The loss snaps the seven game win streak for Toledo.