Ji Hwan Bae and Jake Lamb both homered in the loss
By Katie Bostic
PAPILLION, Neb. – A two-run rally sparked by a go-ahead triple from Matt Gorski in the top of the ninth inning was not enough as the Omaha Storm Chasers defeated the Indianapolis Indians in walk-off fashion at Werner Park on Thursday evening, 5-4.
Down by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, Omaha (14-10) led off with a single from Nick Loftin. Following a one-out walk, CJ Alexander singled against Geronimo Franzua (L, 1-1) to score Loftin. A sacrifice bunt from Devin Mann tied the game at four runs apiece, and Tyler Gentry sealed the win for the Storm Chasers with an RBI single.
Ji Hwan Bae hit a leadoff home run off Omaha starter Luis Cessa to open the scoring for Indianapolis (12-12) in the first inning. Omaha then knotted the game in the second inning with an RBI single from Gentry.
Leading off the bottom of the fourth, Jake Lamb sent a long ball over the left-field wall to give the Indians their second lead of the game, but Gentry countered once again with another RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Matt Gorski sent his second triple of the year to right field to plate Canaan Smith-Njigba and set up a game-winning opportunity. In the following at-bat, Gorski reached home on a fielding error by shortstop Tyler Tolbert before Omaha answered with the three-run ninth.
Indianapolis starter Wily Peralta surrendered one run on two hits in 3.0 innings of work. Sam Long (W, 1-1) closed the game for Omaha, yielding two runs (one earned) on two hits with a strikeout in 1.1 innings on the mound.
Indianapolis and Omaha will face off in the fourth game of the six-game set tomorrow at 7:35 PM ET. RHP Jonathan Bowlan (3-1, 2.57) gets the nod for the Storm Chasers while the Indians have yet to name a starter.
Originally posted on milb.com/indianapolis