Rain, Storm Chasers’ bats fall heavy in 51s 13-6 loss
On a rainy Tuesday afternoon in Nebraska, it was when the rain finally stopped that it really began to pour on the Las Vegas 51s.
After sitting through a 67-minute rain delay in the middle of the third inning, the Omaha Storm Chasers exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to lead them to a 13-6 victory over Las Vegas at Werner Park.
“The rain was definitely a factor,” 51s manager Wally Backman said. “It changes the tempo of the game the way things spiraled out of hand. It’s tough.”
Shortstop Raul Mondesi powered the Omaha offense, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and missing a cycle by a single. The home run was his first of the season.
It started off well enough for the 51s, picking up two runs on an RBI single by Kevin Plawecki in the second inning. A team that was 27-17 entering the game when scoring first had it rolling: offense was scoring, starter Darin Gorski only allowed one hit and struck out three had a monkey wrench thrown in its plans when the skies opened up.
More than an hour sitting on the bench is hard for a pitcher to come back from and pitch well. Backman got the green light from the 51s pitching coordinator to send Gorski back, but Gorski had never waited that long before returing. Backman opted to turn it into a bullpen game and send Beck Wheeler out for the third inning when the game resumed.
Wheeler started well, allowing a single and striking out three in the third. In the fourth he let the first two runners on then got two flyouts and it looked like he would get out of it.
A Johnny Monell passed ball opened the floodgates. After one run scored, the next seven Storm Chasers reached base, including consecutively hitting for the cycle with a single, triple, double and homer. Overall, Omaha sent 13 hitters to the plate, scoring nine runs on seven hits.
“He fell behind hitters,” Backman said of Wheeler. “If he pitches the same he does in the (third), he probably does the same thing.”
The Omaha fourth inning tied the May 4 eighth inning for the most runs allowed in one inning by the 51s this season. It was the first time the 51s lost the first two games of a series since May 31-June 1 at Reno.
The 51s did manage 12 hits, but bunched in three innings: four hits in the second, three in the fifth and five in the ninth inning.
One novelty for 51s to take away from the game: Catcher Nevin Ashley pitched the eighth. He varied his pitching motion including twisting his body Luis Tiant-style after allowing a few runs.
He threw one inning and allowed two runs.
Justin Emerson can be reached at jemerson@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @J15Emerson
