Recap thread: Omaha leads Iowa Cubs 11-1 into the bottom of the sixth

Omaha’s game isn’t quite over as I write this, but the Royals are done and so the recap must be posted.

The Storm Chasers currently lead the Iowa Cubs 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth of the first game of a doubleheader in Omaha. Brad Keller, on a rehab assignment, took the start as an opener for Omaha and pitched two scoreless innings, but his defense gave him a huge boost as they ended the first inning with a double play and Nate Eaton made a terrific play, receiving a ball off the wall in centerfield and gunning down the Cubs’ Edwin Rios trying to stretch a single into a double. Keller struck out none and walked three, so don’t imagine he’s “fixed” just yet.

Jonathan Bowlan took over for Keller in the third inning and has pitched the rest of the game up to this point. He walked his first batter but struck out the next three and has had a fairly strong game, striking out seven and walking three while allowing a single run on two hits in four innings. Clearly, you’d like the walks to be less, but as long as he’s striking out that many there’s hope.

The Storm Chasers got the scoring started early. Michael Massey, also on a rehab assignment, took a one-out walk before John Rave singled and then Nate Eaton brought him home with another single.

The scoring resumed in the third inning with two outs. Catcher Angelo Castellanos led off with a double before Brewer Hicklen and Massey each made outs. Fortunately, Rave wasn’t going to let the inning end like that and singled to bring home Castellanos. Eaton smacked another single before Tucker Bradley arrived to the plate and redeemed himself for the double play he grounded into in the first with a three-run bomb. Adeiny Hechavarria doubled in front of an RBI single by Clay Dungan to complete the Storm Chasers scoring in the inning.

The two repeated the feat leading off the fifth inning, though this time Dungan was thrown out at second trying to achieve a double. Castellanos added a massive solo home run to conclude the scoring as of this writing.

The Storm Chasers will have a second game after this seven-inning match to complete the doubleheader and then one more against Iowa tomorrow. Angel Zerpa will appear for the Storm Chasers in his second rehab appearance.

The Storm Chasers have added two more runs while I was editing this article. Rave and Eaton each added another RBI single to their day.