Iowa Cubs vs Omaha Storm Chasers

The Cubs struck first. BJ Murray tripled off Braun in the bottom of the 1st and scored on a Chase McCormick groundout to give Iowa a 1-0 lead.

Omaha answered immediately. Peyton Wilson singled home Abraham Toro in the 2nd to tie it 1-1, then Carson Roccaforte led off the 3rd with his first career Triple-A home run — a solo shot that put the Storm Chasers ahead to stay. Wilson added an RBI double later in the same frame, making it 3-1.

Braun settled in after that, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. He finished at 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K on 80 pitches (53 strikes).

Brett Squires extended the lead with a solo home run in the 7th — his team-leading 22nd of the season — to make it 4-1.

Omaha broke the game open in the 8th. Josh Rojas and Jacob Berry led off with back-to-back first-pitch home runs. Roccaforte capped the 4-run inning with a 2-run double, stretching the lead to 8-1.

Iowa answered with a 2-run double from Murray in the bottom of the 8th (8-3), but Peyton Wilson crushed a leadoff solo home run in the 9th — Omaha's fifth long ball of the night — to make it 9-3.

The Cubs didn't go quietly. Easton McGee struggled in the 9th, allowing a throwing error and a 2-run single to Murray plus an RBI single to McCormick. But McGee closed it out, sealing the 9-6 final.

Roccaforte's leadoff homer in the 3rd flipped a 1-1 tie into a lead Omaha never relinquished. It was the first of five home runs for the Storm Chasers and changed Braun's margin for error from razor-thin to comfortable. From that point, Omaha outscored Iowa 8-5.

Carson Roccaforte (OMA) — 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R. First Triple-A home run. A triple shy of the cycle. Player of the match.

Peyton Wilson (OMA) — 3-for-5, HR (5), 2B, 3 RBI, SB (12). Drove in runs in three separate innings.

BJ Murray (IOW) — 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI. Came a home run shy of the cycle in a losing cause.

Lucas Braun (OMA) — W (8-3), 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Retired 10 of his final 11 batters.

Omaha out-hit Iowa 15-10 and both teams left 9 runners on base, but the decisive gap came in the power department. Omaha's five solo home runs accounted for 5 of their 9 runs; the Cubs managed zero home runs and relied on Murray's extra-base hits for most of their offence. The Storm Chasers went 3-for-14 with RISP, but when you hit five homers you don't need many clutch hits. Iowa's 4-for-12 with RISP was actually better, but they couldn't overcome the 5-run deficit created by the long ball.

Both bullpens were hit hard: Omaha relievers allowed 5 earned runs over 4.0 IP, while Iowa's pen surrendered 6 earned runs over 5.1 IP. The difference: Omaha's arms (Moore, Duran) held Iowa scoreless in the 6th and 7th, keeping the game from getting close until the 9th.

Omaha improved to 25-25 in the second half and 58-66 overall. Iowa fell to 22-30 in the second half and 52-72 overall. The Storm Chasers lead the season series and took Game 1 of this 6-game set at Principal Park.

Next up: Game 2 of the series on Wednesday, 26 August, first pitch at 12:08 PM CT. Tony Gonsolin is expected to make a Major League rehab start for Omaha. Iowa's starter has not been announced.

A power display that left little doubt. Omaha's five home runs — from five different hitters — turned a close game into a rout, and Braun's efficient start on a rehab assignment gave the Storm Chasers exactly what they needed. Iowa showed fight in the 9th, but 8-run deficits don't often get overcome in one inning.

W: Lucas Braun (8-3) — 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K L: Javier Assad (0-3) — 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: Roccaforte (1), Squires (22), Rojas (9), Berry (8), Wilson (5)