I think I have run out of superlatives for this team. I have probably said that before, but yesterday may have done it so I’ll just give you the facts and let you come up with the words. Twenty-four runs, twenty-eight hits, five homers, eight runs allowed by six pitchers, two wins. Holy moly what a fun day at the ol’ ball yard yesterday. It always seems like a quick turnaround on the next day, but I’ll do my best to give you the skinny on what went down.

Game one saw the Sky Sox take a 1-0 lead on an Andrew Susac double in the second inning, on which Jett Bandy scored all the way from first on. Omaha would bounce back to tie the game with a run in the top of the third, courtesy of a walk, two-base throwing error and double play. Garrett Cooper came up in the next half inning and put the Sox back in front with a two-run blast, his 14th of the season.

The Chasers would not go away quietly and manufactured a five run fourth inning scoring runs on bloops and bleeders, a wild pitch and a balk even and were doubling up the home team 6-3 halfway through the seven-inning affair. That would be all the visitors would get as Colorado Springs ripped off 11 unanswered to cap off the scoring.

Brett Phillips tripled home a pair to pull the Sox to winthin one at 6-5 in the fifth. Jett Bandy singled to tie it up, while Nate Orf followed with a walk. Andrew Susac doubled to give the Sky Sox an 8-6 lead, capping off the five-run inning. The Sox out-did themselves and put together a SIX-run SIXTH to polish off the Chasers.

Brinson and De Jesus  put together back-to-back singles and the former scored on a Cooper double, while the latter moved to third. Phillips was intentionally walked, which brought Bandy to the plate with the sacks packed and nobody out. He worked the count to 3-1 and then teed off (insert blushing emoji here) on a Seth Maness pitch and put it off the brand new video board in left-center. Welcome to the Springs, Jett! 13-6 Sox. Mauricio Dubon ended the inning with an RBI double adding one more to the tally. Incredible.

The pitching in game one was solid and good enough to get the W. Angel Ventura went the first four and was tagged for all six runs on seven hits, four walks and four strikeouts. Tristan Archer was again very solid and worked through two scoreless including a bases loaded no-out jam in the top of the sixth. He improved to 4-2 with the win. Rob Scahill logged an inning and walked one.

(That was just game one)

Game two featured more of the same for the Sox as they put together some monster innings and got great pitching en route to the 10-2 win.

Omaha actually held a 1-0 lead thanks to a wind-aided solo homer off the bat of Raul Mondesi in the top of the first inning, but Brett Phillips quickly tied the game with an RBI double to center that scored Lewis Brinson, 1-1.

The two teams traded runs in the bottom of the third and top of the fourth. For the Sox it was a Brett Phillips solo homer to right field and for the visitors, a Brayan Pena sac fly. From there, the Sox would reel off eight straight runs to end the game, four in the fourth and another four in the fifth.

The fourth saw Andrew Susac hit a sac fly which broke the 2-2 tie and then Lewis Brinson clean things up with a three run homer to left, his eighth of the season and just like that it was 6-2. In the fifth, it was a Nick Noonan single and a three-run homer off the bat of Andrew Susac which made it the final of 10-2.

Three pitchers combined to limit the Storm Chasers to the two runs on six hits. Bubba Derby returned to Triple-A and it was like he never left! He went the first five and earned the win, allowing two runs on six hits, one walk and three strikeouts. David Goforth and Tom Wilhelmsen pitched two scoreless to wrap it up.

Here are the Game Stories: Game One – Game Two

Play(s) of the Game(s) – 

Man it is so difficult to choose, but the Sky Sox certainly were on a roll in both games, and the whole series, so we will do a double feature today.

Brett Phillips 13th homer of the season –

Brinson’s three-run jack –

Pregame Interview with Dan Acheson and Brewers Hitting Coordinator Kenny Graham, Pt.1 – 

Since the Sox and Chasers are going to play three games in a 24-hour span…We’ll just jump right in to the preview of today’s game!

Colorado Springs Sky Sox (46-30) vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (37-39) – 12:30 p.m. 

Game Notes / Listen Live at 12:00 p.m.

Pitching Probables: RHP Michael Blazek (1-2, 3.56) vs. RHP Josh Staumont (3-7, 6.49)

Sky Sox Starter: Right-hander Michael Blazek readies for his tenth start of the season, his ninth in a row, and first appearance against the Storm Chasers. The Las Vegas native has an 1-2 record and 3.56 ERA through his first 19 appearances of the season. Blazek has been tagged for 22 runs on 52 hits, walked 24 and fanned 49 in 55 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .248 against the righty. He has been very good in the starting role going 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA and enters play today 1-1 with a 5.03 ERA at home.

Originally selected by the Cardinals in the 37th round of the 2007 draft, Blazek has pitched for both the Cardinals and Brewers organizations. He is 40-44 with 15 saves and a 4.09 ERA in 236 minor league outings, 97 of which have been starts, and 8-5 with a 4.09 ERA in 104 MLB games.

Last Time Out – June 23 – Loss at New Orleans – 

Blazek climbed the hill at the Shrine on Airline and went the first six, allowing four runs on eight hits. He didn’t walk anyone and fanned four on 83 pitches, 52 of which went for strikes. He was handed the loss in the 4-1 affair.