Royals’ Triple-A affiliate sets a franchise record by hitting nine home runs in a game
All that, and the fans got fireworks, too.
Monday was a good day to see the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate play. Fans knew there would be a postgame fireworks show to celebrate Independence Day after the Omaha Storm Chasers game. But there’s no way they could have known they’d see the Storm Chasers pound out 27 hits, including nine home runs, in a 20-6 win over Toledo.
Yep, nine times.
I could have inserted the Mr. Rooney “nine times” meme here but I resisted the urge.
Every Omaha batter had at least one hit and one RBI, including catcher José Briceño, who hit a three-run homer in the second inning. His replacement, William Hancock, also had an RBI hit.
The Storm Chasers, who trailed 5-1 heading to the bottom of the second inning, scored in every inning in which they batted.
Roman Quinn hit a solo homer in the first inning, then added another one in the second inning after Briceño’s three-run shot. Nate Eaton also had a solo blast in the frame.
THREE HOME RUNS IN ONE INNING! @Nathan_Eatonn hits the third home run of the inning to extend our lead!
BOT 2 | TOL 4, OMA 6 pic.twitter.com/Mwa8fhr6iG— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) July 5, 2022
In the third, Felix Fermin hit a solo shot, and Eaton added another solo home run in the fourth inning.
Freddy Fermin welcomed himself into the dinger party!
Fermin hit our fifth home run of the night
BOT 3 | TOL 4, OMA 7 pic.twitter.com/s0WmZDXQlO— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) July 5, 2022
Omaha tied its franchise record with seven home runs by the fifth inning when first baseman Nick Pratto obliterated a ball.
A no-doubt blast from @n_pratto!
It is our seventh home run of the night!
BOT 5 | TOL 4, OMA 11 pic.twitter.com/rRsYuXu1sV— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) July 5, 2022
Second baseman Michael Massey’s two-run homer gave Omaha a 17-4 lead in the sixth inning, and Ivan Castillo joined the fun with a solo homer an inning later.
Here is Massey’s big fly, which came less than a week after he was promoted from Double-A.
Scramalamadingdong! #TwitterlessMichaelMassey joins the home run parade with our 8th home run of the night!
BOT 6 | TOL 4, OMA 17 pic.twitter.com/8moEte9Uoy— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) July 5, 2022
Another 20-6 game
The two-touchdown margin of victory was the second in seven days by a Royals minor-league affiliate.
Northwest Arkansas, the Royals’ Double-A affiliate, also won by a final score of 20-6. It came last Tuesday in a win at Amarillo. Seuly Matias hit two home runs and had six RBIs in the game and fellow outfielder John Rave added a home run and five RBIs.
In the six-game series, the Naturals scored 60 runs but won just twice. Northwest Arkansas lost 11-10 on Friday and then 13-12 on Saturday. In both instances, the Naturals scored four in the ninth inning but couldn’t come all the way back. On Sunday, they again reached double digits in runs and won 10-4.