Six-run fourth powers ‘Cakes past Omaha

METAIRIE – JT Riddle homered and delivered a two-run single as the New Orleans Baby Cakes sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run fourth inning en route to a 9-2 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Monday night.

The ‘Cakes took the final three games of the series, their longst winning streak of the year, and went 5-2 on the homestand to move a season-high two games above .500.

New Orleans committed two errors in the third inning, and a balk allowed Omaha to plate a run, but the lead was short-lived as Deven Marrero homered in the bottom of the frame to even the score.

After missing the last three games with a finger injury, Riddle led off the fourth with a home run to right-center to put the Baby Cakes on top for good and open the floodgates. Four of the next five batters collected singles and 11 men came to the plate in the inning, including a second at-bat for Riddle, who lined a single to center with the bases loaded to score two runs.

Bryan Holaday homered in the eighth inning, his second hit of the game, and Peter O’Brien added two singles to finish 7-for-16 in the series with five RBI.

Zac Gallen, who entered the game with a Pacific Coast League-leading 0.48 ERA, scattered seven hits in 6 2/3 innings and allowed just one unearned run. The right-hander retired the side only once, but was assisted by four double plays, including one he started after loading the bases with no outs in the fifth.

Gallen (2-0) walked three and struck out six in lowering his ERA to 0.36.

Arnaldo Hernandez (0-2) was charged with seven runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings to suffer the loss.

The Baby Cakes travel to Round Rock to open a five-game set against the first-place Express starting Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.