Chiefs Collect Season High Nine Runs in Third Straight Shutout
Published on April 29, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Burlington, IA - The Peoria Chiefs got another strong pitching effort and carried their momentum on the road with a 9-0 win Wednesday night over the Burlington Bees. The Chiefs have won five straight games and improve to 10-8 on the season.
The Chiefs threatened to take an early lead in the top of the second against Bees starter Sam Runion. Josh Vitters reached on a one-out infield single and Ryan Flaherty popped out to third base. Michael Brenly reached on a catcher's interference call against Salvador Perez to advance Vitters to second. Nelson Perez blooped a single to center and Manager Marty Pevey waved Vitters home. But Burlington center fielder Patrick Norris threw a one-hopper to the plate and Vitters was tagged out to end the inning.
The Chiefs did break out against Runion in the top of the third. Tony Campana reached on a one-out single to left and Josh Harrison followed with a bunt single to third. After a double steal, Rebel Ridling collected two more RBI with a double to the wall in right-center. Ridling leads the Midwest League in both RBI (20) and doubles (8). With the Chiefs up 2-0 Kyler Burke doubled the lead with his second homer of the season over the high wall in right-center.
Peoria added to their lead against Runion in the fourth with a two-out rally. Junior Lake doubled off the wall in left and scored easily on a single by Campana. Campana stole second and Harrison walked, but Ridling popped out to end the inning with the Chiefs up 5-0.
The Chiefs continued to hit Runion hard in the fifth. With one down Vitters doubled to the wall in left. Flaherty was retired on a diving play by second baseman Fernando Garcia on a hard-hit line drive. Michael Brenly made it 6-0 with a single to left before Perez was robbed by first baseman Eric Hosmer to end the frame.
Justin Garcia relieved Runion to start the sixth and was tagged for two more extra-base hits. With one down Campana tripled past Norris in center, his first ever extra-base hit. Harrison put the Chiefs up 7-0 with a double to center but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple. Peoria capped the scoring with two more in the ninth against Barry Bowden. Campana drew a lead off walk and scored on a pinch-hit homer by Mario Mercedes. Mercedes had not homered since July 13, 2005 against the Arizona League Royals as he put the Chiefs up 9-0.
Cabrera (1-1) had the best start of his career as he blanked the Bees on just four hits over six innings. The 20-year-old struck out two and walked two while earning his first win of the season. Mike Perconte picked up his first save of the season after throwing three shutout innings. The righty allowed two hits and walked two.
Casey's General Store Player of the Games - Tony Campana (CF)- Campana collected his second three-hit game of the season and also drew two walks. He singled, stole third and scored in the third. The center fielder drove home a run with a single and stole second in the fourth and then tripled and scored in the sixth. Campana finished 3-for-3 with two steals, three runs scored and a RBI.
Notes...Harrison has a Chiefs season-high eight game hit streak...Harrison played his first game of the season at third base as Josh Vitters serves as the DH...The Chiefs first 17 games were decided by three runs or less...Campana had 23 hits, all singles last season and 13 singles this year before the triple in the sixth...Harrison's throwing error after catching a line drive in the bottom of the fourth snapped the Chiefs error less streak at 27 2/3 innings...The Chiefs last posted three straight shutouts on July 19-21, 2007 against South Bend and Fort Wayne...The game time of 2:16 was the shortest nine inning game of the season...The Chiefs set a new season-high with eight extra-base hits and tied their season high with 14 total hits...Peoria was 6- for-9 with runners in scoring position...The pinch-hit homer by Mercedes was his second successful pinch-hit of the season, his first at-bat since a pinch-hit single on April 15 and the Chiefs first pinch-hit home run since Terry Evans hit a walk-off grand slam against Burlington on May 24, 2004...Chiefs starters have not allowed a run in 18 2/3 innings dating back to Hector Estrella's homer in the top of the first on Sunday...Campana leads the MWL with 10 stolen bases after stealing two on Wednesday night...The two teams play game two of the three-game series Thursday night at 6:30 pm...Peoria will send RH Aaron Shafer (2-1, 3.18) to the mound against Bees RH Luis Cota (0-1, 3.00)...The game can be heard starting with the pre-game show at 6:15 PM on 96.5 ESPN Radio and www.peoriachiefs.com.
Midwest League Stories from April 29, 2009
- Cougars' Offense Silenced by Lugnuts - Kane County Cougars
- Bees Shut Out For Second Day In A Row - Burlington Bees
- Kernels back on track with 3-0 win over Whitecaps - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Loons Fall to Timber Rattlers 6-3 Wednesday Night - Great Lakes Loons
- Kemp powers Rattlers to win - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Castro Pitches Dragons to Second Straight Win - Dayton Dragons
- Chiefs Collect Season High Nine Runs in Third Straight Shutout - Peoria Chiefs
- Bandits make it five in a row - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Hawks Fall in Series Opener, 3-1 - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Son of Major Leaguer Is Kane-County Bound - Kane County Cougars
- Loons Acquire RHP Steve Smith - Great Lakes Loons
- Groth and Bailey join Kernels from Tempe - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Dragons GameDay - Dayton Dragons
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