MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs Create Breathing Room in Playoff Race

Published on August 12, 2007 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Geneva, IL - The Peoria Chiefs pitchers dominated the Kane County Cougars again on Sunday afternoon for an important 5-2 victory and a sweep of the two game series in the Chicago suburbs. The win puts the Chiefs 3 ½ games clear of the Cougars in the Wild Card race before the two teams square off at O'Brien Field Monday night.

The Chiefs took advantage of a wild Henry Rodriguez on the mound in the top of the first. Leon Johnson was hit by a pitch to start the game and with Darwin Barney batting he stole second and third. After a strikeout, Jim Adduci hit a grounder to short and Johnson was thrown out at the plate for the second out. Adduci stole second and moved to third on an infield single by Derek Schermerhorn. Blake Lali gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead with a solid single into left as Adduci scored and Schermerhorn was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Robert Hernandez allowed a walk and a double with one out in the first inning. The 18 year old recovered with back to back popouts to get out of the inning with the Chiefs on top. After the first inning double, Hernandez retired the last 14 batters he faced in the game.

The Chiefs still led 1-0 into the fifth inning when they got to Rodriguez again. Ryne Malone singled, Nate Samson walked and each moved up 90 feet on a sac bunt from Johnson. Barney put the Chiefs up 2-0 with a hard hit groundout to second as Malone scored. Samson was caught trying to steal home to end the inning.

Two innings later the Chiefs knocked Rodriguez from the game with a two-out rally. Malone started the rally with a single to left and Samson singled to center. Johnson followed with a walk to load the bases for Barney. Eric Sheridan relieved Rodriguez and gave up a RBI single to Barney on the first he threw for a 3-0 Chiefs lead. Sheridan then struck out Adduci to leave the bases loaded.

Peoria picked up an unearned run in the eighth against Sheridan to push the lead to 4-0. Schermerhorn popped up to start the inning but second baseman Larry Cobb dropped it in the outfield grass. After back to back walks loaded the bases, Malone delivered a sacrifice fly to deep center as Schermerhorn scored without a throw.

The Chiefs put the game away in the ninth against reliever Andrew Carignan. Johnson walked and moved to third on an errant pickoff throw. Barney reached on another error and with one out, Schermerhorn singled to right for a 5-0 Chiefs lead. Kane County avoided the shutout with a harmless two-run Greg Dowling homer with two outs in the ninth.

Hernandez stops a personal three game slide with five shutout innings in which he allowed just one hit. The righthander is now 5-8 after walking one and striking out three. Casey Lambert threw two shutout innings in which he allowed one hit and struck out five. Jayson Ruhlman set the Cougars down in order in his lone inning with one punch out. Alex Maestri allowed two runs on two hits and two strikeouts in the ninth.

Gorman's Pub Player of the Game Robert Hernandez (SP) - Hernandez retired the last 14 batters he face as he threw a one-hitter over five innings. The only two batters to reach against him came on a walk and double in the first inning.

Playoff Watch: The top two teams in the division excluding Beloit and Clinton will make the playoffs. With 21 games remaining, the Chiefs are in the Wild Card spot, 1 ½ game behind Quad Cities who won in 10 innings on a walk off homer Sunday afternoon. The Chiefs are now 3 ½ games up on Kane County in the Wild Card race. The Chiefs have five games (four at home) left against Kane County and two at Quad Cities. The Wild Card team will play Beloit in the first round while the Second Half Champion will play Clinton.

Notes... The Chiefs finish the regular season 5-3 in Elfstrom Stadium...All four games remaining against the Cougars will be at O'Brien Field...Kane County scored 30 runs in their last series while winning all four against Lansing but the Chiefs have held them to three runs on seven hits in the first two games this weekend...Darwin Barney has an eight game hit streak...Chiefs pitchers have struck out at least nine in their last four wins...The two teams now play a pair in Peoria starting Monday at 7:00 PM...All tickets are half price as part of the Mountain Dew Monday promotion...The Chiefs will send RH Al Alburquerque (1-3, 8.03) to the mound against RH Trevor Cahill (7-4, 3.32)...The game can be heard live beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 PM online at www.peoriachiefs.com or on WOAM 1350.

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Midwest League Stories from August 12, 2007


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