MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs Fall 9-5 Sunday

Published on April 29, 2018 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Grand Chute, WI - The Peoria Chiefs dug another big hole and lost the series and road trip finale to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 9-5 on Sunday. The loss ends the first month of the season with the Chiefs at 10-11 heading into Monday's off day.

After the Chiefs left two on base in the top of the second, Wisconsin took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Zach Clark crushed a mammoth home run that hit his own name on the left-center field videoboard to put the hosts on top 1-0. With two outs in the inning, catcher Brent Diaz also took Winston Nicacio deep with a solo homer, his first as a professional, for a 2-0 Wisconsin lead.

After the Chiefs again left two on base, Wisconsin broke the game open in the third inning, With one out Tristan Lutz singled before Nicacio hit Gabriel Garcia and walked KJ Harrison to load the bases. Gilbert Lara's single made it 3-0 Wisconsin and Clark added a run with a single to left. Cory Malcom replaced Nicacio on the mound and Devin Hairston cleared the bases with a double to right for a 7-0 Rattlers lead.

The Chiefs got on the board in the fourth against Wisconsin starter Nelson Hernandez. One-out singles from Julio Rodriguez and Taylor Bryant started the rally before Nick Plummer walked with two outs. Scott Hurst picked up his first RBI of the season as he drove in two with a single to center.

Both teams scored in the fifth. The Chiefs put two on base with singles from Elehuris Montero and Juan Yepez. Rodriguez singled home Montero to cut the Wisconsin lead to 7-3 before Hernandez escaped the inning. Wisconsin plated two in the bottom of the inning with Clark's RBI triple and a single from Hairston.

The Chiefs got the final two runs in the ninth against reliever Gabe Friese. Hurst led off with a single and moved to second on a one-out single by Yariel Gonzalez. Montero loaded the bases with a single and Yepez drove in Hurst with a fielders' choice. Rodriguez singled home Gonzalez to cut the lead to 9-5 but Friese struck out Bryant to end the game.

Nicacio (0-1) took the loss as he allowed seven runs on four hits over just 2 1/3 innings. He walked two, hit two, allowed two homers and struck out one. Malcom allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits and struck out a career-high five over 2 2/3 innings. Bryan Dobzanski threw two shutout innings as he allowed two hits and struck out two. Fabian Blanco allowed two hits and struck out three in one shutout inning.

Notes... Yepez has reached base in 14 straight games...Yepez was 12-for-25 (.480) on the road trip...He has 11 multi-hit games already this season after collecting hits #31 and #32 in April...The 32 hits in 73 at-bats are the most for a Chiefs player since Travis Hanson had 37 in 100 at-bats in 2003...He finished April batting .438 the first Chiefs player to bat .400 or better in April since Eric Patterson hit .417 in 2005...His .630 slugging percentage is the best in April since at least the 2000 season...His 18 RBI in April are tied for the most since Greg Rohan drove in 21 in 2011...Chiefs catchers were 11-for-27 (.407) with three homers, a double, five runs scored, three walks and 11 RBI on the road trip...Rodriguez has a six-game hit streak and a four-game RBI streak...Nicacio has hit a MWL high five batters this season...He is second in the league in home runs allowed with five...Nicacio tied a career-high with seven runs allowed...His pickoff of Segovia in the first inning was the Chiefs first pickoff by a pitcher in 2018...The entire Midwest League is off Monday.

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