MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs Fall to Kernels 6-2 in Series Opener

Published on August 21, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Peoria, IL -After a rain delay of 1 hour and 56 minutes, the Peoria Chiefs fell to the Cedar Rapids Kernels 6-2 Thursday night at O'Brien Field to begin a four game series loaded with playoff implications. The loss drops the Chiefs to six games behind the Kernels in the Wild Card race with just 11 games remaining on the season. The Chiefs broke a scoreless tie in the third inning against Kernels starter Jose Perez. The leadoff hitter in the inning, Dylan Johnston, homered out to right field to put the Chiefs in front 1-0. The home run was the 12th of the year for Johnston and third since returning from the disabled list last Thursday. After retiring the first 11 batters of the game, Chiefs starter Robert Hernandez ran into trouble in the fourth inning. Clay Fuller was hit in the helmet by a Hernandez pitch to put the tying run on base. Julio Perez followed with a double to the gap in left-center to score Fuller from first base and tie the game 1-1. An error by Luis Bautista at third base allowed Hector Estrella to reach base and keep the inning going. Gabe Jacobo doubled past a diving Cliff Andersen in left field to score Perez from second base and put Cedar Rapids on top 2-1. Estrella was thrown out at the plate on the play to end the inning. The Chiefs bounced back to tie the game after an hour and 56 minute rain delay in the fourth inning against Cedar Rapids reliever Tim Kiely. Prior to the delay, Nate Samson reached on an error against Perez and went from first to third on a single by Cliff Andersen. When play resumed Luis Bautista beat out a potential inning-ending double play ground ball that allowed Samson to score to tie the game 2-2. The Kernels did not allow the game to stay tied for long as the Chiefs turned to their bullpen and reliever Zach Ashwood in the fifth inning. Jay Brossman led off the inning against Ashwood with a solo blast to the berm in left field to put the Kernels back in front 3-2. The homer was the 15th allowed by the Chiefs left hander this season. The Chiefs left the tying run at second base in the fifth inning and the Kernels took advantage in the sixth. Andrew Romine led off with a double and moved to third on a groundout by Fuller. A two-out RBI single by Estrella gave the Kernels a 4-2 lead before Ashwood struck out Jacobo to end the inning. Cedar Rapids put the game out of reach in the seventh and helped the Chiefs set a new franchise record. Brossman led off with a double to right and advanced to third on a sacrifice by Rosario. After a strikeout, Jeremy Moore blasted a two-run shot over the gate area in right-center to put the Kernels on top 6-2. The homer was the 105th allowed by the Chiefs this season which breaks the franchise record set by the 1999 pitching staff. Hernandez had his night cut short due to the rain as he pitched four innings and allowed two runs, one of which was earned while striking out four and not issuing a walk. Ashwood gave up four runs on five hits over three innings. The lefty falls to 6-9 on the season after allowing two home runs and striking out five. Jon Mueller worked the final two innings without allowing a run on one hit without recording a strikeout or issuing a walk.

Player of the Game - Dylan Johnston (DH) - Johnston homered in third to put the Chiefs on the board and then singled in the fifth. The left-handed hitter now has 16 multi-hit games on the season and has now homered once in every 19.13 at-bats this season which leads the team.

Playoff Watch: With 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Chiefs are in a five-team battle for two second half Western Division playoff spots. The Chiefs are done playing Burlington, Quad Cities and Beloit while they have three games at O'Brien Field against Cedar Rapids at O'Brien. The Chiefs now trail the Kernels by six games in the Wild Card race with three games remaining head-to-head. Burlington defeated Beloit 6-2 to put them 10 ½ games in front of the Chiefs in the Western Division. The Chiefs will also play 8 against Clinton and Kane County, the two first-half playoff qualifiers.

Notes...There was a 1hr and 56 minute rain delay in the fourth inning...Ashwood is now second in the MWL in home runs allowed with 16...Cedar Rapids had five of their eight hits go for extra bases... Peoria set a new franchise record with 105 home runs allowed this season, surpassing the 104 allowed during the 1999 season...Cliff Andersen collected two hits in his return from the disabled list... Johnston's last four home runs have come at O'Brien Field after hitting his first six on the road...The 69-degree first-pitch temperature was the coldest start time for a game at O'Brien Field this season since May 23 against Wisconsin...Jovan Rosa began serving his 3-game suspension tonight from the fight in Dayton on July 29... Bautista made his first career start at third base...The series continues on Friday night at 7:00...The first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive a Scoreboard Man Bobblehead presented by Prairie Home Alliance...Peoria will send RH Kevin Kreier (5-8, 3.94) to the hill while the Kernels will go with LH Robert Fish (8-4, 5.11)...The game can be heard live beginning with the pre-game show at 6:15 PM online at www.peoriachiefs.com or on WOAM 1350 AM.

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Midwest League Stories from August 21, 2008


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