Chiefs Fall to Wisconsin in Series Opener 3-2
Published on August 13, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Peoria, IL -The Peoria Chiefs fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in the first game of their three-game series on Wednesday night by a score of 3-2. The loss drops the Chiefs to 25-27 in the second half and 55-65 on the season as they fall to four games out of the wild card. Wisconsin had a three-hit rally against Peoria's Casey Coleman in the third. With one out, Blake Ochoa and Maximo Mendez collected back-to-back singles, and Daniel Carroll bunted to third for a base hit to load the bases. An error by second baseman Josh Harrison allowed both Ochoa and Mendez to score, making the Timber Rattlers first to the board 2-0. The Timber Rattlers added an insurance run in the sixth courtesy of a home run off the bat of Edilio Colina. Colina homered to the left field berm off Chiefs reliever Jon Mueller for his third home run of the season against Peoria. The shot extended Wisconsin's lead to 3-0 over the Chiefs. The Chiefs added a run in the sixth to put themselves on the board. Brandon Guyer doubled to left field with one out and stole third during the at-bat of Jake Opitz. A passed ball by catcher Blake Ochoa allowed Guyer to score, putting the Chiefs one closer at 3-1. Despite an opportunity to tie the game in the ninth, the Chiefs fell one run short of catching the Timber Rattlers. Opitz led off the inning against reliever Jeff Dunbar with a groundout, and Rebel Ridling looked to have the Chiefs second out before a wild pitch on strike three by Dunbar allowed Ridling to reach. Elvis Lara came in to run for Ridling, and as Cliff Andersen was at the plate, the Timber Rattlers allowed Lara to advance to second. Luis Flores drove in Lara with a single to left, but he was left at second as Josh Harrison flew out to right field to end the game with the Chiefs one run short at 3-2. Coleman worked four innings and allowed two runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits. He didn't give up any walks and struck out three batters as he took the loss. Mueller followed Coleman, pitching three innings and giving up one run, a home run to Colina, on one hit. He also refrained from walking any batters and struck out three. Craig Muschko finished the contest, throwing the final two innings for the Chiefs, keeping the Timber Rattlers hitless and scoreless while striking out four.
Player of the Game - Luis Flores (C) - Flores was one-for-three on the night with a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning. He also was walked once and threw out the only Wisconsin runner who attempted to steal.
Playoff Watch: With 18 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 four games behind Cedar Rapids for the wild card after Wednesday's loss as Cedar Rapids split a DH in Kane County. First-place Burlington was still in action at Clinton and Quad Cities was at Beloit as the Chiefs ended. The Chiefs are done playing Burlington, Quad Cities and Beloit while they have a four game series against Cedar Rapids at O'Brien Field August 21-24. The Chiefs will also play two more against last-place Wisconsin and 12 against Clinton and Kane County, the two first-half playoff qualifiers.
Notes...Nate Samson had his 130th hit and is just the 34th player in franchise history to reach that plateau...Flores has thrown out six of the last nine trying to steal second against him...Tonight is the final game of Steve Vento's suspension...Samson has been hit by a pitch four times in his last four games...He is now fifth on the single season list with 15 and is tied for sixth on the career list with 18...The Chiefs gave up their 95th home run, which leads the Midwest League...Guyer had his team-leading 19th steal in 23 attempts...Tonight the Chiefs had their first hit with a runner in scoring position in 17 1/3 innings...The Chiefs are 2-11 in their last 13 games decided by two runs or less...The pitchers issued no walks tonight and struck out 10 batters...The Chiefs will face Wisconsin in the second game of the series tomorrow at 7:00 PM...Thursday will be the final Peoria Chiefs Kids Club day...Members of Kids Club are invited to join Chiefs players for a pizza party picnic before the game...The Chiefs will send RH Audy Santana (1-6, 3.84) to the hill against Wisconsin RH Phillippe Aumont (4-4, 2.64)...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 AM.
Midwest League Stories from August 13, 2008
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- Ciriaco is Whitecaps hero with walk off hit - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Beltre Scampers Home For Wild Walk-off - Clinton LumberKings
- Bandits plate five in ninth for win - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Chiefs Fall to Wisconsin in Series Opener 3-2 - Peoria Chiefs
- Rattlers take second straight - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Chiefs Announce Plans for Final Weekend Homestand - Peoria Chiefs
- Miscues Bite Loons in Dragons' 4-2 Win - Great Lakes Loons
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- Whitecaps to help build Habitat For Humanity House - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Micucci, Gac Earn "Best Tools" Honors - Clinton LumberKings
- Jeremy Haynes to DL; Jose Perez returns from Orem - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Return of Ross - Kane County Cougars
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- Del Rosario Back to Dragons; Ravin to Billings - Dayton Dragons
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