MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs Finish Season with 6-2 Monday Win

September 3, 2012 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Geneva, IL - The Peoria Chiefs used a three-run home run from Yaniel Cabezas to knock off the Kane County Cougars 6-2 Monday afternoon in the 2012 season finale. The win prevented the Cougars from clinching the final Midwest League playoff spot and put the Burlington Bees into the post-season. The Chiefs snapped a five-game losing streak and finished the 2012 season with a 63-75 overall record.

Kane County left runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings before the Chiefs scored the first run of the game in the fourth. Mike Giovenco had not allowed a hit through 3 1/3 innings when Pin-Chieh Chen tripled down the right-field line, his 10th triple of the season. Dustin Geiger put the Chiefs on top 1-0 with a sac fly to deep left.

Kane County again left two on in the fourth and the Chiefs broke the game open with an eventful fifth. Chadd Krist led off with a single and moved to second on a single by Tim Saunders. Krist was out at third on a fielder's choice bunt by Wes Darvill. Cabezas connected on his first home run of the season, in his 206th at-bat, for a 4-0 Chiefs lead. The homer hit off the top of the left field wall and bounced into the Budweiser party deck. Giovenco responded by hitting the next batter Oliver Zapata near the head and was immediately ejected. With Cole White on the mound, Zapata stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a DeVoss sac fly for a 5-0 Chiefs lead.

Willengton Cruz got out of a bases loaded jam in the third and cruised through the next three innings as well, holding the Cougars hitless until the sixth. With two down in the sixth, Cruz walked Chris Elder and Kenny Swab made him pay with his second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left. Cruz got out of the sixth with the Chiefs on top 5-2.

The Cougars left the bases loaded in the seventh and Zapata threw out a runner at the plate in the eighth to keep the Chiefs on top 5-2. Peoria added an insurance run against Malcolm Culver in the ninth. Darvill was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by Cabezas. Zapata made it 6-2 with a sacrifice fly to center.

Ben Wells made his second start since returning from the disabled list and pitched into the third inning. He allowed three hits and walked three with a strikeout and a hit batter. Cruz allowed two runs on just one hit and one walk over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out one and had two runners reach on errors. Luis Liria faced seven batters and walked four of them while also allowing a hit in 2/3 of an inning.

Casey's General Store Player of the Game - Yaniel Cabezas (C) - Cabezas saved his best for last going 2-for-4 with a 3-run homer on the season's final game. The homer was his first in 206 at-bats this season and second of his career. His other homer came for Boise on July 26, 2011 and the three RBI today were a career high.

Notes: Jacob Rogers ends the season with a seven-game hit streak while Soler hit in his final five For the first time in franchise history the Chiefs did not play a double header in 2012They also did not have an individual complete game for the first time in team historyDeVoss lead the MWL in walks with 82 and finished third in runs scored with 88Chen is tied for second in triples (10) and tied for ninth on the Chiefs single-season listMichael Jensen finished tied for fourth with 11 wins and Sheldon McDonald tied for second with 10 holdsThe Chiefs had seven players on the Opening Day roster, who never left, and were still with the team for the last game (Chen, Darvill, DeVoss, Jensen, Liria, Reed and Wang)The Chiefs used 53 players in 2012, three shy of the record set last seasonOver the last eight seasons as a Chicago Cubs affiliate, the Chiefs were 549-557 with the 10th most wins in the MWL in that spanThe 2012 season was the first for the Chiefs without a MLB rehab since 2004The Chiefs are 16-14 in season finale's in their 30 seasons with a 11-7 mark on the roadThe Chiefs went 20-15 in day games and 9-13 in Monday gamesPeoria was 23-20 in the final game of a series, but just 9-13 on the road...The Chiefs were 16-26-1 in their 43 series this season and 4-16-1 on the roadThe Chiefs finish with 1085 strikeouts as an offense, the second highest tally in team history (1092 in 2001)The Chiefs led the Midwest League with 216 errors after committing two more MondayThe 2013 Midwest League season begins on Thursday, April 4While the Chiefs have not released their entire schedule, they will open at home with a 6:30 p.m. game against the Wisconsin Timber RattlersThe Midwest league playoffs begin on Wednesday.

Check out the Peoria Chiefs Statistics



Midwest League Stories from September 3, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central