Chiefs Lose Third Straight One-Run Game
July 10, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Cedar Rapids, IA - For the third game in a row the Peoria Chiefs scored one run in their final at-bat but still fell one-run short in a 6-5 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels Saturday night, their third straight one-run loss. The Chiefs fall to 4-11 on the half and are now at .500 overall with a 42-42 record.
Peoria jumped out in front for the third straight game when they scored in the third against Kernels starter Tyler Skaggs. Francisco Guzman worked a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sac bunt by Logan Watkins. Matt Cerda's second double of the game plated Guzman for a 1-0 Chiefs lead and put a runner in scoring position with just one out. But Skaggs buckled down to strike out DJ Fitzgerald and Justin Bour to end the threat.
Cedar Rapids responded immediately against Chiefs starter Ryan Searle. With two down in the bottom of the third, Jean Segura powered a solo homer over the 407-foot sign in left-center to tie the game 1-1. The Kernels took the lead in the fourth with a double, single and a sacrifice fly to go on top 2-1.
The Chiefs came through against Skaggs in the fifth to re-tie the game. Watkins drew a walk with one out and moved to second on a single by Cerda. After a pop-up, Bour tied the game with a single to left before Skaggs retired Jae-Hoon Ha to end the inning. Cedar Rapids broke the game open against Searle in the home half of the fifth. Searle hit Terrell Alliman with a two-strike pitch and with one out Matt Long tripled on a 2-0 pitch to put the Kernels up 3-2. Jeremy Cruz hammered a 0-2 pitch completely out of the stadium to put Cedar Rapids on top 5-2 before Searle got out of the inning. The Kernels added a run in the sixth against reliever Steven Grife to go up 6-2 as Alliman singled home a run.
After leaving seven runners on base in the first seven innings, the Chiefs rallied against Tyler Kehrer in the eighth. With one out, Ha singled and Jonathon Mota drew a walk. Mario Mercedes ripped a two-run double down the left-field line to cut the Kernels lead to 6-4. But Kehrer came back to strike out Charles Thomas and Guzman flew out to center to leave Mercedes in scoring position.
Down two into their last at-bat for the third straight night, the Chiefs put two on with two outs against closer Johnny Hellweg. Ha singled to left to bring home Fitzgerald to cut the lead to 6-5 and move pinch-runner Luis Flores to second. Mota drove a liner into center but Matt Long was there to make the catch and end the game. With the 6-5 loss the Chiefs have left the tying run in scoring position in each of the last three games, all one-run losses.
Searle (4-4) takes his second straight loss after allowing five runs on six hits over five innings. He walked one, hit one, struck out two and allowed a pair of homers. Grife allowed one run on three hits over two innings of work while walking one and striking out one. Manolin DeLeon issued a walk and struck out one in his hitless inning.
Casey's General Store Player of the Game - Matt Cerda (2B) - Cerda collected hits in each of his first three at-bats Saturday. The second baseman doubled in the first, doubled home a run in the third and singled in the fifth.
Notes...The Chiefs began the year 26-6 when scoring first but have now lost three straight games when getting out in front...The Chiefs have lost three straight games, each by one run...Peoria has gone to the ninth inning in all three games down by two runs and scored one run each time to lose by one...The Chiefs are now 42-42 on the season, the first time they have been at .500 since starting play on April 18 at 5-5...Mota returned to the Chiefs in a Saturday roster move that saw Peoria's RBI leader Greg Rohan promoted to Daytona...Both teams were without their leadoff hitters as Hak-Ju Lee and Mike Trout are in Southern California to take part in Sunday's XM Futures Game at Angels Park for the MLB All-Star festivities...Lee will return to Peoria after this series...Grife picked two Kernels baserunners off first base...Searle allowed as many homers on Saturday (2) as he had in his first 59 innings this season...Searle now has an ERA of 6.06 on the road this season while his ERA at O'Brien Field is just 1.29...Searle is 3-1 at home and 1-3 on the road...Chiefs starters have gone at least five innings in seven straight starts...Peoria was just 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position Saturday night while the Kernels were 5-for-8...The three game series continues Sunday at 2:05 p.m. in Cedar Rapids...The Chiefs will pitch LH Frank Batista (1-1, 3.92) in his first career start against Cedar Rapids LH Stephen Locke (4-2, 2.58)...The broadcast can be heard starting with the pregame show at 1:50 p.m. on 96.5 ESPN and www.peoriachiefs.com.
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