MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs Take Care of Bandits for Rare Five-Game

June 17, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Peoria, IL - The Peoria Chiefs understand they need a lot of help to clinch a first-half playoff berth, but that hasn't stopped them from taking care of their own business as they finished off a five-game sweep of the Quad Cities River Bandits with a 7-3 win Wednesday night. With the win and only four games left to play, the Chiefs sit two and a half games back of both Clinton and Cedar Rapids for the Wild Card spot in the MWL's Western Division. Also with the victory, Peoria guaranteed themselves a winning record in the first-half of the season for the first time since 2006 and only the third time going back to 2002.

Quad Cities took their first lead of the series in the top of the third. Jose Garcia singled to lead off the inning against Chiefs starter Justin Bristow. After a sacrifice bunt by Guillermo Toribio, Paul Cruz split the gap in left-center to score Garcia and give the Bandits a short-lived 1-0 lead.

The Chiefs responded back quickly in their half of the third against Adam Veres. Michael Brenly blooped a single to right and advanced to third on Josh Harrison's single down the right-field line. After Drew Rundle walked, Rebel Ridling struck out and Kyler Burke fouled out to set up a two-out, bases loaded situation for Josh Vitters. After getting the night off last night, the Chiefs All-Star third baseman delivered a solid single to center field scoring both Brenly and Harrison on the play.

The Chiefs defense helped Bristow and reliever Chris Siegfried on four occasions. In the first, with runners on the corners and one out, Vitters started an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Jon Edwards. Travis Mitchell singled to start the second and was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double by Harrison. When Cruz doubled home Garcia in the second, he was thrown out at third by Burke for the second out. In the sixth with Siegfried pitching, Harrison threw Edwards out at the plate on a single by Mitchell to keep the Chiefs on top 2-1.

Peoria extended the lead against the River Bandits bullpen in the seventh. Junior Lake smoked his second homer of the series into the left-field berm for a 3-1 Chiefs lead. Brenly followed with his third single of the game and he was forced at second as Harrison reached first. Harrison stole second and third with one out before Dave Carpenter relieved Ramon Delgado. After Ridling walked, Burke reached on a bizarre fielders' choice as the QC second baseman failed to throw the ball to second and Harrison scored for a 4-1 Chiefs lead.

The River Bandits responded against Chiefs reliever Erik Hamren in the eighth. Mitchell was hit by a pitch and Oswaldo Morales singled off the wall in left to put two on with nobody out. Brent Lilley bounced into a fielders' choice as Mitchell scored to cut the Chiefs lead to 4-2. Garcia lined out to Hamren for the second out before Guillermo Tiribio walked to put the tying run on base. Chris Huseby relieved Hamren and retired Cruz on a groundout to second to end the threat.

The Chiefs put the game away in the bottom of the eighth. Ryan Flaherty and Nelson Perez singled consecutively to put runners on first and third for Lake. The Chiefs shortstop added to his already good day at the plate with a RBI double down the right field line plating Flaherty. Brenly stepped up and delivered a sacrifice fly to deep right that scored Perez and Harrison singled plating Lake to give the Chiefs their biggest lead of the game at 7-2. The River Bandits got one run off Huseby in the ninth on a Jon Edwards RBI groundout to make it 7-3.

Bristow threw five innings for the Chiefs and allowed one run on seven hits. He did not issue a walk and struck out one. Siegfried tossed 1 1/3 shutout innings while allowing two this and one walk with a strikeout. Hamren allowed one run on one hit while walking two, hitting one and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings. Huseby allowed one run over the final 1 1/3 innings and notched his fifth save of the season.

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Midwest League Stories from June 17, 2009


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